Chicago 2009 TDI Owners: Non-Biodiesel Support Group

[jdcolombo]

Hi folks.

From a BMW X5 35d owner in Champaign, IL: the Meijer station in Urbana (at the corner of Philo Road and Windsor Road) has a "Premium Diesel" pump without a bio sticker. Posts in another part of this forum indicate that this is straight D2 with an additive package for lubricity, anti-gel, and cetane enhancement. I have not yet been to the Meijer store in north Champaign (on Prospect Ave. north of I-74), but I assume this same fuel would be available there.

John C.

 

[N8116B]

Hi folks.

From a BMW X5 35d owner in Champaign, IL: the Meijer station in Urbana (at the corner of Philo Road and Windsor Road) has a "Premium Diesel" pump without a bio sticker. Posts in another part of this forum indicate that this is straight D2 with an additive package for lubricity, anti-gel, and cetane enhancement. I have not yet been to the Meijer store in north Champaign (on Prospect Ave. north of I-74), but I assume this same fuel would be available there.

John C.

That is excellent to know. I usually do not have to fill up in Cham/bana if I tank up in the Chicago area before I head down there. But it was nice when I knew I could.

 

[tlak77]

We need to remove, another BP station from the list:
Roselle
BP
5 W. Irving Park Rd., Roselle, IL 60172
630-893-5693
Submitted by: Jetta09Chicago on 7/9/09
Confirmed non-biodiesel via fuel sample analysis on 7/8/09

Stopped there today, pumps indicate clearly Bio-Diesel with bold leathers and smaller sticker indicates B-100.

 

[jdcolombo]

That is excellent to know. I usually do not have to fill up in Cham/bana if I tank up in the Chicago area before I head down there. But it was nice when I knew I could.

I did in fact fill up at the Meijer north of I-74 at Prospect Avenue in Champaign today and can confirm there is no bio sticker on the diesel pump there. And though this is a VW forum, I'll put in a plug for my BMW X5 diesel, which is terrific.

John C.

 

[n2carz]

Bloomington / Normal

I was looking through the list and noticed a little correction here in central IL. I drove to most of these in excitement only to find the black and blue B5-B20 bio stickers on the pumps.
The ones below in red do not have straight diesel, I saw stickers on the pumps. I suspect most if not all the Freedom stations around this area will be biodiesel.
Below in Green are 2 Shell stations I have used for years that are straight D2, no stickers, better fuel economy and power. There is a Marathon station that has scraped off all their biodiesel stickers, I am awaiting a reply from the manager, and currently have a tank I am trying out.

Bloomington
Freedom
18928 U.S. 150 (at Towanda Barnes Rd.), Bloomington, IL 61705
309-828-7750
Submitted by: ppcjbj on 5/1/10

Freedom B5-B20
1802 W. Market St., Bloomington, IL 61701
309-828-4223
Submitted by: ppcjbj on 5/1/10

Freedom B5-B20
1331 N. Linden, Bloomington, IL 61701
309-829-5922
Submitted by: ppcjbj on 5/1/10

Freedom B5-B20
1402 S. Main St., Bloomington, IL 61701
309-827-6826
Submitted by: ppcjbj on 5/1/10

SHELL no biodesel
2401 E OAKLAND AVENUE
BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701
309-664-2095


Normal
Freedom
601 S. Main St., Normal, IL 61761
309-454-1417
Submitted by: ppcjbj on 5/1/10

SHELL no biodiesel
1617 N MAIN STREET
NORMAL, IL 61761-1113
309-283-3636

 

[n2carz]

I just received an email from Marathon/Circle K Midwest/Great Lakes Region fuel specialist, and they have indicated that the Marathon station below only sells ULSD 15ppm no biodiesel, and further states that they do not sell any biodiesel fuel in the state of Illinois. I find this hard to believe, but that is what the email says. BTW, this station happens to be a few blocks from the VW Dealership.

Marathon Circle K no biodiesel
309 Landmark Dr
Normal, IL 61761
309-451-593

 

[kchizmar]

N2carz
meijer also has non-bio diesel
kara

 

[Thunderstruck]

Are all stations fueled from a corporate sanctioned supplier, or are these stations independent and allowed to pick the supplier of their choice?

 

[Tom in chicago]

Marathon for non bio-diesel???

