Burnt out injectors due to red diesel?

[SimonRaf]

A very old thread but I was told today at the dealership that 3 of my injectors have had to be replaced in the last 6 months because i had been using red diesel. Says that it can burn through the injector tips because it is not as clean as the ordinary diesel from a garage. Sound plausible or a bluff ? Not using it again now anyway because it will invalidate the 2 year warranty on the injectors they replaced.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[Xtractorfan]

I have heard conflicting stories regarding this.. A guy who worked in the local Oil depot told me .. no difference he said that diesel was delivered to their tanks all white diesel.. then as and when required the red dye was added..so if true then no difference.. Another guy who was laundering diesel told me that red diesel had a much higher sulphur level, and even removing the dye from the diesel. it still had almost twice the sulphur content..and sulphur burns very hot... but there again farmers use it in tractors and other machinery and it doesent harm their tractors...

 

[sigman]

so many conflicts on this ,there can be a difference in sulphur content
which may cause this but in my experience people who use this in normal vehicles are to tight too have them serviced anyway resulting in problems

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

so many conflicts on this ,there can be a difference in sulphur content
which may cause this but in my experience people who use this in normal vehicles are to tight too have them serviced anyway resulting in problems

ha ha, very good point this,
i have replaced injectors on a car, all 6 were playing up and oddly enough he had been using red diesel for a period of time,
i used red diesel in my astra van on private land of cause!!! and noticed a significant loss of mpg, about 40-45 miles per tank less,
id recommend staying clear of red in cars, just my opinion,

 

[SimonRaf]

Mmmm....too tight to have it serviced I do get it serviced but I take your point :wink: At £1.40 a litre in NI now it's hard not to go for the cheaper (unlawful) option!! As MB recommends though, will be staying clear of it now :sad:

 

[SimonRaf]

I have heard conflicting stories regarding this.. A guy who worked in the local Oil depot told me .. no difference he said that diesel was delivered to their tanks all white diesel.. then as and when required the red dye was added..so if true then no difference.. Another guy who was laundering diesel told me that red diesel had a much higher sulphur level, and even removing the dye from the diesel. it still had almost twice the sulphur content..and sulphur burns very hot... but there again farmers use it in tractors and other machinery and it doesent harm their tractors...

Thanks for this

 

[Andy from Liverpool]

Slightly away from the topic but, in a diesel engine, if an injector has welded itself open or closed from overheating will ith chuck white smoke out the back and cause a misfire on that cylinder?

I'm clueless on diesel lumps...

 

[Xtractorfan]

yes a faulty injector will cause all sorts of problems ...from misfie to flooding diesel into the exhaust causing white smoke

 

[jpbp200]

Farmers are not the only ones to use Red diesel. In a marine environment it is used widely without any noticeable effects. Most Captains would not use it if it meant engine failure regardless of cost....

 

[energysolutions]

I cant see tractor manufacturers letting anyone use sub standard fuel in £60,000+ tractors so red must be ok.

 

[Xtractorfan]

It is possible that the red diesel using machines have some inbuilt mechanism to counteract the difference..if there is one..in sulphur and cetane levels. I must make some more enquiries..tho in these present economic times asking probing questions can lead to accusations..

 

[energysolutions]

It is possible that the red diesel using machines have some inbuilt mechanism to counteract the difference..if there is one..in sulphur and cetane levels. I must make some more enquiries..tho in these present economic times asking probing questions can lead to accusations..

Perhaps there is something built in but tractors are required to run on red or white diesel depending on the type of work they are doing ie contracting for reward along the Queens highway

 

[nickcc101]

There are different types of Gas oil (red diesel) which have different amounts of additives and sulphur content. Gas oil rv is for marine and road vehicles etc, Gas oil sh is for heating. Both are dyed red and even if you remove the dye (using fullers earth) you will never remove the marker. You should never use heating oil in a diesel engine wherever you use it.

 

[goosergus]

Spoke to a friend of mine last night who drives tankers for a fuel company.He said, as did xtractofan earlier in this thread, red and white diesel are exactly the same product but the dye is added just before delivery.
While he can't say if the dye is capable of causing the damage he insists the diesel itself isn't.

Interestingly he also said he has seen on many occasions, tanker drivers who haven't cleaned out there tank properly following a "red" delivery returning to the depot and filling with petrol or diesel (white) for delivery to garage forecourts. He has seen red pumping through to the forecourt tanks for at least five seconds before the petrol/white comes through.
Being as the government can detect red in a persons fuel tank for months after the event there is a danger innocent people can be charged with the offence of running on red.(?)

 

[maxypriest]

I’ll be surprised if red is a lower grade – certainly when we were still farming we had very expensive tractors working VERY hard at high loads for long periods on the stuff.

Certainly they got an almost infinitely harder time them normal road going automotive diesels – any one else remember the last time they were on full load at 80% WOT for 3-4 hours at a time? – nope, me nether!

 

[Xtractorfan]

Can i just add something to this thread .I was driving across the country one day to meet up with a business acquantance and on a particular straight and fast dual carrigeway I noticed that traffic meeting me on the other carriageway was practically non existant,, and about a mile further on I noticed a spot check on the opposite carriageway and no vehicles in sight..funny I thot so when I met with my friend i was telling him and he laughed and said i bet they didnt catch anyone and he was telling me that most people around where he lives use red diesel, the reason being that the 'genuine diesel in the filling stations cant be trusted .. most of it is laundered and contains acid which wrecks pumps n seals n things..so people use red diesel cos they know it hasnt been touched...what they do is they join a syndicate 10 ppl £50 each..remember the fine for using rebated fuel is £500.. so if someone gets caught the £500 pool is used to pay the fine..and then the person who has been caught then joins a secondary syndicate for £100 per person... 2nd time caught £1000..and when road checks are in action.. everyone is alerted

 

[Andy from Liverpool]

Thanks Xtractorfan.

Whats the best way of finding out what injector, if any, is dodgy?

 

[SimonRaf]

Thanks Xtractorfan.

Whats the best way of finding out what injector, if any, is dodgy?

Diagnosis. Prob have to get it read out on STAR.

 

[nickcc101]

Just a couple of facts. Duty is paid at point of manufacture (refinery). Seperate storage tanks are used for Diesel and Gas oil (red diesel) as gas oil duty is much lower than Diesel. No oil company would pay full diesel duty on gas oil. All fuel products stored at distribution storage terminals are duty paid. There has never been cleaning/flushing draining of road tankers carrying white oils, petrol diesel gas oil kero etc between loads. The only exception being Aviation fuel (jet a1) and then only when putting into aviation service. In the olden days when a Customs officer was based at all distribution terminals product was received and stored duty free, duty being paid upon delivery. When top loading gantries where superceded by bottom loading/automated gantries injecting of dye also stopped with only additives (product enhancing) being injected during loading.

 

[RichardSmith]

.......................Being as the government can detect red in a persons fuel tank for months after the event there is a danger innocent people can be charged with the offence of running on red.(?)

I reckon that's as likely as someone getting charged for admitting using red diesel in their car on a public internet forum.......

Richard:lol: