Guys are doing it without negative results. hard to say for sure if they are having positive results. First, ATF is red. Off road diesel is red. I've never been "dipped" by DOT, but I'd hate to put ATF in my tank and have murphy strike and get dipped, testing positive for red dye and paying a huge fine.
The theory behind adding ATF is that the oil/lubrication helps your fuel injectors longevity, that today's diesels lack the oils and lubricants needed to keep them happy.
Another option guys use a lot of is 2 cycle oil mix added to the diesel, for the same reason, that it helps injector life. I've done it 2 or 3 times, but I wouldn't do it a lot. I was getting puffs of white smoke at start up, even when temps were 75 degrees outside. I ran a few tanks with a diesel fuel additive bought at the parts store. I ran a few tanks with 2 cycle oil mix, and a 5th tank with the additive again. white smoke puff at start up has gone away.
The IRS does the checking from what I know, they have been here a few times with there clear straws.
So has the PUCU(dot) and they have never checked or said anything about the fuel.
Plus I don't know how they would check a pickup truck, the straws are not long enough for pickup tank and they have never checked my diesel pickups as they were sitting right here as they checked every saddle tank on every truck, but not one pickup truck.
Now all my smaller trucks are gasoline or LP gas powered, just like they were in the 80s. Got rid of as many diesels as I could in the last 5 years.
I have been tempted to run red dye diesel in my RV, could save .524 cents per gallon. But I honestly never have, it would be my luck that I would get checked somewhere even though I have never pulled into a weigh station anywhere. We have been checked for fruits and vegs when we enter California.
