I just wanted 10 gal of diesel, and didn't want to drive to the next town to save a few bucks on red died diesel. The pump said diesel but it sure didn't look like any diesel I have seen. Most diesel I have seen, has a brown color, unless you are getting red died diesel. I used it, and worked ok. What was it? Stan
- Thread starter 37 chief
- Start date
timcasbolt
Well-known Member
Most diesel I buy is yellowish. Kerosene is clear as water.
M-MAN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bostic, NC
It's clear here with a faint greenish tint.
john in la
Well-known Member
There is no standard for the color of diesel.
It depends on what refinery the diesel came from and where in the cat column your gallon came from.
The more it is refined the clearer it gets.
Kero and Jet fuel are the most refined so they are so clear you can put some in a white bucket and see a drop of water in the bottom.
Number 1 diesel starts taking a green/yellow tint.
Premium number 2 gets a little darker.
Regular number 2 is a deep green/yellow to a light brown.
Adding Bio to the mix makes it a darker brown especially if it is made from used cooking oil.
You can get any of the above with a red or blue dye added.
Red dye is for public use in off road no tax situations.
Blue dye is not sold to the public and is for government use only.
It depends on what refinery the diesel came from and where in the cat column your gallon came from.
The more it is refined the clearer it gets.
Kero and Jet fuel are the most refined so they are so clear you can put some in a white bucket and see a drop of water in the bottom.
Number 1 diesel starts taking a green/yellow tint.
Premium number 2 gets a little darker.
Regular number 2 is a deep green/yellow to a light brown.
Adding Bio to the mix makes it a darker brown especially if it is made from used cooking oil.
You can get any of the above with a red or blue dye added.
Red dye is for public use in off road no tax situations.
Blue dye is not sold to the public and is for government use only.
Check Break
Member
Does it smell like diesel. If it looks like water and doesn't have a strong diesel odor, it's probably Neste.
Dan in North Houston
Member
So how is government blue diesel different?
john in la
Well-known Member
The same way off road diesel is different from clear road diesel.
It has a dye in it.
About like adding food coloring to a cheese cake.
Only difference is the blue color.
It has a dye in it.
About like adding food coloring to a cheese cake.
Only difference is the blue color.
caterpillar guy
Well-known Member
Road fuel is supposed to be a clear or lack of color though I have gotten from fuel pumps everything from a clear to a yellowish color in fuel.Red is farm or off road fuel. And the dye was added to make the color visible for tax purposes at on road inspections to show whether they were using road taxed fuel or farm untaxed fuel and why the fines are so high to help keep the compliance.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Wonder how much trouble you're in if they dip your tank and get PURPLE fuel? Red + blue. Means you're running untaxed off road fuel AND stolen government fuel.
Mike Groom
Well-known Member
Back in the 60's the gov. added die to gasoline on the military base I was on because of theft, the Marines at the gate could check the exhaust pipes and caught several thief's and the theft stopped on base after that.
Check Break
Member
:lol:
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
A lot of people keep diesel in fives including myself to fuel their tractor. The color of the diesel is artificial. They put a dye in it so you can instantly tell if you are putting diesel in a gas tractor or vice versa. I'm guilty of that myself putting diesel in a gas tractor but it was probably less than a cup since I stopped when I saw the color. Where ever you bought your diesel apparently they either neglected to add the dye or they just don't do it. Where they sell Dyed diesel for off road use it would be more accurate to say dyed red diesel because most all of it is dyed.
Check Break
Member
Not sure how many YT-ers have witnessed an IRS fuel inspection. Sadly I'd have to say, Red=Penalty, Purple=No Penalty because it doesn't fit the definition of red fuel.
DoubleO7
Well-known Member
- Location
- Crystal River, FL
Supposedly, even if the red is so faint most can't see it, D.O.T. And others can detect it with a chemical test kit.
So even if mixing it with ant other type diesel, the offroad diesel can still be detected.
rustred
Well-known Member
I call dyed diesel farm fuel as thats what it is for. I even
use it in my duramax as well as any other truck I had over
my life time. Totally legal as long u only drive to work with
it and dont use your truck for work related stuff with
farm plates. One time on the oil rigs they come to camp
and were checking everyones vehicles on site. Mine
was sitting at camp not being used. Nothing they could
do. The rigs used dyed fuel also. So anyone that had
dyed fuel in their tanks with out proper license plates
would be fined. Long time ago diesel was purple , but its
a red dye now. All exactly the same fuel , only diff. Is the
color.
use it in my duramax as well as any other truck I had over
my life time. Totally legal as long u only drive to work with
it and dont use your truck for work related stuff with
farm plates. One time on the oil rigs they come to camp
and were checking everyones vehicles on site. Mine
was sitting at camp not being used. Nothing they could
do. The rigs used dyed fuel also. So anyone that had
dyed fuel in their tanks with out proper license plates
would be fined. Long time ago diesel was purple , but its
a red dye now. All exactly the same fuel , only diff. Is the
color.
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