RED FUEL IN FARM TRUCK

[PDOUGLAS]

We have a 2004.5 LLY on the farm . I would like to run off road fuel in it as long as it stays on the place. Will the LLY fuel inj. pump live with the fuel or is ther a senser in the pump that will not let it run on the red like the old 6.5,s

[DmaxMaverick]

The truck won't know the difference. The red dye/optical sensor thing is a myth, and the Duramax doesn't have one anyway. I know of several farmers around here using dyed fuel, 6.2's, 6.5's, and Duramax's. Many hundreds of thousands miles and no fuel related issues to speak of.

The only problem with dyed fuel is the tax thing. Get caught and pay big. Right now, with the relax on dyed fuel distribution, it'd be hard for anyone to prove where you got it and if taxes were paid or not.

[PDOUGLAS]

Thanks I have seen the cost of running on the road with the red so I will keep it on the farm . I ran some in a 1995 6.5 and it did not like it well it would studder and die put clear back in it and it would run fine so I thought that the senser story was right . Nice to know it's not .

[dakotakid]

Somebody asked me the other day what the fine was for running dyed fuel over the road and I didn't know the answer - somebody out there know that answer??

Pat

[DmaxMaverick]

Originally posted by dakota kid:
Somebody asked me the other day what the fine was for running dyed fuel over the road and I didn't know the answer - somebody out there know that answer??

Pat It depends on the state you get caught. In many cases, the truck GVWR, odometer reading, and/or tank capacity play a part. If you have fuel tax exempt, or fuel tax submission documents, you don't worry about it, just keep the log up to date, with receipts on hand.

In any case, the fine will be more than you will save in a lifetime of using the fuel.

[ZZ]

A Jobber was talking the other day here in Missouri about a guy he knew who was caught and the fine was $10,000

They usually catch the farmers here during the winter at farm auctions. The DOT show up at these auctions often and check the trucks. I hear they used to use a white stick to dip in the tank, but they now use an ultraviolet light.

[sluggerjoe]

In Nebraska it is a $1000 fine. I have personally seen the DOT Patrolmen dipping tanks quite a bit more of late. They usually pull over guys pulling trailers and farming related stuff. A friend of mine got pinched a couple years ago with his 6.5, he hasn't run it since. $.50/gallon tax doesn't look like much when you have a $1k fine to pay.

Ten years ago my father and many other farmers had big enough tanks to take a transport load of diesel. The distributor would deliver it without dye if he knew you. Since then the Govt cracked down with some severe fines for these fuel distributors and now they will not deliver untaxed, clear diesel. I used to work for a fuel products pipeline occasionally and I can assure you that red diesel is the same as clear in our area except for the minute amount of dye they add. They add the dye at the terminal, into the transport.

The irony of it all is they pay no attention to vehicles running propane. I think a propane conversion for a daily driver is the cheater's best choice anymore. I have done LP conversions in the past and these new throttle body injection conversions work great. If I were a cheater, I would consider such a project...you can buy a used big block 4x4 cheap nowadays.

[PDOUGLAS]

In Colorado the fine is $1000.00 per gl. and not what you have in the tank but what the tank will hold . On LP we have road tax added at the fill station . Cost right now about $2.87 on road and about $1.57 home use.

[sluggerjoe]

Wow! $1000 per gallon? Yikes! let's see...24 gallon tank, that is a lotta dough.

That $1.57 LP sounded outrageous a year ago...now it's a bargain.

[Driveshaft]

it used to be (i am not sure what it is now) a 1000.00 a gal. for each gal. of CAPACITY up to 10,000 dollars.