Does B5 or B20 help longevity?
- Thread starter KidAgain
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Lug_Nut
TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 1998
- Location
- Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
- TDI
- idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
Any benefit would only affect the components in contact with the liquid fuel.
Your fuel pump might have less rapid metal to metal wear on fuel wetted friction areas.
Other characteristics of the biodiesel blend might have detrimental effect.
Biodiesel is hygroscopic, water in the fuel won't settle out and you may have more rust or corrosion.
Residual methanol in the fuel might hasten the breakdown of the synthetic 'rubber' seals.
In all honesty, the increase in longevity, or hastened demise, would be hard to tell from a reference base line of a car that ran only ULSD. Maybe with 50 cars, 25 on ULSD, and 25 on B5 (or B20), a statistically significant difference can be detected, but one car? One that has already been in use and wearing? You'll honestly never 'know'. A fuel system failure could be attributed equally to either ULSD or to a ULSD+bio blend, and no reasonable counter argument would be logical.
Your fuel pump might have less rapid metal to metal wear on fuel wetted friction areas.
Other characteristics of the biodiesel blend might have detrimental effect.
Biodiesel is hygroscopic, water in the fuel won't settle out and you may have more rust or corrosion.
Residual methanol in the fuel might hasten the breakdown of the synthetic 'rubber' seals.
In all honesty, the increase in longevity, or hastened demise, would be hard to tell from a reference base line of a car that ran only ULSD. Maybe with 50 cars, 25 on ULSD, and 25 on B5 (or B20), a statistically significant difference can be detected, but one car? One that has already been in use and wearing? You'll honestly never 'know'. A fuel system failure could be attributed equally to either ULSD or to a ULSD+bio blend, and no reasonable counter argument would be logical.
Lug_Nut
TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 1998
- Location
- Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
- TDI
- idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
WAIT! Is the car in question the 2006 in your signature? Is this a Common Rail with the post combustion supplemental injection to provide fuel for the catalyst burn-off?
The use of B20 will void any remaining engine, exhaust, or emissions performance portion of the warranty under the "intentional mis-fueling" clause of the post-combustion injection CR engines.
Stick with no more than B5 to keep the VWoA warranty in effect.
The use of B20 will void any remaining engine, exhaust, or emissions performance portion of the warranty under the "intentional mis-fueling" clause of the post-combustion injection CR engines.
Stick with no more than B5 to keep the VWoA warranty in effect.
Of course it does
Biodiesel is a better lubricant than ULSD. I'm pretty sure biodiesel is a better lubricant than LSD. (Timothy Leary might disagree)
Spicer reported that even a concentration as low as 2% is measureably beneficial when it comes to lubricating the fuel pump.
More is not always better. There is a limit to how much bio a modern diesel should use. Some think it's 20%, I think it's higher, but B20 is the number you'll read here most often.
I like using a fuel made in the U.S. so I wish to use as much as I can without causing harm to my emissions components.
On any internal combustion engine, there are hundreds of parts that require lubrication, and the quality and cleanliness of that lubrication aids in keeping those parts from friction stress.
Biodiesel is a better lubricant than ULSD. I'm pretty sure biodiesel is a better lubricant than LSD. (Timothy Leary might disagree)
Spicer reported that even a concentration as low as 2% is measureably beneficial when it comes to lubricating the fuel pump.
More is not always better. There is a limit to how much bio a modern diesel should use. Some think it's 20%, I think it's higher, but B20 is the number you'll read here most often.
I like using a fuel made in the U.S. so I wish to use as much as I can without causing harm to my emissions components.