diesel shelf life

[lexi]

A mate of mine has 150gal of red diesel stored in sealed square plastic chemical container for three years. Apart from water issues with condensation do you think it will be okay for engine use with a filter polishing?
Alex

 

[Talbot]

No definitely not. However, as I am feeling kind I will dispose of it for him for a very nominal fee.

Seriously - drop a bit of soltron or fuel set into it and use it it will be fine.

 

[LeytonC]

decant a glass of it - if its a nice cherry red (or buy a gallon of new stuff and compare the colour) then treat with soltron and use. if its dark red (water contamination)/ has floating bits in it, then dont!

 

[pjs100]

"Seriously - drop a bit of soltron or fuel set into it and use it it will be fine." /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Your choice my friend but I wouldn't put the fuel system and boat at risk for the sake of a few quid. As far as the treatments go I wouldn't rely on them.

Fuel does "go off,"use it in a shore based application fine but not at sea. IMHO of course.
JJTOP

 

[Burnham_Bob]

I was always under the impression that diesel is a fairly stable fuel. Unlike petrol which has additives and does go off, diesel is more like an oil than a spirit. 150 gallons is a lot - did you mean 150 litres? At 50p a litre that's £75 ( that's what we get charged for red diesel these days. 150 gallons would be 5 times that so its not 'a few quid'. Red diesel I would have thought would be less likely to have any additives than road legal diesel - just the basic stuff plus the dye - so there's nothing else to evaporate or go off.

I drained my tank one year, kept the good clean diesel and used it the season after and had no problems. I'm not sure what could - if anything go wrong. Make sure there's no water, no big bits floating in it, use the diesel bug killer and then if the engine fires you've got no problem. After all you've got a water separator/cparse filter and a fine fuel filter in line anyway.

 

[guernseyman]

I think the problem with petrol is that the more volatile components evaporate leaving the more inert components. I've seen a statement to the effect that diesel deteriorates 26% in a month, but I'm not sure what they were measuring.

Like most people I keep full tanks over winter to reduce condensation problems, and I use my jerry cans first when re-filling to make sure there is no really old fuel on board.

I would appreciate an expert view on the life of diesel.

 

[lexi]

Thanks Guys
It`s nearer 200 gal but he`s going to use it on a new on shore diesel generator. I know stuff can grow in it but the treatment should take care of that and if the engine fires then the fuel has it`s cetane value so maybe ok.
Thanks Alex

 

[vyv_cox]

My diesel VW camper started first turn of the key after 7 years laid up. Fuel was perfectly OK. Four years later the vehicle is still running fine.