Gas in diesel and vice versa
 

I have a jerry can I use to ferry diesel to my boat. Is it OK to use it on occasion for gasoline for the car (in the event of my son running out of gas somewhere)?

There would be traces of diesel in the container and likely will be traces of gasoline when I next use it to transport diesel to the boat.

Would I cause problems with either engine?

Geno.

I wouldn't do it. Just get another can at Walmart for 5 bucks and stop worrying about it.

Thanks for the quick reply. I figured as much but thought I'd ask the question. Having just the one can makes for easier storage....

It would not make any difference to either engine.

ditto
 

small amounts will not matter.

Just remember what's in it so you don't have to run a sniff test on it.

It depends on what a small amount is. A few drops won't hurt, but can you really empty the container each time you want to switch to the other fuel? With a big container it may be hard to get that last half quart out which if it's diesel may be enough to foul the spark plugs in a gasser, or if it's the other way it be enough to make a diesel run rougher. And like Wasuchi said you have to remember what the last fuel was if you don't want to get high every time. :P

If its a red jerry can, the only legal thing to put in it is gas or an equivilent. To use for Diesel it needs to be blue or green for offroad or yellow for taxed diesel.
The neibor had two yellow jerry cans in back of his truck. Someone swiped them and were caught broke down about half a mile away. I guess they didnt know their color codes.

Color codes for fuel cans? Never heard of such a thing. Always used the red cans for all fuels.

What everyone said above..... except that blue is for kerosene.

Wes

Same here....when we ran out of fuel on our way home from pennsylvania...(we made it about 55 miles into michigan!) because our fuel sender didn't work and we didn't know this.....a state cop brought us to a local gas station a couple miles away, we bought a couple two gallon (red) cans, filled them with diesel, and brought it back to the car, filled/primed it, and we were all set. The cop's only comment on the event was "smells like a submarine went down in here". :D So he appearantly didn't have a problem with diesel in a red can....I've only seen the blue and green and yellow cans at a farm and fleet store around here once....and now that its out of business....I haven't seen them anywhere else...

it wouldnt make any difference having petrol left overs in the diesel engine, my grandad accidently put 3 litres of petrol into his diesel a couple of times with a full tank of diesel after and if anything it started easier from cold and ran a little smoother

diesel and gasoline. Yeah i have always known what the color codes are i used to be on a boad and we had all the fuel lines and oil etc etc coded. ALso i heard that if a diesel is having bad comepression than pt some gasoline in the tank with diesel and it will run better. and as to red cans with diesel it would work if you were in a pinch. but we have diesel and gasser cans here. Actually the diesel can is cheaper.

If you put Diesel in a red gas can, PLEASE mark it! Permanent marker works well.

You don't know what a PITA it is until you have to purge a lawnmower full of diesel! :eek:

The can is Green plastic and has GAS moulded in (holds 20 Litres). It is only used when fuel is needed so there will never be any confusion as to what's in it.

I take it that the general consensus is that I'm not risking damage to either the gas or diesel engine by having a SMALL amount of the other fuel mixed in.

Geno.