RareAir_Biofuel
Active member
OK, I posted something on this months ago, and since I didn't have much to say then, the post got ripped down. I'm back with the final results here... by the way, car is '03 Jetta wagon.
In the beginning, I was thinking of heating the whole system (tank, lines, filter, etc) like a SVO car. After looking at the power requirements for electrical and the amount of hoses etc for coolant heat, plus $$$$, those ideas crashed. So we spent some time pinpointing the problem to attack it directly. Figuring out the problem involved = run high % bio, freeze car up, and then figure out where it froze. Not too scientific, but it worked. The biggest help to this has been the procycle clear-blue lines I have under the hood. I found that the filter was NOT the problem - car starts, runs for 1-2 mile, then stalls out. I could see that the filter was moving fuel to the engine, probably because it gets so much heated return fuel from the engine (I've heard 9/10 of fuel goes right back). The problem, at least in my car and I would expect in many other TDI's, is further back. The filter was just not getting fuel. So it was the fuel line or the tank that was clogging. After another freeze-up, I took off the cap to the fuel sender unit, shook it around to knock off bio ice crystals, and poured some PS right down in there. Car ran like a dream after - turns out the problem is in tank.
Solution: got a heater element from PlantDrive
http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/product.php?productid=16148&cat=250&page=1then
Its a 12V element made by Racor, pretty simple design. Only takes a couple of amps, 85 degrees tops, not too expensive either. We figured theres no point in heating the whole tank, might as well get it right where its clogging - the sender unit screen. We imbedded element sideways in the platic box that the screen is carved into (pics to come, can't figure out how...) to put the heat right where the fuel enters the sender.
The switch to control the element went on the dash, where the ESP button is on nicer models. Plugged it right into the fuse box w/ the map light fuse. No worries about shorts that way.
To make sure the heated fuel gets to the engine, we replaced the crappy plastic fuel line with some Goodyear 3/8" insluated line. 3/8 was probably overkill, I'd use 5/16 next time, but the fuel seems to move to the engine much smoother now.
Total cost:
element: $55
fuel line: $25 for 25 feet, we used probably 10, but had to buy a whole roll.
Labor: not to hard to do it yourself, would probably take a day or so. I got SligShotSlug, an SVO conversion company here in Denver to help, since I'm not the most mechanically inclined.
Pics to come as soon as I figure out how, and I'll try to post updates on its effectiveness. I figure I can run B75 when its 40+ during the days (no garage or I'd be running B100), and B50 when it gets really cold.
EDIT:
Finally got some pics up, see at http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?p=624#624
In the beginning, I was thinking of heating the whole system (tank, lines, filter, etc) like a SVO car. After looking at the power requirements for electrical and the amount of hoses etc for coolant heat, plus $$$$, those ideas crashed. So we spent some time pinpointing the problem to attack it directly. Figuring out the problem involved = run high % bio, freeze car up, and then figure out where it froze. Not too scientific, but it worked. The biggest help to this has been the procycle clear-blue lines I have under the hood. I found that the filter was NOT the problem - car starts, runs for 1-2 mile, then stalls out. I could see that the filter was moving fuel to the engine, probably because it gets so much heated return fuel from the engine (I've heard 9/10 of fuel goes right back). The problem, at least in my car and I would expect in many other TDI's, is further back. The filter was just not getting fuel. So it was the fuel line or the tank that was clogging. After another freeze-up, I took off the cap to the fuel sender unit, shook it around to knock off bio ice crystals, and poured some PS right down in there. Car ran like a dream after - turns out the problem is in tank.
Solution: got a heater element from PlantDrive
http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/product.php?productid=16148&cat=250&page=1then
Its a 12V element made by Racor, pretty simple design. Only takes a couple of amps, 85 degrees tops, not too expensive either. We figured theres no point in heating the whole tank, might as well get it right where its clogging - the sender unit screen. We imbedded element sideways in the platic box that the screen is carved into (pics to come, can't figure out how...) to put the heat right where the fuel enters the sender.
The switch to control the element went on the dash, where the ESP button is on nicer models. Plugged it right into the fuse box w/ the map light fuse. No worries about shorts that way.
To make sure the heated fuel gets to the engine, we replaced the crappy plastic fuel line with some Goodyear 3/8" insluated line. 3/8 was probably overkill, I'd use 5/16 next time, but the fuel seems to move to the engine much smoother now.
Total cost:
element: $55
fuel line: $25 for 25 feet, we used probably 10, but had to buy a whole roll.
Labor: not to hard to do it yourself, would probably take a day or so. I got SligShotSlug, an SVO conversion company here in Denver to help, since I'm not the most mechanically inclined.
Pics to come as soon as I figure out how, and I'll try to post updates on its effectiveness. I figure I can run B75 when its 40+ during the days (no garage or I'd be running B100), and B50 when it gets really cold.
EDIT:
Finally got some pics up, see at http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?p=624#624
Last edited: