using biodiesel

[MattCrawford]

Hi, new to the forum here, but I have a '03 Jetta TDI and want to know if I can use biodiesel fuel? If so, where does one get it? Thanks.
Matt

 

[Barb]

Matt: where are you located exactly??

regards
barb

 

[Leseid]

I occaisionally run B2 or B20 in our '03 Golfs. As to purchasing it, check out BioDiesel.Org or Cenex

 

[mkosem]

I run a tank of B100 every couple months in my 01 Golf. No problems whatsoever.

--Matt

 

[ikendu]

I have an '03 Golf and have used B100 for over a year (almost continuously).

Works great!
If your climate dips below 32F...you'll need to winterize B100.

 

[Dorado]

No mods needed to run biodiesel on the VW TDI. Check out availability here:

http://forums.biodieselnow.com/

 

[spifflifkin]

I also have an 03 Jetta. I have used B100 for about 15K of the 22K on the car with no problems.

 

[McBrew]

Matt, please fill out your personal info so that we know where you are. People in your area can help you find some biodiesel.

I've been running biodiesel since my car was a baby (600 miles). I have run all blends, from pure B100 to B-zero. If I averaged it out, I've probably run 15% over the life of the car.

 

[Kaufmann]

If your climate dips below 32F...you'll need to winterize B100.

How do you do that? What additives are out there and where do you find them?

 

[ikendu]

If your climate dips below 32F...you'll need to winterize B100.

How do you do that? What additives are out there and where do you find them?

Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement (DFS...@ Walmart in the "White Bottle") is one such supplement. What I did last winter was blend with winterized, retail petroleum diesel (yuch! hated every drop I had to mix in).

This is one area I wish there WAS some Gov't research being conducted...good strains or formulations of biodiesel for winter fuel use. The best I've seen so far is virgin canola oil reacted with ethanol (a tricky reaction to get right) but gels 20 degrees lower than soy oil reacted with methanol (ADM produces this in Europe for winter fuel use...but not here in the U.S.).

 

[RichC]

If your climate dips below 32F...you'll need to winterize B100.

How do you do that? What additives are out there and where do you find them?

Probably one of the better additives is by PowerService and is call Artic Express Biodiesel Anti-gel.
From product literature:
"Arctic Express Biodiesel Antigel is the most effective antigel available for treatment of biodiesel fuel. It provides better Cold-Filter Plugging Point (CFPP) and Pour Point performance than a blend of 20 percent biodiesel, 30 percent No. 2 diesel fuel and 50 percent No. 1 diesel fuel. Additionally, it keeps fuel-filters from plugging with wax and prevents fuel gelling without the need to blend."

 

[Kaufmann]

Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement (DFS...@ Walmart in the "White Bottle") is one such supplement. What I did last winter was blend with winterized, retail petroleum diesel (yuch! hated every drop I had to mix in).

So any winter diesel treatment will work? I thought you might have to use a special BD treatment for B100.

 

[ikendu]

Probably one of the better additives is by PowerService and is call Artic Express Biodiesel Anti-gel.

I experimented with both DFS and the BD Anti-gel from PS last winter. PS had told me that the two formulations were "similar" but not absolutely identical. I found that DFS seemed to work about as well and was commonly available (I couldn't find ANY retail source for the BD anti-gel). PS actually sent me a small bottle for my tests.

There is an entire forum devoted to winter BD over on BiodieselNow.

 

[RichC]

I also do read most of what is posted over at biodieselnow.com and have a great deal of respect for several of those pushing biodiesel cold weather use to the edge. What I have come away from digesting the testing, etc over the past couple of years is that not all biodiesel (commercial included) has the same cold weather characteristics. Additives and antigels can only do so much and the most sound advices is 'user beware' in cold weather.

My brother-in-law works for a chemical company that produces many of the additive that are sold to oil companies and often sold and then packaged for the consumer additive markets too. He surmised that there is more of a difference in 'marketing' than in the actual product ... although I'm sure in development testing in laboratory conditions that each has been tweaked for a specific product.

 

[MattCrawford]

I live in Lexington, Kentucky. Haven't had much luck locating biodiesel that a distributor can sell for a car, i.e. small amounts. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Matt

 

[MattCrawford]

Thanks, I've filled it out. I live in Lexington, Ky. and have talked to one Oil Co. that has biodiesel but is about 40 min outside town. Plus they sell it in bulk. Thanks for all the responses. I'm very eager to do this!

 

[Typrus]

Just a thought, but you could buy maybe a 50-100 gallon fuel container made for diesel and buy a large amount of biodiesel. Buying in bulk usually saves you plus you could just fuel up at home. Just a thought.