Has anyone run B100 in their Cummins Common Rail 03-07 5.9L?

dieselsRus · January 27th, 2008, 10:38

I'm looking to buy an 03-07 ram with the cummins common rail 5.9 not the new 6.7 and was curious how these motors like high blends of Bio mainly b100. Any problems with fuel injectors/ any mods that help while running bio? I know i could go sign up on a dodge forum but I like tdiclub better. Any info would be appreciated.

fruitcakesa · January 27th, 2008, 17:41

I run b100 in the summer and up to b50 the rest of the time in my 95 CTD 5.9 which is a second generation motor and minimally computer run unlike your 03. This old truck loves the stuff but I specifically bought a 2nd gen motor because they are supposedly much more amenable to BD. I would try out lower blends initially if you are really interested in using BD.

John C · January 28th, 2008, 18:23

Cummins has approved 20 % BioDiesel for the 03 - 07 5.9 liter engines

. This was posted on their web site some six months ago.

Going beyond this I don't know

.

John C

dieselsRus · January 29th, 2008, 05:25

Thanks for the info.

John-how do you accomplish 23 MPG out of your 03 cummins?

DieselSmoker · January 29th, 2008, 13:49

Dieselsrus - I'd avoid the 03+common rail cummins trucks if you want to run more than b50 on a regular basis. The injection pressures reach such high numbers folks that have tested experienced polymerization or 'flocking' which caused fuel filter clogging in short order (not due to bio's cleaning ability). Something about the extreme pressures changing bio on a molecular level.

That said, 23mpg on the hwy is not hard at all to accomplish with an 03-early 04 305/555 engine cummins, particularly a 2wd 6spd short bed. I have an automatic in mine, 35" tires and 500+ hp to the wheels and I can get 22 empty doing 70 on the hwy.. These were the last of the free breathing high technology engines cummins made..no cat, no egr, no third injection event (04.5+), no dpf, not even a ccv (elephant hose from factory).. Coming from tdi's and e300's, I was surprised - these things will actually go 3-5k miles with the oil still CLEAR on the dipstick.. when I first got the truck I was almost questioning if it burned diesel..lol... Anyway, they stay amazingly soot free in stock form. Did I mention stock sux?

John C · January 29th, 2008, 14:18

What diesel smoker said. Mine is an '03, 305HP/555Lb-Ft HO engine, six speed manual, 2WD, short bed - bone stock with 66K miles on it. I just shift about 2K RPM and don't rush things - driving like the old man I am

The '03 - '04.5 were 4 gram NOX engines, '04 - '07 were 2.5 gram engines, now down to 1 gram in the last incarnation, I believe, with all the aftertreatment, etc.

.

I'll get 23 in mostly rural backroad driving and back and forth to town, 20 at 75 MPH on the interstate, and 13.5 at 68 MPH pulling our 30' fifth wheel trailer. I've gotten 15 - 17 with the trailer on the back roads in Canada. Lifetime average for all driving is 18.8 calculated MPG

.

John C

soberups · January 29th, 2008, 21:16

My sister has an '06 Dodge Cummins and she ran b99 in it when she first bought it. Within 4000 miles her fuel filter was badly clogged with what looked like butter. This was Sequential Biofuels B99, ASTM-spec, the same stuff that my '06 Jetta ran perfectly on. She has backed down to b20 and had no further problems...the dealership told her that the high pressure of the common-rail system was causing the fuel to "polymerize", and warned her that further b99 fuel issues would not be covered under warranty. She was bummed out because she and I are both gung-ho about biodiesel, and I've got her beat 99 to 20!

dieselsRus · January 31st, 2008, 11:25

Thanks for the informative answer soberups, I knew there would be a guy on here that had one and was interested in bio. My wife and I both drive tdi wagons that we run b99 in the summer and I was thinking about getting a cummins and I really like the 06 bodystyle if I go with a common rail. I would also like the 98 12 valve quad but I was thinking that the 06's would be much safer if we got in an accident with it.

dddiesel · January 31st, 2008, 15:30

Really!?

I have a '04 Dodge with the 5.9, and my brother has a '06. We both run B100 in the summer and have not had any problems. Between us, we have about 40K miles on our trucks on B100.

sqdude · February 1st, 2008, 07:57

The only polymerization problems I've seen are '06+ Dodge's. We have many customers running <'05 with no issues. But yes, an '06 and B99 and you'll have to change the fuel filter every couple thousand miles. Same thing is happening in '07 Ford's a think. It's a real bummer and makes you wonder about the future of high bio blends in the next generation of cars as we get into this "highest injection pressure EVER" contest.

You're in the same boat as hundreds of Dodge Sprinter van owners who bought them to run B99 only to find out they have a sensitive fuel filter that clogs above B20. Not polymerzation but higher water content in B99 and funky filters.

heno · February 1st, 2008, 15:48

No need to sign up but you're welcome to read the posts. This guy's been running WVO in his HPCR engine and doing OK so far:
http://www.turbodieselregister.com/f...04-05-ctd.html

bulabula · February 3rd, 2008, 06:03

The title asks about running B100 - no, I haven't run pure B100 in my Dodge, but I have filled up with about 24 gallons or so of B100 - results in about a B70'ish mix with the fuel already in it. Been running Bio in various blends without issue since 2004. Mostly Soy based bio.

I have tried a few tanks of WVO fuel - again, mixed to about a B50 mix; but I wasn't impressed with the fluid consistency as I poured it into the tank so I didn't use much of it. Concerned for my fuel filter.

One of my major reasons of not running B100 totally was the cost factor. I usually try to keep it around a B20-B30 mix.