Biodiesel? What do you think about it?

Hello,

Okay, I have a G3 TDI model from August 1995, and I'm not sure if I can use biodiesel.
'If it's possible from the 1996 model year onwards, does that mean that if my car has the oval indicator lights on the fenders, I can use biodiesel, but if it has the square ones, I can't?'
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I could fill up with biodiesel, would you do it?
If so, can I alternate or mix them? Can I simply add regular diesel to a partially full tank of biodiesel, or vice versa?
How does biodiesel affect performance, wear and tear, and injectors, etc.?
I heard that biodiesel is supposed to have a cleaning effect, but I wonder if that's true???!!!

Please share your experiences with biodiesel!

Sure, no problem! Just provide the text you want me to translate.

Hello.

Hi.

To the best of my knowledge, the following unfortunate situation still exists regarding biodiesel:

VAG is releasing the engines for the BD, even though Bosch, as the manufacturer of the injection system for its products, has not granted approval.

During the warranty period, any potential biological damage will generally be handled without major issues, but after that, it usually appears that VW tends to reject requests for goodwill repairs, often with the following explanation:
"Then the fuel probably didn't meet the required specification xyz --> That's your problem."
And how is a driver supposed to prove the opposite? --> You are allowed to inspect the new pump yourself.

As far as I know, it is proven that some biodiesel, which is chemically more aggressive, can damage certain seals.

Therefore, I am missing an alternative answer option like...
"Because you can't save that much money with it compared to the cost of a potentially necessary new pump, I'm not going to bother with it."

Hi Golfdriver,

I would like to participate in the vote, but the option "I don't support biodiesel" is simply missing...

I now believe that the fuel pump in my old 1Z was damaged by the use of biodiesel by the previous owner.

ulf wrote:

... "Then the fuel probably didn't meet the required specification xyz --> That's your problem." And how is a driver supposed to prove the opposite? --> You are allowed to inspect the new pump yourself. ...

Hi Ulf,

The standard E DIN 51606 is now valid only, while the EU standard EN 14214 is currently still provisional. In Germany, the quality of the fuel should at least be ensured. I view this "Normen Kuddelmuddel" with caution, and because the potential damages that could occur are simply too costly, I avoid such experiments.

@golfdriver,
I think it's not a good solution, as biodiesel can dissolve deposits in the tank, which can then clog the fuel filter. It might be worth trying occasionally, but I wouldn't recommend it as a regular practice.
I don't want to use biodiesel either, as long as the manufacturer of the fuel injection pump (Bosch) doesn't officially state that their product is suitable for use with biodiesel.

Hello.

Quote:

"Because you can't save that much money with it compared to the cost of a potentially necessary new pump, I'm going to leave it alone."

I see it that way too. As Ulf and Bertil already mentioned, driving with biodiesel is not without its problems.
The price difference at the pump outweighs the increased fuel consumption and the higher risk of defective ESP seals for me.
Biodiesel needs to be significantly cheaper; the difference at the local gas station is a mere 6 cents. Even when factoring in a 5% increase in fuel consumption, the adjusted price comes to 84.8 cents per liter (79.9 cents per liter). Regular diesel fuel costs 85.9 cents.
I'm skipping organic products because they're only 1.2 cents more per liter.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello.

'Because you can't save that much money with it compared to the cost of a potentially necessary new pump, I'm going to leave it alone.'

I see it that way too. As Ulf and Bertil already mentioned, driving with biodiesel is not without its problems.
The price difference at the pump outweighs the increased fuel consumption and the higher risk of defective ESP seals for me.
Biodiesel needs to be significantly cheaper; the difference at the local gas station is a mere 6 cents. Even when factoring in a 5% increase in fuel consumption, the adjusted price comes to 84.8 cents per liter (79.9 cents per liter). Regular diesel fuel costs 85.9 cents.
I'm skipping organic products because they're only 1.2 cents more per liter.

Greetings, Rainer


Hey,
In Germany, the BD is already 10 cents cheaper, but according to the local Volvo dealer, you can expect approximately 20% less power, but also a 20% increase in fuel consumption. You don't need to do much calculation, it's approximately 7.4 liters per 100 kilometers.

Best regards from Bielefeld.
Peter.

I would also like to vote. However, the option that is valid for me is missing: 'stay away.' Reasons: increased and unpredictable wear on the diesel particulate filter (DPF). As long as Volkswagen and Bosch cannot agree, and as an 'operator,' you need to be able to prove that you have used biodiesel that meets the standards, this is not an option! The money saved on biodiesel will quickly be lost in a new DPF.

