Bio-diesel / Is it a good or bad thing for the engine ?

[T18skyguy]

I went to fill with diesel at my favorite Chevron station, and I noticed the diesel pump said something like S15. I had no choice at the time, so I only put in 10 gallons, cause I knew I could get better stuff later. A guy at the station remarked that it was ****, and bad for the engine and injectors. I get the environmental part, anybody know the facts about it's effects on the engine?

[ppine]

All diesel fuel is subject to adsorbing water. That's why you have a fuel filter with a water separator.

Biodiesel provides additional lubricity that others have mentioned. It helps replace the sulfur taken out of fuel by recent air quality regulations. Biodiesel also tends clean out the carbon in your engine. It can clog your fuel filter, so always carry a spare.

The only real problem is that biodiesel can gel or form wax crystals at a higher temperature than #2 dino fuel, and much higher than #1 diesel. It is possible to run b100 in the winter, but it takes a pre-heater.

Some time in the future, it is likely that the cost of reg #2 diesel will be much higher than biodiesel. That will happen around $5 a gallon mark. When that happens, biodiesel will provide cheaper fuel than any petro based fuel. Biodiesel can be made from waste cooking oil, ag crops like canola and algae among others.

It will be no big deal to retrofit modern diesel engines with a pre-heater for all driving conditions.

[97chevor]

I have run into problems with my 2013 Chevy diesel failing regen do to the fuel not igniting through that ninth injector. Now not only is there a bio diesel out there but another form called BioMass diesel. Reading from the internet says it comes from algae or animal fats.

These fuels that lower the egts the truck runs can and have caused problems with the new emmision systems required on the diesel trucks. They need heat to burn off the soot it collects.

[bartlettj]

The reason some modern diesel manufacturers recommend against biodiesel is due to the dpf Regen cycle. Before GM added the 9th injector on the LML and newer engines (2011+), the Regen cycle worked by blasting diesel into the cylinders with the exhaust valves open, which leads to oil dilution. Biodiesel tends to creep past the rings more and was over diluting the oil on the early dpf Duramax.

I run B20 in my 2012 GMC, it runs well on it. I don't notice any difference in fuel economy between B20 and B5. Plus, B20 is cheaper.

[richclover]

“...The Ram manual is not too clear...but check on the Cummins website...you are B20 approved...also, you will see if you read "between the lines" in the ram manual. ..”

Thanks, I’ll take a look at the Cummins site.

[richclover]

Lynnmor wrote:

richclover wrote:


My 2018 Ram Cummins book says no more than 5%. B20 requires an additional optional feature(s) that my Cummins is not equipped with.

Is this a cab & chassis model or an ordinary pickup?

2500HD short bed pickup.

[ppine]

All diesel fuel can absorb (or adsorb) water. It can grow algae, bio or dino.
One thing is for certain. Biodiesel is likely to become more common going forward, especially when the price of diesel fuel get up around $4.50 a gal.

[NinerBikes]

T18skyguy wrote:
Thank you all, you guys are teaching me a lot. I am in Oregon, and the button on the pump said S15. Had never seen that before. I have a 2016 Duramax, so I better read the manual. My rig has only 3600 miles on it, and I have changed oil once, but not fuel filter. I better look into it. I need to find out how often the fuel filter needs changed. We got a foot of snow now. I can wait a bit. I don't drive it much right now.

S-15 is 15 ppm sulfur or less, otherwise known as Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel or ULSD. Been around, and mandated for years now, ever since Diesel Particulate filters, common rail diesels, Catalytic converters and Ad Blue NOX treatment has been around. Sulfur pollutes all those filters and emissions scrubbers, and contaminates and ruins them.

S-15 is regular old diesel 2 or D2 nowadays.

Bosch does not recommend anything more that B-5 or 5% biodiesel in any of their fuel injections diesel systems. As a lubricant agent, 1 to 2% blended in adds plenty of lubricity to lower the wear of your fuel injection system.

I have very strong opinions on running biodiesel made from waste vegetable oil or renderings or recycled Fatty Acid Methyl Esters based biodiesel through any diesel engine. It's simple.. Garbage IN, Garbage OUT. No way I am going to knowingly run garbage waste oil through a very, very expensive fuel injection system that's standard with these common rail diesel engines.

Beyond adding a 1 to 2% addition of biodiesel, for lubricity, if you are doing high turnover rates of your diesel fuel, I don't see any value added. It has about 7 to 8% less energy per gallon that regular ULSD. If you can avoid biodiesel, I would, no engine or fuel injection system has ever been white paper designed to run on biodiesel. All of them have been designed, since inception, to run on petroleum based D2.

[Learjet]

richclover wrote:

Edd505 wrote:

The guy at the stations full of C**p. The B20 is for bio diesel, I have run it in an old 7.3 power stroke. I avoid it because of the loss of mileage.

My 2018 Ram Cummins book says no more than 5%. B20 requires an additional optional feature(s) that my Cummins is not equipped with.

The Ram manual is not too clear...but check on the Cummins website...you are B20 approved...also, you will see if you read "between the lines" in the ram manual.

[Lynnmor]

richclover wrote:


My 2018 Ram Cummins book says no more than 5%. B20 requires an additional optional feature(s) that my Cummins is not equipped with.

Is this a cab & chassis model or an ordinary pickup?

[richclover]

Edd505 wrote:

T18skyguy wrote:
I went to fill with diesel at my favorite Chevron station, and I noticed the diesel pump said something like S15. I had no choice at the time, so I only put in 10 gallons, cause I knew I could get better stuff later. A guy at the station remarked that it was ****, and bad for the engine and injectors. I get the environmental part, anybody know the facts about it's effects on the engine?

The guy at the stations full of C**p. The B20 is for bio diesel, I have run it in an old 7.3 power stroke. I avoid it because of the loss of mileage.

My 2018 Ram Cummins book says no more than 5%. B20 requires an additional optional feature(s) that my Cummins is not equipped with.

[Learjet]

oops ...someone got schooled 🙂

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Grit dog wrote:
If a tank of fuel sits in your truck for 2 years,you should sell it.
And fuel tanks don’t delaminate. I truly feel sorry for people who get hosed by mechanics.

Really? :R

Do you want to apologize to all the mechanics now?

Class action suit against Ford

Fuel tank delimitation

And what do you think causes this people? Yep, Bio-D.

[Grit_dog]

If a tank of fuel sits in your truck for 2 years,you should sell it.
And fuel tanks don’t delaminate. I truly feel sorry for people who get hosed by mechanics.

[camper1013]

I have only had my truck for a month and haven't even filled the tank up yet so I can't say how it is for the engine other than the manual says B20 is fine.

I do know that in our large backup generator at work we run non-bio. I worked with our utility company as they have several standby/peaking generators that they run. They have had issues with Bio when it sits longer (water and bugs) and plugging filters in cold weather. I have had fuel sitting in our tank for 2 years without issues.

In my opinion, run whats at the pump if your manual says it can run it. If you are going to let it sit for the winter try and get something with out, or as little bio as possible to prevent issues while sitting.