Colorless (?) #2 Diesel Fuel

[Rimmer]

I'm very new to diesel, and am stumped by an experience I had today.

Last week I bought five gallons of fuel from the local Citgo station. When I put it in the tractor, it was dyed blue, as I expected.

This week I bought another five gallons from the same station. Now, just for fun (playing junior scientist), I was going to put a few ounces into a clear plastic bottle and put it in the freezer to see if it gelled, became cloudy, precipitated any moisture, etc. I planned to repeat the test after adding a diesel fuel additive.

However, when I poured some out, I found it was *yellow*.

I looked at the Citgo Web site and found the MSDS for #2 diesel fuel. Indeed, it indicated that the fuel is "Transparent, clear to yellow or red." (I assume this means before any dye is added.)

So, I guess what I have is legitimate #2 diesel that was not dyed for some reason, but I'm kind of in a "panic" that maybe this is some kind of junk that I should not put into my tractor. (By the way, it turned really cloudy after a couple of hours in the deep freeze.)

Has anyone ever encountered this before? I sure would appreciate some advice as to just what this liquid is that I have in my yellow five gallon fuel can!

A.

 

[tc35dforme]

Hmmmmm....around here, road diesel is pretty much clear ( or clearish they say ) and # 2 home heating fuel or "off-road" diesel has dye added to indicate that the road taxes haven't been added. If the state cops dip a bit and see the dye in your road truck...well as the commercial used to say" you can pay me know or you can pay me later !!!!"

 

[cowboydoc]

#2 is not off-road fuel. It just designates whether the fuel is summer or winter blend. I've never heard of diesel being dyed blue. For off-road it is dyed red. And for on road fuel it is usually the yellowish color.

 

[NIXON]

As has been posted , On road ( taxed) diesel is slightly yellow . I'm more curious about the "blue " fuel . Never seen it , yet you said it was "as expected " . Is that a local thing ?
The last fuel I remember having a Blue -ish tint was AV GAS 115 145 octane . Like I said , just curiuos about the colour .
John

 

[Junkman]

A while back Agway was selling off road diesel here in CT that was dyed green.... never saw it before and don't know what color it is now..... Red, blue, green, what difference does it make..... it all just indicates that the taxes haven't been paid on the fuel..... If its red you dead...... if its blue, your glue..... if it is green, you'll been seen.......... all those colors will cost you $$$$$$ when you get caught with it in a vehicle that is on the road...

 

[Rimmer]

Thank you all very much. Guess I am off to a bad (and embarrasing) start! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I could have sworn that the last stuff looked blue as I poured it in. Maybe just power of suggestion, as that is what I was "expecting." Going back through the archives, I see references to red dye for off-road, but nothing for taxed fuel. I don't know where I got the idea.

Well, I feel much better now, except for feeling a bit stupid. I think I'll pull a small sample from the tractor's tank tomorrow and confirm the color.

By the way, I took the sample out of the freezer, and after warming up the cloudiness disappeared.

Thanks again.

A.

 

[cowboydoc]

Don't worry about it A. That's what this forum is all about is helping people out. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[KubotaBling]

I've seen blueish tint and green never before seen yellow.

 

[AndyM]

I've always seen it a yellow-ish color at most gas stations around here. Although I haven't bought any from BP in a couple years, theirs was always a pink color. Does anyone buy from BP? Is it still pink?

The pink color goes back to the 1980's when BP was still Sohio around here and I was driving a Datsun diesel pickup truck. Until last year, I was driving an old Chevette diesel and it was still pink at BP the last time I bought it there about 2 or 3 years ago. I haven't bought diesel there since the BP-Amoco merger, but I see their pumps now just say "Diesel" instead of "Diesel Supreme". The "Supreme" part is covered with black tape. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[markie61]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I've seen blueish tint and green )</font>

The blue is for New Holland tractors and the green for Deere. That way when you spill it on the paint, it will match. I hear they are working on an orange, but aren't sure if it's going to be Kubota or Kioti orange. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mark