I asked the manager/owner(?) of the Marathon at Western and Touhy in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood whether their diesel was biodiesel (not marked on the pump). He replied that *all* Marathons sell biodiesel. Maybe he ment in Chicago? Or maybe he didn't know what he was talking about. It would sure be good news if they didn't sell biodiesel since they are everywhere in the city.

Anybody else on this list have any news on Marathons?

I just received an email from Marathon/Circle K Midwest/Great Lakes Region fuel specialist, and they have indicated that the Marathon station below only sells ULSD 15ppm no biodiesel, and further states that they do not sell any biodiesel fuel in the state of Illinois. I find this hard to believe, but that is what the email says. BTW, this station happens to be a few blocks from the VW Dealership.

Marathon Circle K no biodiesel
309 Landmark Dr
Normal, IL 61761
309-451-593

 

[tlak77]

Tom, I rather speculate that he does not know what he is talking about, if his station is selling only bio, than he is obligated to post bio stickers. I have marathon station close to my house Palatine/NWHWY and there is bio 5-20% content sticker on the pump.

 

[b4black]

I believe it is up to the owner of the staion to decide if a site will carry B11 or not. Circle K is huge owns a lot of stations, with many different fuel brands, across North America. From what I have seen here in Illinois, no Circle K's have biodiesel.

 

[Tom in chicago]

sticker requirement

Tom, I rather speculate that he does not know what he is talking about, if his station is selling only bio, than he is obligated to post bio stickers. I have marathon station close to my house Palatine/NWHWY and there is bio 5-20% content sticker on the pump.

I have never seen a bio-fule sticker at *any* Marathon station in the city. They tend to have cheap gas, and, typically, are poorly maintained (pretty slummy typically - bullet proof glass sort of places). I would guess that the lack of stickers reflect lack of good management rather than any sort of statement of fuel type. This is the city, if regulatory agencies are not enforcing the sticker rule, it doesn't happen. I would speculate that with Marathon's efforts to be the low cost fuel leader they would take the state subsidy and sell bio-diesel.

I'll start pulling into some Marathons in the city and see if they have started posting stickers. My conversation with this dude was about 8 months ago.

Anyone know what state gaency is charged with enforcement of this sort of thing?

 

[tlak77]

Tom, you have very valid point. Right after I got my "d" I emailed Marathon (going through their web) asking what kind of diesel station in Palatine is offering - there was no sticker visible at the time. Marathon response was that the station was new (I think ownership changed) and should have had proper sticker - stating 5-20, they did correct that shortly after the email. Funny thing is that before contacting Marathon I asked attendant what it was and he assured me that it was not Bio
I was un-successful in finding who in IL is responsible for enforcing any requirement as far as controlling the Diesel - I guess no one wants to upset fuel businesses Post #322 is all I found

 

[b4black]

Anyone know what state gaency is charged with enforcement of this sort of thing?

Dept of Ag, Weights and Measures
http://www.agr.state.il.us/programs/consumer/w&m/

 

[D-Cell_Mekanick]

This has probably already been posted before, but the BP in Yorkville Rt34 & Rt47 is straight diesel per one of the engineers at BP. I called the station and they couldn't tell me but gave me a number to call which I did. I recieved a call back today that it's straight diesel no biodiesel added. Which confirms my suspicion since there was no sticker on the pump.

 

[GreatJob!]

Hey everyone. New to TDI and this forum but glad there is such a knowledgable community when it comes to our cars! Just bought a 2010 TDI Jetta and love it. However, my search from pump to pump the other day looking for <5% bio had me a bit frustrated.

I stopped into the dealership where I purchased the car and asked the service department what the low-down was on this warranty and mandatory use of <5% bio. The guy I talked to (also a diesel driver and quite knowledgable about the qwerks of CR TDI ownership) pretty much confirmed the frustrations people have been having with finding fuel. His answer is that it is ok to run 5-20%! When VW printed the manuals and all the other publications related to the car, 5-20% had not had its incentives or anyhwere near its popularity at the gas pump. Since then however, as you can tell from our dwindling list of places to buy fuel, things have changed. According to him, VWoA is in the process of rewriting that part of the warranty and documents to include 5-20% fuels based on their increase in popularity and lack of D-2 stations in many regions.

Now how I view this is that I am not going to go run out an fill my tank with B-20 right after I post this, but rather look down the road that when the new documents are published, things will get a little easier at the pump. Keep your eyes peeled for any updates from VWoA I guess and hope for the better news!

