Blame Animal Fat if Your Diesel Engine Freezes Up This Winter

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Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg News

When freezing weather strikes, cold-weather pros know to treat diesel with additives to prevent the fuel from gumming up their engines.

But now that U.S. diesel contains up to 5% biodiesels made from animal fats and soybean oil, consumers have noticed their fuel gelling at higher temperatures than normal, according to Clint Hamlin, a product specialist at Mansfield Oil.

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“These concerns are amplified by biofuel content, which can contribute to higher gelling temperatures,” Hamlin said in an online analysis. “These can contribute to further filter clogging at cold temperatures.”