Bio diesel

[bmwrider]

Hi everyone
Does anyone know who is selling bio diesel, that is what fuel outlets are selling it so I can steer clear of them, and do they have to advertise the fact
that they are selling it.

Just like to wish everyone on this site a merry Xmas and happy New Year.

Regards Kerry

[Jarred]

isn't bio diesel the diesel made from chip oil and etc,
I'm pretty sure that no retail outlets are selling bio diesel (shell's Bp's etc)

I'm pretty sure that, If you were to buy bio diesel, you'd have to get it from a small comglomerate of people who distill it, or distill it yourself.

[balkanac]

whats wrong with it?

[The_Hawk]

As far as I know Bio Diesel and Bio blends must be listed on the pump as what they are.

There is nothing wrong with Bio Diesel itself but there are a few issues.

Switching to a bio blend or bio diesel will clean all the rubbish out of your tank, usually to the detriment of your filters and possibly injectors. As long as you know about it and change your filters appropriately it's all good.

The other main problem is consistency between vendors. Some can be very good, other can be very bad.

And lets not start on if manufacturers actually endorse Bio in any form for use in their vehicles.

[Jarred]

it's not as clean as proper diesel, and because there are no industry standards for it, the quality can vary, you also need to modifiy your car some how to run it i believe

[neil]

Gosford Metro at west Gosford sells Bio diesel and is clearly marked on
there price board when driving past. States both Diesel and below Bio diesel.
bio diesel has been around 7-8 cents cheaper.
Not certain how the bowser's distinguish between the two.
Check your fuel fill door. "NO BIO FUEL"

[OvaltoJetta]

Bio Diesel Info

You'll find a bit on all fuels at http://www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au/
...and there are a couple of articles on BIO Diesel under fuelwatch news

[GermanwithaVdub]

vw doesnt endorse the use of biodiesel because as somebody said, theres no standards for it over here yet.

its usually only small places that sell it which you should be steering clear from anyway even if they're selling regular diesel.

[Moonan]

OK Guys, enough rumors & half-stories...
VW has approved their vehicles for biodiesel in Europe for years. (Genmany is the biggest consumer of commercial biodiesel in the world). They only stopped when they installed Diesel Particulate Filters on the exhaust to meet the newer euro-emmissions laws. This is because the strict testing had not been done to test different bio-fuel blends and whether they could meet the emmissions laws. They still approve up to at least 20% blend bio in regular diesel in Europe.
A few facts:
1. there IS an Australian Standard for biodiesel
2. All diesel engines ever built will work on biodiesel.
3. Good quality biodiesel will not harm your engine
4. Biodiesel will solidify at cold winter temps in really cold places so you mix a bit of normal diesel with it in winter. The supplier will generally do this. If VW or anyone try to say that vehicles need to be modified, then it is a heated fuel line for winter use in Europe.
5. Biodiesel can be made from recycled OR new (animal or vegetable)fats/oils OR a mix.
6. There are professional commercial manufacturers of biodiesel in Australia.
7. Big oil companies buy biodiesel and mix a little in with all ordinary diesel (EG Caltex NSW, 2%) to improve lubricity of diesel, which was lost when ultra-low-sulphur diesel came in.

Check out this reference

http://www.biofuelsforum.com/using_biodiesel/427-06_vw_golf_tdi_advice_required.html

Other facts:
5. Dodgy fuel is bad for your engine, whether it comes from bio or petroleum sources.
6. There are a number of outlets who mix biodiesel with regular diesel and also with whatever sh*# they can get to reduce the costs and then when there is a problem the biodiesel gets the blame. These people were selling dodgy fuel before anyone ever made biodiesel. There are many cases of past problems with VP in Sydney on the website I refer to above.

My 2005 TDI Touareg has many happy memories (probably almost 40k) of 100% biodiesel, bought direct from the factory at Rutherford NSW.
The owners manual has a whole chapter on its use. Just says performance will be a little less and consumption a little more, and to change your fuel filter at 30k instead of 60k.

cheers,