Honda civic cdti - Red diesel

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 00:43
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - rickymac
My friend had just bought a Honda civic cdti 2008 lovely motor but is thinking of running it on red diesel, I've tried talking him out if it cause I've heard it ruins your injectors can you confirm this so I can show him he's an idiot, he knows its illegal but doesn't care, thanks ever so much
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Fri 13 Sep 2013 01:02
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Galaxy

Ruining the injectors will be the least of his problems.

If HMRC happen to find red diesel in your friends car they will sieze it. That will cost him his car, but they won't stop there, either.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 08:35
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Armitage Shanks {p}

I understand that, if you EVER put red diesel in a car, the traces of it can be detected in any samples taken by VOSA (or whoever does the roadside stop and checks) for months afterwards. Very bad idea indeed.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 10:10
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - craig-pd130

I'm not sure that red diesel is worse for engines than ordinary pump fuel: modern agricultural vehicles etc have quite sophisticated engines (on a par with modern trucks) so it will probably have to meet some quality standards.

The big issue is what the taxman will do if your friend's ever caught.

A few months back, I was following an 09 plate Range Rover TDV8 that had VERY prominent cherry-red staining around the exhaust tailpipe mouths.

It made me wonder if the police have the power to stop a vehicle based on seeing this type of staining, and authorise a tank dip? Or would they simply get the registered keeper's details and tip off the Revenue?

Edited by craig-pd130 on 13/09/2013 at 10:11

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 10:41
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - bathtub tom

IIRC red diesel also contains an 'aromatic' that can be detected at the roadside, allowing roadside checks without stopping all vehicles.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 13:48
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Fernando P

Red diesel is ordinary diesel with a dye (red) and a marker added. Using it will not ruin your injectors but if HMRC find it in your fuel lines they will ruin your bank balance and you may get a criminal record if prosecuted. Don't do it if you have any sense as it is simply not worth it!

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 14:24
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Ernied

When I worked at a van and truck hire depot, the vehicles didn't go out 'brimmed' with fuel, but usually 1/4 full to be returned the same. Some would come back 1/2 full, others nearly empty, so we used to redistribute (siphon) the fuel between vehicles. We often used to come across 1/2 a tank of red diesel - and that was just the ones we decided to siphon from.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 16:34
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Fernando P

I reckon that some hirers would be inclined to misuse diesel fuel if they thought that the hire company could somehow take the blame for this. As a matter of interest, are you able to let us know what precautions, if any, the hire company would take to avoid responsibility for a customer's misuse of diesel?

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 21:47
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Ernied

Fernando, We took no precautions, neither did we carry out any routine checks. We usually had an Idea of who the culprit might be - but try proving it ! We just used to drain the tank, change the fuel filter and hope for the best. We could get rid of the red stuff to a local plant hire company, but occasionally a hirer would fill a 7.5tonner or transit with petrol. That cost over £1 a gallon to dispose of - and the customer paid.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 14:47
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - galileo

I'm not sure that red diesel is worse for engines than ordinary pump fuel: modern agricultural vehicles etc have quite sophisticated engines (on a par with modern trucks) so it will probably have to meet some quality standards.

The company I worked for had several sophisticated test beds for development work on turbocharged truck diesel engines. As far as I know all ran on red diesel.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 16:56
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - jc2

+1

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 17:47
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - dan86

Agew years aho I was working for a contractor working on behalf of the local council I was hired to drive the hgv sweepers and some have a donkey engin to run the hydraulics for the sweeping and suction gear. The donkey engine runs on red deisel but had the same emissions control equipment as the road engine even though its mot tested for emissions. Never once did I have any problems duto to bad fuel. As far as I know red deisel is the same as road deisel just with a die added to it.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 17:48
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Duncan112

I did a brief stint as Chief Engineer on a ferry and the Master, being tight used to use the generator gas oil to fuel his car - this was broadly similar to red diesel (no additives) but also had no dye so looked identical to road diesel and appeared to work well, however one fuelling the bunker supplier couldnt let us have gas oil and instead supplied Marine Diesel - this is an entirely different fuel, being the next grade down towards bitumen, Marinr Diesels are designed to run on this but not Ford Escorts - the damage to the fuiel system was extensive.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 18:43
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - quizman

The red diesel that farmers use is not the same as road fuel with red dye in. It is a lower cetane rating of 46 compared with DERV which is 52.

With the new common rail and very sofisticated tractor engines we find that sometimes the red diesel which is A2 is not good enough, so we have to use an additive. I use Stanodyne and put it in the bulk tank before a fuel delivery. I have found that the tractors and combine are more frugal with the additive.

The red diesel which is the same as DERV is branded as EN50, I have tried to get this but the fuel firms tell me they do not sell it. It is a little dearer if you can get it.

I strongly recommend your friend does not use red, not only won't his car go worse he will get into big trouble if cought, as has been said before.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 19:02
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Bobbin Threadbare

Red diesel is dyed gas oil; it's diesel, with dye in it, but none of the additives of taxable forecourt diesel. It's tax exempt. They don't specifically look for it on MOT either, although I reckon it'd be spotted at MOT. It's not worth HM Customs and Excise knocking on your door - £500 minimum fine , your vehicle will be impounded and then you'll probably have legal fees and vehicle recovery/replacement costs.

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 19:07
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Hamsafar

Not since 2008 - gasoil is the same as DERV with a marker dye and chemical maker added

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 21:15
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Cyd
so I can show him he's an idiot

he is an idiot. He's an idiot for talking about it. He's increased his chances of being caught enormously. And when he does get caught (he almost certainly will) he'll find HMRC make Vlad the Impaler look like Father Christmas.

I live in rural SW Leicestershire, the county is awash with red diesel. There's a farm on every corner here. No-one, but no-one round here would risk using the stuff in a van or road vehicle of any sort. HMRC seem able to pop up out of holes in the ground! On the other hand, there's plenty of "bio diesel" made from old cooking oil!!

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 22:05
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - bazza

it's amusing that your friend has spent several thousand on a new-ish vehicle and then intends to embark on such a risky money-saving venture! If he really wanted cheap motoring, a 10 year old petrol Civic or Corolla bought for loose change money, would have done the job-and saved him thousands!

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Fri 13 Sep 2013 23:25
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - Pondlife
he is an idiot. He's an idiot for talking about it. He's increased his chances of being caught enormously.

Exactly. If he's told you, chances are he's told others who will talk about it in various levels of detail. The first rule of red diesel club...

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Sat 14 Sep 2013 19:49
Honda civic cdti - Red diesel - quizman

I will say it again, red diesel A2 is not the same as DERV with dye in it.

The EN50 is the same as DERV.

When I buy red diesel for my tractors it is A2 and is definately not the same as DERV.

I wish I could buy the decent stuff because the Stanodyne additive makes the red 2p per litre more.

I have studied this and I am defo correct!

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