tfarmer96

I changed my fuel filter 2 weekends ago and was a bit shocked. The filter was red. I only run road fuel and have been getting it from the same place. I know the fuel I use has green dye in it. Would the dealer have put non tax fuel in it?

Holsteinman

Red dyed fuel could have been put in the tank at the station you get it from by mistake. I don't think it happens often, but I have heard of it happening.

tfarmer96

That sucks....it think the fine is like 2500 dollars.

tool

That's not a good thing at all.

We had OTR trucks pulled over by inspectors and the filters removed, cut ope and inspected to see what colour the element was!! If it was stained red, you were in big trouble.

Geico266

Send DTR $1,000 for their new puter and we won't turn ya in!
You'll save $1,500!

tfarmer96

I got the truck from a dealer that well lets say its in a big field that doesnt even have gravel in it. Jus 100s of BFTs sitting there. Kinda makes your mouth water doesnt it. Thats the only time it was fueled by some one other than me. I was just suprised that the filter was red and it kinda hacks me off a bit. I was just wondering if they come from the factory with a red filter in them....wouldnt be right would it?

DZLPWR

My truck had red fuel in it when i brought it home. The previous owner failed to mention it, to at least warn me! The only way i found out was that i was messing around with my new toy and drained some fuel out of the seperator and it was red.

Lightman

You can't get penalized for having red fuel, or a red fuel filter. The red dye they have in offroad fuel is just for visual identification. Offroad fuel has a chemical tracer in it, which is what the lab actually tests for when they take a sample of your fuel. Either way, if you haven't been running off-road diesel, I wouldn't worry about it.

tool

That's fine...... And your right. The dye is for visual ID, but that's why they put it there easy to see if you have run it.

When they stop you to check your fuel. (or when they check it in the parking lot when you're not around ) They usually pull fuel out of your tank with a great big clear syringe. If the fuel looks pink at all in the syringe. Your in trouble!

Like I said, we had trucks that they flagged down, pulled into a big parking lot, mechanic waiting, removed the filter and cut it open. if the element was stained, that's gonna wreck your day. There was a fleetguard truck sitting there as well and they immediately replacerd your filter, so atleast if you were a good boy you got a new filter out of the deal.

A friend of mine had his PSD dipped at a cattle show, at night in a parking lot...
Guess what they found? Pink fuel

They fine you a flat rate penalty plus the fuel tax equivalent for every mile on the truck! It was like a $6,000 or something crazy.

Luckily he was able to prove with fuel recipts in court that he hadn't been burining it all the time or whatever and I think only had to pay around $1,000 or so.

Not good in any case.

That's the thing with a diesel engine. because of the fuel return system, the dye will stay in your fuel system for a long, long time.

infidel

Not necessarily.
They test the drawn fuel for markers to see if it's really off road fuel before citing you. Even then a low percentage of offroad is allowed. Used to run into this quite often in Washington where many semis are used on private farm roads most of the year but then are registered and run on the public roads for a month or two. The dye would still show up several fill ups later but wouldn't exceed the allowed amount. No fine.

Fines vary by state. The federally recommended fine that a few states levy is $1000 plus $100 per gallon of tank capacity.
Here in Montana the fine is a flat $100 maximum.

Lightman

I wonder how long it would stay if you ran a tank of biodiesel through the system. That stuff will eat through paint , it's quite a strong solvent. I've also had some biodiesel with a dark reddish/amber color. I bet that would stain the filter. I don't think they can fine you simply on the basis of seeing a pink/red color. They mail you the fine later after the lab determines what kind of fuel you ran. So I don't think that really ruins your day when they test and find it's red, as long as you're being honest and running highway fuel.

tool

100% right.

But that's the point. If your fuel is red in the syringe, they will lab test it. If i't's clear. No sweat, carry on about your business.
And here a low percentage of marked fuel is NOT allowed. Farm trucks can't run it even with farm plates if they are used for on road use. If it was red because of being diodiesel or whatever, that is a non issue.

But that's why they cut the filters of said trucks, to see if you had EVER run coloured fuel.

tfarmer96

After 16000 miles i would think the system is clean by now. It just kinda disturbed me. How would you explain that one.

tool

That is very odd. What colour was the new element?

RowJ

Red dye is the worst to remove from any system. as little as 3-5 ppm will show up.

If you just bgt the truck and save your fuel receipts...should be no problem. There not doing any dipping in the Dallas area anyway..as far as I have seen.

Rj