J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by crash

ise wrote:

msej449 wrote:I recall reading advice from a motoring organisation saying that you should ideally fill-up a diesel with a tankful from an Alpine garage before you parked it at the resort. This is because diesel sold in the Alps has additives for extreme cold. If you fill up away from the Alps you won't get the appropriate mix. My diesel can almost reach 1,000Kms on one tank so I always try to do as recommended. anyone care to confirm or otherwise?

I've heard that but only from people in the UK. In years of living France, Germany and Switzerland no one I know here has ever heard of that, nor running a diesel car in the past have we experienced it.

I do know that all diesel is seasonally adjusted not only in Europe but the UK as well to stop the wax in it freezing in the winter. It would be a bit bizarre to do this in the alps alone, as it happens the coldest places in France, Germany and Switzerland aren't actually in the alps. Other practical considerations like tank capacity as you mention make it absurd, you'd buy fuel in Paris and freeze in Val d'Isere.

Just returned from Cervinia where we had this exact problem. Picked up hire car from Turin airport with a full tank of diesel. Drove to the shell garage at the bottom of the mountain and topped up the tank with arctic diesel as advised by the hire company (approximately quarter of a tank). Four days later - tried to start the car to no avail. At best car would run for 30 secs before cutting out with low power / rpm. Not enough to get it going and heat in the engine / fuel.

Had to get car recovered to local garage where fuel was removed, fuel tank / filter etc. warmed to allow car to run. Missed flights and had to stay over in Turin an extra nighte. Total cost in the region of £400 for recovery, flights and hotel. Have submitted claim to rental agency but not holding my breath.

As others have stated, the problem is that the car is not winterised on pick-up and with Cervinia only being a 115km from Turin, it's not sufficient to top-up the car with arctic diesel. BP recommend that 75% of tank if filled with arctic diesel...

On hindsight I would have either demanded a petrol car or added concentrated diesel antifreeze instead of topping up. Having said that, I'm not even sure the latter procedure would have worked.

So be warned for all those driving to ski resorts in diesel hire cars - make sure it is winterised on pick-up, demand a petrol car or ensure you add sufficient diesel antifreeze to the fuel before parking up (and having driven it to ensure that the fuel including the antifreeze is in the fuel filter).