Red v white diesel

[Graham_Wright]

An acquaintance of mine (further details classified) runs his van on red diesel.
He claims that he achieves almost twice the mileage on a tankful compared with white diesel.
One explanation offered was that white diesel has had so many pollutants removed that it doesn't burn as well.
Comments?

 

[Evadne]

Either its not diesel or he's pulling your plonker. If the red diesel is manky old marina fuel or heating oil, then maybe it's de-powering his engine so much that he drives more slowly, thus using less fuel?

 

[Roy]

All he can manage is to save money, and knacker is engine and because his engine is now permanently died with red, he could be traced even after selling the vehicle and so on.

 

[Marsupial]

Yes he could but he is not comparing Red Diesel to White Diesel.

Red Diesel is Gas Oil is White Diesel Known as 35sec oil

White Heating Oil is NOT White Diesel known as 28sec oil

The higher the viscosity the higher the calorific value of the fuel - he will go further faster on RED (35sec) as opposed to White heating oil (28 sec).

QED

 

[duncan]

how do you know he is comparing white heating oil when he refers to white diesel?

I followed the bits up until your conclusion

 

[BobOwen]

Reminds me off a chap I worked with many years ago. We were all skint, the better off among us running old minis, but this guy turned up at work one day in a rather smart 3.5lt Rover saloon. I seem to remember his Auntie had left it him or something similar.

He could not afford to run the monster, so hit upon a 50/50 mix of petrol and paraffin. (Suspiciously the factory we were in, had a paraffin store around the back and he often smelt like an old hurricane lamp).

It seemed to start and run fine, but had this incredible back firing when on the over run. I'm not talking pops and bangs, but almighty nose bleeding explosions. Children cried as he passed. I guess the approach to Cassino in WW2 sounded similar.

He could be heard miles away. He ran it for at least 6 months like this, until I suspect the thing was struggling along on neat paraffin alone .
Back to the pushbike after that!

 

[Marsupial]

Obviously I dont BUT its the only way what he has said makes sense, WHITE DIESEL IS THE SAME STUFF AS RED DIESEL AND GAS OIL

Ordinary heating oil LOOKS LIKE white diesel BUT ITS NOT the same.

but he would get better economy using red diesel instead of white heating oil. Any other combination of fuels makes no sense and would make no difference.


afterthought: It could be that his supplier of "white diesel" is in fact selling him 28second heating oil - its hard to tell them apart - now theres a thought. . . . .

 

[omega2]

If your mate is daft enough to tell you what he is doing and you cannot keep his confidence I hope that neither of you are ever questioned by HM customs

 

[mirabriani]

Just a little warning

I was collecting some red for the mixer, digger, dumper
on the building site. As I drove the Transit into the depot
half a dozen customs officials popped out and "dipped"
my fuel tank.
obviously we all had a laugh and a joke together before I
continued on my way.

Regards Briani

 

[Graham_Wright]

Follow up;-
The red diesel is gas oil.
The white diesel is as supplied by the filling station.
He has been waved past two C & E inspection checks (third time unlucky?).
An engine check proving that an engine was once fed red diesel you can get away with. It is allowed in an emergency in certain circumstances and, even if not, results in a slap on the wrist for a first offence.
A final thought. If we yachties are going to be denied red diesel in our boat engines, what is to stop us using gas oil (as I buy for my generator quite legally and which is the same stuff) or as I use in my factory heating system? Are C & E going to dip boat tanks as well?

 

[Evadne]

Better not visit Southampton docks, they seem to be on permanent vehicle inspection duty, tho' they may not be dipping tanks all the time.

Will they be dipping boat tanks? After a period of grace to allow you to use up any red diesel left in the tanks, be sure you will see C&E at the fuel pontoon. It will be like shooting fish in a barrel!

 

[ianwright]

That might be a problem with motorboats but if you sail an auxillary yacht how can they prove when you bought the red stuff? "Sorry officer, I sail all the time, that red stuff was bought five years ago when it was legal,,,,,,,,"

IanW /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Guest]

a) if he is not legally allowed to use red in his van - he is running great risk of C&E .....
b) The MPG is astounding in claim ............. as an owner of a petrochem lab and inspection business ....... I am utterly amazed !!!
c) It should burn cleaner and better as it doesn't have some of the crud actually reducing its energy value ....

Love to have some REAL figures quoted .... !! Sorry but I'm not decrying you etc. - but find it hard to believe his claim ... of course he will pay less than half for his tankful with red than white !! sure that is not what he meant ??

 

[Guest]

Actually Red Dye - Yellow Marker ............ you can get rid of the red, but not the yellow marker !!

 

[Guest]

To use diesel oil as you say ... instead of red ..... a) I would expect that C&E will be watching for increased use via licenced users ... b) you would need additives to alter the gasoil to similar to forecourt spec - do YOU know what that is ?... c) is it worth it in the long run ??

Your mate is VERY lucky .......... there are cases of serious consequences for some caught ......... confiscation of vehicle, loss of commercial licence to have red etc. etc.

 

[Bergman]

The 28 sec oil that I buy for the central heating is actually parafin not diesel. If he runs his motor on that I think he may be in for problems.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Why do you think he uses paraffin?
As stated before, the white diesel is sourced from filling stations, you know, they carry words like Shell, Esso etc. They generally serve petrol as well . You must have noticed them.
The red diesel is otherwise known as gas oil NOT paraffin.

 

[stokes]

Nigel.......red, white and now yellow, whats yellow marker? are we talking custard here!

 

[Guest]

OK - lets sort this ....

GASOIL is Gasoil and is a Fuel oil ranging from light distilate up to quite medium distilate ..... in all range of 'natural colours from clear blue - the road stuff !! through to dark brown ... Marine Gas Oil on ships ...

EG - Back in late 70's I was on one ship loading Gas Oil from Spot Market onto a Shell Tanker - un-named here obviously - in Constanta Romania .... we cleaned and mopped tanks for 4 days trying to get tanks spotless to take a Gasoil cargo .... the gasoil cargo was rejected at discharge port Rotterdam and downgraded to 'high-grade fuel oil' or Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) .... which is cheapest cr------iest gasoil you can get !!

Sorry to be a pain .... but classifications of oil when it comes to names is NOT universal ... it depends on whose selling !

Diesel is a name like Hoover for a Vacuum Cleaner ...

 

[Graham_Wright]

Doubt he would be very interested in submitting a formal report!