off road fuel

[shendren]

theoretically speaking, if off road fuel made its way into my 04. 5 what damage would it do?



thanks

sh

 

[seafish]

The only damage would be to your wallet, in a big way, if you get caught. Chemically speaking, it is the EXACT same composition as on-road#2, but it has a dye added so that either the highway patrol or the tax man can easily check your truck. It used to be that they only checked the big rigs, who stood to benfit the most by saving . 40/ gallon. HOWEVER, when diesel prices got real high here a couple years ago, CHP started random checkpoints for ALL trucks... gassers were passed thru but diesel tanks were dipped with a special white dipstick. If it came out red, or even pinkish, you were SOL and paid a BIG fine.
Not worth the . 40/ gallon IMHO.

 

[DHayden]

Nothing, it's regular diesel with red dye added. The only damage is to your wallet if your caught.

 

[AMcCormick]

please correct me if I wrong, "off road" "marine" "diesel #2" are all the same thing, just taxed differently? ULSD is something different? I think that the late model 5. 9 engines can run on all of the above?

 

[Adventure Bob]

#2 diesel is a grade, not a taxation scheme.

"Numbers 1 and 2 Diesel Fuel are the primary fuel for mobile diesel engine applications. Number 1 Diesel Fuel is commonly labeled at the pump as "Premium Diesel" or with a Cetane number of 44 or 45. It is not as thick as Number 2 Diesel Fuel and for this reason is the choice for motorists during the cold winter months. The disadvantage of Number 1 Diesel Fuel is that it does not have the lubricating qualities associated with Number 2 Diesel Fuel. While Number 2 Diesel Fuel has a higher lubricating quality than Number 1 Diesel, its thickness can cause rough starting in a cold engine and rough-running in cold weather. Number 2 Diesel Fuel is usually labeled at the pump with a Cetane number of 40. "

 

[COwings]

Any diesel engine can run on all three. I was at a cattle auction two years ago in southern missouri, the DOT showed up locked the gate to leave and dipped every truck, over 400 trucks. 42 trucks got busted. It was a five hundred dollar fine plus fifty dollars per gallon that was in the truck. ****ty deal to save 10 cents a gallon

 

[Blakers]

#2 diesel is a grade, not a taxation scheme.

"Numbers 1 and 2 Diesel Fuel are the primary fuel for mobile diesel engine applications. Number 1 Diesel Fuel is commonly labeled at the pump as "Premium Diesel" or with a Cetane number of 44 or 45. It is not as thick as Number 2 Diesel Fuel and for this reason is the choice for motorists during the cold winter months. The disadvantage of Number 1 Diesel Fuel is that it does not have the lubricating qualities associated with Number 2 Diesel Fuel. While Number 2 Diesel Fuel has a higher lubricating quality than Number 1 Diesel, its thickness can cause rough starting in a cold engine and rough-running in cold weather. Number 2 Diesel Fuel is usually labeled at the pump with a Cetane number of 40. "

#1 is usually the same as kerosene.

 

[46mech]

Yep, what the others said... . no harm to the engine, but the fine isn't worth it!

 

[CDonaldson]

While this is a SLIGHT thread drift, for those who have those bullet kero heaters, you can burn the #1 diesel in them. I burn it in my reddy heater without any problems.





As has been said, off road diesel is the same as ULSD just has the red dye to identify it. I know of several people who run it all the time in their 2006/07 trucks. I also know several of them HAVE gotten stopped in checks and fined big-time. A couple years ago the fine was only $500, it was low at that time to give everyone a break and let them know it's on-road use would not be tollerated any longer, today the fine is up to the DOT max amount of $2,500. I'd reallythink twice about using it on-road,not worth getting caught, and I do think we will see more and more DOT checkpoints specifically for checking our trucks. Last year in Texas there were several people reporting being 'dipped' and 'fined' and the DOT was on some small back roads. The horse/rodeo people all have been complaining about this happening at their events as well.





