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Fuel has skunky smell

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Solid_Fuel_Man
Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
in Oil Heating
This is actually for off-road diesel, but pretty much the same as fuel oil.

Fresh can of fuel I just got for the tractor (lots of snow clearing this year) has strong skunk smell to it. I poured in a few gallons before I realized the smell. Thinking of pumping it out and giving it to someone who burns oil for heat.

What would cause this skunky smell to dyed diesel, and should I actually be worried?
Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!

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  • GBart
    GBart Member Posts: 746
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    High sulfur content
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,289
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    GBart said:

    High sulfur content

    and it shouldn't be used in any equipment which calls for low sulfur diesel or fuel oil...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,677
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    Jamie Hall said:

    GBart said:

    High sulfur content

    and it shouldn't be used in any equipment which calls for low sulfur diesel or fuel oil...
    What effect does sulfur have on equipment?
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
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    @ChrisJ , a quote from the link below:
    Ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a diesel fuel with a maximum of 15-ppm sulfur content. Diesel engines equipped with advanced emissions after-treatment devices, such as catalyzed diesel particulate filters (DPF) or diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC), need to use ULSD in order to prevent damage because these devices are poisoned by exposure to higher levels of sulfur.

    https://www.constructionequipment.com/how-make-switch-ultra-low-sulfur-diesel-fuel
    I'm not sure how much it takes to do damage but I have a diesel vehicle and the owner's manual says use of anything but USLD would void the warranty. It's out of warranty now but I have no interest in bearing the cost of repairs.
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
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    He’s putting it in his tractor........
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    edited February 2019
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    The smell could be sludge and microbes from stale fuel, or contain bad bio. Could've come from a company that re-used fuel they pumped from some other customer, or from a company that has their own storage.
    For a time, one refinery was adding "up to 5% bio..." in any heating oil product-I guess they had too much bio stock.

    Dye has no effect on any engine as off road (dyed) diesel fuel is used in tractors, and government diesel vehicles.
    Just make sure it's Ultra Low, and that it comes fresh from a refinery, and not a company that has it's own storage, if possible.
    steve
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    edited February 2019
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    My tractor is 25 years old, no emissions indirect injection diesel. I played it safe and siphoned all the fuel out. Gave it to a friend who put it in his heating oil tank.

    It was clear and appeared to be clean.

    I went to the truck stop place and filled my cans with fresh on-road ULSD which smelled like normal diesel. I mix 1/2 quart of cheap ATF with the ULSD as my tractor pre-dates the low lubrication properties of the ULSD.

    Maybe I was just paranoid, but the tractor has worked hard this winter. We've had record snowfall and it's used a lot!

    Thank you all for the input, I've never smaller fuel with that skunky small, not at all varnish or stale, just a sour smell.
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!

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