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Old 03-23-2012, 04:43 PM
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Crash513 Crash513 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Folsom, CA
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From the limited research I've done, it's not worth taking the risk.

There apperars to be a bit of debate about whether the actual chemical composition is different between red (which is intended for heating, and off road vehicle use) and "green" pump fuel ULSD. It's been proven that red diesel can run in most diesel engines, but then again so can Crisco.

In the US, ULSD formulation is higly regulated (and obviously taxed) and BMW claims to work closely with major oil companies to ensure the proper lubricity qualiteis are retained in their end product. Thanks to our friends at CARB, the distribution and storage or Diesel in CA is also highly regulated and monitored all the way thru to retail.

While it's not likely you would ever be caught and fined for red diesel use (which apparently happens with some frequency in the UK), the question you have to ask is whether it's worth the risk. Saving $.40 per gallon on fuel sounds very attractive, but considering how much it might cost to cover a fuel system problem if BMW won't cover it under warranty, you'd have to drive a lot of miles to make it worthwhile.

At this point, I am more than happy to pay the $4.50/gal price (a relative bargain compared to Europe) to enjoy the 25-30 MPG I'm getting from my 3.5d. Compared to paying ~ $.05 less for our crappy 92 octane premium ethenol enriched gasoline in CA, I'm still coming out ahead compared to the 15 MPG I was getting from my old 4.4i!
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