Lo all,

I have a Marea 110 JTD 2001. Can I use bio diesel in my car? Have read reports which say any car after 1990 can use the stuff and other reports which say that only VWs and all connected manufacturers can use the stuff.

Puzzling

Cheers for any help

Moved here, to get more response [maybe].

Bio should be fine in your engine. Try talking to Angel tuning who might be able to give you more info.

We have done long term testing and run cars on pure Bio and mixtures, there is a write up on the website

www.angeltuning.co.uk or give us a call on 087 091 091 16 and just ask to speak to someone about using Bio D.

Lo all,

Thanks for the replies so far. I have been told that Bio Diesel, from the petrol station, can be corrosive to the injectors and the pipes. Any truth in this and if so what damage can incur?

Thanks in advance,

Sam

The people in the petrol station told you it can be corrosive?

The only problem with fuel lines being eat was in the very early 90s.

you should be fine running on 100% biodiesel.

i found this on http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk/approvals.htm


Biodiesel, in theory, it can go into all diesel engines as the diesel engine itself was designed to run on plant oil. However it is the parts attached to the diesel engine which could potentially cause problems – although the vast majority of diesels on the road are fine running on 100% biodiesel. In reality, the rule of thumb is you can use 100% biodiesel in any diesel built between 1990-2004, but be aware that a one-off fuel filter change will be needed after you first make the transition (and any mix of biodiesel and fossil diesel is OK too). I would recommend that cars built after 2004 should run on a 50% blend not 100%. Be aware too that biodiesel made from waste Cooking oil will freeze in winter and so from November to April one should blend that kind of Bioodiesel at 50% as well. However, Biodiesel made from a Rapeseed crop (RME) will not freeze and can be used at 100% all year round in the UK. Please note that it is advisable to purchase biodiesel with EN14214 specification, that gives you some guarantee of quality. In short – to be safe, use RME Biodiesel at EN14214 in a car built between 1990 and 2004 and then you can be carbon neutral all year without problems!

In terms of official compatibility, despite the majority of diesel vehicles on the road being fine on 100%, only a handful of companies will officially approve their vehicles for 100% use. The companies that have approved 100% biodiesel are VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda. They have approved all their cars built between 1996 and 2004 on 100% use of ”RME” Biodiesel (Biodiesel made from Rapeseed) providing it meets the specification DIN41606 (which was later replaced by EN14214). These companies can still provide some brand new cars warranted on 100% biodiesel but one has to request it (best to get the official letter from German Base as some UK agents aren’t fully aware). As these companies have officially approved 100% biodiesel I urge you to use your consumer power to support them in supporting the environmental movement.

Technical Details & Standards

There are three existing specification standards for diesel & Biodiesel fuels (EN590, DIN 51606 & EN14214).

EN590 (actually EN590:2000) describes the physical properties that all diesel fuel must meet if it is to be sold in the EU, Czech Republic, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. It allows the blending of up to 5% Biodiesel with 'normal' DERV - a 95/5 mix. In some countries such as France, all diesel sold routinely contains this 95/5 mix.

DIN 51606 is a German standard for Biodiesel, is considered to be the highest standard currently existing, and is regarded by almost all vehicle manufacturers as evidence of compliance with the strictest standards for diesel fuels. The vast majority of Biodiesel produced commercially meets or exceeds this standard.

EN14214 EN14214 is the standard for biodiesel now having recently been finalized by the European Standards organisation CEN. It is broadly based on DIN 51606.

Saw a guy coming out of Tesco with a little trolley with 2 large cans of veggie oil. Didn't pay more than a split seccond of attention to it.

When I came out I saw the trolley in the car park with 2 empty large cans of veggie oil. Seems someone is trying to go greener faster than the government will allow!

i've heard of people doing that in the makro carpark. lol

Wish I'd seen him doing it. Would have had a chat with him about how its running etc.

My mate gets veg oil from Makro and puts it in his Pug.

I had a bit of a read up on veg oil a while back, and while theres many contradictions, it seemed putting veg oil in a Fiat with a Lucas pump was not a good idea. Ive got a Lucas pump.

Why not after 2004? What has changed?

The fuel system, I think.

Most cars after 2004 have a high pressure system, which has smaller orrifices that are more likely to clog.

I see. Bit of a backward step for bio fuel then.

To be fair nobody really knows. Until the government gives tax breaks for genuine green fuel nobody dare take the risk of damaging their JTD.

As said before, I know a TD tipo will run on 100% vegie oil straight out the bottle. As for a JTD. Your guess is as good as mine.

TDF said:

The fuel system, I think.

Most cars after 2004 have a high pressure system, which has smaller orrifices that are more likely to clog.

Click to expand...

Clog with what!

We have been running an 02 engine on recycled Bio for 15 months now - all good. We have customers running new cars and motorhomes on it as well (yes 2004 onwards engines).

The cynical reason is that manufacturers don't want you to use it becuase their funding companies (the fuel companies) want them to run their cars on pure diesel/petrol so they sell more. Thats why they put out scare stories and wont honour their warranties. Volvo run a lot of test a year or so back on new and old cars and the results were stunning - with even the oil coming out the engine after 70k almost clean.

We know Multipla's, Ducato's, Punto's and Doblo's running on it as well as a host of Alfa 2.4 JTD's all with excellent results. This is NOT a recommendation nor is are we saying you will never have any problem (as we wouldnt even if you ran on white diesel!) but its our real experience of using this stuff.

OK just one reply on this subject, I'm driving TD75 on 100% Biodiesel for 10 months now and haven’t got any problems. I’m making BD myself from waste vegetable oil. I have problems only in a cold weather when fuel clogs fuel filter. Recently I’ve changed fuel injectors after passed 180000 km. The problem was when I’ve started car on cold there was white smoke coming out of exhaust pipe for 15-20 sec until engine warms up a bit. But now works perfectly. These are my experiences with biodiesel.

TD75 is a cleaner version of the 100bhp TD engine used in the Tipo. Not suprised you're enjoying the benefits of bio diesel.

Stupid government here won't make it financially viable.

I was making biodiesel myself but im having a problem locating methanol in the north east my usual source has dried up if anyone knows where I can get it from I would be grateful.

Bill

best to mix with heating oil
this gives better fuel ph and lower visc.
no adverse affects to engine.
Be ware of hybrid fuels eg irish ect.
They use suphuric acid to remove red dye and NaOH to bring the ph back up.
this will cause damage to your fuel pump.Also some conatin alot of benzine.
Methanol .. Bordens peterlee.