diesel in Mexico

[Sean]

Can you use plastic at the Mexican stations to avoid exchanging money?  Would the attendant not want US dollars for a tip?  Very ignorant about Mexico here.

Most Pemex stations do not accept credit cards.  If you find one that does, you'll need to first make sure your card issuer knows you will be in Mexico -- sometimes they stop the transaction for fraud prevention otherwise.  Also, most cards charge a fee on transactions in a foreign currency, so know before you start what you will be charged.  Lastly, some transaction processors have an upper limit on how much can go on one slip.  Once, we put over 3,000 pesos in, and the card kept coming back "declined" until the attendant figured this out.  Once he broke the transaction up into two parts of less than 2,000 pesos each, it went through fine.

If the station accepts US dollars (as many border stations do), then you're OK to tip in dollars, too.  I suspect they'd rather get US$2 than MX$20 right now, anyway.  Further in, though, you should use pesos, as the hassle factor for them to have to change a small number of dollars is probably high for the attendants.

If I wanted to have a diesel storage tank, does it have to be something special or can I use a large water tank?

I can't speak to Mexican law.  Here in the US, fuel must be carried in a DOT-approved container.  Water tanks are not permitted.

What are the customs limitations on bringing fuel back?  Must it be in a tank connected to the vehicle fuel system or can you put a big independent tank in a pickup bed?

They will not question anything in your vehicle fuel tank.  If you have jerry cans or other tanks not built in to the vehicle for motor vehicle fuel, you must declare it.  It is then subject to the $800 personal exemption.

Has anyone used the crossing at Mexicali?

Yes.  Search on that term in my blog.


-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[bobofthenorth]

I have never paid for fuel in Mexico with anything other than folding money but I got called on the carpet on RV.NET for saying that you have to use cash.  According to the experts over there you can pay with plastic if you go inside.  I have never tried that but that is what I was told.  I usually go to the bank and get a wad of $1 bills for tipping before we leave the US.  In every place we have travelled, no matter how remote, the US and Mexican currency could be used interchangeably although I think you get better pricing in the small markets if you pay in the local currency.

[luvrbus]

Lin, you are talking about using the water tank for storage not for transporting the fuel is this correct.the 110 gal tanks that are used in the pickups are DOT approved for fuel transporting mine is made by weatherguard the tool box manufacture but are made by several other manufactures.The proper name for the tank is a transfer tank fwiw

[Lin]

Yes, I was only talking about the possibility of using a large water tank for storage at home since I saw one for sale cheap.  I am still in the scheming stage on everything.  We are about 2 hours from Mexicali.  I have friends down by El Centro and Yuma, so taking a ride down there is not a waste.  After the summer, we will probably be down there monthly.  Right now, I do not even have a truck, but have been thinking of getting one since it will be useful where we are now.  I am not anxious to get a vehicle that gets worse mileage then the sedans we have not, but if I can be stocking fuel, it would be more practical.

[JohnEd]

Lin,

Had a tank cleaned by the pros only a day ago.  They first cleaned the inside with lye to get all the oil out.  The rust they got out by submerging the thing in 'phosphoric acid".  They soaked it in hot acid for a day but mine was the worst he had ever seen.  If you "need" to get the rust out you could fill the tank with phos. acid diluted in water (%=?) with the more the better.  Letting it sit might be equal to a higher concentration for a shorter time period.  They charge by the gallon capacity and mine was a 45 gallon tank and I paid $100.  It is pretty and clean now but I have a lot of holes to patch.

A little rust isn't a problem unless you draw fuel really fast and you are on the bottom.  My fuel filter didn't plug because the pickup was a half inch off of the bottom, tank is heavily baffled and the engine draws so little fuel that the flow isn't enuf to keep the rust from settling back to the tank.  Different story now though.

Fill your tank with air(1 PPSI) and spray it down with a soap dilution and look for bubbles.  Garden sprayer?

Good luck with your tank.

John

[junkman42]

Just wanted to mention another downside to using water tanks for diesel fuel storage.  Diesel fuel will dissolve the galvanize used in many water tanks and the zinc will or can plate out on the surfaces of injector and fuel components and cause serious failure.  Another of My 2 cents worth.  John

[Dallas]

Just wanted to mention another downside to using water tanks for diesel fuel storage.  Diesel fuel will dissolve the galvanize used in many water tanks and the zinc will or can plate out on the surfaces of injector and fuel components and cause serious failure.  Another of My 2 cents worth.  John

I have to agree here.. don't use a galvanized tank. I had an argument with Fast Fred at one time about it on another board...He was right as usual... I lost a set of injectors in a 4-53 series engine... the problem according to the guys that redid my injectors, again, was that my tank was made from galvanized steel. The galvanizing process was chemically reacted on by the fuel and caused the tolerances on the injectors to tighten up. The ones that didn't seize were ruined by galling. So after having the injectors rebuilt once, (about $58/ea.), I had to have them done again... this time at $85/ea.

I've done Detroits for years and years, and had never run into that problem before. The short of the story... listen to the sailors.. they know about these things!

Dallas

[Lin]

That's the important information I was looking for.  It is so easy to just assume something like "a steel tank is a steel tank," but a small unconsidered issue, like galvanizing your injectors, is the type of warning where these boards really score.  Thanks,

I am now looking to bus a truck and in auxiliary tank. 

[JohnEd]

Lin,

Don't throw that tank away just yet.  If you fill it with a diluted solution of phosphoric acid and water you will disolve away the galvanized and end up with a clean iron phosphate coated tank.  This is what they did to my fuel tank except they dipped it in a heated tank.  I don't know the dilution ratio.  I will call them tomorrow for you.  Maybe someone else knows as well.

I might also suggest that you clean out all the hard water deposits that may have accumulated in the tank.  The product CLR is great for that and it's active ingredients should be the answer.  Washing soda works great in cooling systems but I think the heat of the engine is important to get the chem reaction.

I sure wouldn't mix any products in the tank.

Info like Dallas shared was a real gem.  Who knew?  Fast Phred....evidently!

John

[Lin]

I did not buy the tank.  It was offered but I wanted to check here first.

[JohnEd]

Lin,

I talked with the owner of "Metal Works" in Eugene.  His shop "dips" entire autobodies for restoration as his primary work.  He dip truck and auto tanks as well.  He said that phosphoric acid in a concentration of 5% would dissolve away the galvanized coating inside a tank if left to work for two or more days.  The real test would be to test the fuel you stored in the tank for heavy metals.  That fuel test isn't expensive.  If they are present that diesel could be sold as Home Heating Oil.

Getting iffy, huh?

John

[Lin]

Used fuel tanks are not so hard to find that it would warrant the work and risk of trying the water tank.  I would assume that truck or motorhome junk yards would have a good supply of tanks.

[superpickle]

Again, I dont know Much..
But ive knowen folks that went to Mexico in San Diego to get Gas/Fuel.. it is BAD BAD Bad gunk at best..Gas Pings like heck and Diesel is stinky & very Oily  ..

[prevost82]

A lot of Mexico's gas is refined in the US. And there diesel is great (LSD) you get way more power out of it and better milage. My bus just loved it.
Ron

[Ray D]

We can't refine enough fuel for us, so have to import, but yet we export?
NO UNDERSTAND

Ray D