a great trip but a warning to all diesel car drivers

Just back from a great trip but a warning to all diesel car drivers...we spent a week in la Tania and then on to Campitello Di Fassa in the Dolomites after a week there on to Kaprun and my friends with the J2ski trip....my warning... I filled up the car in Verona and went on to the mountains...the car was left fo a week in -10 conditions...and...it wouldnt start!! dismay and a flattened battery.. my host told me ...frozen diesel ..Verona doesnt put in the additive..anyway eventually I got it started by hand pumping the fuel through (a lot of diesels have a little pump, usually a rubber bulb, in the fuel line)...I went and bought the additive at the next service station €13...

My advice ..check at the last fill up before the mountains and buty some here before you go...STP sell it ...https://www.bullseyecarparts.co.uk/category/detail/car-maintenance/additives/diesel-additives/stp-diesel-winter-treatment-with-anti-gel

I dont know how good it it is but better safe than sorry ...My host said €150 for the local garage to do it...

The last time I was in the Dolomites, I flew into Venice and hired a car. In fairness to the woman at the carhire desk, she did advise me that the diesel was at risk of freezing as the local (Venice) diesel did not have the necessary additive. Her advice was pretty simple - fill it up when you arrive at resort and this should be enough :wink: . She did mention that you could buy additives but didn't think that this would be necessary. It is about 200kms so the tank was probably half empty when we got to our destination. I did not have any problems after that but if I recall the temperatures were not too extreme - also used the car quite a lot while there so that might have helped as well.

It's easy to get caught out. In Italy, there are also problems with adulterated fuel (watered down by the Mafia apparently).