Red Diesal

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Sep 22, 2011 | 08:51 PM

Chrisv2285

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Red Diesal

I have an '04 F250 and i was wondering if it was ok to run the red diesal on the 6.0 Liter

Sep 22, 2011 | 09:10 PM

Rusty Axlerod

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Joined: Feb 2011

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From: L.A. (Lower Alabama)

I asked the same question when I got my truck. The answer is it can be dirtier but will work just fine. The problem is the big fines for using it on the road. It's labeled " off road only" and apparently, they mean it.

Sep 22, 2011 | 09:49 PM

amadas350

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its usually on-road diesel that has red dye in it. all refined diesel has specs it must meet. never heard of it being dirtier. i have never had any ill-effects from it, and it does not stain your tank as some say. have ran some during hurricane Katrina and doing alot of work on farm.

now in GA if caught running it, i know a few that have, you are taxed for every mile that the vehicle has on the odometer, and a huge fine. not worth it for $3 bucks in road tax evasion.

Sep 22, 2011 | 10:06 PM

A/Ox4

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Joined: Aug 2009

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From: Missouri

Quote:

Originally Posted by amadas350

its usually on-road diesel that has red dye in it....

Not to be rude, but that is just flat wrong.

Off-Road diesel, (also known as Off-Highway Diesel, Diesel #1, and Red Diesel), does not have the extra fuel taxes that normal fuel has. This is why it is cheaper. It is generally less refined, and may have a higher sulfur content.

Off-Road diesel ALWAYS is died red, and also has a UV dye.

Sep 22, 2011 | 10:18 PM

dchamberlain

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Joined: Sep 2007

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From: Scio, OR

It's not quite so cut and dried. I can buy ULSD with red dye, or ULSD without. The dyed is untaxed, the without comes with Federal and State highway taxes. It's exactly the same diesel, just that one has a dye added when it's delivered. In some places, dyed, non-taxed diesel may be of lesser quality and have more sulfer, but the regulations are moving toward it ALL being the same ULSD. These are all #2 diesel.

In some cases you can use dyed fuel on the highway. In some states if it is primarily a farm vehicle, and in some states public vehicles can use it (our school buses run on dyed ULSD).

#1 diesel is Kerosene. I can get it dyed or not as well. It is lighter and burns cleaner than #2 and is mainly used in modern oil heaters.

Sep 23, 2011 | 08:02 AM

Rusty Axlerod

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Joined: Feb 2011

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From: L.A. (Lower Alabama)

"can be dirtier" comes in the picture when the dyed fuel doesn't sell as much and sits in the tanks longer at the retailer or on the farm or wherever. I read a post by a fuel truck driver wh said his truck serviced retail sellers who needed both types of fuel. His truck had one tank and he could add the dye as he serviced the retailer. If that's true it is all the same stuff. Only difference being the untaxed sitting longer in dirtier tanks at the retailer.

Sep 23, 2011 | 08:05 AM

tex25025

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Joined: Oct 2005

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From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN

Quote:

Originally Posted by dchamberlain

In some cases you can use dyed fuel on the highway. In some states if it is primarily a farm vehicle, and in some states public vehicles can use it (our school buses run on dyed ULSD).

You have any citations for farm vehicles to use it on road, because that is news to me even if they are tagged as farm vehicles. I realize that the states I'm in might be ones that don't have that exception, but usually with regard to agriculture there is some consensus among the states.

However, having said that, even if they did allow it here it wouldn't make sense to for me to use it. The nearest stations to me (both have same mileage, just different direction) are so far out there that the cost of burning fuel to get there and back to fill up on dyed fuel even for the tractors would more then pay the taxes on the regular diesel.