Biodiesel

[ang12el]

Just wondered if anyone else uses Biodiesel instead of normal run of the mill diesel. have been using this for a few months now cost is 70p per ltr compared to £1.03 reduction in MPG is @ 2-3 so very insignificant compared to the savings I have made already will prob use the full 2600ltrs I am allowed without having to pay tax so overall one happy bunny..
Only thing I have had to change is the fuel filter after 300 miles due to the Bio cleaning the crap out of my tank and will prob have to replace the filter again at the 3K mark other than that performance wise cant fault it .. even gets del to my door for free what more can I say about going green

 

[trevaudi]

Mmmm sounds interesting! Are you using 100% bio or a mix.
Who's your supplier?:icon_thumright:

 

[ang12el]

At the moment I have been using a mix of 70/30 but if using REM biodiesel you can safely use 100% even in cold weather. some forums advise to use a mix of 5% which on a full tank isnt worth the bother. VAG engines are capable of using this especially in the years 1999-2004 if older they advise to use a 50/50 mix. If you search for biodiesel on google you will find suppliers look for the REM make that is the latest European graded biofuel and is usually made from rapeseed. the place I get mine from has just upped his bio to 76p had been 70p for 12 mths but compared to the £1+ per ltr now and sure to increase it is still a good bet and green too.

 

[Isoproturon]

Didn't think VAG would warrant engines on 100% RME in the UK though they do in Germany IIRC.

 

[ang12el]

Didn't think VAG would warrant engines on 100% RME in the UK though they do in Germany IIRC.

They dont they will if you have a 5% mix but isnt worth bothering about. even then Audi say that the long term effects havent been established. However if you dont have a newish car ie one that has just run out of warranty then there is nothing to worry about is there. I am not saying this is for everyone but just raising the profile of another viable alternative to diesel considering the increasing costs involved and the fact that you are running on a renewable source as opposed to fossil fuel. bottom line is personally I am getting more bang for bucks and doing it in the old green lane. It is obv a personal choice and I posted on here to see if anyone else ran there car on bio

 

[Isoproturon]

Yes, just thought it was worth pointing out the warranty issue.

Most if not all diesel here is 5% blend anyway.

 

[Boat Boy]

So do yuo make you own? if so what method do you use?
I've been looking arround and got confused!

 

[dunk]

what made you change the fuel filter? did you get loss of power or misfiring?
and why do you think you would have to change it again soon?

who makes your bio? do they have a web site and are they using 100% RME?

i ran a couple of tanks of local B30 and ended up with a terrible intermittent misfire and no power - under warranty so took it in and they fixed it but i dont know what they replaced - i had a courtesy car for 2 days though.

 

[vw754]

Is it safe and ok to use 100% bio-diesel in my 2002 audi a4 1.9tdi AWX engine? Should i fill the tank or not take the risk?

 

[dunk]

audi state on their german website that their cars upto 2004 are warranted to run on 100% bio

 

[ang12el]

Sorry for late reply in relation to some of the questions asked. yes there are quite a few suppliers now that use the RME type of Biofuel and I have a B6 avant now which is and has been running on 100% biofuel cost is £80p ltr and I havent noticed much of a dip in fuel economy the engine is doing just fine.
Reson you need to change your filter after 800 miles @ depends on each car is that the biofuel acts like a detergent and breaks down the crap in the fuel tank this is pulled through to the filter hence a change is neccessary once you have done that then you can safely get anothe 3-4k miles before the next change and the normal service intervals or when car feels jerky as though it is trying to pull fuel through. cost of a filter is what £15 ? you can mix and match diesel with bio in what ever percentage you want. You can just pull up and stick it in see how it goes. there is no visible smoke from exhaust and if mr dibble picks you up then you tell him you are running on biodiesel, Hell you can even get stickers for your car if you want

I am certainly a convert time will tell in the future if it is worthwhile but my engine has already done over 117K so I dont think there will be any nasty suprises

:icon_thumright:

 

[Isoproturon]

audi state on their german website that their cars upto 2004 are warranted to run on 100% bio

Under the German warranty they are, not under ours.

 

[bham a3]

Hi, I have an Audi A3 1.9 TDI 2001, it was serviced about three months ago, so I've had a new fuel filter put in. Would my car run comfortable on Bio fuel? If so should I run a light mix first then introduce more bio after a couple of fills?

 

[dunk]

theres no point in gradually building up the bio - its either going to burn or not!

the first few tanks of bio are going to loosen the crud from your tank, pipes etc so you will still need to replace the filter after a few tanks.

whilst the temps are still cold at night you should probably mix 10-20% diesel with the bio and you may find it takes longer cranking to start when the car is completely cold, otherwise it will run the same

 

[Niknak]

I'm seriously thinking about this now my local filing station has taken the price up to £112.9!!!

 

[nige120]

dose anyone no if the 2.5 v6 tdi can run on biodiesel ?
have read dirrerent things some saying yes and others no.
the car is on a 55 plate.

 

[Macduff]

Under the German warranty they are, not under ours.

I was told by Audi UK that all their diesels up to 2004 are fine on bio. Mine is a 2005 model year car bought on 1/9/2004 so they weren't sure.

However given that pump biodiesel isn't any cheaper than regular diesel I don't see any point in chancing it.

If I had an older car I might be tempted to buy one of those fuel pods and make my own.

 

[marlyn]

audi state on their german website that their cars upto 2004 are warranted to run on 100% bio

Could you send a link to that statement or explain how to find it? Seems to be HOAX to me...

 

[adamss24]

Could you send a link to that statement or explain how to find it? Seems to be HOAX to me...

It's not a hoax but, please note that PD injectors are very delicate and very susceptible to contamination and will cost big money to repair or replace. If you're thinking on running bio or SVO then i would look at an older rotary pump engine, they are much, much tougher and resilient to bio/SVO.

 

[marlyn]

It's not a hoax but, please note that PD injectors are very delicate and very susceptible to contamination and will cost big money to repair or replace. If you're thinking on running bio or SVO then i would look at an older rotary pump engine, they are much, much tougher and resilient to bio/SVO.

adamss24, thank you for your answer. I have Audi A4, 1.9TDI (AWX) 2003. I ran first 1000 kilometres on 70/30 (diesel/biodiesel) and I am going to change my fuel filters now. Do you think, that it could damage the engine, in case I replace fuel filters every 5000 or 10000 km's (about 3000 miles / 6000 miles) ?

 

[adamss24]

Nope, you won't damage the engine, however the injectors might suffer long term...If the bio is made properly then it would not do much damage, however the biodiesel is a good solvent and will break away any crap that's in the tank and clog the filter...sooner than later that crap will find it's way into the nozzles...