Reader Question: Should gasoline or kerosene be burned in a diesel engine?

Tom wrote: "Scott ... The kero I had mentioned mixing with my biodiesel is considered highway kero with taxes paid on it at the pump. In N.C. all of our kero is dyed, as well as off road diesel. Our DOT will spot check big rigs, but so far I haven't heard of them checking small diesels. However, I never use dyed fuel in my pickup. Next door in S.C. all of the fuel is cheaper due to our state taxes being lower so the kero is actually cheaper than their diesel. Our kero is higher than our diesel and the diesel is 20 to 40 cents higher per gallon than our unleaded. Several years ago, I had an Olds with a GM diesel (converted gasoline to diesel) and the book allowed me to use 10 percent gasoline during the winter to keep the diesel from gelling. Do you think that would be wise to use gasoline in biodiesel during the winter?"

Hey Tom,
Diesel engines are remarkably tolerant of fuel formulations and can run on just about any low volatility oil based fuel, but of course that doesn't mean they should or that it is even legal (tax wise) or beneficial to do so. While the engines themselves (pistons and valves) are more or less indifferent to fuel types, the emissions and injection controls on modern clean diesel engines would likely be damaged by using any fuel other than ULSD or B5. As long as you can get highway kero, and it's cheaper ... read Tom's entire question and Scott's complete answer to get the low-down on the fuels that a diesel engine can burn, and whether mixing kero with biodiesel is a good idea.

Fillin' up at home - photo © Adrian Gable