Red diesel will not harm your engine in any way. No, and red diesel will not impact any other aspect of the vehicle. Red dyed diesel is fairly similar to regular diesel. Off-road gear and equipment, like ordinary cars, is powered by a diesel engine.
Does red diesel damage car engines?
Red diesel will not harm your car because it is the same gasoline as white diesel with the addition of a red colour. There are a few circumstances in which you can put red diesel in a car, such as if your vehicle has completed a SORN (Statutory Off-Road-Notification) but even if you do this, your fuel tank will be stained, and removing the SORN from the car will cause legal issues if you ever want to get it back on the road.
Can you mix red diesel with normal diesel?
No, your truck will be alright on this diesel. The main variation is in color, not in the components. It’s strictly for off-road use, as indicated by the red colour. It’s coloured red to make it visible to government officers if you’re using it illegally. Be aware that if you’re discovered driving on US highways, you could face a ticket and a hefty fine.
Off-road diesel will run your automobile if it runs on diesel. However, as previously said, if you use it illegally and are detected, you will be penalized by both the state and federal governments. Because that is sometimes the only fuel available in the event of a natural disaster, you are unlikely to be penalized.
Technically, you can, because the color is the only difference. We’ve heard of cases where someone bought a truck that ran on off-road diesel and then switched to regular diesel. In that situation, the new owner just switched to regular diesel and the vehicle performed admirably.
The distinguishing red dye is the most noticeable variation, and there may also be a difference in sulfur levels. Furthermore, because this agricultural fuel is designed for heavy machinery, it heats up quickly.
Driving until the tank is completely empty is the simplest way to get rid of the red dye. Then pour in a couple gallons of or normal diesel and let it run for a while. Repeat this process numerous times. If you want to be sure it’s gone, have your repair flush the gasoline system.
No, it isn’t possible. Except for the colour, it’s identical as on-road diesel. If you have a diesel engine, you can use farm fuel to power it. Just make sure you’re not breaking any laws when you use it.
Some people believe it is “tax-free,” but depending on the state, it may or may not be. Here’s a list of states with information on gasoline tax exemptions. When you’re permitted to use this type of fuel off-road, you’ll either pay less at the pump or get a refund on your fuel tax.
You could be charged with “Motor Fuel Tax Evasion” if you’re caught and convicted. Is it really worth it to save money on gas? Here’s what the IRS has to say about it:
“What are the Consequences?” In general, no coloured fuel should be used in highway vehicles. The Internal Revenue Code stipulates a penalty of $1,000 or $10 per gallon, whichever is larger, with payment of the tax for each violation. Additional fines may be imposed by states.”
Mixing the two types of diesel fuels is not a problem, however red diesel has a higher sulfur level than green. It’s also known as green fuel because it’s environmentally beneficial. It’s either light green or transparent in appearance.
This is subject to change. If you’re unsure, you can dip a tube in your tank and pull out a sample to see what color it is; there are also manual dipstick kits and black lights available. However, the gas does not remain in your tank; it passes through your fuel system. If you’re worried, take it to your mechanic to have the system flushed.
What happens if you use red diesel?
- Agriculture, horticulture, fish farming, and forestry vehicles and machinery This includes permitting agricultural vehicles to be used for cutting verges and hedges, snow removal, and road gritting:
- to power passenger, freight, or maintenance vehicles that operate on rail tracks;
- for non-commercial heating and electricity generation, such as heating homes and structures such as churches, hospitals, and town halls; off-grid power generating; and non-propulsion uses on permanently moored houseboats;
- except for propelling private pleasure craft in Northern Ireland, as fuel for any marine craft refueling and operating in the UK; or
Preparing for the change
After April 1, 2022, red diesel may no longer be used in cars or appliances that are not authorized to use it. If the fuel was lawfully poured into the car before April 1, 2022, it can be utilized until it runs out.
After April 1, 2022, any red diesel in storage tanks must be disposed of or transferred to someone who is still entitled to utilize it. Tanks, on the other hand, do not need to be flushed.
After the rules change, problems occur with vehicles or machinery that are employed for both ‘authorized’ and ‘non-permitted’ purposes. When switching uses, the tank must be cleaned out to remove any traces of rebated fuel if white diesel is not utilized for all purposes. When using rented equipment, more caution is required.
Can you remove red dye from diesel?
Red diesel has a dye applied to it to distinguish it from the other two fuels. This permits authorities, such as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the United Kingdom, to determine if the fuel is being used illegally in vehicles on the road. With such a large savings to be had by using red diesel the risk of getting caught hasn’t deterred many users from breaking the law the UK government predicts that taxpayers will lose more than £80 million per year in missed tax income.
With such a lucrative profession, many alternative ways for avoiding discovery have been developed. The removal of the red coloring from the diesel is one of the most popular. In the United Kingdom, the diesel is colored with a diazo dye called Solvent Red 19, 24, or 26. Fraudsters can remove the color by using an acid or alkali to render the dye colorless, or by employing activated charcoal to extract the dye from the fuel.
