# perils of red diesel or cherry



## Deleted member 775

there has recently been a ministry clampdown of cherry users where we live ,and recently i have heard that some taxis have been caught and van hire companies also have had there tanks dipped and been nabbed . and funnily enough there seems to be a glut of derv cars offered for sale ,shall i say at knockdown prices. ive been to look at a merc 300 td estate today full hide 8 months test and 5 months rent on it .he says its spares or repair as it has a blow on the exhaust £200 ono, ok its a 92 model but very tidy  ,i asked him if it had been run on red .he was very sheepish in his answer  going to offer him 100 quid tomorrow without a tank dip  or 200 with  see what happens, who knows i might have a very cheap merc coming my way


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## tiderus

*Running on red.*

Down by us they have a clamp down at the local farmers auctions every so often. This usually brings some results. Haveing thought for hours on ways to get around this, which most of us do, nothing 100% ever sprang to mind. But one local farmer I know, has devised a way of getting around this problem, and does it regulary. Like most methods its remarkably simple, and glareingly obvious. Been as this is an administrative way around it, and he drives with an amount of red in his tank, and they can't touch him. I don't think I better put it on here. Recon it would be jumped on really quick. There are several ways of removing the red Dye, one of which I found by accident. But with the trace elements are still there, I would'nt recomend it. Lasted forty odd years without useing it, and never been stopped once. But you know Murphy's law? Put you thinking caps on, as this is'nt a wind up. Look for the simple answer, not removeing the dye. The only thing you need is the balls, and a small amount of admin money.
Rgds' Graham.


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## watchthis

Hi All
Some years ago a gang of crooks down this way where caught after about two years taking the dye out of red diesel. They where putting  the diesel through a very large filter using 'Fullers Earth' as the filter medium. Quite strangely they only got caught because of the amount of 'Fullers Earth' they where buying. In the local paper at the time the customs men in a statement said that they had evaded approx £500.000   in revenue. I am not sure this would work now though as at the time the customs service said the would put another element in the diesel to stop this being done again.
Bye for now 
Freddie


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## sagart

The testing unit is fairly regularly on the mainland side of the Skye Bridge but someone always seems to know when it will be there and I've noticed my neighbours driving their alternative vehicle that day....does that mean something?


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## Caz

They quite regularly have stop & checks round here. I used to get stopped when I had a Shogun that I used for towing my caravan - I suppose it looked like a farmer's vehicle solo - but if the caravan was on the back they didn't stop me.

Also, they've never stopped me in any of my other cars even tho' some have been diesel.

Maybe they think folk wouldn't put it in a normal car?

One of the local garages used to have a red diesel pump, but it's been taken out now. Don't know why.

I'd never risk using it, the fines are too big.

My campervan is petrol anyway.


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## Deleted member 775

went to look at that merc first thing  today ,guess what he said its sold


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## Nosha

Having been out on the road with the 'tank dippers' they said they can smell red as soon as they remove the fuel cap, they then take a sample to prove a point, if it looks pink they clamp the vehicle, if not they then analyse it, and even if the dye has been removed and there's only a small percentage of red in the tank they can find the 'marker'. (The Irish used to pass their 'red' which is actually green through sliced white bread - I kid you not!)

But they won't say what the marker is or how easy it is to detect it!


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## vwalan

using red isnt illegal its the not paying of the duty thats the crime. if you can prove you have payed the duty its ok to use it.


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## Deleted member 775

mmm wonder if that is what tiderus was on about with the admin thing with the farmer that uses red  still if i had a diesel van or even an old diesel car  i wouldent want to try to explane it out to customs, i used to know a guy who had a carthat  he fitted a modified tank to, one part held normal diesel the other red , he ran on the red one and had the other half as a dummy if he was checked they dipped him thro his normal filler and it showed ok  .he used to refill the other half of the tank thro a filler inside the car. this was many years ago ,i suppose the dippers may have wised up on this dodge  but mabey not


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## vwalan

most dont want to either. if you bought red then accidently put it in your tank you can go to custom and excise and pay the duty.it as been known for it to take along time tio use a tank full. not me. best have big tanks andvisit maroc less than 60p a litre


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## dolmen

the day is coming when 'the people' stand up and make a difference ... school buses legally use red diesel ???and i'm sure there are others, why them and not us? I say fcuk them, buy a banger and drive on red, no road tax, no MOT either, let them clamp it and take it away for not paying the fine!


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## Deleted member 775

that would be fine if when we were caught for these offences ,the law just gave our hands a slap and ears a clip and said on your way you naughty boy and dont do it again . i might nay would be the first to do it .but allas the judge would dip his hands deeeep in our pocket and extract our wallet empty it of the queens currencey and stamp our licences or even remove them from our ownership and quite possably send us for a free holiday at one of her royal highneses hotels    PS YOU FORGOT NO INSURANCE  that would save a few bob also


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## dolmen

I know, I know, but all that because we let them, sad state we've got ourselves in, I firmly believe we need to get the 'Great' back into the olde GB. 

It really does make me 

well only if I take it serious


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## vwalan

i say abide by the law.but make sure authority also abides by the law as well. i stand and be counted. do your homework and its suprising how many times authority breaks its own rules and then punishes the innocent.


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## Tigatigatiger

The custom and excise folk have more powers than the police!

Also if you have every been in crash caused by someone with no insurance and no MOT and also no bloody road tax. Were quite badly injured-you try getting any compensation out of the other party! Lost my no claims and still have a problem with my left shoulder, right knee and right foot 20 years late-not a bloody penny out the bloody woman!!!!!!

Anyone without basic motor insurance to cover loss to a third party should have their car/van/motrohome crushed, and then have to pay in whatever way means possible the costs of any damaged caused.

A friend of mine got caught with red diesel in his nice year old car, lost the car, huge fine. Simply not worth it.


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## vwalan

if the other party in an accident as no insurance there is an insurance safety net. cant think of the correct thing .but i know one of my customers claimed through it when their camper got severly damaged. its a kind of insurance slush fund. also its not normal to take the vehicle off red diesel users if its a first offence. i have heard from friends that a 500quid fine as to be paid .you keep running the diesel thats in your tank. on a big truck it can still work out cheaper than buying white . due to the size of the tanks. could be as much as 1500 ltr.


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## Deleted member 775

this is why you must have legal cover ,i know ihad cause to use it wont go into the ins and outs ,take too long .but if you are in volved in an accident and the other party have no insurance you have the funds to go to court  if you cannot recover all costs from the other party  then a company in milton keynes will pay your losses .its a scheme that we all pay into with our insurance ,but unless you have the funds in place to commence legal procedings against the at fault party you are stuffed so legal cover is the thing to have ,and lets hope we never have need to claim .


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## bopper

"A friend of mine" ...................  Ran his car on red for years. He had a insert into his fuel tank down the filler hole. This insert was filled with ordinary diesel up to a level about half the fuel tank.  Anyone taking off the fuel filler cap and dipping would get a result showing normal diesel. At filling up time, out would come the insert, in would go the red diesel and the insert pushed back in again. From the outside of the car and around the filler cap it looked perfectly normal. However, he was never stopped.


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