charlieruu
Veteran Member
At my gas station there are 2 types of diesel. Which one do I use for my Jetta
Off road diesel or truck diesel?
- Thread starter charlieruu
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k1xv
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These days, it is likely that both are ultra low sulfur. However, the lower priced off road does not have highway taxes, and therefore, it is illegal for use in motor vehicles, including your Jetta, for use on the highway. If you are caught using it, you are subject to substantial fines. It is also dyed red.
What you call truck diesel is for on road use. It is taxed, and not dyed.
Its not worth it to try to get away with using the untaxed off road diesel. Its for construction machinery and other equipment with diesel engines that are not driven on the highway.
What you call truck diesel is for on road use. It is taxed, and not dyed.
Its not worth it to try to get away with using the untaxed off road diesel. Its for construction machinery and other equipment with diesel engines that are not driven on the highway.
waltzconmigo
Veteran Member
^+1, the fines are substantial, in thousands if not tens of thousands, use the taxed fuel. should be a sign that says Ultra Low Sulfur/15ppm.
InfoSec Guy
Well-known member
I ran into that today as well. In this case, the sign that says "Off Road Diesel" was halfway torn off and I didn't notice until the tank was half full. It's still ULSD, so no worries there! But I won't make that mistake again...
Lightflyer1
Top Post Dawg
It should have been dyed red and will stain your tank for some time. "If" you are ever checked and the red dye shows up, you are in big trouble!
VeeDubTDI
Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Never burn "off-road" diesel in a road-registered vehicle.
whitedog
Veteran Member
It's my understanding that you CAN use Off road diesel as long as you pay the taxes on it.
That being said, if you have both available, it's a whole lot easier to pay the taxes at the pump.
That being said, if you have both available, it's a whole lot easier to pay the taxes at the pump.
VeeDubTDI
Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
I guess you could, but you'd have to keep very accurate tax records in case the DOT ever dips you.
n1das
TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
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I heard the fines can be as much as $32k/day. The red dye won't do any harm but it stays in the fuel system for a lonnnnngggggg time.
What VeeDubTDI said.
whitedog
Veteran Member
Exactly. OR just pay it upfront with taxed fuel.
PGM jetta
Veteran Member
This is false. A tank or two maybe three will flush out all of the red dye. It does not "stain" your tank. Those terms are scare tactics. There are no cleaning processes that transport trucks use when delivering either dyed or un-dyed fuel.
With that said, off-road fuel is literally meant for off-road. Construction equipment, ag equipment, generators, etc. so pay the extra tax and not worry about it.
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Lightflyer1
Top Post Dawg
I guess I should have chosen a better word than stain (didn't mean that literally). I meant it will show up in your tank as you said for a few fills and will be noticeable still.
mjydrafter
Veteran Member
I had a buddy (farmer) that ran off road in his PU, he got pulled over by the DOT and they tested him. He got a huge fine.
The DOT officer told him they could detect a drop of off-road in 1000 gallons of on road. I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds neat.
Probably not worth it. Pay the tax, it's much cheaper than the fine.
The DOT officer told him they could detect a drop of off-road in 1000 gallons of on road. I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds neat.
Probably not worth it. Pay the tax, it's much cheaper than the fine.
k1xv
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One drop in 1000 gallons is a gross exaggeration. I heard another officer once told a diesel owner that, if he was using off road fuel, he could see reddish gas coming from the exhaust pipe.
MichaelB
Veteran Member
Lets not get carried away here. Just buy the taxed fuel and forget about it. That is what good citizens are supposed to do. I guess everybody has an angle on doing something that is illegal. Dyed fuel is not for highway use.......end of discussion.
Powder Hound
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I think if an officer told me that, I'd lean in and get a good look at his eyes. When asked, I'd explain I wanted to see what color his eyes are. If they're brown, then I'd know he is completely full of BS.
For me, the case is this: anytime I've seen untaxed diesel, it is not selling for cheap enough to account for the tax difference. In other words, they're making a higher margin on the untaxed fuel instead of just passing any savings direct to you. Twits.
Cheers,
PH
Geordi
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Yeah, the supplier in my area at some point figured that trick out, and suddenly their off-road was only about 10 cents cheaper than the on-road. It no longer was worth the hassle to bring my generator to them to fill up.
holysirsalad
Veteran Member
Same fuel. In the mid-2000s Ultra Low Sulphur was phased in for ALL #2 fuel oil products, this includes home heating oil, offroad diesel, street diesel, marine fuel, etc etc. As a result of this changes, almost all of it is the same product from the refinery. Fuels sold as diesel, coloured or clear, need to meet the same specifications. Off-road diesel is used in large volume and stored for extremely long times on farms and construction yards, etc. It could be argued that fuels like HHO aren't certified as diesel, but really, they come out of the same tap, so you can PROBABLY use it in a pinch, say if you're otherwise stuck at home and you have a tank of furnace oil, you can use it to get yourself going again.
I have heard of some guys who just filled up from their on-site coloured diesel tank and submitted road taxes appropriately, but they did indeed have the odd run-in with the fuzz where they had to prove that they were not breaking the law. It's not worth it.
I have heard of some guys who just filled up from their on-site coloured diesel tank and submitted road taxes appropriately, but they did indeed have the odd run-in with the fuzz where they had to prove that they were not breaking the law. It's not worth it.
naturist
Veteran Member
"Truck diesel" is for use on the highway. "Off-road diesel" is for use, well, off-road. I.E., in your tractor, Bobcat, generator, etc. End of discussion.
If you like living dangerously, get a big thrill out of cheating on your obligations to society, or are simply too stupid to live, feel free to use off-road diesel in your ride. But don't whine about the truly breath-taking fine they lay on you when/if you get caught. Those fines are intended to be huge enough to get your attention, and they will. What's more, come tell us about it here. We'll stand and cheer.
If you like living dangerously, get a big thrill out of cheating on your obligations to society, or are simply too stupid to live, feel free to use off-road diesel in your ride. But don't whine about the truly breath-taking fine they lay on you when/if you get caught. Those fines are intended to be huge enough to get your attention, and they will. What's more, come tell us about it here. We'll stand and cheer.