Off Road Diesel Fuel

[jhpfennig]

I know it's illegal to use off road (dyed) diesel fuel in an on road vehicle but wll it harm anything in my 2005 Turbo diesel engine ? There is a considerable savings and chances are nobody will ever check a pickup truck for dyed fuel as the feds are too busy checking commercial rigs for violations. Our local Indian reservation has it and does not limit who buys it. Thanks.

 

[JDiehl]

I'd steer clear of that idea if I were you. Here the DOT or an law enforcement can pull you over and dip your tank. They have been known to hit the sale barns and other events. The charge is tax evasion I belive. Not worth it in the long run to save a few cents!

 

[nickleinonen]

as long as you are getting colored fuel from a good source [fresh supply], it is identical to #2 fuel oil at the local fuel station other than color. all fuel oil [on and off road] needs to comply with the epa stuff now. .

 

[jhpfennig]

Thanks Nick for the reply. Off road diesel fuel at our local indian reservation sells for $3. 62 vs $4. 18 for on road. Retail stations charge $4. 59. So you can see, there is definately money to be saved burning off the off road stuff.

 

[duckcarvr]

last year i was in line waiting for ferry in seattle area. washington state patrol were dipping tanks of the people waiting. i asked one of the people there what they were doing and he told me why and that the fine was $1000. i dont think its worth the risk for me. if i used a lot fuel maybe? robert

 

[steved]

as long as you are getting colored fuel from a good source [fresh supply], it is identical to #2 fuel oil at the local fuel station other than color. all fuel oil [on and off road] needs to comply with the epa stuff now. .

If the fuel is handled properly, the only difference between onroad and offroad is the dye and taxes. As noted, they are the same fuel... most times it is the storage tanks that get you into trouble.

 

[AKaiser]

I've run mine for a year and never got so much as a look. Granted, it has yet to tow anything, especially commerically. Having said that, I wouldn't risk it. Where the DOT/Motor Carrier Enforcement folks like to do their dirty work is where they can get the most bang for their buck: farm auctions, livestock sales, etc. That's where all the diesel pickups are that have access to dyed fuel, and where the word gets around, makes a big impression.

 

[steved]

I've run mine for a year and never got so much as a look. Granted, it has yet to tow anything, especially commerically. Having said that, I wouldn't risk it. Where the DOT/Motor Carrier Enforcement folks like to do their dirty work is where they can get the most bang for their buck: farm auctions, livestock sales, etc. That's where all the diesel pickups are that have access to dyed fuel, and where the word gets around, makes a big impression.

Don't forget "rest areas"... I've been nabbed every time in a rest area. Didn't even know they were there until they were tapping on the window!

 

[DerekW]

some may want to consider locking fuel caps and "losing their keys" until they (give them directions) go down to the court house and get search warrant. another thing to consider is to install filter screens inline with the filler neck and make them aware that theres a filter screen to prevent trash from entering your 11 thousand dollar fuel system- considering dealer cost for injectors, transfer lines, fuel rail+lines+pressure relief valve, injector pump, fuel filter housing, electric fuel pump (more if aftermarket)+ fuel lines, and tank. make them aware knock out my screen and I will be knocking on your supervisors office door with a bill to drop tank, remove and replace damaged screen and fuel system cleaning plus tow from where he stopped me to where i got repaired.



if enough people do it enough the department may not bother with those that refuse. wont be worth the hassle.





then again if you want to run the fuel and get away with it add a 2nd filler neck to the truck (such as under toolbox accessed from in toolbox) then re route your hoses to the new filler neck and go ahead and run the old filler neck to a small race fuel cell from jegs filled with taxable diesel.



if theres a will theres a way

 

[Dieselnut59]

some may want to consider locking fuel caps and "losing their keys" until they (give them directions) go down to the court house and get search warrant. another thing to consider is to install filter screens inline with the filler neck and make them aware that theres a filter screen to prevent trash from entering your 11 thousand dollar fuel system- considering dealer cost for injectors, transfer lines, fuel rail+lines+pressure relief valve, injector pump, fuel filter housing, electric fuel pump (more if aftermarket)+ fuel lines, and tank. make them aware knock out my screen and I will be knocking on your supervisors office door with a bill to drop tank, remove and replace damaged screen and fuel system cleaning plus tow from where he stopped me to where i got repaired.



if enough people do it enough the department may not bother with those that refuse. wont be worth the hassle.





then again if you want to run the fuel and get away with it add a 2nd filler neck to the truck (such as under toolbox accessed from in toolbox) then re route your hoses to the new filler neck and go ahead and run the old filler neck to a small race fuel cell from jegs filled with taxable diesel.



if theres a will theres a way

I have heard they can get a sample from the drain cock on the fuel filter.

