Its illegal to use red diesel in cars but does it have any adverse effect on newer turbo diesel engined cars?
I know we asre not supposed to use red Diesel in normal road cars but me and my friends want to know how is it different from normal pump diesel (Ultra Low sulpher Diesel) apart from the red dye in red diesel?
Can it cause any harm to engine or tank?
Can you see anything red coming in smoke out of exhaust?
How can you detect while buying a second hand car whether it has used red diesel or not?
How do authorities find out whether the car in front is using normal diesel or red diesel?
Thanks..
Hi folks,
In this discussion, "locutpants" has replied that red diesel causes problems with injectors and can even ruin them as it does not have any additives. Do you agree?
Also thanks for your brilliant replies. I know much more about red diesel now. Would wait a bit more to select the best answer..
The authorities can detect very small amounts of red diesel in a fuel tank, so even if the vehicle had red Diesel put in quite some time ago it can still be detected. The fines you risk for using it will certainly wipe out any savings you make buying it.. I agree with the answers which say it is used in Agricultural machinery, but it is also commonly used on boats both on canals and in marine envioroments. It does contain the same additives as normal road diesel, just with the red dye added. Your best bet if you want to save money is to use converted vegetable oil, and make sure you pay the duty. You will still save 20-30p per litre.
No - It would only have an adverse effect if you get caught!!
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No it is a red dye and nothing else
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The police use special mobile labs to detect red diesel, but to be honest they normally only test commercial vehicles, I’ve been stopped 5 times now and been tested.
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update after more research….
well it seems that not only is the fuel dyed red, its also given an invisible chemical marker that can be detected just by swabbing, this means it can be detected even if red diesel has not been used in the vehicle for a long time. It also appears that diesel we buy for cars has a sulpur content of around 50 parts per million, but red diesel has up to 2000 parts per million, its the sulphur that will clog not the dye in the diesel.
As for the colour of the dye…its usually only 10 parts per million and may not always be detected by looking….. hence the mobile labs which are owned and operated by HM Customs & Excise but enforced by the Police.
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Red diesel is identical to standard diesel fuel, with the exception that it has a red dye in it. It’s illegal to use for non-agricultural use because there is no (or very little) tax on it.
So it won’t harm the engine, there no red smoke (LOL…sorry!) and you can’t tell if a car has used red diesel only if it is in the tank. Which the authorities do by sucking a bit up with a syphon and checking the colour … it’s red
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The Customs & Excise people do have roadside testing stations and can pull vehicles in at random, it would be commercial vehicles normally, as these are obviously being powered by diesel, cars are a much harder to spot from a distance as to which fuel they run on, so i would think that you’d have to be very unlucky to be tested. Although if they do, you would face a heavy fine and an estimated tax bill. Other than that, the diesel is the same as standard, only with a dye.
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its red because taxes where not paid on it because it was being used for farm equiptment and alike
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No difference between red & normal. Wouldn’t advise using red in case Customs & Excise catch you. Worked with someone once who got caught, he got a hefty fine, car confiscated and had to pay the tax on the fuel he had used.
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red dierv ruins your injectors cos no additives
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illegal yes harming your car no
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its fine to use in the country side i live in wales and use it all the time iv lived here 4 8 years and in still useing it it is totaly safe and not a big fine any way! i sugest u use it its loads cheaper
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First of all i am not a mechanic, but from what i have heard the only difference is the dye and the amount of tax that you pay on the fuel. In-case the diesel does not have the additives you can buy various things to mix with the red diesel to keep the injectors clean. I have also heard from a few farmers who tell me on a direct injection engine you can even mix cooking oil in the diesel with out and bad effects. I am sure that you can not tell the difference by looking at the vehicle as otherwise the taxman would not have to pull over lorries at the side of the road to dip test them.
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The authorities can detect very small amounts of red diesel in a fuel tank, so even if the vehicle had red Diesel put in quite some time ago it can still be detected. The fines you risk for using it will certainly wipe out any savings you make buying it.. I agree with the answers which say it is used in Agricultural machinery, but it is also commonly used on boats both on canals and in marine envioroments. It does contain the same additives as normal road diesel, just with the red dye added. Your best bet if you want to save money is to use converted vegetable oil, and make sure you pay the duty. You will still save 20-30p per litre.
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Various car publicatons..
You had better believe it`s illegal because red diesel does not have the same amount of tax collected as white diesel. So if you are running your car on the road I hope you get caught. Why should people be on the highway for less money than those of us who pay the forecourt price for diesel.
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I’m sure the only difference is the tax.
If I could get hold of red deisel I would use it, using the same principal that I buy foreign cigarettes
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NO ALL RED DOZ IS STAIN ENGINE NOT AFFECT RUNNING!!!!
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M.H.G AUTO’S