Retail Fuel Stations: Your BioDiesel % content, Availability, and Experiences ?

[3930dave]

DiamondPilot made a comment that got me thinking about this..... B10 or higher is common in his neck'o'the woods, not so mine.

Geographic Location: (if not in your Signature) ?

Biodiesel % in Retail Fuel: B5, 10, 20....... ?

Price difference compared to Full Dino (traditional) Diesel ?

Availability: Limited, Common, or Mandatory in All Stations ?

Operating Experiences: Fuel Filter plugging ? Mileage Increase/Decrease ? Algae contamination ? Water contamination ?

Favourite Biodiesel info sites, esp. ones with Geographic information ?

Where I am, (Central Ontario, Canada) there is very little/no Biodiesel available, and what I've found so far is very vague about % content.

I drive to the USA occasionally in a personal diesel vehicle. If I'm heading to an area where I can only buy B20, I'd prefer to know ahead of time (Pack a fuel filter and/or extra fuel !).

I expect to see more Biodiesel options/mandatory consumption in the future, and am interested in learning more. My driving is typically done in Canada and the USA, but would love to hear what is going on with BioDiesel elsewhere in the world.

Rgds, D.

 

[newbury]

Excellent timing.
Bio is creeping in.

Geographic Location: 1. Alexandria, VA 2.Fulton (NE) MS
Biodiesel % in Retail Fuel: B5, 10, 20....... ? 1. Virtually none 2.WalMart/Murphy "5 to 20"

Price difference compared to Full Dino (traditional) Diesel ? Same

Availability: Limited, Common, or Mandatory in All Stations ? 1. limited 2. creeping in

Operating Experiences: Fuel Filter plugging ? Mileage Increase/Decrease ? Algae contamination ? Water contamination ? none

Favourite Biodiesel info sites, esp. ones with Geographic information ?
none

I'm especially concerned because VW states a max of 5% bio for my TDI, although I'm pretty sure up to B20 works fine.

for my 2 7.3's and tractors the extra lube is good.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Like I stated earlier in another thread, in Indiana all gas must be 10% ethanol. All fuel. Even marinas and co ops have switched over in my area due to availability but off road vehicles are exempt if you can find real gas. I buy about 150 gallons of gas per week in the summer and have not seen any real gas since 2010. As we all know it plays havoc on carbs and fuel lines.

Diesel must all be 2% but most around my area is 10% I have seen no ill effects but on old equipment some have reported fuel lines that break down.

Chris

 

[schmism]

2 places to buy 100% pure gas (no ethanol) race track for 110 octane and small airport for 100LL

 

[3930dave]

Like I stated earlier in another thread, in Indiana all gas must be 10% ethanol. All fuel. Even marinas and co ops have switched over in my area due yo availability but off road vehicles are exempt if you can find real gas. I buy about 150 gallons of gas in the summer and have not seen any real gas since 2010. As we all know it plays havoc on carbs and fuel lines.

Diesel must all be 2% but most around my area is 10% I have seen no ill effects but on old equipment some have reported fuel lines that break down.

Chris

Chris - is the diesel at B10 statewide in Indiana, or just your county ? Is there a local BioDiesel plant that is being supported ? (If so, who owns it - the Governor's BIL ? :laughing.

I'm curious about the roll-out issues, and why BioDiesel is gaining much more traction in some areas vs. others.

Overall, (Canada/USA) I feel that BioDiesel implementation is about where Ethanol in Gasoline was 10 years ago. YMMV (); part of why I started this thread was to identify regional differences.

Rgds, D.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Chris - is the diesel at B10 statewide in Indiana, or just your county ? Is there a local BioDiesel plant that is being supported ? (If so, who owns it - the Governor's BIL ? :laughing.

I'm curious about the roll-out issues, and why BioDiesel is gaining much more traction in some areas vs. others.

Overall, (Canada/USA) I feel that BioDiesel implementation is about where Ethanol in Gasoline was 10 years ago. YMMV (); part of why I started this thread was to identify regional differences.

Rgds, D.

State wide. Yes, one bio plant 3.5 miles from me, on 40 miles, and another about 100. There are probably more but these are the ones I know about.

Chris

 

[Furu]

B5 is very common here in the PNW (WA) and I like it. I think it burns a bit cleaner than straight petrol but I can't support that scientifically just my feel from exhaust. Supposedly from the reading I have done the lubricity of biodiesel is higher than ULSD but it has issues that are well known as detriments. The same readings state that at the B5 level the lubricity added by B5 is good but the negatives have not yet gotten high enough to be a problem. Have not seen enough evidence at the B10 level to form an opinion yet but am waiting.

 

[3930dave]

Thanks Chris. Having the plants local makes sense.

Furu - I'm at the same info stage as you. I would be comfortable using B5 (and would welcome the lubrication of B5) in my 7.3, but am concerned about jumping to a concentration higher than that in an older engine, due to the potential solvent like cleaning action. I'm not against changing fuel filters, just don't want to be forced to when I'm trying to take a driving vacation !

I found some Biodiesel at a rural cardlock, up near Lake Huron (Canadian side, Ontario) last summer, but decided not to fill there as the labeling on the pump was unclear about the Bio content, and there was nobody around to ask.

Rgds, D.

 

[dodge man]

In my area, Western Illinois, I don't THINK it mandatory for fuel to have bio or ethanol, but its very common. I can find pure gas in my town, but its only 87 octane. All the diesel pumps say its between B5 and B20, but you don't know how much bio. I can't find pure diesel in my town at the pump, but the local farm supplier has it in off road.

As far as price goes, I can't tell the price difference for pure diesel since I can't find it. Ethano fuel is always cheaper. For example, pure gas in 87 octane is about $0.10 per gallon more than 89 octane with 10% ethanol.

I've never had any problems running bio in my Dodge with a Cummins, but I've had my Kubota plug up fuel filters twice in 5 years in the winter. I never knew for sure what the problem was, if it was dirt, water, gelling or what. I don't think it was algae.

 

[Johnp33]

You will find that very few places do not have Bio in there diesel fuel.
The bio is added as the very best lubricity aditive, and cetain booster. Just because it doesn't say it on the pump does not mean it is not in there.