How many b100 users out there? Sound off!

  • I run b100 baby, woohoo!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I run b20 or other blends

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I can't find biodiesel in my area

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I prefer petro diesel

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

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
I can't claim to use B100 as I do blend during the winter months. I do run close to 10 months at B100 and at the highest possible B percentage the other months. Close to B90~B95 annualized.
 

Lightman

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Location
Sunny Florida
After a short scare about water ppm, I've gotten back on b100. It's a nice feeling and I forgot how much quieter b100 is than b20!
 

Ricdude

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2003
TDI
NB, '03, Pt Grey, GLS
My first three tanks were petrodiesel, but since then I've been running B60-B70. I'm planning on filling the tank with B100 this weekend. It should be pretty close to B100, as my low fuel light is threatening to come on, and it's 80 miles to the pump from here.

Until there's a source for B100 closer to me, I'll probably stick to the B60-B70 blend ratio. I'd love to run B100 as often as the weather will allow, but I can only carry so much in the car.
 

TorkingDog

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Location
TAXachusetts
TDI
Jetta, 2003, Silver
I like to run B100 as much as possible or the highest ratio of bio I can depending on the weather. B20 or a litle higher depending on winter temps.
 

bean boy

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2002
Location
Saco, Maine
TDI
03 Wagon
I have run b100 up until December and run a b50 now. I wish I could afford to run b100 all the time, but figure 1/2 is better then none. I figure it still costs the same or less than my old gas burner did.
 

Larry Larson

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2000
Location
Champaign-Urbana Illinois
I bought my first batch of b100 3 weeks ago and have been running it in both my VW TDI's.. I'be been a little concerned since then when I read the threads about Bosch's concerns about biodiesel. Once the dust settles I'll decide whether to continue using it. Larry
 

RC

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 13, 2000
Location
Maryland`s Eastern Shore
TDI
Two White 96 B4 Wagons
B100 for the nine or so months we can and a B75 blend in the colder months. Over three years in the F250, 2.5 in one of the B4s and 1.5 in the other. The lawn tractor is an arromatic pleasure to pilot, and the neighbors love it too. Over 3K gallons and over 80K total combined miles logged on the precious liquid gold.

Say goodbye to Petroleum Madness, the Devil`s Tea is on it`s way out.
 

ikendu

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Iowa
TDI
2003 Golf Indigo Blue
Oh yeah! B100!

In the warmer months... I'll do B20 in the winter.

I go out of my way about 10 miles to get B100 ($2.50/gal) and fill up the tank plus 4 Blitz 5-gallon containers each trip; enough for about 6 weeks of commuting.
 

Smog

Registered Vendor
Joined
May 2, 2000
Location
Montreal, Canada
TDI
Jetta4 1999.5
20000km on Homemade Canola b100/straight veggie oil in a 1995 Golf 1.9TD (canadian)

Quieter, less expensive (0.15$/L) and the car is faster.
 

coast_tdi

Active member
Joined
Oct 15, 2002
Location
CA Bay Area
TDI
Jetta 2002 Blue
Ok, I do have to admit I don't use B100 all the time. It's up in the City (SF) and I if I don't time the traffic right, I'm filling up an the local non-BD station
 

mobe

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Location
Orion Spur
TDI
Golf
I fill the car and 3 five gallon cans when I buy my biodiesel. So, every fourth tank is pretty much B100, the three tanks in between are B33.
I hope that makes sense.
 

hooville

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Location
Marietta, GA
TDI
2000 Golf GLS, 2016 GTI, 2015 TDI Sportwagen S
B100 since we used up the tank that came in the car! We should be able to go year 'round down here in Atlanta.
Kent
 

Lightman

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Location
Sunny Florida
Kent thats pretty impressive. I haven't been that exclusive, but am going to try to be. Being back on b100 feels pretty good. I would hope here in Florida I can pull off year round b100
 

Wally

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2001
Location
The Springs, CO
TDI
98 NB, 96 and 97 B4Vs, & 03 A4V
I must say that I am jealous of the ability to naturally use B100 all year long. Perhaps after I relocate to Maui?

The only mod I currently have on both cars is a coolant powered heat exchanger on the fuel filter. This allows operations of the B100 I make down to 21F. I would think that Atlanta would most likely be, and the Middle Gulf coast of Florida definately be outside of that range.

