Rumrunner
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diesel across the border
For years I've been filling a 100gal aux. bed tank on return trips from my place in BCS. Now I've heard that US customs is confiscating fuel brought
across in aux. tanks. Anyone hear about this?
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Rumrunner
For years I've been filling a 100gal aux. bed tank on return trips from my place in BCS. Now I've heard that US customs is confiscating fuel brought
across in aux. tanks. Anyone hear about this? |
Although I haven't heard that, I doubt the cold-hearted regulation would apply to built-in tanks.
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durrelllrobert
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this sounds more like it is Mexican Customs you need to watch out for if you have an auxillary tank not connected to the engine:
[Americans who buy cheap diesel fuel in Mexico do so at the risk of having their pickup truck confiscated and a fine assessed by Mexican customs
officials, according to local newspaper and television outlets in Texas.
Demand for low-cost Mexican diesel fuel has grown to new levels since the beginning of 2008, as the cost of diesel fuel in the U.S. has increased
dramatically; it hit a record $4.85 a gallon in mid-July, according to AAA. Diesel fuel prices have started to drop, but the national average is still
$4.59 a gallon, up from $2.95 a gallon a year ago.
To avoid paying those high costs in the U.S., some American truck owners who live close to the U.S.-Mexico border have made short trips into Mexico to
purchase diesel, which averages about $2.20 a gallon there.
While it’s OK to fill a truck’s primary fuel tank with diesel fuel and return to the U.S., Mexican law prohibits filling auxiliary fuel tanks with
diesel. Auxiliary fuel tanks are common on many heavy-duty U.S. pickups used for agricultural and long-distance towing, where stopping for fuel costs
time as well as money.
"It's against Mexican federal law to (fill) containers not attached to the fuel system of a car or truck and travel across the international border,"
Fernando Valdez, deputy consul for the Mexican Consulate in Del Rio, Texas, said in an interview with PickupTrucks.com. Mexican customs officials have
recently begun confiscating U.S. diesels in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico, across the border from Del Rio.]
Valdez says it’s not a new law, but it hasn't been enforced until recently.
"Higher demand has caused us to enforce the law," Valdez said. "We've had a public campaign on both sides of the border to warn diesel buyers before
they purchase fuel (for auxiliary fuel tanks)."
In the past week, several American truck owners have reported their trucks were confiscated on the Mexican side of the border while customs officials
ran tests on the diesel fuel in their auxiliary fuel tanks. The trucks are held a minimum of four days or possibly a week or longer, and a fine must
be paid before the trucks are returned. The action is causing great concern for Americans doing business in Mexico.
The reason for the law, Valdez said, is to prevent the transportation of combustible fuel over international bridges in vehicles not designed to carry
large amounts of flammable substances.
Valdez advises Americans who own pickup trucks equipped with secondary fuel tanks to not drive those vehicles into Mexico, even if they aren't
purchasing diesel fuel. "Any pickup with an auxiliary fuel tank may be confiscated," he says.
U.S. truck owners who own 2007-model-year and newer pickups should also be aware that Mexican diesel fuel is not compliant with U.S. diesel fuel
guidelines, which specify that only ultra-low-sulfur diesel can be used with new emissions systems. ULSD is rated at 15 ppm of sulfur content, while
Mexican diesel sulfur content can be in the hundreds of parts per million. Using fuel with higher sulfur content will damage these trucks’ emissions
components, like diesel particulate filters.
Bob Durrell
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Bob and Susan
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"Using fuel with higher sulfur content will damage these trucks’ emissions components, like diesel particulate filters. "
this is just NOT true...it's a smog issue
but using non-ultra-low diesel fuel in california is illegal
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Rumrunner
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My tank is plumbed in, and under 119 gal., which used to be the requirement. I guess putting diesel into even a factory tank and crossing the border,
would be illegal? Didn't know about the mex regs.
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David K
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Ther is no Mexican customs as you drive back to the U.S.. If there were, then there would be a way to turn in your tourist cards! 
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monoloco
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There's nothing more irritating than getting stuck behind a line of trucks with California plates filling up hundred gallon tanks at the diesel pump
in Tecate. That happened to me during the last oil bubble.
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
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hola Bob and Susan,
unfortunately, i do not agree with you as far as to problems to a newer diesel using mexican fuel.
my neighbor in los barriles drove his newer gmc diesel to los barriles one and a half round trips. two years ago getting ready to come home to the
U.S. and completing his second round trip, his truck wouldn't start.
mechanics in los barriles couldn't figure the problem out and he had it trucked to the gmc dealer in la paz. the gmc dealer wouldn't let him unload
the truck so he hired a transportation company to bring his truck back to the U.S. in an enclosed semi at the cost of approximately $ 1,800.00 plus
the cost of having his truck loaded onto a tow truck.
the problem seemed to be a sulfer sensor in the diesels exhaust system. beyond that, i don't know what else was involved. he said gmc did give him
some monies towards his expenses but i am unaware of how much.
it seems very strange that the resolution to this problem over the years hasn't seemed to surface or i may have missed it.
i do not own a diesel and am just passing information.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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yellowklr
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In the future I would't fill your rum bottles with Diesel......Customs seems to be cracking down on that!!
Derek
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Bob and Susan
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BAJA.DESERT.RAT
hola Bob and Susan,
unfortunately, i do not agree with you as far as to problems to a newer diesel using mexican fuel.
my neighbor in los barriles drove his newer gmc diesel to los barriles one and a half round trips. two years ago getting ready to come home to the
U.S. and completing his second round trip, his truck wouldn't start.
mechanics in los barriles couldn't figure the problem out and he had it trucked to the gmc dealer in la paz. the gmc dealer wouldn't let him unload
the truck so he hired a transportation company to bring his truck back to the U.S. in an enclosed semi at the cost of approximately $ 1,800.00 plus
the cost of having his truck loaded onto a tow truck.
the problem seemed to be a sulfer sensor in the diesels exhaust system. beyond that, i don't know what else was involved. he said gmc did give him
some monies towards his expenses but i am unaware of how much.
it seems very strange that the resolution to this problem over the years hasn't seemed to surface or i may have missed it.
i do not own a diesel and am just passing information.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT |
again this is second hand info...it didn't happen to you
i've had a couple of these trucks and no problems with the pemex diesel...thousands of miles logged
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
again this is second hand info...it didn't happen to you
i've had a couple of these trucks and no problems with the pemex diesel...thousands of miles logged |
aaaahhhhhhhhh, battle of the statisticians!!!! my n is bigger than your n! my anecdote is more worthy than your anecdote!!!!
both of yous needs to go back and increase your sample size!!!
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
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hola Bob and Susan,
yes, it was second hand info but as i wrote, " this is directly from the owner " !!!
mtgoat666.. your comment is not even worth taking time to respond to. DAMN, I DID TAKE THE TIME, WHAT A WASTE !
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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durrelllrobert
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Ther is no Mexican customs as you drive back to the U.S.. |
there is at borders where you cross the Rio Grande, like Texas which the article was written about
Bob Durrell
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