The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of tire-derived fuel (TDF) on engine performance and exhaust emissions in a diesel engine. For this aim, the raw tire derived pyrolytic oil was refined and six test fuels, TDF10 (contains 10% tire derived fuel and 90% diesel fuel in volume basis), TDF30, TDF50, TDF70, TDF90 and neat diesel fuel, were prepared to test in a diesel engine. Tests were performed in a single cylinder, four stroke, unmodified, and naturally aspirated DI high speed diesel engine at full load and four engine speeds (1400 rpm, 2000 rpm, 2600 rpm, and 3200 rpm) by using six test fuels. The experimental test results showed that the DI diesel engine can run with the TDF fuel blends up to TDF90. The smoke opacity, unburned hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions reduced while nitrogen oxides emissions increased with the increasing TDF content in the fuel blends. In addition, TDF fuel content in the fuel blends does not have a significant impact on the engine output torque, the engine power, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake thermal efficiency (BTE) with respect to those of the reference diesel fuel. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.