What Color Is Diesel Fuel?
May 15th 2023
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Diesel fuel can come in a range of different colors depending on how it’s being used. The color can also tell you about the condition of your engine. All diesel engines run on some type of diesel fuel, which is made using refined crude oil and biomass materials. The fuel injector pump sends the fuel to the fuel injectors, where it is then sprayed into the combustion chamber as a fine mist. But there is more than on
e kind of diesel fuel. Learn more about the various colors of diesel fuel and what it means for your vehicle.
The Colors of Diesel Fuel:
Diesel fuel comes in three different colors, clear, red, and blue. The colors are made with dyes as a way of marking the fuel for specific uses.
- Clear Diesel Fuel
Clear diesel fuel is made for on-road vehicles, including passenger vehicles and large trucks. This is the type of fuel you will get at your local gas station.
- Red Diesel Fuel
Red-colored diesel fuel is made for off-road diesel vehicles and equipment, including tractors, cranes, forklifts, planes, boats, and those designed for agricultural purposes. It is dyed using either Solvent Red 26 or Solvent Red 164. This type of fuel comes with a tax rebate to help business owners and farmers save money. So, what’s the difference between regular clear diesel and red diesel? They are chemically identical to one another, but that doesn’t mean you can fill up your diesel truck with red fuel. You will opt out of fuel taxes that go toward maintaining the roads your vehicle uses every day.
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- Blue Diesel Fuel
Blue diesel fuel is reserved for U.S. government purposes, including planes and military vehicles, and is not to be used by the general public. There are no taxes on this fuel because the government is the only customer.
Why Are There Different Colors of Diesel Fuel?
The colors are designed to regulate the sale of diesel fuel in the U.S. The government imposes a fuel tax on all diesel fuel products to help fund various transportation projects, including road construction, maintenance, and safety issues. States also apply their own fuel tax taxes for these projects. American drivers generally pay around 60.29 cents per gallon of diesel fuel in added fuel taxes.
The fuel is taxed at the point of sale. And dyeing the different types of diesel fuel helps the government keep track of how much fuel is being bought and sold in the U.S. The taxes collected are then used to fund projects related to that specific industry. The chemical components of all three diesel fuels are the same. The dye only adds color. It doesn’t change the makeup of the fuel. You won’t ruin your engine if you use blue or red fuel when driving on the road, but you will be fined if you are caught using dyed fuel in an on-road vehicle.
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How to Keep Diesel Fuel Clean
The color can tell you a lot about the quality of the fuel you’re putting into your engine. You can take a sample of the fuel in your tank to check the color if you notice problems under the hood. Soot, ash, and carbon will darken the fuel and spread dirt throughout your engine. The fuel filter is designed to remove these particles prior to combustion, but the filter needs to be replaced regularly to prevent clogs. Learn how often to replace your diesel fuel filter to keep the system clean.
Once debris spreads throughout your engine, it can clog the fuel injector system, which can lead to misfires, sputtering, rough idling, and other performance issues. Replace the diesel fuel injectors if your fuel is dirtier than usual. Monitor your fuel efficiency over time to see if your system is working properly. If your fuel consumption increases, you may also need to buy a new fuel injector pump to increase the fuel pressure, so it will burn evenly in the combustion chamber. The fuel injectors tend to be problematic on Powerstroke engines. Shop for replacement Ford fuel injectors by make and model to resolve the issue.
Diesel fuel can come in a range of colors, but they all contain the same components. Protect the fuel you put into your engine by maintaining your fuel injection system and replacing your fuel filter.