I went to Vegas recently and put all my money in the one arm bandit. No, not a slot machine, the fuel pump at the filling station.

P E H

How much of a risk am I taking using the off road fuel that we buy for our farm. It's only $1.05 per gallon. Will the feds notice? I can't use it in winter, but come spring...

You where safer before you brought up the question...
There are more than a few law enforcement people on this forum.
You put them in an awkward position by asking.
If the price is bugging you, convert to waste vegetable oil = very low cost.

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I'm not a fed so I'll answer.

I do know folks who use farm diesel and so far as I know the only difference [besides the tax!] is higher sulphur .

Can anyone legally answer am I right?

I don't think you'll have a problem with getting caught using it in your car. The feds [DOT} only check DOT registered trucks and don't have time to check every diesel thats going down the road. Am I right feds? BTW-you can dip my tank anytime you want. I do not have access to farm diesel. Wish I did...

Cheers,

Bill

One of the pumps where I buy diesel has a sign warning you that the 'farm' diesel has a coloring dye in it and it's illegal to use it in your vehicle.

Some speculation that the oil companies are keeping gas prices low until after the election, and then, LOOK OUT! Will be interesting to see....

Yea, the farm diesel has a red dye in it and is illegal to use in passenger vehicles and trucks. But the only way for anyone to know is if they dip your tank and DOT does not, at this time, check passenger cars.

The fine for using farm diesel is, I believe, $10,000.

I won't tell if you don't

Cheers,

Bill

I heard the fine for useing farm diesel was $1k a gallon of tank capacity! That would be a $23,500 fine for me!

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It may be Hattie. I have not owned a DOT regulated truck for some time now and the fine then was $10k.

Cheers,

Bill

can you imagine them stopping cars on I95 in Ct to check tanks? don't think we'll ever see that

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Keep a bottle of ATF plus a few empties in your trunk, that way if they ever do dip your tank, say you put a quart in every tank to keep the fuel system clean.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

To that answer, they can demand that you show a recent receipt proving that the fuel in the tank is proper road taxed fuel. I'd say just grin and bear the sting of the fuel prices. If the feds decide that they have reason to start pulling diesel cars off for inspection, they will not hesitate to do it. Also remember, that the price of a month's fuel purchases, is still alot cheaper than a payment on a new, more fuel efficient car.

My question really moved this thread onto a new topic. Though I have much farm fuel at my finger tips, I decided when I got the car to keep it on the up and up, and of course, the cold weather issues with #2 fuel are an incentive. Boy, the John Deeres sure run good on that stuff, we have a couple of diesels nearly 40 years old that are mostly OE and have had very little mechanical work done. IP's, fuel lines, etc, in fact just put new injectors in one JD at 8000+ hours. But, ours are well maintained and oil and filter changes religiously at 100 hours of use. We have used Rotella T for probably 25 years. So, 100 hours at 50 mph is 5000 miles for an oil change in the car - to make the comparison.

BTW, here's some diesel trivia: A few years ago John Deere got word of one of their 6 cylinder diesel's in use in Alaska in a power generator at a school. It had been well maintained, without an overhaul, and had 80,000 hours on the clock. Let's see, at 50 miles an hour thats 4 million miles! The company supplied a new engine to the school, and brought the old one back to the factory for study.


DS
87 300D

I don't have receipts 'cause I pay cash and do not ask for receipts 'cause I can't write it off.

In the old days, John Deere made their own motors.

I don't know about all the deeres today, but from what i understand Yanmar makes a lot of their diesels these days. Went on a haunted hayride over the weekend with a 3020 pulling us. I told my wife "Great-a haunted ride and I get to smell diesel too" And it was great

Cheers,

Bill

Don't over the road rigs recircuate waste oil from the engine into the fuel tanks immedlately turning the fuel black? Can't tell then if it was on road or off road.

I don't think that they are after the little guy, they have bigger fish to fry, especially if those 18 wheeers consume up to 11 gals an hour. That's about 6.00 in uncollected fed taxes. Boy, that's putting the pedal to the metal!!

About those old diesel farm tractors, from the late 30's up, they started with pony motors or like the IH's I had, started on gas, after the engine warmed up switched it over to diesel. Carb on one side, IP on the other. there was a third valve that opened while it ran on gas to drop the compression ratio from 16:1 to 6:1. The tractor would run on anything. Still running after 51 years.

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Nope, OTR trucks do not circulate oil into the fuel tanks. As for the feds, there is no "little guy." Be in the wrong place, at the right time, and they'll be happy to check you, right along side of that big truck. As a former truck driver, I've seen various state patrol, and DOT officers use rest stops as inspection stations along interstate highways.

Personally, I don't care what you put in your tank. Just remember that the penalties if caught, will cost far more than the few bux a month you save in trying to circumvent the system. I wouldn't expect the loopholes that biodiesel and WVO currently enjoys to be around forever either, especially when fuel prices double current levels, and it gains even more widespread use.