During the warmer months this heater serves to better atomize the fuel spray and keeps the viscocity of the fuel lower than the norm.

oops. Did I inadvertantly just knock off one of the main reasons for not using BD? As in viscocity? Oh well.
 

Lightman

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Location
Sunny Florida
Wally do you have the racor coolant powered fuel heater? Those things are sweet. Especially the model with the built in thermostat option. A fuel heater would be nice for the b100 in the winter, but without the thermostat, I wouldn't want my fuel heater continuously working in the 100F summer weather we have here. I took a much cheaper route and got a top mounted heater for my FM100 filter.
 

pghPAtdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2003
Location
Nova Scotia to Pittsburgh and back
TDI
Jetta GLS, 2001, White, Leather
I know this is off topic but I'm hoping this is the best group to answer this question, it appears all who have posted on this topic have alot of experience with BD.
So, I just finished a full tank of B100 (first time for BD) and the experience was good, quiet, no smoke, smells funky and about 42mpg city. BUT now it puts out larger clouds of smoke on hard acceleration than previous. Is this the norm after B100? I now have a full tank of diesel from my normal station. B100 is 2.40 gal here.


thanks
Dave
 

Dorado

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
TDI
New Beetle TDI, 2002, Cool White
pghPAtdi,

sure enough, others here have reported smoke after running a few tanks of B100 on a TDI with many miles on petro-Diesel. And here in western PA, some crappy diesel fuel can clogg TDI intakes as soon as 40k miles (this was one case seen by a VW tech).

Most likely, the B100 is loosening up the gunk in various places like the intake, and perhaps the bottom of the fuel tank, etc. A good thing to do is to replace the fuel filter after a tank or two of B100, in case some cleaning was done with the fuel tank. Other than that, step on it and run with biodiesel as much as possible (including blends).

BTW, I would bet that the intake in your TDI could have been somewhat clogged before you got it, because when I drove behind you this past spring I noticed that it would smoke each time you shifted gears. On the other hand, if you remember, I could really revv it up on our beetle and you wouldn't see any smoke out the back. Thanks to many miles on B100 or blends...
 

JerryPT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2002
Location
Michigan soon, 49629
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS wagon
pghPAtdi,

Mine smoked on hard acceleration, I've been running B100 for almost 5,000 miles. The problem wasn't biodiesel though. I have a 96 Passat with a 5th injector, which serves no earthly purpose (see the TDI FAQs). Disabled it, smoke gone.

JerryPT
 

JerryPT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2002
Location
Michigan soon, 49629
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS wagon
Yes, B100 for 6 months now. Was paying $2.70, it went to $3 so we organized a bulk buy in Portland so we are down to $2.40/gallon, much better! There are about eight I know of running B100 in Portland.
 

cprise

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2001
Location
MA
TDI
2001.5
Occasionally I run B100 (about 2 or 3 tanks per year). Otherwise, I use B20 almost constantly.
 

Salbuggy

New member
Joined
May 13, 2003
Location
Santa Cruz County, Calif
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon 5 spd GLS Mojave Beige
Just got our wagon after waiting 5 months for special order and we are on our 4th tank of fuel, 3 of which have been B100 from Western States Oil, San Jose CA.
 

Geordi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2002
Location
Somewhere between Heaven and Hell. But it is reall
TDI
14 JSW DSG, 03 Wagon 01M, 400k and IPT performance auto!
over 20,000 miles on B100 homebrew, and I use it year round! Brewing in the winter with an un-heated mixing drum, I learned that I should not mix if it goes below 50*F. Otherwise, I'm running fine!

Smoke? Nope! Smell? Like Wontons! (My feed is WVO from chinese restaurants) Cost? Bwahahahahahhahahah! 36 CENTS PER GALLON, BAYBEE!!!
:D:D:D

--Jim
 

Stig

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2002
Location
Between Athens and Atlanta
TDI
Passat Wagon, 1996, Storm Grey; New Beetle, 1998, Yellow and Red
B100 for the last 2 tanks. Mind you I only use it as a start and stop fuel - the rest of the time I am on veggie oil. My current tank of biodiesel has 3600 miles on it, projected to make it through July.
 
Top