"I don't like biodiesel."

Simply because my Webasto auxiliary heater is not approved for that purpose.

Hi,

I can only agree with the posters before me.
I've never done it, and I probably won't.

Regards,
Thomas.

I don't like biodiesel either...

Hi!

I like biodiesel, but for safety reasons, I'm avoiding using it because the consequences for my vehicle are unclear. I mixed in about 20% biodiesel for roughly 50,000 km. With this mixture, the engine has noticeably more torque, likely because more fuel is injected due to the higher viscosity. Unfortunately, fuel consumption increases proportionally. Overall, the cost of using biodiesel is higher due to the increased fuel consumption. I didn't have any problems.

Best regards,
Uwe

Hello Golfdriver!

I drive a Volkswagen Golf III TDI with 66 kW (engine code 1Z), first registered in January 1995.
Some time ago, after reading a report in the local press suggesting that all VW diesel engines could supposedly be operated with biodiesel, I wrote directly to VW.
They then requested a copy of my vehicle registration document from me, before informing me that my vehicle was not suitable for operation with biodiesel.
A conversion is neither technically feasible nor economically viable.
(Volkswagen Golf III, with square side turn signals).

Best regards, D.

Since biodiesel is still available for 68.9 cents in my area (regardless of other fuel price fluctuations), I regularly use it or mix it 50/50 with regular diesel. I haven't had any problems with it for about 90,000 km! The engine (1Z in the Audi 80) now has 342,000 km on the clock. The only issue I've noticed is that the fuel lines leading to the diesel filter have become slightly sticky. The return lines between the injectors were once leaking; whether this was due to biodiesel remains to be seen.
Now that I have a heater, I'll be switching back to regular diesel for the winter.
I couldn't detect any significant differences in terms of performance or fuel consumption.


Best regards.

Hi,

I have driven a Golf 3 TDI with approximately 145,000 km without any problems using biodiesel. Only the diesel filter had to be replaced at 56,000 km because the biodiesel had mobilized dirt that had accumulated over 18,000 km of diesel use.
Somewhere above, it states that the pump is subject to increased wear and tear when using biodiesel.
That statement is incorrect. Biodiesel has a significantly better lubricating effect than old, sulfur-containing diesel. And since diesel fuel has become even less sulfurous, its lubricating effect has become even worse.
You can find more information at www.biodiesel.de.
I would recommend that everyone use biodiesel as fuel. But only under the following conditions:
1. The vehicle has been approved by the manufacturer for this purpose.
2. The vehicle is driven for long distances, and not just at slow speeds; the engine also gets properly hot.
3. The fuel in the tank doesn't go bad quickly (only fill up when the tank is almost empty). The deposits likely form in the pump due to substances produced by the oxidation of biodiesel in the tank. I drive approximately 60,000 kilometers per year and fill up the gas tank at least once a week.

In my opinion, anyone who travels a lot can't go wrong with this.

Regards,

Eike.

PS: Seeing how many TDIs are running on pure vegetable oil, biodiesel can't be wrong...

eike wrote:

... That statement is incorrect. Biodiesel has a significantly better lubricating effect than old, sulfur-containing diesel. And since diesel fuel has become even less sulfurous, its lubricating effect has become even worse.

... unfortunately, biodiesel is "thicker" than diesel, which increases the load on the pump. The high-pressure (HD) section of the pump is lubricated by the gap between the fuel piston and the cylinder wall. It is therefore important that not all of the fuel is pumped, but that some of it also bypasses the pump piston. This is not immediately or only partially possible with biodiesel, due to its different viscosity (especially during cold starts).
While the lubricating properties of biodiesel are generally better, the case described above undermines this advantage.

Quote:

You can find more information at www.biodiesel.de.

...unfortunately, this page omits a lot of information (see above).

Quote:

PS: Looking at how many TDIs are running on pure vegetable oil, biodiesel can't be wrong...

While plant-based oil is generally considered less problematic than biodiesel for engines, even in online forums, it's often advised against using it in VE-TDI engines (reason: see above). The enthusiasts who modify mopeds with salad oil engines are, for good reason, drawn to VW WK engines or the older VK Daimler models.
I think it's ridiculous to simply condemn biodiesel outright; people should be aware of what they're doing and what the potential consequences are!

Okay, I've definitely driven at least 40,000 km with it. There's a gas station near me at the Globus store, and it only costs 69 cents per liter, which, as I said, is incredibly cheap. I also used it quite a bit last year during the winter, but when the temperature dropped to around -15°C, I decided to switch back to regular diesel.

Flip