CD

 

[NavyDood]

Any diesel engine can run on all three. I was at a cattle auction two years ago in southern missouri, the DOT showed up locked the gate to leave and dipped every truck, over 400 trucks. 42 trucks got busted. It was a five hundred dollar fine plus fifty dollars per gallon that was in the truck. ****ty deal to save 10 cents a gallon

They got off cheap.

 

[jelag]

I own a group of trucks... the off road fuel excludes state and federal taxes... In WA that's 36 cents a gallon... we have commercial plates on the trucks that I own and they have to run across scales. . I'm guessing that each truck is inspected at least 3 to 4 times a year... they don't want to miss the $$ from an infraction... almost always they look into the tank or drop a hose in the tank and pull a sample for a glass beaker...

I've often seen private vehicles at card lock filling 250 gal bed tanks with off road fuel. . and I'm guessing that most of those trucks use that fuel in their tanks...

We drive some of our trucks 50K a year. . at 10 MPG thats 5,000 gals at 36 cents that's $1800. 00 in savings per truck... so I guess there are some who do this ... Also some of the stove oil distributors here deliver #2 as stove oil and some of that isn't dyed. . so if you have a 1000 gal tank at home like a friend of mine, he sort of helps himself... .

I don't think I want to go there...

 

[Mark31]

Here in SC the fine can be $10,000. Farmers have been caught and really carried to the woodshed.

 

[NavyDood]

So it's nothing more than what they can see visually?

 

[MMeier]

So it's nothing more than what they can see visually?

They used to use a spectrometer to see what was actually giving off the red tint. The dye added at the rack has special properties to it that is not found in ... say ATF, MMO, etc.

 

[WyattEarp]

Jelag
The heating oil here that used to be brought was dyed purple but was #1 heating oil or diesel... . when the monitor stopped and the wood stove fired back up because of price, what was left, alot, was used in our farm tractor and my 2000 @ the time to get rid of it. . and 10K here in Va. if your caught also.

 

[Moe]

I use red most of the time. Dont care what the GOV says. At my age Ive become a bit of a rebel. LOL

 

[NavyDood]

A buddy of mine uses it all the time. Fills his bed tank then shoves the nozzle in the truck tank. The station owner could care less.

 

[mc130fox]

I use red most of the time. Dont care what the GOV says. At my age Ive become a bit of a rebel. LOL

Moe, I don't care what your politics are, but you might want to google "**********". For most people, it's not what your definition is!!!!



Mark

 

[Austin Diesel]

Any diesel engine can run on all three. I was at a cattle auction two years ago in southern missouri, the DOT showed up locked the gate to leave and dipped every truck, over 400 trucks. 42 trucks got busted. It was a five hundred dollar fine plus fifty dollars per gallon that was in the truck. ****ty deal to save 10 cents a gallon

DOT likes the cattle barn setup as all the ranchers are gathered up that might have access to a off road farm tank really simple for them to check all that attend.



Fuel depot says its color added to clear diesel to desegnate red off road fuel.

 

[CDonaldson]

Not to suggest breaking the law . . but . .



A friend of mine uses the 'red dyed' fuel all the time. I will have to ask him a few questions about his method of changing the 'dye' color, and what ingredient he gets, but basically what he does is add a dye color to the fuel himself.



As he explained it to me - "think back to kindergarten and primary colors . . red/blue make purple" . . so he buys the same kind of dye used in the fuel to make it red, only he buys blue. He then adds the blue dye to his fuel tank to make the fuel color purple.



When the dot dips your tank, it is a 'visual' of the red color that gets you busted. He's been dipped several times, purple fuel, no fines. He tells them he adds the purple color dye to his fuel. It is not against the law to color your fuel and there is no law stipulating that diesel fuel has to be any specific color 'other than' red to designate off road use only. He's been using this method for years, no fines.



Another tid bit of information, the DOT is being sued by one of the rodeo places for 'unauthorized tresspassing' when they came onto that companys property and did the DOT tank dipping of the rodeo participants . . not yet reached a courtroom BUT it is likely that the DOT will loose because they had a sign that said something about entrants and spectators only at their entrance. Will be interesting to see how this case goes . .







CD