Re: diesel fuel vs. heating oil


"Martin Brown" <|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1176370169.176918.255350@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Apr 11, 7:37 pm, Uncle Al <Uncle...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"C.D. Koger" wrote:

My new common rail turbo diesel got its first tankful of heating oil
today.
Started like normal, drove like normal. Here in Europe, heating fuel
is
coloured red to facilitate customs inspection because it is more than
50%
cheaper than diesel fuel.
I recall from my highschool days that the liquids are identical except
for
the added colour, but people around me keep telling that there are
differences, like necessary additives in diesel fuel, although no one
can
tell me what these are and what purpose they serve.
There are 2 kinds of diesel fuel available nowadays, with or without
sulphur. Again, no difference in performance, smell or colour, only in
price.
Your expert opinion please.

Diesel may contain microbiocides, have tight specs for water content,
and otherwise respect fuel injectors and cylinder valves. Furnace
fuel may not perform well in the long run. Physical reality aside...
the State will whack your pee-pee for cheating it out of its mandated
revenues.

And probably confiscate your vehicle too.

The IRA (and some other groups) became experts at removing the dye and
chemical markers leaving tankers full of toxic waste in laybys in the
UK and parts of mainland Europe where diesel is popular. Incorrectly
processed diesel with traces of acid residue tends to dissolve storage
tanks and engine blocks. Caveat emptor!


http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?
_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_MiscellaneousReports&propertyType=document
&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD1_026304#P52_7979

Since the phrase 'red diesel' is frequently used instead of heating oil I
assume they are the same mixtures of hydrocarbons, with the dye and maybe an
invisible marker (why for Pete's sake?) added to make the distinction. If I
remember correctly, kerosine is the common name for avtag (or avtur)
aircraft fuel and it is unsuitable for use in car engines because it is too
heavy for gasoline and too light for diesels. In an open tin can you can
ignite the vapour with a match, making a camp fire that burnes several
hours.

When a ship sinks the only people guaranteed to drown are those
chained to its oars.

The UK recently had a hugely entertaining scare when the correct anti-
foaming diesel fuel additives were put into a large batch of petrol
(gas) destined for supermarket own brand retail outlets. The trace
silicone compounds plated out on the oxygen sensor and wrecked the
engine management rendering serious numbers of cars helpless. The
punters were ripped off huge bills for replacement of the sensors by
garages (and they only noticed something was amiss when the entire UK
suddenly ran out of oxygen sensors).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,,2027651,00.html

Fun what the wrong additive and trace chemistry can do to fancy modern
cars with sophisticated engine managment and exhaust emission control
systems. The old ones once properly warmed up would run on just about
anything.

News media are seldom a reliable source for scientific information. I see no
harm in a silicone plated oxygen sensor: the engine management software
substitutes any sensor value that is out of range with a fixed value from a
table and activates the mmu warning light. You won't get optimal mileage and
the engine doesn't pass an emission test, but there's no harm done. The
sensor should be replaced at regular intervals anyhow, it leads a miserable
life in the worst spot of an exhaust system.
Whenever there is a news item about illegal tobacco imports, like a few
containers in the Rotterdam harbour filled with cigarettes for the UK
market, part of the message always is that apart from being illegal they
*may* contain much more tar and nicotine than the packages with a tax stamp,
so you shouldn't buy them.

BTW I see snake oil additive sales are on the increase in the US as
gas prices continue their inexorable rise.

Regards,
Martin Brown



.

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