B100 in Rod's 2009 Jetta

Mike_M said:

Thanks for the update, Rodney. Unfortunately, that means we need to hope that another kind and adventurous soul decides to roll the dice and risk their investment for a good cause. But I thank you for doing that for us and the cause of knowledge, even if you did change your mind partway through; we got some good info from it.

-Mike

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I agree. Thanks!

Didn't you say that your BD came from WVO? That sounds like a good, neutral source.

Rodney, I applaud anyone's effort to stop or limit pollution or use alternative fuels. However you are quite naive, and if your beliefs are as you say they are then I would expect you to be riding a bicycle or scooter everywhere or taking public transportation. They ride scooters in Germany even in the winter when it is snowing. Don't tell me it can't be done. Reserve your automobile for when there is significant snowfall. What you saw or experienced in Asia is happening all over this world, and I know big oil can be worse. Coming from private military personnel in charge of guarding oil wells and pipelines in Africa, I have heard it first hand. I understand there are people in this world that just do not believe, or do not want to believe that the products they use, consume or purchase have a trail of hardship, blood and tears behind it. Go to any store and find me a nice HDTV made entirely in the USA. Think you can do it? Hybrid owners are shocked when they are told of where lithium comes from, and the issues in that region. A starving baby in Asia from deforestation is the same as a murdered baby in Africa making way for a new pipeline. People that often say they do so much for the environment are not willing to sacrifice their own comfort and convenience for said environment, and that is hypocrisy. Maybe this idea that helping the world obtain manufacturing jobs, outsourcing and the likes have led to the reason China has nearly 2 trillion U.S. dollars in foreign exchange reserve.

Bio-diesel is great, but there needs to be significant investments made in finding a means of production from something other than a food supply, or without mowing down the Everglades.....

dobeonguard said:

. Bio-diesel is great, but there needs to be significant investments made in finding a means of production from something other than a food supply, or without mowing down the Everglades.....

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This has been hashed over countless times. Biodiesel, or any alternative fuels for that matter, don't necessarily come at the expense of the food supply or the Everglades. Do a little research and you'll see that despite their drawbacks, biodiesel and ethanol are STILL better than petroleum. Many members here burn biodiesel made from WVO, which affects neither of the above.

Also, nobody in their right mind will argue against improving the feedstock options. Bio/alternative fuels are still in their relative infancy: don't count out industrial hemp, jathropa (sp?) or other inedible crops that grow on marginal land. And algae.

I keep whining about this, but it seems that if there's not an instant, clean, safe, cheap and easy solution, many people throw their hands up in the air and go back to petroleum. Well, biofuels aren't perfect, yet. But they're still better than petroleum.

You misunderstood me, I am very much pro bio-diesel no matter the source. I just believe that there needs to be significant investment made in such things as algae or producing bio-diesel from all things waste. I believe someone else said it, but this will never happen until fuel is $5 or more a gallon. I sure as hell don't want to pay that, but that is sometimes what it takes to turn the backwards American mentality. Look at the American automotive manufactures. How long did it take them after the last fuel crisis to start back with the "big blocks" for soccer moms? We don't need those huge gas guzzlers for our SUV's, in fact I have read on here of people putting a little TDI in their Jeeps.

dobeonguard said:

You misunderstood me, I am very much pro bio-diesel no matter the source. I just believe that there needs to be significant investment made in such things as algae or producing bio-diesel from all things waste. I believe someone else said it, but this will never happen until fuel is $5 or more a gallon. I sure as hell don't want to pay that, but that is sometimes what it takes to turn the backwards American mentality. Look at the American automotive manufactures. How long did it take them after the last fuel crisis to start back with the "big blocks" for soccer moms? We don't need those huge gas guzzlers for our SUV's, in fact I have read on here of people putting a little TDI in their Jeeps.

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No need to put a TDI in a Jeep. I got one of the Grand Cherokees with the Mercedes 3.0L Common Rail Diesel in it. I use B100 even with the post combustion injections for the DPF and used oil analysis does NOT show any dilution or contamination of the oil from the BD.

20 MPG in town, 24 combined and 28 on the highway.

Tom,

Good to hear. Please keep us informed about your 3.0 Jeep; thanks for taking the plunge and telling us about it.