Fill up with heating oil instead of diesel?

Reading time 4 Min.

What looks cheap at the beginning can end up being expensive. The rumor still persists that fuel oil is just red diesel. But is this statement really true and what are the legal aspects to consider? Some information beforehand: At the current time (Updated 10.03.2022) heating oil is NOT significantly cheaper than diesel. With a price of 2,11 euros for a liter of heating oil and 2,33 euros for a liter of diesel, NOTHING can be saved. What a sick world we live in right now! But let's get back to the topic.

Purpose: Oil & Diesel!

Up until the mid-90s, it was true that heating oil and diesel, from a chemical point of view, barely differed from each other. Just one red coloring made the essential difference between the two liquids. And heating oil is still being dyed red, but nowadays it's going with it markers provided to prevent misuse. Because heating oil is only with 6,14 cents per liter taxed while using diesel 47,04 cents per liter is taxed. In the case of petrol, by the way 65,45 Cent.

Difference heating oil vs. diesel?

• Both engine technology and heating technology are constantly evolving. Modern fuels and combustibles have to meet the different requirements of the different technologies. As a result, the two liquids show more differences today than they did two decades ago.

The different sulfur content!

• Diesel has one Sulfur content of 10 mg per liter Fuel. It is therefore almost sulphur-free. Heating oil, on the other hand, has a sulfur content of 50 mg per liter. This is the fünffach to. If fuel oil is misused in a car, the combustion produces sulfur dioxide, which gets into the engine compartment and forms a sulphurous acid. contain motor oils save neutralizing substances (base reserves) and the engine is defenseless against the acid. The consequences are early corrosion (also in the exhaust system) and seen in the long run Engine damage.

Additives in diesel increase the cetane number of the oil!

• Already in the refinery, the liquids diesel and heating oil (extra light) are used for the different purposes other additives added.

Additives for ignitability!

• Diesel is after the strict DIN 590 produced, which means that additives are added to the fuel that ensure better ignition quality (cetane number). Low-sulphur fuel oil EL, on the other hand, does not contain any additives for better ignition behavior. So anyone who fills up their diesel vehicle with heating oil will more soot released, resulting in faster engine wear.

Active ingredients for better filterability!

• Diesel contains especially in the cold season other active ingredients, which reduce filterability and protect the engine. In this way, the fuel remains filterable down to -20 °C. The flowability of heating oil, on the other hand, is already impaired at a temperature of 5 °C. At -10 °C, paraffin crystals form, which quickly damage the diesel filter clog. However, there is the possibility of adding antifreeze to the heating oil so that the oil can still flow even in frost.

What are the legal things to consider?

• Anyone who operates vehicles, emergency power systems or other work machines with diesel engines using heating oil commits an offence tax evasion. However, there is the exception here that heating oil in emergency power systems in absolute catastrophes may be used. But an exception must be made before first use be applied for at the main customs office. For more information you have to contact the responsible main customs office. Thanks to the marker, the vehicles can be inspected by customs at any time using a quick test. If there is heating oil in the tank, the full capacity of the tank must be post-taxed. And also with high ones Fines right down to one Criminal proceedings you have to calculate. Even a prison sentence of up to five years is conceivable.

Closing words

Heating oil and diesel differ in a few important respects. Using heating oil instead of diesel is not only a crime, it can also damage the engine, which can end up being expensive. What was still technically possible with an old vehicle is definitely death for the engine with newer diesel engines in the long run. Info: Regardless of all technical and legal concerns, we can in the current situation understand everyonewho is thinking about these or similar possibilities. So that it doesn't end up being much more expensive due to engine damage or a fine, we strongly advise against it.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

tuningblog has countless other articles on the subject of car and auto tuning in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. In part, we would like to provide you with news but also off the tuning. In our category Tips, products, information & Co We have reviews of car or accessories manufacturers, new ones Tuning Wiki Terms or one or the other Leak veröffentlicht. Following an excerpt of the last articles:

What you should consider when mixing motor oils!

How to save yourself from a sinking vehicle!

Fill up properly - that's how it's done!

"Tuningblog.eu" - we keep you up to date on the subject of car tuning and car styling with our tuning magazine and we present you the latest tuned vehicles from all over the world every day. It's best to subscribe to ours Feed and will automatically be informed as soon as there is something new about this post, and of course also to all other contributions.