http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/25/roadtrips.biofuel.kickoff/index.html

But hey at least it's not another article about how old diesels belch smoke, though a little talk about algae would have been useful. But obviously that's way above this journalist's head.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I draw amusement from the uninformed. Keep it coming.

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Vehicles:
2002 SLK 230
Gone but not forgotten:
1983 300D
1981 El Camino 'OILBRNR' - 6.2L diesel
OM617 powered '86 F150
1984 BMW 524td
2001 VW Beetle TDI
1994 Sunurban 4x4 6.5L diesel

By consuming more fuel per mile and getting fewer miles per dollar spent? The only way they would save on ethanol is by driving less because they won't find many stations selling it and they won't have the range to drive between them!

Well, that depends on the price of ethanol. From what I've heard it's a lot cheaper than gas, so even with the lower energy density you might still come out ahead.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

Its got to be priced much lower than gasoline to break even. Current prices aren't quite low enough to get out ahead let alone save $300/year.

Corn ethanol was and is a shoddy excuse for "alternative fuel" sold to America (or, more accurately, to American politicians who protect it) by unscrupulous interest groups.

...
and that "article" on "biodiesel" is hilarious.

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'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel

Objectively - $300 a year, when people spend anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 a year on fuel? Gotta give me a little more than that to even pay for the new FlexFuel vehicle, let alone convince me to dump yummy hydroscopic ethanol into my tank.

And let's not even start with the brilliant idea of using VIRGIN CORN for ethanol. (Wait, I think I just did start it!

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Vehicles:
2002 SLK 230
Gone but not forgotten:
1983 300D
1981 El Camino 'OILBRNR' - 6.2L diesel
OM617 powered '86 F150
1984 BMW 524td
2001 VW Beetle TDI
1994 Sunurban 4x4 6.5L diesel

Yes, you did... but really, who among us would actually attempt to defend the position of using virgin corn for ethanol. You may have opened a can of worms but you'll likely find them staying in the can huddled in agreement.

As a side note, CoyoteStarfish: you look like you've had some pretty interesting vehicles (6.2 camino and 617 F150).

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'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel

I just heard on the news radio that gas mixed w/10% ethanol is selling for about 45 cents/gallon cheaper BUT critics say the residual water in the ethanol can damage engines. The purest ethanol is 5% water, no way to remove that last 5% by distillation.

Most gasoline sold at pumps is already E5-E10.

I don't know how one removes the last 5% but it is definitely possible. When I was a student, we used absolute alcohol as a dessicant. Pure alcohol is so hygroscopic that it will take moisture right out of the air; putting a dish of pure alcohol into a sealed environment results in complete drying of the atmosphere.

In practical terms, you can buy 99% isopropyl alcohol at the drugstore (well, they claim it's 99%) and 99% ethyl alcohol under trade names like "Everclear" at liquor stores. Drinking straight Everclear is not recommended: it will take the moisture right out of your throat and cause you to choke (or so I have heard).

All of that said, it certainly is possible for alcohol used in fuel blends to be contaminated by water. Supposedly, the size of the water molecule causes damage to fuel injection systems. I have seen no definitive evidence of this but it certainly is possible.

It's clear from CNN's article that they are trying in the fewest possible words to communicate with the typical dumb***** American, hence the use of the term (makes my teeth hurt to say it) "diesel gasoline." This is called "dumbing down," people. It's how you lose.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

The fly in the ointment....."politicians" supporting a Dumb idea to help a select group they represent. The use of corn in this country to make ethanol has added about 12-15% to the total cost of food over the past 2 years. Corn prices have gotten so high, that the ethanol producers like Archer Daniels Midland have had to shut down production, because they can't make a profit running their plants. Now, Brazil, who produces ethanol from sugar cane, can export the finished product to this country at a price 50% less than domestic producers can make it for, with the added benefit of no food inflation. Only problem is the 50% tariff that congress levied on "imported ethanol". Makes sense to me......NOT!

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96 E300d

I think it's the author of the article who's already dumbed down, and he's just passing his own dumb info to the other dummies.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I assume you guys all noticed the major inaccuracies in the original quote, but just in case you didn't, the "diesel gasoline" isn't the only problem. Biodiesel is not a mix of diesel & vegetable oil. Biodiesel is methyl esters derived from vegetable oil, and it's mixed with petroleum diesel to a desired blend. Now if CNN said it that way, I'd have no complaints.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

If you were going to do a cross country trip in a Diesel, why would you select an International Harvester Scout as your vehicle of choice?

I'd rather tool down the road in the BBB, Air conditioning going, cruise control on and listening to the stereo...Sucking in all that leather and woodgrain goodness.