The hue of gasoline should only matter if you’re flushing an old system, filling up using a jerry can, or suspect someone is selling illicit fuel.
Gasoline should always be a yellow/green translucent color.
Normally, you don’t have to verify. Nevertheless, if you notice that your “gas” is a different shade, you must set it aside. Properly dispose of it and obtain fresh fuel from a reputable gas station.
In this straightforward guide, I will tell you what color gas should be and what might be wrong if you notice anything different.
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What Color Should Gasoline Be?
Commercially-available gasoline should have a slight yellowish tinge. Some might describe it as closer to green or orange (in particular illumination).
With other hues reflecting around it, it can appear tan or crimson. It shouldn’t be.
As a refined product before any treatment, it’s either transparent or with a slight yellow tinge. Any fuel without particular dyes is known as “Clear” or “White” fuel.
If your gas is any color other than this (or crimson/brown), it’s probably not gasoline. This guide will address a few misunderstandings about this topic.
Myths Around Gasoline Color
This video from ChrisFix is the most comprehensive myth-buster out there. It’s well worth a view.
Is gas azure? No, it shouldn’t be.
Is my car’s gas scarlet, then? No – again, it shouldn’t be.
Is commercially-available standard gasoline any other color other than that yellow tint mentioned? No!
All gas is the identical hue: slightly yellow.
Confusion around this topic stems from the diverse colors used on the grade labels at the pump. In the US, standard fuel is 87 octane. These ratings run up to 94 octane – premium gas.
The labels for these various octane ratings can be different colors, but the fuel itself is always the same.
Old fuels that have sat in storage for an extended time may turn slightly brown. That’s the only change you’ll ever notice.
What Are The Laws Surrounding Gasoline Color?
There don’t seem to be any specific regulations on the color of commercial gasoline. However, it’s always a slight yellow/green color. This comes straight from the refinery.
The most vital fuel dye law in the US surrounds the color red. See below for more information.
In Canada, off-road fuels (scarlet, as below) can also be violet.
Why Is My Gasoline Red?
If you’re examining your fuel in a scarlet plastic jerry can, you might just be seeing the light reflecting off it.
Alternatively, it could be stale fuel and need flushing out before you use it.
Hopefully.
If your fuel is genuinely red and new, it’s illegal to use it in your road car.
Usually, it’s diesel rather than gasoline that’s colored red. Crimson dyes are added to fuels in the US (and in many countries worldwide) to indicate that they’re for off-road use.
These are broadly the same as conventional fuels, although they might have a greater sulfur content. Using them in a road car is illegal since they’re subject to lower taxes, which enable off-road industries like construction, agricultural, and maritime businesses to stay profitable.
You’ll be severely fined for tax evasion if caught with crimson-dyed fuel in your car.
If someone else has filled your car with this fuel, you should report them to the police or IRS. If you’ve done it deliberately, get it drained swiftly. Replace it with regular gas from a gas station.
How Do I Look At The Color Of Gasoline?
Well, there are a few approaches to look at the color, but first – why?
There’s usually no need at all. Most people roll up to a gas station and insert the nozzle into their car. The fuel travels straight through it and into the tank without them ever viewing it.
If you’re buying from any reputable fuel company, your gas will be a typical color. Don’t worry.
Some ancient fuel filters are clear if you really want to see it. Find it in your car and look through it. Is it yellow? Good.
Another way you could take a look is with a two-stroke engine. If you have a two-stroke weed whacker, chainsaw, or leaf blower and fill it up from a portable can, voila!
Get a light polymer funnel and insert it into the tank. (Don’t use the funnel for anything else now!)
Pour the fuel in. Be careful not to spill any, but you’ll see the color as it enters the tank. Despite the light shade’s influence, it should still be tinged amber.
It’s typical to be curious about the color of your gasoline, but it’s not that thrilling. Instead, check out YouTube videos which are easier.
What’s The Best Way To Identify Gasoline?
First of all, if you’re in a gas station, read the pump labels!
If you’re working with jerry cans, the optimal way is through the smell. Gasoline looks virtually the same as commercial diesel but has a slightly unique scent. That said, if you aren’t familiar with the two, don’t risk it. Putting diesel in a gas engine – or vice versa – will have disastrous consequences. At best, you’ll need to drain (and flush) the system.
Dispose of old fuel by going to a dump or recycling yard. They’ll direct you to a safe place. It’s illegal to pour it out in a field, by the side of a road, or down a drain. You’ll face a substantial fine.
If you often use jerry cans, ensure you clearly label any that contain diesel. It’s safe to assume that the rest hold gasoline. There are no official laws and rules around jerry cans, although many use yellow ones for diesel and crimson for gas.
Is Old Gas Bad?
As briefly touched on, old gas will eventually turn a reddish brown. You might also see sediment build up at the bottom if it’s in a jerry can.
This takes more than a few weeks. Gas can last between three and six months before it starts to break down. Your engine should still operate fine with it for a marginally longer period.
It’s challenging to put a precise number on it, but if a car has sat for several years, the fuel might have degraded enough to cause a problem.
When gas gets old, it loses “combustibility.” That is, it doesn’t burn so effectively. In turn, this will clog up the engine and potentially cause misfires and low power.
It might still start, though. Don’t operate it for extended.
If you’re coming to start a car that’s been unused for ten years, you should consider flushing the fuel out. You then need to replace it with some fresh gas.
However, if you didn’t use your car through a Covid lockdown – let’s say for three months – there’s nothing to fret about.
Is Premium Gas A Different Color?
It isn’t. It’s exactly the same yellow-green as every other type of gas.
On the subject of premium fuel, does your owner’s manual tell you to use it? If so, you must do so. You might feel an instinctive internal resistance to paying more for gas, but it often saves money in the long run.
Most vehicles are designed to run on 87 or 89 octanes, particularly earlier models. Examine the recommended octane figure in your owner’s manual or on the fuel filler cap’s interior. Follow its instructions!
It might be worth using premium fuel occasionally. These often contain engine additives that clean the carbon out. This will lead to a slight increase in efficiency and power.
Why not try filling up with high-quality gas the next two times you refuel? If it makes a difference, excellent! If not, you haven’t lost much. Some people use premium fuel every two or three times to reap the benefits of carbon cleaning.
You could insert a carbon-cleaning fuel additive every few fill-ups.
What’s The Best Way To Fill My Car Up?
Head to a typical gas station to fill your car up with fuel. In the ordinary way, choose your grade and insert the nozzle into your car’s conventional tank.
There’s absolutely no need to check the shade of the gas beforehand. Go about your business as normal. Wait for the pump to automatically click off, et voila.
If you suspect that a company is supplying red fuels, don’t use them. If there’s adequate evidence, it might be worth reporting them to the relevant authorities. Don’t get involved, though. It’s not beneficial.
Use premium fuel if it’s advantageous. And then drive away. To reinforce the point, there’s no need to check your gas’s hue!
If you desperately want to see it, watch online videos or fill up your chainsaw.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! The takeaway point? Gas has a slight yellow-green hue. Naturally, though, it’s colorless.
