Red Diesel Smells funny?

[DesertBen44]

So during the parting out of my 93 dodge trying to sell the fuel tank, gauge read empty, never really thought anything of it, turns out the tank has maybe 15 gallons of red dye diesel fuel in it.

I was thinking about running this fuel in my truck ** Not really concearned about legality issues, truck will be burning it offroad** But yesterday when I was getting ready to pump it I noticed it smells funny.

Doesn't smell like diesel, maybe it smells like kerosene, heating oil, i dont know. Havent been around long enough to have a full databank of scents for all these fuels at this point.

So my question is, is this worth attempting to run? Is there something common farmers cut there fuel with that might change the odor? or does red diesel just smell different from street fuel? I was under the impression that red diesel is just died red but chemically the same. Figured if I throw some diesel 911 in it to get rid of any water that could be hiding in there it would be ok.

Just curious on anyone's thoughts

 

[79jasper]

IMHO, red diesel smells just like kero.
It's fine.

 

[PackRat239]

Red dye diesel smells the same as regular diesel. Only it has red dye in it.

 

[bab029]

Red dye diesel is the same as regular diesel. Only it has red dye in it.

Fixed it, as far as I know.

 

[79jasper]

I have a big pdf of the subject. From what I read, it's different. The sulfer level is different.

 

[DesertBen44]

weird it smells so much different, as I thought they were teh same too. So your thinkin even wtih the funky smell it should be good>?

 

[DesertBen44]

Sulfer level could possibly account for the scent though, I would think?

 

[G. Mann]

How long has the fuel been setting?.. Could just be stale ... I'd mix it with fresh and run it. If it was farm fuel.. could have been in the farm tank for a long time before it found it's way into the truck tank.. who knows.

 

[DesertBen44]

Could havebeen sittng in an open bucket for 10 years with what I see farmers aroun here do but I have no idea, was in the truck when I bought it. Truck never ran correctly haha, im trying to give this fuel away on craigslist no luck yet, not sure what else t do with it if I cat run it

 

[79jasper]

Use it for a bonfire. Or to mix up some weed killer.

 

[G. Mann]

I'd mix it 50/50 with fresh fuel in one tank.. start up on the other tank , warm up the motor good, then switch to the "funny smelling fuel tank' and drive it like I stole it till it was gone.. think of it as a legal EPA burn off..

Still betting it's just 10 yr old diesel, gone stale..

 

[DesertBen44]

Well I ran it haha.

Posted a free ad on craigslist couldnt give it away.

Didnt feel like spending 60 bones on gas cans to store this crap either

Mixed in about 75% of the funky smell and 25% diesel with a TON of howes incase there was any water. The truck idled smoother then ever and ran fine, took a memorial day stroll with the girlfriend and the dog around about 300 miles of back country in and around the grand mesa national forest. Since I have never been around the diesel with more sulfer then ULSD, i am assuming that is what this was. Just emptied the tank into my truck, will burn the rest off this week.

** OFF ROAD ONLY OF COURSE**

Thanks for the input all

 

[aofarrell2]

I know it's been two months or so since this thread was last active, but I thought I'd drop a quick note here.

Number 1 diesel fuel, is used in the winter time as it is more volatile. Many, but not all, pumps sell kerosene as Number 1 diesel, number two is genuine diesel fuel, summertime use only. At our pumps, off-road diesel is just died IF it is summertime, in wintertime it smells just like kerosene, and I used it to burn in kerosene heaters, worked just fine, summertime no.2 didn't work so well, stank bad.

 

[Devilish]

I found this on a web site

Off road Diesel #2 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil # 2 apparently differ only in the tax applied at the time of sale

Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 have a higher BTU content. This is normally accomplished by adding much heavier petroleum oil distillate similar to automotive motor oil to the formulation. This allows a furnace to burn less fuel, for each BTU of heat produced, as well as often times reducing the cost per gallon of fuel. These types of Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil should NOT be used in a Diesel Fueled Engine or Generator

I've also noticed a different smell to hho that reminded me of spice perfume. It's possible that perfume additives are in hho to hide less than pleasant fuel odors in the home.