Phil

 

[Tom in chicago]

warranty news

Phil,

You are the second person to post something reagrding VW changing their minds on this. I live on the north side of Chicago and the only place I can find pure diesel is in Wilmette and Winnetka at BPs and they are very pricey.

I think I am going to stop driving the 10 miles to fill up at BP on the north shore and start just buying 5 - 20 unless I am near those stations. I'd be curious if others have heard the same thing from their VW dealers.

Congratualtions on the purchase of a super car. I ahve the Sportswagon and love it as much as my former SAAB 9000 that cost twice as much.


thanks for the update!

Tom in Rogers Park

 

[N8116B]

I have never seen a bio-fule sticker at *any* Marathon station in the city.

Outside of the city I have seen some Marathons with the sticker. The one in Barrington at Lake Cook Rd and Rt 14 has it. Many stations, not just Marathon have the wrong stickers. I know that Citgo on Rt12 north of Wauconda has no bio sticker but the owner tells me he is running bio there.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Had an interesting chat with a fuel truck driver Saturday at the AM/PM at Wood Dale and Devon. He said the BP branded stations only sell non bio fuel, but the others may or may not sell Bio-they pick the fuel distributor of their choice. He was not filling the diesel, so he could not tell me for sure what they had there. They don't have a sticker. He also said they put in 10 gallons of additive in winter when they fill the tank. He showed me the jugs, it was a brand I had never heard of. I think it started with a T.

 

[Tom in chicago]

More warranty info

according to the service manager at VW in Evanston, the new policy is to allow 8% (I may be wrong on the exact percent, but it wasn't the max on the state sticker).

Anyone else get info from VW directly?

 

[StoBro2]

Back around April or so, VW produced a document that spells out which vehicles/engines are allowed how much bio. This was for Europe, as I recall. At that time they stated that the they would warrant the use of up to 7% biodiesel in CR TDIs. I have not seen any similar document covering North American vehicles.

www.volkswagen.co.uk/assets/common/pdf/general/biodiesel.pdf

 

[tlak77]

...... warrant the use of up to 7% biodiesel in CR TDIs.http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/assets/common/pdf/general/biodiesel.pdf

That may have something to do with the fact that Germany increases amount of bio requirement in diesel yearly, if I remember correctly with the end of this year it will be 6.25% (I may be off but I'm pretty sure it'll be over 5%).

 

[DasTeknoViking]

Palatine: Mobil off Dundee Rd by the Delta Sonic around RT53 has B2. I fill up my Passat there all the time. On top of that Exxon says you don't need to put any additives in it cause they winterized it at the refinery. From my Email I got from them. Pump has no stickers

 

[tlak77]

Palatine: Mobil off Dundee Rd by the Delta Sonic around RT53 has B2. I fill up my Passat there all the time. On top of that Exxon says you don't need to put any additives in it cause they winterized it at the refinery. From my Email I got from them. Pump has no stickers

Thanks for good info, can you share who you emailed?
I stopped at the Shell south-west corner of RT53 and Dundee - visible sticker with 5-20Bio
Also, notice that at the corner of Rand Road and Quinton - Citco station is being re-branded to BP, they have 5-20Bio there wonder it that will change....

 

[DasTeknoViking]

I emailed them directly via their website @ Exxon.

I don't like that Shell on Dundee and 53. It's the most expensive gasoline and diesel around. I would fill up my R32 there is I was in an emergency and really needed gas. I tend to drive with half a tank in my R as I like to keep it lighter. Palatine Oil Company doesn't sell D2 ?

 

[tlak77]

I emailed them directly via their website @ Exxon.......Palatine Oil Company doesn't sell D2 ?

ok,
I drove by POC few times, pumps seams to be very old and and never so a passenger car there - have you tried fueling up there?

 

[Thunderstruck]

POC does sell straight diesel, and they also supply that truck stop (K&R?) on Ellis, down the street from Bells on Devon.

 

[DasTeknoViking]

They supply me dealership with 5W20 and 5W30 via big tanker too. Gonna ask the driver next time what kind of diesel they sell at the station in Palatine.

 

[AndySRT]

Most of the local fuel places have bio in them I used to fill up my CRD at elgin medallion because it was 100% bio now I avoid those places

 

[DasTeknoViking]

I have been filling up at Meijer in Naperville off RT59 near the mall as it's close to my work... They got this on their two pumps.

I have been there a few times now and I still can't tell what diesel it is. My old TDi seems to love it more than Mobil diesel. I get less smoke on very cold starts but I do add in PowerService anti gel + cetane boost additive.