Whats your view? Red Diesel.

[Forbidme]

OK,

I bought my 2.8 some time ago now and I've slowly been fixing her up. The other day i finally got round to servicing her, and as I was replacing the fuel filter i noticed it was Red diesel. - I've by-passed the filter for the moment as I dont want to taint my new filter with red.
I orginally had a theory that this maybe the case as i bought the truck off a farmer. But I currently have 1/4 of a tank full.
Now, do i take the risk of leaving it, or do you recommend burning it off privatly or just emplyting it all out.
Just be a real shame to waste it all. But would rather dispose of than take the risk and getting randomly busted.

I'm half tempted to call 101 to see what there view is on the matter.

So, whats your view?

Cheers

[robbie]

As long as s its not taxed and mot`d and not used on the public highways you can use it on private land. If you intend to use it on the public highways your likely to get dipped inpounded, maybe crushed, and a rather large fine.
I would just get rid of it

[RatCav]

As Robfog says. Phone custom's and excise. No matter what people say, it is them that call the shots. I think at worst you will have to replace the tank, fuel lines, and filter. Not a big issue TBH. Far far cheaper than the fine, and you don't lose your car.

[gregster]

I have bought cars that have red in them before, and all I normally do is keep a tally of what miles I do in it, and keep the fuel reciepts for what you put in from when I bought it. I would try and plan a longish journey at some point soon, and run it low, hence being rid of the worst of it.
I have only been dipped twice since I have been driving, and both times in 7.5t trucks, yet have ran old-ish diesels for many many years.
I have the view of live and let live, if people want to risk it then its their choice, I think the duty we pay on regular diesel is obscene compared with the rest of world, but I wouldnt do it myself.
Contacting the authorities is kinda like grassing up the previous owner and will drop him in it, and is probably unnecessary. you dont know the previous keepers reasoning for running cherry in it, it could be that it made doing a low paid job just about affordable, sooner than sitting on his butt and claiming, which is still wrong, but right in the larger picture of life. If they did dip your tank then they will be looking for a tank full of red, I dont think they will be too worried about a trace if you can show that your fuel useage is covered by pump reciepts where you have paid the duty.
Keep your fuel reciepts, write the mileage on them, and keep them in the car just in case, but chances are you will never get a tug and be dipped.

[westo123]

Alas HM Customs and Excise are no longer! Taken over a long time back, red diesel enforcement is done by HMRC now. The chances of a private car being stopped and dipped is very unlikely and they have much bigger fish to fry on an intel led basis. Should you want piece of mind you could ring them on their hotline. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisat ... -reporting

[snapper]

And now, following this thread the papers report Oil Burning Frontera's being pulled in all over the country...

Shame you can't use 'alternative' fuel really cos a couple of years ago I had close to 5 million ltrs of the stuff left in 6 tanks at work and we were setting up to decommission the tanks, would have kept the truck in fuel for a few weeks!

[Forbidme]

I think in the long run of things, I feel the better option is to drain it out and burn the small remainder in the lines.
Then i'll put a fuel cleaner in with some fresh diesel hoping this would cleanse the lines some what and then from there hope for the best.
But I will for sure keep hold of my receipts for a short period of time.

The previous owner was a farmer so red diesel was permitted to an extend, but I'm unsure of the legalisation when it comes to little run arounds. I beleived he used the frontera for towing trailers of life stock.

[jimmybhoy]

I would just Run it, if it were me personally, but then again i`d probably have asked the farmer to fill it before i bought it!.......I know someone who runs their diesel car with heating oil (2 big tanks. 1 for the house & 1 for car) he says its the same as red but without the dye, therefore undetectable on a dip. Not as much lubricant in it, but he chucks a can of oil in the tank to mix. think he is on 8th year now

[Forbidme]

Everyones different in there approaches. I'm more of a "better safe and sorry" - "why take the risk" etc. Around where my lock up is, I'm always seeing Police so wouldnt wanna take it if there in wait.

[DarrenH_2.2]

my opinion pretty much follows gregsters. use it, refill it, go from there.

the comment about using heating oil makes me wonder how many people are using domestic bulk tanks of butane for lpg vehicles. sure it happens but quite hard to transfer i think

[RatCav]

We get our LPG for the Explorer round the corner from Calor. Its about 52p a litre at the moment. I don't know how much domestic gas is for home refils.

[DarrenH_2.2]

we are paying about 60p / litre but thats 47kilo bottles.

[westo123]

[RatCav]

They patrol together these days. Set up a tugging point and pull over 4x4's and commercial vehicles. HMRC then dip the tank. If found to have red in they arrest you and seize the vehicle. Police are there to deal with anyone kicking off.

That is what I have seen anyways.

[westo123]

That is true, I was one of them!

[RatCav]

Doing the dipping or being a dipstick kicking off because you had red diesel?

[Davey j]

Sure it's not dirty vegetable oil stains? Used veg oil shows up almost identically to red diesel on filters......

[westo123]

[Retro Pedro]

Is the red diesel exactly the same as the taxed to the hilt white stuff but with a red dye added?
Only ask because an old work mate run a Fiat 1.9JTD, which he said ran clean as a whistle, until he started putting in red from his Dad's farm. That's when it started smoking.

[RatCav]

Exactly the same stuff ... just with a dye. I would say the farm stuff was contaminated.