[chewa]

I ran into a diesel patch obviously left by a bus or truck. I think I almost smelled it before I hit it, but the front wheel went light and the back skidded out.

The only thing which kept me upright was my butt cheeks clenching on the saddle!

When I used to motorcycle a lot, I remember there was a campaign to prevent truck drivers and diesel car drivers over filling tanks.

Has anyone else had any problem with diesel or been aware of such a campaign?

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[Chris L]

Last January and early Feb of this year when it hadn't rained in about two years we had a problem with oil generally covering our roads, but I don't think it was attributable to that. What I can't understand is why people would overfill tanks and waste all that money.

[Richard D]

Yes, I've almost lost my steering hitting diesel on a wet road. What makes it worse is it tends to spill at the bottom of hills and on sharp corners...

[joeprim]

I don't understand. Are they not getting the cap back on tight? Is there a leak in the top of the filler tube?

After a long dry spell there is oil and rubber on the road whch can get slippery even when dry, when it finially starts to rain it gets real slick, but I don't think this is what you guys are talking about.

Could it just spill from a can of extra fuel?

Joe

[alexs]

diesel bubbles up quicker than unleaded fuel does. so the way most truckers/etc fill up their tank is to fill it up until the auto-sensor shuts off the pump (catching on the bubbles). then they wait a minute or two for the bubbles to settle and top off. if you don't know what you're doing you'll overflow and cover the side of your tank with diesel fuel. pull out of the gas station and up to the first light and sit for 45 seconds, and it all drips off and yuck you've got a diesel patch. nasty.

[joeprim]

Thanks Alexs I've owned a Desiel car, truck and still have a tractor and never done that. Yes it takes time to get past the bubbles, but I don't want to spill any. ;)

Joe

[randya]

There is probably also a vent / overflow relief valve, so if you overfill the tank in hot weather, the fuel (which is usually stored at the petrol station in underground tanks at about 55 degrees F) expands in the vehicle tank shortly after filling, it drains to the ground outside the vehicle...

[chewa]

The other problem is that if drivers fill into the neck, and then corner (this patch was on a tight corner) the excess runs down and spills onto the road.

Diesel causes many one vehicle car and bike accidents.

It's been dry here for days and from the smell, definately diesel.

[DieselDan]

I spilled? Sorry.

Seriouly, I've owned diesel VWs in the past. Diesel fuel is a thin oil, similar to heating oil. A spill on the road can be hazard not just to bicycles and motorcycles, but cars too. Any one of several reasons could have caused it from an innocent mistake to a circumstance beyond the operators control to outward negligence.

[bentbaggerlen]

Fuel oil(home heating oil) and diesel fuel are the same thing. At the shop we build and repair oil delivery trucks. One of the mecanics had to make repairs to a truck with two compartments. He had to pump off the 2500 gallions of oil from the compartment that needed repairs, he placed the hose in the other compartment turned on the pump and walked away... the other compartment was already full... 2500 gallions of heating oil running down the lot and into a major roadway. I called the DEP and the fire department.

Then went to contain the spill by placing dams of speedy dry around the spilled oil. We had the spill contained and had started to reclaim the oil.

We had recovered 2000 gallions of oil when the when the fire department arived. The Fire chief demanded that we stop, and they would take over. They hooked up to a hydrent and used a hose to "thin out" the rest of the spilled oil. Washing it down the road for about 1/2 mile. Turning a small mess into huge mess. Had to call the state to put sand down on the road, and the road was closed for six hours after the spill.

Then the paperwork.... oh, you would not belive the paperwork...

[greywolf]

Boy-racers ,bless their little rotary socks , tip diesel on the roads here to facilitate doing 'burn-outs' & have caused more than a few serious crashes, likely the same little $h1ts who smash bottles on the road :mad: