76 Renewable Biodiesel

[14BeetleCJAA]

Unfortunately I’ve had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I was on the 14 JSO Lancaster, had about a 1/4 tank didnt want to risk getting into traffic with less than that. Anyway I stopped at a 76, was in a rush, had to piss and didn’t notice the “renewable bio diesel” on the sign. I quickly stopped pumping at about 7.5 gallons. I’ve read my owners manual and know what it states about the use of B5, B20. I’ve owned this car since 18k (now 100k) and to my knowledge have never even used B20. Are these approximately 7.5 gallons going to have an adverse effect on my vehicle?

 

[Lightflyer1]

I doubt it. Not the same as the old biodiesel.

What is 76® Renewable Diesel?
76® Renewable Diesel is diesel fuel that is made from renewable sources (vegetable oils and fats) that undergo chemical processing to make renewable diesel fuel. Fully compatible with all diesel engines, drivers can seamlessly switch between conventional diesel and renewable diesel without any engine modifications.

Renewable Diesel | 76 Gas Stations

Give your engine the taste of 76 Renewable Diesel. Fill up on 76 Renewable Diesel at select California 76 fuel stations.

www.76.com

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[gearheadgrrrl]

Sorta like biodiesel that's been through a refinery...

 

[14BeetleCJAA]

Thanks for the info guys. I had never seen it before. Only thing I see in Nor-Cal is B20.

 

[turbobrick240]

Renewable diesel is good fuel. Extremely high cetane number.

 

[Matt-98AHU]

Thanks for the info guys. I had never seen it before. Only thing I see in Nor-Cal is B20.

I saw renewable all over the North Bay and to Sacramento when I last lived there in 2020. Had been using it myself frequently for years prior to that.

It's good stuff. The BTUs are lower, so you will lose a little low end torque and MPG. But it has very high cetane, so it starts easier, idles smoother and has better high RPM power.

I used to try to approximate a blend of 20 to 30% renewable with the rest being regular ULSD to get the best of both worlds. It works awesome.

 

[CleverUserName]

Unfortunately I’ve had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I was on the 14 JSO Lancaster, had about a 1/4 tank didnt want to risk getting into traffic with less than that. Anyway I stopped at a 76, was in a rush, had to piss and didn’t notice the “renewable bio diesel” on the sign. I quickly stopped pumping at about 7.5 gallons. I’ve read my owners manual and know what it states about the use of B5, B20. I’ve owned this car since 18k (now 100k) and to my knowledge have never even used B20. Are these approximately 7.5 gallons going to have an adverse effect on my vehicle?

It was B20. Basically 20% bio and 80% renewable diesel blended.

Your only 2014 is only rated for B5.

 

[14BeetleCJAA]

It was B20. Basically 20% bio and 80% renewable diesel blended.

Your only 2014 is only rated for B5.

The “renewable” diesel specified in this thread is different from B20. Yes B20 is part biodiesel, but the “renewable” diesel, such as the type Costco and 76 sell is a bit different.

 

[CleverUserName]

The “renewable” diesel specified in this thread is different from B20. Yes B20 is part biodiesel, but the “renewable” diesel, such as the type Costco and 76 sell is a bit different.

What don’t you understand?

B = Biodiesel
Number next to B = The % of biodiesel in the mixture

It was B20. Basically 20% bio and 80% renewable diesel blended.

Your only 2014 is only rated for B5.

In California some, if not all gas stations in urban areas sell a B20 which is 20% biodiesel and 80% renewable diesel blend. B20 is still sold in California but your 2014 is not rated for anything other than B5. If it says B20 it was 20% biodiesel blended with either 80% renewable or petroleum or mixture of both. The 80% is a grey area but the 20% is not.

I’m in California and have used renewable diesel for years. I’ve also done testing on it in different vehicles and have many posts on here about the pros and cons of renewable diesel. I completely avoid any biodiesel over B5 which is sold at my local Costco.

I prefer petroleum diesel #2 but can only find it in rural areas since April 2024. A station near me has a renewable/petro blend which is as close as I can find to pure diesel unless I’m traveling and pass through a rural area.

 

[STDOUBT]

Chemical Composition
Biodiesel contains oxygen and is chemically different from petroleum diesel. It's typically blended with petroleum diesel in ratios of 5-20%.

Renewable Diesel vs. Biodiesel: What's the Difference?

How are renewable diesel and biodiesel different? Which is greener? Which should you choose? Learn more from Foster Fuels!

fosterfuels.com

Renewable diesel is a pure hydrocarbon fuel that is chemically identical to petroleum diesel. It can be used as a direct replacement for diesel fuel without blending.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel. Charts and Graphs Included

Figure 1. Most bio-based diesel fuels are made from vegetable oil. The chart above shows the oils and fats used to make biodiesel and renewable diesel in 2022. (Source EIA Monthly Biofuels Capacity and Feedstocks Update)

blog.ucsusa.org

Looks like B20 is 20% Biodiesel and 80% Diesel #2.
"Renewable Diesel" is it's own thing.
IF a fuel supplier is actually blending Biodiesel and "Renewable", then it's still "Biodiesel", as Renewable Diesel" is chemically identical to Diesel #2.

Biofuels explained - use and supply - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

U.S. renewable diesel summary.

www.eia.gov

"a blend of 20% renewable diesel and 80% petroleum diesel is called R20."
I hope we're all thoroughly un-confused now!

 

[TDI-ed]

Your CR TDI is fine with 76's renewable diesel; CA mandates renewable diesel to be 99% (R99) renewable stock, so biodiesel (R) or any other additive is at 1% or lower (CA is chasing NOx reductions and renewable is there answer over petroleum diesel or biodiesel). CA made sure it would run in new diesel, including CR. Renewable diesel has caused issues in some older MK4s (seals). Yes, there are some outlets that still sell B20 (famous one in Buttonwillow), but they are few and far between as there is only really one supplier of biodiesel (B) remaining in CA. I know, as I ran this fuel exclusively in my Mk4 since 2006 and I was not able to get it starting in 2021 (CARB killed regional supply chain for biodiesel over presumed NOx and PM issues).