Random Fuel checks are very common in Southwestern Ohio along the IN and KY border. I buy the red stuff for farm use and in Ohio it is .43 cents/gallon cheaper than road fuel.

5moons

 

This is a post from another site. "Just talked to a DOTD state trooper(safety enforcement) here in Louisiana...he said they will NOT BE checking fuel for the next 2 months at all in ANY vehicle.....so run it I am.....it is typically 30-40 cents cheaper than the green stuff..."

 

Mech2161, are you concerned at all about your warranty through FMC?

 

Okay, I'm all for saving a few cents on fuel, but I've got a diesel manual telling me not to run high sulfur diesel because it may damage the injector's, Ford_Doctor, whom I've gotten good advice from in the past, saying the same thing, and now the folks at Freightliner saying it's a bad idea to run it in our semi's. Has anyone actually ran this stuff in a 6.0? And was their any ill affects? Don't get me wrong, If that's all I could get my hands on this wouldn't be an issue, but since I have a choice . . .

 

As I understand it...it is more of a state to state issue regarding sulfur content. Some states the Ag diesel is the same as white/clear diesel...just the red dye is differentiates the two (and cost, of course). I believe states like CA though, the AG / off road diesel does have the higher sulfur content.

Check with your state DOT or diesel distributor to be sure.

 

I'm all for saving .43 cents/gal. I ran the red in my 7.3 for 45,000 miles after the warranty ran out and never had a problem. But as for the 6.0 with the injector issues and the fact that the warranty might be void if you were runing the red stuff. I would not and do not take that chance and I have barrels of it in my barn. If you do it and have a problem and FMC won't cover it because you were running the red, please don't come on here bashing FMC about them not covering a warranty issue. Also, the FMC tech that discovers you are using the red is supposed to turn you in to the DOT.

5moons

 

It all depends on the fuel supplier. My supplier told me the other day that they get in just one kind of diesel fuel (clear) then add the dyes according to what tax is or is not paid. Also I farm and use the green in all my farm equipment pay the tax and don't worry aboout it.

 

Well said, dave.

 

here In Oregon it is my understanding that the fuel is the same just different colors and its 48.5 cents cheaper i think but when I bought my 6.0 the service manager told me the red fuel would void my warranty but would not hurt the truck he said when the warranty is up go for it I run it in my older 6.9 and i ran it in a dodge i used to have I seriously doubt if you buy clean new fuel wether its red green or clear you will have any problems newer off road equip has everybit as sophisticated engines as our trucks and they run red fuel

 

I think that they are just making off-road (red dyed) fuel legal to use on-road when the normal fuel supply isn't available to ease fuel availabilty issues. I didn't read anything about them dropping the tax.

That is, if regular on-road fuel isn't available to your regular station, you might end up having to settle for off-road fuel if that's all they can get. In the unlikely even that this happens, I would expect that you would have to pay the road taxes just like you would on regular on-road diesel. The only difference would be that the fuel in your tanks is now red - and the sulfer content is somewhat questionable.

Now, I'm all for saving money when I can and on first blush though cool, cheep fuel. But after giving it a bit of thought, I came to the realization that going out looking specifically to buy off-road diesel to save money when on-road diesel is available is taking advantage of a bad situation for personal profit.

I might be able to drive to some outlet that sells off road fuel now and not get fined, but somehow right now going out of my way like that to save a few cents per gallon in light of the reason why the restriction has been lifted seems rather distasteful.

I mean we all get upset over contractors taking advantage of a natural disaster and charging excessively high fees to help fix a roof or house - why should we think that taking advantage of the system during a situation like this be all that different except for the scale - pennies versus hundreds of $$?

As to the sulfer content, one of my friends here in San Diego is a local broker/distributor in the fuel and oil business and he showed me some of the chemical analysis on the on-road and off-road diesel in California. Around here at least, they are exactly the same and have quite low sulfer content. The red dye is mixed in just prior to distribution.

Marine diesel fuel on the other hand he said still has a high sulfer content because those motors aren't all yet read to burn low sulfer fuel.

In other states the off-road diesel might have a higher sulfer content - he said it varies quite a bit.

 

I think you are all missing the point. I believe this was inacted so that service stations can pump the dyed fuel. You don't have a choice of using it or not.
The local "dimoco fuel and go" will get dyed fuel delivered and you will pump it into your trucks without any knowledge other than saying "hey this stuff is red" as it comes out of the pump

 

I just filled up my tank today at a PILOT truck stop in Atlanta off I-285 and South Atlanta Rd. The diesel they sold was as red as it could be. So far 180 miles on this tank of red diesel and can't tell any difference?

 

Just read an article on this from one of my farm information networks. The IRS will not impose a PENALTY on the use of red dyed fuel but the tax must be paid and the documentation must be carried showing it was paid. This is just to get more fuel into the system and keep everyone legal during this trying time for everyone.

 

I heard this story on the Wall Street Journal Radio Program this morning on the way to work. They didn't go into great detail but the jist of what they were reporting was that the feds had freed up their position on dyed diesel.

 

I read a fax this morning and the feds have loosened some of the EPA regs on the current fuel. You can run taxed red and they are going to stop the blending of the various grades of gasoline for the time being so that they can get more fuels out with lower costs.

Just have to wait and see on this if the prices come down. 3-3.25 locally here in AZ, up in east LA (pheonix area) it was 3.25 I was told last week.