 

[AKaiser]

I have heard they can get a sample from the drain cock on the fuel filter.

BINGO!!! We have a winner! John Law ain't stupid, folks.

 

[cArNiVaLwOrKeR]

Do they need a Search warrant to do that?



Also, isnt there a tablet you could put into the tank that makes the red turn blue or green???

 

[AKaiser]

Do they need a Search warrant to do that?



Also, isnt there a tablet you could put into the tank that makes the red turn blue or green???

The answer to number one is in most cases "No" but it may depend on what state you are in. The color of the fuel isn't tested via visual means. They run a test for a specific dye. They use a test similar to what diabetics use to check their urine for blood sugar. Unless the tablet neutralizes the chemical Solvent Red 26 or Solvent Red 164, it doesn't matter.



Fuel dyes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[TAbbott]

Not worth the risk IMHO.

 

[Oasis-3]

run it

With the price of fuel and the savings you show, it would take about 35 tank refills to cover the fine by DOT. The sooner you start the more you save.

I know someone who has run red starting in 1996 and to this day has saved alot more then the fine would cost :-laf

Also with all the talk about droping the fuel tax red would be ok to run.



Cliff

 

[cj hall]

If you want to run red fuel then you need to take the red out!!!



I have been told that letting it sit in the sun light would do that also I have herd that filtering it thru Fullers Earth will work.



I have not tryed either ways and I wont, I dont need to, but thats another issue.



>> Baron USA | Fullers Earth Systems <<



Here is info on the fullers earth.



I would think that doing all of this work for saving . 30 cents per gallon or less makes it worth the time and money outlay.



I understand that the price of fuel is hurting us all. But when you have an open market and we let this product trade on it will the price will be run up on it. thats what it means by free market.

OUR Goverment with the tax rebate on fuel will do nothing . The NON TAX price will change the amount of tax money the bulk fuel dist must pay IT will be less if the tax rebate is passed on to you and me then we will pay less. I am not holding my breath on this on.



this is just because of the three new mice wanting the BIG CHEESE JOB. Three Blind Mice!!!!!



Then when the tax goes back on in 3 months you will see a fuel price of what ever your tax is in your state. once you let them mess with some thing hold on to your wallet there going to take it from you.



Its not IN GOVERMENT WE TRUST is it.



This is my . 12 cents worth (yah the price went up):-laf



cj hall

 

[Dieselnut59]

Setting it in the sun does work, but what a PITA! I "accidentally" discovered this when I was setting some veg oil-diesel blends in mason jars in the sun on my black flatbed to see what happened. As a test baseline, I used a quart of 15ppm ULSD "off road" (red dye) fuel. The dye was almost totally gone in two days!

BUT, what a pain it would be to do this to all the fuel you would use in your truck. As mentioned, they can test the fuel anyway. Not sure about other states, but in Georgia, you can still get 500 ppm (LSD) off-road (red) fuel. Running this in new trucks would clog the emission system over time.

 

[FLynes]

I accidentally (no, really I did ) filled up my tank with off-road diesel, when the family and I were passing through Ft. Larned, Kansas (there's a post somewhere in the 3rd Gen area about it) in 2006. What happened was my MPG went from 19 down to 10 #@$%! Once I got into La Junta, I was on empty and I refilled with regular #2. My MPG went right back up to 19. What I found out, later, was that a lot of farmers have their red-dye diesel delivered to them, so the stuff at the pump sits in the tank and, for lack of a better word, rots. What I got was a tank full of crap.



I'll never do it again.

 

[Dieselnut59]

I have run off-road in my tractor and lawnmower, until I found out it clogs the fuel filters at least twice as often. I have since just run ULSD in everything. ULSD off road is equally as good of quality as the on-road version. I have a customer that uses it in their forklifts in their warehouse. ULSD is required with the tier III engines and exhaust "aftertreatment".

 

[Ahopper]

they are not aloud to even search your vehical unless you give concent. the hyway patrol CANNOT pull you over to dip your tank (its illegal on thier part). at least that is how it is in AZ.



must give concent to do so unless they have a warrent.