Letting a diesel sit

Lots of diesel powered equipment sits for many many months and starts up and runs without incident when needed.

You mentioned keeping the vehicle plugged in....that is not necessary and a total waste of electricity and money. Only plug it in 6 hours before starting it during the cold months.

Put the Power Service additive in it, fill up the tank and let it sit. Don't plug it in, that's just wasting electricity. Do put a battery maintainer on it, not that Harbor Freight junk either. (HF does sell some good stuff, their trickle charger is not one of them.) If you're going to run it, let it warm up all the way. Running it for a short distance just creates condensation.

Might want to fill up the tank with #1 winter diesel instead of putting #2 in it for the winter

I like the part were you equate cold winters and PA. I know here in pittsburgh the snow doesn't melt till mid July.

Well......I owned a 5.9 cummins....that sat up here, from end of oct.....thru middle of may........most of winter covered in 2...3 ft of snow,and when it melts.....I turn the key, and go.......never an issue.....for 5.6 years.
I bought my Powerstroke....day before Christmas last year,and it sat till May.....long winter here.......just change the oil in spring........good to go.
NEVER had a charger,maintainer.....on either......and we get real winters up here.

All the above, but I would still start er up and drive a few miles every couple of weeks and keep a battery maintainer on it. :)

thomasmnile wrote:
Would addition of a biocide to a full tank of fuel and running the truck so treated fuel is in the entire fuel system be of benefit? 7 months of inactivity seems like a long time......

Is there water in your fuel tank?
Algae will only grow at the water/fuel interface. No water, no algae.
IMO, if there IS water in your tank, you should get the tank emptied and cleaned, then run the fuel through a filter/separator to remove any water and/or dirt.
With a clean tank and clean fuel, you should need no additives, especially if you fill the tank with winter blend fuel, and keep it full. An air space in the tank will allow condensation, and you don't want more water in there!

Would addition of a biocide to a full tank of fuel and running the truck so treated fuel is in the entire fuel system be of benefit? 7 months of inactivity seems like a long time......

and making sure your glow plugs are up to snuff

The white bottle Power Service should help that diesel from gelling, although when it does start to get cold a topping off with #1 diesel will help.

I wouldn't put anything else in the tank.

One thing I have always done, since I have mostly lived on the northern great plains in the Dakotas where cold is king, is change the diesel fuel filters every fall. That way I have fresh filters for the coldest winter months.

Also be sure to check out the battery condition and make sure both are in top notch condition.

Those things done, you should be good to go.