How can you tell if someone is using red diesel?
HMRC must conduct dip testing to find a marker dye within the fuel or tank in order to test for the usage of gas oil. The red color is introduced to help people recognize it as red diesel. What is blue diesel, exactly?
Why is red diesel cheaper?
Because of the lower fuel duty rate, red diesel is much less expensive. Many people who use red diesel work in the construction or agricultural industries, and they use it to power their vehicles and machinery. Businesses can avoid costly gasoline bills and gain profits thanks to the lower costs.
Can farmers use red diesel on the road?
The use of red diesel is frequently referred to as a grey area in farming circles, but the laws are actually quite clear, and the Memorandum of Agreement in HMRC’s Notice 75 on the Gov.uk website makes it extremely difficult to say otherwise.
Agriculture contributes for roughly 7% of total rebated fuel consumption in the UK, with major tax benefits for the agricultural business, and it is critical that the industry follows the guidelines scrupulously to help ensure future use of the fuel.
A general guideline is that any usage of red diesel on the road must be part of an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry enterprise, and it cannot just be for haulage.
Also, if you use the vehicle on public roads for both agricultural and non-agricultural purposes, it no longer qualifies as an agricultural vehicle “excepted vehicle” that must always be fueled with white fuel.
To assist explain many of the common grey areas, the following questions will focus on where utilizing red diesel for farming activities is authorized.
These questions should be read in combination with HMRC Notice 75, which explains what qualifies as a deduction “What qualifies as “agricultural use” and what sorts of agricultural vehicles do.
How far can I travel using red diesel?
The use of red diesel in agricultural vehicles engaged in agricultural work has no distance restrictions. If you’re transporting product, you’ll need to figure out if you’ll require an operator’s license if you’re going more than 15 miles from your base.
I am a contractor, travelling to farms to carry out cultivations work, including ploughing, harrowing and drilling. Can I travel to and from the farms on red?
Contractors are permitted to use red diesel if they are traveling to or from farms to perform agricultural work, or if they are transporting materials or equipment for such operation.
The Council has invited me to tender to cut roadside verges and hedges using a tractor. Do I need to include an extra charge for using white diesel?
No, as long as you don’t use your car for any non-agricultural use on the road. Agricultural tractors can use rebated fuel to cut hedges, trees, and verges that border public highways, according to the law.
How far can I travel if I’m using red diesel to haul straw that I buy in swath and bale before taking it off the field over the few weeks after harvest?
The usage of red diesel has no distance restrictions. However, if you are participating in the agricultural operation that created the straw, such as baling, you can only use rebated fuel.
How do I prove that I have been an “integral part of the agricultural operation?
Maintaining accurate records is essential because it is the only method to establish that you were participating in an agricultural project. A trail of contracts, job sheets, invoices, and receipts is required. This is critical, especially for contractors, in order to prove that all work done in red is valid.
I have new tenants in a farm cottage and need to move some furniture with my tractor and trailer?
This is not a proper application of red diesel. It is not an agricultural operation, which is defined as the planting, harvesting, or rearing of crops or animals for food, wool, leather, fur, or other purposes.
I use my tractor for farm work, but also haul materials for a local building firm and move soils from construction sites. How do I stay within the law? Can I use dual tanks, or perhaps just pay the extra tax when I should be using white diesel?
Only a tractor used primarily for agricultural purposes is permitted to utilize red diesel. This means that if you work in non-agricultural jobs as well as agricultural jobs, you must utilize white fuel for all of your labor, whether agricultural or not.
A tractor that is taxed as an agricultural vehicle must also be utilized exclusively for agricultural purposes. So you can’t be agriculturally taxed if it isn’t agricultural without breaching the law and risking prosecution.
It’s also dangerous to switch fuels because it’s impossible to get all traces of red out of the tank, especially now that hidden markers are being employed to identify gasoline. If your gasoline is tested on a non-agricultural operation, your tractor will most likely be seized if any fuel indicators are found.
If all non-agricultural labor is done off-road, one option is to transport the tractor on a low loader. Red diesel can be used off-road regardless of the activity for fuel duty purposes as long as you exclusively utilize the road for agricultural activities.
Dual tanks are prohibited and not an option, therefore the short answer is that if you use public highways for both agricultural and non-agricultural activities, you cannot have an agricultural tractor. It must either be re-taxed and painted white to be utilized on public highways purely for agricultural purposes.
If I am caught out using the wrong fuel, how far can HMRC trace my business back?
HMRC has the authority to assess extra duty for a period of four years. It might get very expensive if it is discovered that you were utilizing tractors on red for non-agricultural operations during that time.
I am running a classic tractor charity rally around local country roads. I have been told it isn’t appropriate to use red diesel for this?
