is Biodiesel bad for our CDI engines?

[pnevesfoto]

Hello you all,
there is something bothering me lately... everytime I fill up my tank in a dealer nearby, that has great fuel prices, in which diesel fuel has a 7% biodiesel percentage in its composition, my W203 Station loses power at low rev, below 2000rpm...
Today I filled up at a different dealer that is running a big promotion on the higher quality fuel, in Portugal the so called "special or higher grade fuels" and the mpgs increased considerably...
The lower rev engine power came back fully noticeable and there is alot more life on it...

Should I avoid to fill up at local dealers that have biodiesel mixed with fossil fuel?
Is Biodiesel bad for our beloved CDI engines?

Let us shed some light on this pertinent matter...

 

[balge]

It's EU legislation, just gone up from 5% to 7%, slated to increase to 10% by 2020 I believe.
Fortunately it has no adverse effect on my OM603

 

[mbenz1]

Biodiesel on its own, promotes higher fuel consumption, blockage of the fuel system and soot formation since it contains fat known as esters.

However, biodiesel mixed with diesel fuel at a low blend of, for example B5, B10 and B15 is okay compared to just pure biodiesel. Biodiesel requires a good blend of additives to ensure that its disadvantages such as higher soot formation, fuel consumption and blockage can be reduced.or alternatively it can be mixed with diesel fuel to overcome/reduce those disadvantages.

According to most.journals, the fuel consumption of a diesel engine increases as the blend.of biodiesel in diesel is increased, since biodiesel has a higher mass compared to diesel. But since majority of journal-reported experiments are conducted in test laboratories, the difference between the engine performance in a lab and real life situation allows a large gap for variation.

 

[pnevesfoto]

Biodiesel on its own, promotes higher fuel consumption, blockage of the fuel system and soot formation since it contains fat known as esters.

However, biodiesel mixed with diesel fuel at a low blend of, for example B5, B10 and B15 is okay compared to just pure biodiesel. Biodiesel requires a good blend of additives to ensure that its disadvantages such as higher soot formation, fuel consumption and blockage can be reduced.or alternatively it can be mixed with diesel fuel to overcome/reduce those disadvantages.

According to most.journals, the fuel consumption of a diesel engine increases as the blend.of biodiesel in diesel is increased, since biodiesel has a higher mass compared to diesel. But since majority of journal-reported experiments are conducted in test laboratories, the difference between the engine performance in a lab and real life situation allows a large gap for variation.

so, as I understand, we should run with all our feet away from biodiesel... I noticed that the engine runs ar higher revs and average consuption climbs to Everest levels... is there any way for us to repair any damage of clean any sludge left by biodiesel usage?

 

[neilrr]

If you want to know about BD go over to Biopowered - vegetable oil and biodiesel forum - Index & talk to people who actually can make the stuff for themselves & know all about it.

 

[mbenz1]

so, as I understand, we should run with all our feet away from biodiesel... I noticed that the engine runs ar higher revs and average consuption climbs to Everest levels... is there any way for us to repair any damage of clean any sludge left by biodiesel usage?

As I mentioned previously, using additives mixed with.biodiesel is one of the easiest and compatible ways to reduce dirt/clean the fuel system. Obviously, the fuel filters can be changed more often since that.is a serviceable item.

I'm not sure about the latest CDI engines made by MB but the old CDIs like the 320 CDI etc are presumably not designed to use biodiesel-diesel blend fuel. Correct me if I'm wrong here guys. I would personally stick to premium diesel fuel and nothing else.

The engine behaviour you mentioned above are typical of biodiesel and pure biodiesel cannot provide the benefits of diesel atm. Tbh, alot of research is being made to overcome those disadvantages of biodiesel, such as using higher pressure injectors, different/advanced material for engine components, pre-heating of biodiesel since it's cloud point temperature is lower than that of diesel. Let's see what the researchers will bring out... Biodiesel seems to be the potential diesel replacement in the coming years.

 

[Bellow]

I haven't heard anything on the topic for a few years now but there were compatibility issues with engine oils - leading to congealing. VW apparently lost a few engines within 30s of cold start due to the oil being too thick to be pumpable. The problem was always with oil that had seen some service and the manufacturers (auto and oil) were desperately trying to devise a method of 'ageing' oil for test purposes.

 

[balge]

so, as I understand, we should run with all our feet away from biodiesel... I noticed that the engine runs ar higher revs and average consuption climbs to Everest levels... is there any way for us to repair any damage of clean any sludge left by biodiesel usage?

Going to be real hard as ALL Diesel now contains bio up to 7%...

 

[ivandraganov]

Stay well away from biodiesels,you would be better off to LPG convert petrol engine or have a hybrid car..

 

[mbenz1]

The problem here is that biodiesel is not fully compatible with the current diesel engine technology in production vehicles across the common vehicle manufacturers. But a small belnd of biodiesel, like that of B7 currently used, is not likely to cause serious damage to the engine components since the rest of the fuel is 93% diesel. In terms of diesel cars, I personally think premium diesel fuels are more likely to take care of the internal engine components since it has additives and cleaning agents, which aid the disadvantages caused by biodiesel. But in the future, if biodiesel is forcecasted to take-over diesel fuel completely, the engine manufacturers will most-likely design their engines to be 100% compatible with pure biodiesel.

Keep in mind that the biodiesel made from crops will be restricted/limited and is being restricted/limited currrently, since there isn't enough land to grow biodiesel crops and to add to that, the world's food demand cannot be satisfied with the current amount of land available/food production.

 

[ivandraganov]

Engines 100% compatible with pure biodiesel isnt going to happen,100% bioethanol engines yes...

 

[E270 Owner]

Hello you all
Is Biodiesel bad for our beloved CDI engines?

Let us shed some light on this pertinent matter...

Vegetable Oil Diesel Forum

 

[Dieselman]

Biodiesel on its own, promotes higher fuel consumption, blockage of the fuel system and soot formation since it contains fat known as esters.

As you seem to know a little about this subject, can you tell us what is the difference between vegetable oil and Bio-diesel?

 

[mbenz1]

As you seem to know a little about this subject, can you tell us what is the difference between vegetable oil and Bio-diesel?

That's a good question DM. It can be.looked at different ways but vegetable oil can be used in its original form in a diesel engine - this is referred to as 'straight vegetable oil'. But vegetable oil can be put through a process known as esterification or transesterification, in which, an external substance such as alcohol, is used to produce biodiesel...so in this case the feedstock for making biodiesel would be the vegetable oil. Biodiesel can also bemade from waste cooking oil...

The chemical composition and.properties of Biodiesel (made from vegetable oil in this case) are more beneficial than that of SVO (in a sense) and biodiesel can also be.mixed with diesel, where as SVO cannot be.mixed with diesel (well as far as I know)...

 

[E270 Owner]

Open the link I posted above it explains it all for you.

 

[neilrr]

Alcohol isn't used in the production of BD.

So you mean methanol?

Hands up anyone who is giving advice here who has actually made BD.

 

[mbenz1]

Alcohol isn't used in the production of BD.

So you mean methanol?

Yes. Alcohol is the common name used when talking about BD production in general but yes, talking specifically, methanol is the one.