Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - crc - 10/24/16
Driving and Operating
259
At temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F),
it is recommended to switch to Ultra
Low Sulfur Diesel fuel with no
biodiesel content, or to blends with
biodiesel containing less than 5% by
volume. At these extreme cold
temperatures, biodiesel blends
higher than 5% by volume may
cause fuel filter plugging and
system gelling, which can lead to
vehicle operability problems.
Fuels improperly blended for cold
temperature operation may result in
restricted fuel filters and degraded
vehicle performance. GM diesel
vehicles are equipped with a fuel
heating system to provide an extra
level of protection against filter
plugging from gelling or waxing of
conventional diesel fuel and
biodiesel blends. If the operating
temperature is far below the
temperature at which gelling or
waxing of the fuel occurs, the
system cannot prevent all cases of
filter plugging.
If the vehicle experiences a fuel
filter restriction, the on-board
monitoring system will alert the
driver that the fuel filter requires
service. The fuel filter, however, will
not prevent all damage caused by
poor quality biodiesel.
Cold Weather Operation
(Diesel)
In cold weather, the fuel filter may
become clogged by wax naturally
present in the fuel. To unclog it,
move the vehicle to a warm garage
area and allow the filter to warm up.
The fuel filter may need to be
replaced. See
.
At temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F),
it is recommended to avoid using
biodiesel blends above 5% blend.
This blend may cause fuel filter
plugging, system gelling, and
freezing that may affect vehicle
starting. You may need to turn the
ignition on and off a few times
before the vehicle will start. Also,
idle the vehicle for a couple of
minutes before accelerating.
Water in Fuel (Diesel)
Improper fuel tank inspection or
cleaning, or contaminated fuel from
suppliers, can cause water to be
pumped into the fuel tank along with
the diesel fuel. If a WATER IN FUEL
- CONTACT SERVICE message
displays, the water must be drained
immediately.
{
Warning
Diesel fuel containing water is still
combustible. You or others could
be burned. If the fuel needs to be
drained, keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away from the
mixture.
Caution
Water in the diesel fuel can
corrode internal components of
the fuel system and lead to
severe damage. It can also
support fungus or bacteria
(Continued)
