Red diesel whats the difference
Red diesel whats the difference
Author
Discussion

leah1

Original Poster:

45 posts

176 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
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Have a 03 golf tdi that i use up and down our farm track,just wondering if red diesel would be safe to use in it?
a local garage has seen cases where the fuel pump has failed due to this and blames the lack of lubricant in the red diesel,i dont want a £1500 bill,

trickywoo

13,484 posts

251 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Its the same as any other diesel but with red dye in it.

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

188 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
IIRC there is a difference between cherry and derv, but can't remember the specs. But that said, the fuel systems in tractors are just as sensitive to fuel as any car, they just use loads more of it. Obviously, don't use it on the road, but you knew that

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

225 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Its Red

Hope that helps

Dirty Frank

598 posts

175 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
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Willy Nilly said:
IIRC there is a difference between cherry and derv, but can't remember the specs. But that said, the fuel systems in tractors are just as sensitive to fuel as any car, they just use loads more of it. Obviously, don't use it on the road, but you knew that
So there might be a difference but if there is, you dont know what it is? thanks for the excellent post darling.

Grey Ghost

4,608 posts

241 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Have a "Google" for authorised uses of red diesel. As far as I remember it is significantly cheaper than normal diesel as it is intended for agricultural use in machines that do not use the public highway, or use it on a very limited basis. There have been lots of news items in the press over the years where DoT inspectors randomly stop and inspect vehicles to see if red diesel has been used in them and issue fines if the law has been broken. The dye in the red diesel is what the inspectors look for as it leaves traces in your fuel system after only one use.

If you are in the agriculture business you might be allowed to use it but I suggest you check first.

As mentioned above I believe the only difference is the red dye added as all diesel engines have multiple filters in the fuel system so it shouldn't be any different to normal diesel apart from the colour.

NHK244V

3,358 posts

193 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
trickywoo said:
Its the same as any other diesel but with red dye in it.
/\ THIS /\

get rid of the dye and your laughing wink

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

188 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Dirty Frank said:
Willy Nilly said:
IIRC there is a difference between cherry and derv, but can't remember the specs. But that said, the fuel systems in tractors are just as sensitive to fuel as any car, they just use loads more of it. Obviously, don't use it on the road, but you knew that
So there might be a difference but if there is, you dont know what it is? thanks for the excellent post darling.
http://www.hentyoil.co.uk/industrial-fuels/specs/


busta

4,504 posts

254 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Grey Ghost said:
Have a "Google" for authorised uses of red diesel. As far as I remember it is significantly cheaper than normal diesel as it is intended for agricultural use in machines that do not use the public highway, or use it on a very limited basis. There have been lots of news items in the press over the years where DoT inspectors randomly stop and inspect vehicles to see if red diesel has been used in them and issue fines if the law has been broken. The dye in the red diesel is what the inspectors look for as it leaves traces in your fuel system after only one use.

If you are in the agriculture business you might be allowed to use it but I suggest you check first.

As mentioned above I believe the only difference is the red dye added as all diesel engines have multiple filters in the fuel system so it shouldn't be any different to normal diesel apart from the colour.
This is true, and for example tractors at ploughing matches aren't 'supposed' to use red diesel because technically it's not agriculture. But for what the OP is suggesting the car is never going to be checked and he could probably argue some kind of agricultural use.

Just remember once you have used red diesel it leaves detectable traces in the fuel system for the life of the car, so if you then put it back on the road and got pulled over it may still show up.

leah1

Original Poster:

45 posts

176 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Ok thanks guys

Jungian

5 posts

196 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
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A buyer for a big cement manufacturer and distributor who buys it by the artic tanker load for both their road fleet and for the company's plant and stationary engines told me once the main difference other than colour (duh) is the sulphur content is much higher in red.

Anybody know why?

busta

4,504 posts

254 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Jungian said:
A buyer for a big cement manufacturer and distributor who buys it by the artic tanker load for both their road fleet and for the company's plant and stationary engines told me once the main difference other than colour (duh) is the sulphur content is much higher in red.

Anybody know why?
This has now changed and sulphur content of red has been lowered inline with white (DERV). It's something to do with emissions, which have only recently become a legislative issue for off-road vehicles.

richyb

4,615 posts

231 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
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The use of red diesel is really tight these days. It used to be the case that only more rural areas would have regular stop and dips but its increasing significantly in urban areas. The farming, forestry and arb industry are getting hit pretty hard and rules are being strictly enforced.

VPower

3,598 posts

215 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
And road side emission monitors can pick up the red "smell" and a copper will pull you over up the road!
I kid you not!

Bit like ANPR but with a nose!

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

219 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
It the same as normal diesel but with a red dye in it which stains the fuel tank
You also pay a notable different rate of duty on it. Red is cheaper due to this.

If your caught using red diesel on the road.... That is tax fraud. Car crushed and they will assume since you owned the car it has used red diesel and then the miles covered will all require to be paid for on back dated duty.

sa v8 mate

513 posts

185 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
busta said:
Just remember once you have used red diesel it leaves detectable traces in the fuel system for the life of the car, so if you then put it back on the road and got pulled over it may still show up.
So long as it's the pump DERV in the tank when you get pulled I don't think "traces" from previous use can be an offence.

SMcP114

2,916 posts

213 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
It the same as normal diesel but with a red dye in it which stains the fuel tank
You also pay a notable different rate of duty on it. Red is cheaper due to this.

If your caught using red diesel on the road.... That is tax fraud. Car crushed and they will assume since you owned the car it has used red diesel and then the miles covered will all require to be paid for on back dated duty.
I assume that's just in England?

B Huey

4,881 posts

220 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
It the same as normal diesel but with a red dye in it which stains the fuel tank
You also pay a notable different rate of duty on it. Red is cheaper due to this.

If your caught using red diesel on the road.... That is tax fraud. Car crushed and they will assume since you owned the car it has used red diesel and then the miles covered will all require to be paid for on back dated duty.
If you own a vehicle that has had a few previous owners how can they prove it was you that used red diesel? confused

Otispunkmeyer

13,525 posts

176 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
busta said:
This has now changed and sulphur content of red has been lowered inline with white (DERV). It's something to do with emissions, which have only recently become a legislative issue for off-road vehicles.
Correct. Off road now have to make use of things like DPFs and DeNOx equipment. High sulphur content in fuel poisons most catalyst systems stopping them from working.(Selective Catalyst Reduction, Diesel Oxidation Cats, Catalysed DPF's, Fuel Borne Catalysts and Continuously Regenerating Systems... all use catalysts to set up conditions for DPF regeneration. Apart from SCR which is for getting rid of NOx)

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

219 months

Tuesday 30th August 2011
quotequote all
B Huey said:
If you own a vehicle that has had a few previous owners how can they prove it was you that used red diesel? confused
This I'm not sure about.