Bio Diesel. Yes or no?

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TexasRacer

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Some of the gas stations around here sell a 20% bio diesel fuel. Anyone have any experience with it?
 

06 Dodge

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Used it in my 06 a few times and had more soot out tail pipe when driving & not towing, saw no mpg improvement some claimed to get so only used when I had no other choice when traveling, around my area B20 cost the same as B5 so will still avoid it in my 22 as I see no advantage to using...
 

GTyankee

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It messes with the fuel filter on my Eco-diesel

Many of the truck stops are switching to bio-fuel
I now hunt down the stations with #2 diesel

they claimed that it would be cheaper than #2 diesel
we now know that is very seldom true
 
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crash68

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Ram also recommends to change to engine oil at shorter intervals when bio-diesel is used in the vehicle.
On the good news, bio-diesel usually has a higher lubricity to it than ULS #2 diesel so it should be better for the pumps and injectors.
 

Dennis Shellito

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Yes, the bio-diesel has lubricity that the current #2 diesel fuel lacks, but in fuel mileage tests (can't remember who performed these tests) it was substantially lower than straight #2 fuel. I run #2 with 6 oz. of Power Service Diesel Kleen in my 2011 CTD and have no interest in changing.
 

Oliver Closehauf

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Going to resurrect this a little.

A gallon of diesel here in Cincinnati is 5.70-5.80 at Kroger. Across the river in northern Kentucky its 5.17 at Kroger, and at the Costco in Florence, Ky they had Diesel with "up to 5 % bio diesel" blend for 4.49 if I remember correctly. My Cincinnati Costco doesn't even have diesel and was surprised to see a diesel pickup pull right in the last time I was there at the one in Florence.
I'm guessing the Ky Krogers have that same blend but will check.

So for a dollar cheaper and only 5% bio diesel, would you fill up, or is 35 bucks a fill savings still not worth potential problems?
 

Moose2

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I’d do it for 35 bucks @up to 5%. I don’t like it still, but gotta save a little. 2 fills almost pays for filters.
 

06 Dodge

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Around my area 99.5% of stations sell 5% Bio Diesel so at times I have no choice but to use it when the non bio diesel station price can be 50 cents a gallon higher then Fred Meyers/Kroger, in my 2022 I do not notice much difference in fuel mileage when using B-5, now in my old 06 5.9 CTD I would lose fuel mileage when using B-5... I have had many diesel owners here locally say that good B-5 diesel is ok to use when towing long distance but its not good to use for town driving... As for filter problems I have been lucky not to have any and in the cold of fall/winter I always use anti-gel additives it any time temps will drop or may drop below 30 degrees, is it over kill, maybe but I don't like the idea of having to mess with a gelled fuel system..
 

ppine

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Bio-diesel is a mixed bag of tricks. It is something we all may be dealing with more in the future. When dino fuel gets more expensive bio fuel will remain price competitive.

No doubt about better lubricity, a little less fuel economy and harder starting in the cold. Fuel filters tend to clog up because biofuel runs clean and takes out some carbon in the engine. It makes me uncomfortable at below freezing temps because of the tendency for gelling. In the future we may be adding preheaters to our diesel engines to be able to run biodiesel year around.

Some day when gas engines are running on $8-10 fuel, we will be running biodiesel for much less made from **** seed, algae, rendered cooking oil and lots of other things. Diesel engines can even be converted to run on hydrogen. Diesel is an agile technology that is very adaptable. It is one of the reasons I was willing to buy a new diesel truck, because they will remain viable in the future.
 

MyTruck

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How does one know Bio-diesel clogs up the fuel filter faster than th#2 diesel? Is there a visual indicator for this?
 

Doug Ram

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I only use bio diesel when I have to, and I've used up to 20 percent, when we are towing across the country. We don't have much bioD around upstate NY. It seems to make no difference to me that I've noticed. But I follow the shorter fuel and oil filter change interval recommended by FCA for the several northeastern states that seem to have dirtier fuel.
 

06 Dodge

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How does one know Bio-diesel clogs up the fuel filter faster than th#2 diesel? Is there a visual indicator for this?
Long term experience using it, also you should treat your fuel tank a few time's a year with algaecide because alga & other gunk can grow in Bio diesel, fyi Bio diesel has a higher gel point than #2 diesel...
 

Gr8bawana

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When we were in Oregon for several weeks last summer almost every fuel station had only blends. Some said 5% blend and some said "up to 20%" blend.
We were pulling our 14k lb 5th wheel and I noticed ZERO difference from #2diesel.
 

06 Dodge

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When we were in Oregon for several weeks last summer almost every fuel station had only blends. Some said 5% blend and some said "up to 20%" blend.
We were pulling our 14k lb 5th wheel and I noticed ZERO difference from #2diesel.

Being I live in the Portland metro area its hard to find stations that sells straight #2 diesel as most sell B5, one place called Space Age sells B20 at the same price as B5, it should have a lower price do to taxes & credits. Since I moved to this area a few years ago I have talked to various diesel owners GMC/Chevy & Ford they all told me that they see lower fuel mileage from B5 while driving locally, when towing they say they get the same mileage as #2 and I agree with them as I found one station near me that sells diesel without Bio mixed in and when using Bio diesel I notice a loss of 1 to 1.25 mpg...
 

ppine

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Usually the fuel filters clog up early only once. Bio-diesel will take carbon out of your engine and some of it shows up in the fuel filters. Always carry spares onboard for that reason. After the first filter change, bio fuel should not clog up your engine filters any faster than straigt dino fuel.
 

Fuel35 67

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Bio has wax in it, so yes, it will clog up the filters. That’s why you change them sooner.
 

Doug Ram

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Usually the fuel filters clog up early only once. Bio-diesel will take carbon out of your engine and some of it shows up in the fuel filters. Always carry spares onboard for that reason. After the first filter change, bio fuel should not clog up your engine filters any faster than straigt dino fuel.
I don't understand how carbon in the engine gets back into the fuel filter... and not out the exhaust.
 

Doug Ram

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Bio has wax in it, so yes, it will clog up the filters. That’s why you change them sooner.
That makes sense. But I don't understand the post that says biodiesel will clog the fuel filter by cleaning carbon out of the engine. It would seem to me that any carbon burned would hit the exhaust instead.
 
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