AMCJeepMJ Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Stopped by the local Shell station to fill the Benz (07 W211 CDI) up with diesel recently and after the fill noticed that it was B20 biodiesel that I tanked up with (thanks for the info, fuel attendant! (in Oregon, BTW)). The car seems to run fine with it and the dash is not lighting up like a Christmas tree and the information center is not displaying any issues or errors. Performance and economy seem to be unaffected. With that said are there any pros or cons to this 20% biodiesel blend comparing it to 100% dinosaur ULSD diesel? The www speculation is all over the map with the love/hate for it and shortened/prolonged engine life. I am hoping for some real-world feedback by those that have actually used it for some time before I decide to keep running B20 or just stick to ULSD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbyluvv Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I ran it a couple times in my 07 5.9 Cummins. I can tell within a few miles if it is ULSD or Bio. My power is down and the fuel economy goes to crap. It also makes the engine rattle more. I now will go out of my way to get real diesel. No Bio for my big girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 From experience with a VW TDI... B20 performs similar to "normal" D2. BTU content of Bio is down a little bit (4%) from D2. Fuel lubricity is better with Bio/B20 than straight D2. In general, Biodiesel tends to swell injection pump seals after considerable use. Going back to 100% D2 after many many miles on Biodiesel can lead to leaky injection pumps. Note - many, many miles means many thousands of miles. B20 is generally an approved fuel by most/all manufacturers. On the down side, home made biodiesel can be full of contaminates and can vary from batch to batch. Not something I want to run in my TDI. Personally, I tend to stick with 100% D2, but not opposed to running a tank of B20 now and then in my car. Suspect you would notice more of a change if you went to straght B100. Perhaps that is what Bo noticed - B100 vs B20 There is a renewable diesel sold in California at Propel stations called HPR diesel. Not Biodiesel, but imported from Finland. Very high cetane value, about 98% btu content of D2. Reduces smoke by more than 30% (I have seen it in my car). Doesn't foam like normal D2 when you fill the tank - easier to top off the tank right to the top. I really like the ProPel HPR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMCJeepMJ Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 John, thanks for the heads up about HPR; it doesn't appear to be available outside of CA at the moment, but like every other trend it'll be only a matter of time before OR adopts it. Next time I'm in Cali in the Benz I will give it a shot. Shelby I will monitor the MPG to see if there is a significant drop for the overall tank; I get currently get about 31-33 average and have received 44.9 on a single run with cruise set at 55. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 B20 is a good blend to run. And the energy content is almost the same as regular diesel. B5 - B20 gives the best of both worlds. The added lubricity, cetane boost, and energy content being about the same. Biodiesel is a good solvent, so if you have junk your tank it will start to scrub it out. If you were to switch and start running higher concentrations you might start plugging up your filters as it scrubs years of accumulated junk from the tank. Ive run everything from B100 to regular diesel in the Jeep(KJ) I really only notice any hit in mileage above B50. The smell of the exhaust and the sound start to change the higher in % you go. Smells like fries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheFan1991 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Would B20 be bad for the Renault 2.1 Diesel used in the 1986 and 1987 Mj's, as it's kind of a crude diesel, relatively speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Typically older diesel engines are more forgiving than the newer ones. B20 would be fine IMO. IF anything, top off your tank with some and see how that works for you. IF it works fine, then fill up and run it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheFan1991 Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Typically older diesel engines are more forgiving than the newer ones. B20 would be fine IMO. IF anything, top off your tank with some and see how that works for you. IF it works fine, then fill up and run it again. I don't have one but I was wondering, as they aren't computer controlled like the newer ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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