Motor City Vette

What's your thoughts on gas line antifreeze products like Heet? It's been getting down into the single digits at night around here and only going up to about 20-25 degrees. I don't know anything about these products and am unsure if they do more harm than good. Thanks.

Big Fish

Gas line freeze protectants are primarily made from alcohol. Because of alcohol's reaction with certain rubber products I have been hesitant to use it on any of my vehicles. Our Chicago winters are usually as cold as yours and I have not had problems. I do like to keep the gas tank really full when it's really cold though. Even back in 77, we had maybe 20 days straight of sub-zero weather, I never had a problem, but I remember the waste cans at gas stations were overflowing with the empty bottles, so I guess some people believe in it.


[Modified by Big Fish, 7:45 PM 1/12/2003]

soundguy

They're just ethanol - pure alcohol. Water mixes with alcohol - alcohol mixes with gas - add alcohol to gas and the water mixes in so it cannot freeze into water ice.

A few years ago, up here in the Pacific Northwest they started mandating 'oxygenated' fuel (10% ethanol) during the winter months. In the first few weeks, older vehicles were dropping like flies. it seems that alcohol acts as a solvent for a lot of crap stuck to the interior surfaces of a 20-30-year-old fuel system. The crap plugged up fuel filters like crazy until it all broke loose. They repealed the mandate a few years later, but all the old cars up here are pretty well cleaned out now. :)

If you have never run any alcohol before and you need to run some Heet in the tank, make sure that you carry a spare fuel filter AND the tools needed to install it. You should always spares anyway if you're mechanically inclined. You'd be surprised how much you can charge someone for a $3 filter when they're stuck on the freeway during rush hour. :D

Paul L

It's basically just alcohol to unite with the water in the gasoline and pass the gas through the fuel system without freezing. The older type was methanol/wood alcohol for fuel management systems with carbs. The newer version is iso-propyl or rubbing alcohol meant for fuel-injected cars. It is easier on rubber parts. Save some money and go to a local Dollar Store and get rubbing alcohol at $0.99 for a large bottle. It works.

SanDiegoPaul

One that we sell at The Dyno Shop is called MACHTANE. yes it is an octane booster but these things do have other properties as well.
http://www.machtane.com

CDaniel525

What about a product called "Sta-Bil" I use it in my motorcycle, jetskis, and dad' boat over the winter.

TJRed76

The only time that we have problems with gas lines freezing up here in Montana, is when the temp is about 20 below and you are driving on the highway. The wind chill gets down to like 70 below. If you are not even into the below zero range of temps, I would not worry about it.

Fevre

That gas dry stuff works if you have water in the lines. We had a power outage at our plant and ran our shipping computers with generators and one was cutting in and out. I put in some gas dry and within 2 minutes it was purring like a kitten.