biodiesel

[gotturbo]

does anybody know were i can get some biodiesel...

[bart]

Re: biodiesel

dont do it.

[stefan]

Re: biodiesel

i heard 15-30% biodiesel is still pretty safe for engine - but i dont think there is anywhere to get it locally.

[bart]

Re: biodiesel

why would anyone want biodiesel? unless you care about the environment, thats the only thing i can see. i dont care if the car runs smoother or quieter, i care about losing power and screwing up my car...

[Chikko]

Re: biodiesel

I don't claim to be an expert, but I have done alot of internet reading on biodiesel (some would argue that makes me worse...). And I also read up on the ASTM standards governing both biodiesel and petro diesel.

With the invent of the new ULSD (<15ppm) petro diesel, some sources feel that the addition of some biodiesel can help to improve the lubricity of the fuel. Biodiesel is also an excellent solvent, and has been known to clean deposits left behind in the tank and fuel system by petro diesel use. This can be a good and bad thing, as if you switch over right away to straight biodiesel, you can gum up a fuel filter really quickly as the biodeisel breaks up all of the crud stuck in your tank and fuel lines and moves it to the filter. However, by switching to biodiesel slowly, in say 5% blend increments (ie: B5, B10, B15 etc) each tank, you can break down the deposits more slowly, allowing you to watch the fuel filter and replace it if it becomes too clogged with old petro diesel deposits.

Now if you're only thinking of using a small blend of biodiesel (like B5 or B20), then that won't be as much of a concern. Also, you don't have to worry about it very much if you haven't run that many tanks of petro diesel through your car, as there will not be as many deposits left behind in the tank and fuel system. Still a good idea to keep an eye on the fuel filter though, and quite a few B100 users choose to put a small pre-filter in their fuel lines that can be easily checked, and cheaply replaced to prevent the larger deposits from reaching the more expensive, and harder to replace OEM fuel filter.

Of course there is always the concern of warranty. VW has said that blends of up to 5% biodiesel are acceptable in their engines. I have read many accounts on www.tdiclub.com of users with B100 receiving warranty work, but it will likely depend on your dealer (or how honest and upfront you are about biodiesel use). Technically, even if you use more than B5, the dealer has to prove that the failure WAS fuel related in order to decline warranty work... However chances are that will require going to court, which will probably cost more than the repair itself. (There is an act or something in the states... a quick look around TDIClub should get you more info on that.)

Also, pure biodiesel will gel in cold temperatures (like below 4C). However, from the TDIClub biodiesel "FAQ, NO KNOWN ISSUES WITH USING B20 (WITH WINTERIZED PETRODIESEL) HAVE BEEN NOTED."

Now, after all that... As far as I know, there are no stations in town that offer biodiesel. The closest ones are in BC, or the states I believe. However I recall reading about a biodiesel cooperative in town, that would let you use their reactor to brew a batch for a nominal fee. If you can't get the grease, they will sell that to you as well... However I haven't seen anything about them in a while, so don't know if it is still alive and kicking. I think that I will do a search, as I've wanted to run some bio through my car for a while now. (However I'm still a chicken with the warranty issue, and likely won't go over B5 for a few years/kms).

A friend and I have also been toying with the idea of making our own reactor and brewing it here, but the initial investment is a little bit (1-2 grand), and with running only B5 it doesn't seem worth it. But if enough people were interested, I would take another look at brewing it myself. If i did brew, I would ensure we met ASTM standards, I have a chemist friend who can conduct most of the testing for me. Ha, either way this idea would be at least a year in the making, so that's probably too long for you.

And to finish off this longwinded post, you should make sure that whatever biodiesel you put into your car meets ASTM D6751 standards, as well as ASTM D975 if you are using a blend. Most commercial stations will have a copy of the test report so that you can confirm. Whew, that was long. Hopefully I provided some sort of answer to your questions... but if not, let me know and I'll gladly try again!

[Stonewall]

Re: biodiesel

Glen (NeonGTI) brews his own biodiesel. I am sure he would be willing to sell some. I agree that a B5 or B10 blend would be way better for the engine with no loss to power at all.

[gotturbo]

Re: biodiesel

i know to much is bad but a little wont hurt, in france they have 10-15% already added

[stefan]

Re: biodiesel

down side is nobody in alberta is gonna want you burnin' fuel that don't come from the ground.. so it might be a while until its available.

[NeonGTI]

Re: biodiesel

I haven't had a chance to make a huge batch this year but I will tell you that I think the BD is pretty kick ass.

Yes, I did go through fuel filters like they were going out of style while the fuel cleaned out the garbage left behind from 22 years of use and 1.2 million km. My little Nissan truck, on b100, ran nice, kept engine oil clean (instead of going black), smelled nice, etc.

When you use it you will lose around 1% power according to every formal study I have read, however you can crank the boost in a big way as BD's 'octane' rating is considerably higher than petrodiesel.

Oh, and the waste products from the creation of BD burns up REAL GOOD in backyard firepits.

[Khyron]

Re: biodiesel

There's a mk5 Jetta tdi roaming around with biodiesel stickers all over it, seemed fine in traffic.

Khyron

[Stonewall]

Re: biodiesel

And if you get the CAT fuel filter adapter not only do you get 2 micron filtration but your filters are only about $10

[gotturbo]

Re: biodiesel

i see i see yeah i see a few vw with a bd sticker on it