BioDiesel - advice please

hawkwind

AndyD_OHD wrote: »

HI Hawkwind,
Thanks for the info. So how do you make your blend of fuel? Do you mix it at home with purchased pertodiesel?

Cheers
Andy

No, i just pour the veggie oil in at the supermarket and drive 100 yards to the petrol station and top up from there.

I know that some people have troubles with the fuel pump when using veggie, as it has to work a lot harder as veggie oil is a thicker liquid than diesel.
Also putting too high a ratio of veggie oil in can cause your fuel pump seals to leak.

There is a lot of information here http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=15893 about using veggie, but of course, this is for the hilux surf.
If i were you i would try and find if there are any forums where they use veggie in your particular vehicle.
Maybe someone from the above forum could help with some advice

If you do go ahead, then start by using just a little say 5% to start with and see how you go from there.

rh1_3

I read the posts and was about save a whopping 10ppl and then thought....wonder what the manufacturer has to say about bio.....

We can confirm that none of the present models of diesel engine will run on 100% bio diesel therefore it cannot be used as an alternative.

We can confirm that the properties of a diesel fuel with a bio-content of up to 5% are the same as those of conventional diesel fuel, which means that there is no effect on their suitability for use in diesel vehicles. This is not to be confused with Ultra Low Sulphur or City Diesel, which are now commonly seen on most fuel station forecourts and can be used. These fuels have no detrimental effect at all on the fuel system or engine.


We would advise that customers proceed with caution when looking at bio diesel as a primary source of fuel though. Diesel fuel in accordance with EN 590 with a bio-content of up to 5% must not be confused with pure bio diesel. Vehicles must be specially designed to run on 100% bio-diesel (rape methyl ester), unlike vehicles that are able to run on diesel conforming to standard EN 590.

This in effect means that the bio-content of diesel fuels available from fuel suppliers should be problem free problems provided it is under 5% of the total volume (normal diesel supply complying with EN 590). Pure bio-diesel, or blends containing more than 5% bio-diesel, may not be used, as this will lead to detrimental effects on the fuel system or engine. 100% bio diesel cannot be used in our normal diesel engines as symbolised on the fuel filler cap of any new BMW.

If this type of fuel is used, any resultant damage will not be covered by the Manufacturer's Vehicle Warranty. Should bio-diesel be added accidentally, do not start the engine as this can cause serious damage, please contact BMW Emergency Service to assist you further.

AndyD_OHD

So 5/95 is OK. Just what Vauxhall called me to confirm.

Does anyone know what alterations have to be made to the engine in order to use 100% biodiesel then? I have been told that the higher veggie oil content leads to loss of plasticisers in the plastic/rubber hoses of the engine and that these need to be replaced when converting to 100% biodiesel.

Cheers
Andy
Cheers
Andy

AndyD_OHD

Just following up an old thread of mine... I haven't plucked up the courage to use veggie oil as yet, but would welcome any other advice from anyone who has used it..
Cheers
Andy

punamulta

this is an informative article, apparently the stuff can biodegrade and damage engines.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2007/04/21/nosplit/mfbio21.xml

deano777_2

Hi,

to correct some of the previous posts, you don't need to inform the DVLA as biodiesel / veg is heavy oil.

I have run a number of cars on biodiesel and are now running our current car on 100% veg and have done so for the last 5K miles. It really depends on your car and what sort of pump it has, i have run xantias on biodiesel but had to get rid of them as they cost to much to maintain and were to unreliable even on standard diesel, now have a primera, with a smart veg kit does 50mpg on short journy to work and back (12miles A roads) on a motorway run @ 70mph does 62-65 mpg
runs smoother quieter and is more responsive. if you have any further questions i'd be happy to answer them.

an excelent forum for information is :-

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/index.php

i suggest that you have a good read through the post on there.

chris73

Of course the first challenge to anybody who wants to run their cars on alternative fuels is to actually find it. Thanks to the increase in duty on commercially produced biodiesel to 30p a litre the Government clearly wants to have its cake and eat it, and with more and more commercial producers disappearing every day - priced out of business, very soon it will be a scarce commodity - not that there is exactly a forecourt selling it in every town already :rolleyes:

Perhaps if there was any real & serious global warming issues, it would be lowering tax to simliar levels as that of red diesel to encourage public interest and roll out, not to mention offering some subsidies to those who want to produce it rather than taxing them out of existance.

Oh 'Global Warming' is a great, powerful and emotive weapon to wield to justify increases on fuel duty and stifle the cries of the public when it comes to general taxation, yet the subject conveniently clears up faster than a fart in a hurricane when it actually comes to be DOING something to encourage greener and cleaner motoring.

Then again, with a government made up entirely of fossils still suck in the dark ages its hardly suprising that most european countries and the U.S have actually made great strides to offer alternative fuels on a more wider scale, and to give the public an actual cost incentive to change over.