spare can of diesel

[teccer1234]

I've been carrying a spare 5 lt can of diesel (just in case!) but it has been in the side locker for the last 4-5 years, is it ok to now put it in the tank and fill the can up again with fresh diesel.

I know petrol is different and may cause problems but is diesel ok?

[Derek Uzzell]

RAC advice here

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/does-fuel-go-off-old-fuel-and-fuel-storage-questions-answered/

How long can I keep fuel for?

Probably not as long as you think. Once you’ve put fuel in a container you only have a few months before the quality starts to fall away – even less if the fuel is contaminated in any way.

Generally speaking, petrol has a shelf-life of six months if stored in a sealed container at 20 degrees – or just three months if kept at 30 degrees. The more it's exposed to heat, the more quickly it will go off.

If the container isn’t tightly sealed, you’ll be able to keep it for even less time and there’s increased fire risk due to flammable vapours escaping

As for diesel, it can remain usable for between six and 12 months before becoming ‘gummy’ which, if used, can clog up filters and cause you issues with your engine.

[teccer1234]

many thanks Derek, I think I'll use it for a weed killer instead

[simians]

You can get diesel conditioners/stabiliser additives to revive old stale diesel fuels, possibly worthwhile for an 80 litre tankful, but not economical for 5 litres.

[Keithl]

2 hours ago, teccer1234 said:

many thanks Derek, I think I'll use it for a weed killer instead

Best idea imo!

The value of 5 litres of diesel would pale into insignificance if you ended up damaging your injection pump or injectors!

My view would be if it is less than 2 years old and in a sealed can I would use it in a full tank but otherwise no.

[laimeduck]

2 hours ago, teccer1234 said:

many thanks Derek, I think I'll use it for a weed killer instead

It is illegal to use it as weedkiller! It is an indiscriminate poison and pollutant

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the UK and the US respectively have made it illegal due to the environmental and health risks associated with diesel, and this is pretty clear in their approved agricultural codes and websites.

In the UK, “The use of diesel for weed control is illegal under the Weeds Act 1959”. 

Jeremy

[mtravel]

Geez, in 36 years motorhoming and 220+ kmiles I never needed spare fuel.

Even in Honningvag (top of known world) there is a refuelling station.

Of course different if you tour subsaharian countries but 5 liters are just something more than nothing.

[teccer1234]

4 hours ago, laimeduck said:

It is illegal to use it as weedkiller! It is an indiscriminate poison and pollutant

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the UK and the US respectively have made it illegal due to the environmental and health risks associated with diesel, and this is pretty clear in their approved agricultural codes and websites.

In the UK, “The use of diesel for weed control is illegal under the Weeds Act 1959”. 

Jeremy

it was a JOKE!!!!!!

[laimeduck]

4 hours ago, teccer1234 said:

it was a JOKE!!!!!!

Really?

[teccer1234]

yes really, I'm not stupid, do you think I would like the smell of diesel smelling everywhere for weeks it's bad enough when you get it on your hands when filling the van, it stinks for ages

[simians]

I'll have the old diesel. I'll pour it in my Chinese diesel-heater tank.  Should I come across any troubles when driving through France later in the year, I'll light it up and create a stinking escape smokescreen. Waste not......

To be clear. Merely joking.

[teccer1234]

To be clear. Merely joking.

that's what I should have written in my OP😉

[Brian Kirby]

On 30/06/2023 at 08:56, teccer1234 said:

I've been carrying a spare 5 lt can of diesel (just in case!) but it has been in the side locker for the last 4-5 years, is it ok to now put it in the tank and fill the can up again with fresh diesel.

I know petrol is different and may cause problems but is diesel ok?

But, if you make a point of refuelling when the tank gauge indicates 50% full, a) you'll always have half a tank in reserve, b) you won't have to carry an emergency can, so can use the space for something useful, and c) you won't have any problems disposing of "gone off" diesel.  QED?  🙂 

[teccer1234]

years ago during the French fuel strike I managed to drive from Folkstone all the way down to Barcelona on 1 tank full plus the 5 Lts out of my spare can   I admit I do have a long range tank fitted, (150 Lts) and I was driving very light footed, this in a 2.8 TDI hymer.

[simians]

I have a mild aversion to stopping for refuels at half a tankful intervals, preferring to run close to near empty before obtaining a fill up. A measly 70L fuel tank and a 4L engine aren't the best combination either. At  times there may not be a fuel station within range (rare) or may have shut down, and for these reasons I carry a spare 6 litres, I then know I have for certain enough diesel to get me 50km. In Euroland I've never found the occasion when this hasn't been enough, even in France on a Sunday! Now, in the wilder parts of Tunisia and Morocco I've found 20 litres 'spare' to be insufficient, but that's another story.