Oil & Fuel Diesel color

bxowner · May 4, 2008

When I bought my 2320 in November, I got a small 2.5 gal. red plastic fuel can. Bought diesel at the same fuel station all winter. When pouring, there's a distinct diesel smell and a reddish color. Tractor has run fine all winter. I picked up some diesel at a different station this morning and poured it into the tractor - but the color was distinctly yellow. Still smells the same.

Was the red color 'winter diesel'? Or have I put the wrong fuel in? I haven't started the tractor since.

Villengineer · May 4, 2008

Around here red tinted diesel is off-road diesel. It's a $25k fine if you get caught with any of that red dye in your on-road vehicles.

jdbower · May 4, 2008

You may want to ditch the red fuel can and get a proper yellow one for diesel. Eventually you, or someone else, may get confused and put regular gas into the tractor or put diesel into a gas engine. Here in NJ we're not bright enough to pump our own gas, that adds the extra quirk of having the attendant put regular gas in the tank because it's red (most stations won't even pump diesel into a red tank).

bxowner · May 5, 2008

I've scribed 'diesel' all over the can.

I have a friend from the UK. We took our snowmobiles out about 10 or 12 years ago and stopped to get some fuel. He put in diesel - black handle in the UK is for low-grade (here, it's green). It ran, but boy did it bellow black smoke until we could limp to a friend's house to drain the tank.

As for red being off-highway, perhaps - but the source I've gotten the red-tink from is the same that's run by all the local trucks, including busses and highway plows.

LBrown59 · May 5, 2008

bxowner said:
As for red being off-highway, perhaps -
but the source I've gotten the red-tink from is the same that's run by all the local trucks, including busses and highway plows.

Red is definately off road so they are running off road if its red.
on road is unred.
Red has nothing to do with winter or summer fuel.
Winter fuel can be read or clear.
Summer fuel can be clear or red.
On road winter and summer fuel is not red
Off road summer and winter fuel is red.

RalphVa · May 5, 2008

With the extra refining to get the sulfur down, many on road diesels may be completely clear (e.g. what we call "water white"). This was the case in about 1994 when I got some diesel at a BP station. It was completely clear.

Ralph

Soundguy · May 6, 2008

I agree with the others.. we buy bulk fuel for our machines.. red is tinted and is off reoad only.. DOT makes spot check every year or so and 'sticks' our tanks to check for visible presence of dye in on road vehicles.

To the original poster.. ditch the red diesel can and get a yellow one.. ( or at least blue or black ) ( kero / oil ).

soundguy

LBrown59 · May 6, 2008

Soundguy said:
. ditch the red diesel can and get a yellow one.

soundguy

OR / Just get a can of yellow spray paint and spray the can.

BigD9 · May 6, 2008

Here in NJ we're not bright enough to pump our own gas, that adds the extra quirk of having the attendant put regular gas in the tank because it's red (most stations won't even pump diesel into a red tank).

Last year I was in NJ and it was time to get gas. I was the only car at the station and promptly pulled up to the pumps, got out, grabbed the fuel nozzle, put it in the gas filler-upper hole when this big S-L-O-W lumbering huge monster like guy came out and yelled, ...No it was more like screamed in a ****** like scream "What do you think you are doing?" I thought I was about to get mugged or something. The guy with me got out and came around behind this "Paul Bunyan " sized guy in case there was trouble (like he could do anything with that monster). I said in my most authoritative voice I could muster while looking up at this guy "getting gas". He said "you a foreigner?" I said "no I'm from Kentucky" He said "Just what I thought...a **** foreigner. You can't pump gas in this state". "Here let me do it".

Just then a young guy came up on a motorcycle, and sat there looking at Paul Bunyan. He finally turned around and thundered "I don't gas no cycles here, do it your self".

Afterwords I asked my partner just what he was going to do with the large guy if he threatened me. He simply said "kick him behind the knees and then run like ****." Welcome to New Jersey.

Soundguy · May 7, 2008

LBrown59 said:
OR / Just get a can of yellow spray paint and spray the can.

The special spray paint that will stick to plastic is likely to cost as much as a new can, not counting your time to degrease the deisel contaminated red can so the paint has half a chance to stick. I've seen that paint go for 6$ a can.. and the cans go for 5.99 at TSC just a few weeks ago.

I can't see paying more to convert the can vs just buying a new one.. but it's his call and $$

soundguy