This isn’t an agricultural enterprise, to be sure. The tractors must run on white fuel because it is a recreational activity.
I have diversified and have a livery stables within the farmyard. Can I use red diesel to move manure in and out of the yard for my equine clients?
No, maintaining animals for the sake of sport or leisure is not considered agricultural.
My farm contracting business has grown considerably due to our local AD plant. I have two self-propelled forage harvesters and am involved in contracting services planting and harvesting the maize feedstock and taking it into the AD plant. I sometimes harvest and move the maize to a farm field-side clamp, then move it into the plant when it is required. Can I used red diesel?
Yes, because your services are an important component of the farming operation. If you were merely hired to transport maize to the AD factory and weren’t personally involved in cultivating or harvesting the maize, you’d have to use white diesel because you’d be hauling it.
I have been asked by my local sports club if I can use my tractor to keep the sports pitches maintained, fertilised and mowed. Can I used red diesel to travel to the playing fields?
No. Because HMRC does not consider sports pitch maintenance to be horticultural, it must be fuelled with white diesel if it travels on the roadways for this purpose. Off-road work can be done on red if the tractor is mounted on a low loader.
A self-propelled mower, on the other hand, can be run on red at all times.
I need to use my tractor for drainage work and clearing ditches which run across my farmland.
Red diesel can be utilized as long as the job is done for the benefit of agricultural land.
I have also been asked to do additional ditch clearing for a neighbouring housing estate to prevent flooding. Can I use red?
No. Because red diesel cannot be used for flood protection, any extra flood protection/non-agricultural drainage work would necessitate switching the tractor to white diesel (assuming the work does not require the use of public roadways).
I want to tow a van behind my tractor/trailer to the field to get staff back to base to avoid unnecessary journeys to and from the field with big heavy slow machinery. Can it be towed using red diesel?
No, utilizing red diesel in a non-agricultural vehicle (van, automobile, caravan) is not permitted because it is not intended for agricultural usage.
I am employed by a farmer to move sugar beet from a field clamp to a factory. Can I use a tractor licensed as an agricultural machine and running on red diesel on the public road?
Unless you were actively involved in producing or harvesting the sugar beet, this is a haulage operation.
I need to fetch some roof sheets to fix my farm store and need to collect them from the local agricultural country store. Can I take my tractor and trailer on red?
Yes, because you are permitted to transport supplies and equipment for the repair and maintenance of your own farm structures using red diesel (but not the farmhouse).
I was stopped by an “HMRC officer but I am not sure it was legitimate. How can I be sure?
To begin with, HMRC is unlikely to flag down and halt your vehicle. It’s more likely that it’ll be tested for gasoline as part of a larger vehicle inspection by the police or Vosa.
HMRC officers would generally be in uniform and driving identifiable vehicles and would be able to show you a form of identity.
Is heating oil the same as red diesel?
The term “heating oil” refers to the fuel used in central heating systems. Gas oil (sometimes called red diesel or 35-second oil) is mostly used in commercial and agricultural applications. Kerosene (also known as 28-second oil or home heating oil) is a lighter oil that is utilized in many households.
Is red diesel better than normal diesel?
If you’re new to buying diesel fuel or haven’t done it in a while, you may notice that your purchases are a little more colorful than they used to be.
That’s because the US government now mandates that diesel be sold in one of three colors: clear, red, or blue dyed. If you’re going to buy diesel fuel, it’s important to know the tax and legal distinctions between these three types.
- Clear diesel Clear diesel is an on-road vehicle-grade fuel sold at petrol stations across the United States. This type of fuel is intended for vehicles that travel the roads on a daily basis cars, trucks, SUVs, and so on as well as maritime vehicles. Clear diesel has a low sulfur level and is taxed in the United States. This fuel must be used in any diesel-powered vehicle that is licensed for on-road use.
- Most colored diesel sold in the United States is red in color, and it is dyed with the chemical ingredient Solvent Red 26 or 164. Only off-road vehicles and applications, such as farm tractors, heavy construction equipment, and generators, are permitted to utilize red-dyed gas. The sulfur level of red-dyed diesel is higher than that of clear diesel. This gasoline is not taxed in the United States because it is not intended for use in on-road vehicles.
- Blue-dyed diesel is identical to red-dyed diesel, with the exception that it is solely used in US government vehicles.
Dyed diesel regulations
Because colored diesel is not taxed and contains more sulfur, it is strictly regulated by federal and state legislation; penalties for unauthorized use of dyed fuel range from steep fines to lengthy prison sentences. Distributors cannot intentionally transport colored fuel with the intention of supplying on-road cars, and gasoline retailers cannot knowingly sell dyed diesel for use in on-road vehicles.
You cannot intentionally use colored diesel in an on-road vehicle if you are a retail diesel customer; if dye is found in an on-road vehicle, the consequences can be severe. Be astute!
