The "service station" closest to my office just happens to offer B20 as well as dino-Diesel. Now isn't that nice!

So I've alternated between tanks of B20 and Dino, and it seems to me that I get roughly 1.5 MPG better fuel mileage on Dino-Diesel, but the car runs smoother - considerably so - on B20.

Have any of you out there run B20 versus Dino? Do you notice the same effect or is it simply psychosomatic on my part? I like running B20 as it costs exactly the same per gallon as Dino but with only 20% concentration of Bio, I suspect that I may be imagining and convincing myself of the smoother running.

Cheers!

I too get better mileage on the Dino (have not checked but for me it seems like it is a few mpg), but I like the muted purr of the B20 and it's cleansing abilities. Have been running mostly B20 for a couple of years now (15,000 miles +-) and just did the filters this past weekend, two small black specks in the pre-filter only.

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raMBow

1999 E300DT Obsydian Black Metallic, Heated Full Leather Parchment options, E2, K2, 136,000+, best 36.5 mpg - GP's 12-04 & 11-12 Zero Stuck
2010 Honda Odyssey - The BrideMobile - best 26.5
(2) 2005 Honday Accord- (1 -Corporate 1 - Personal) - 110,000 4-cyl 30mpg
2000 VW Golf GLS TDI, Upsolute Chip (sold to Brother, now 300+k on it) 48.5 mpg like clock work
1987 Honda CRX HF - Sold 87,000 always over 50 mpg Max 67 mpg

Yep, lots of us have run bio some of us even make the stuff in our garages, and some of us are running straight vegetable oil (svo), or waste vegetable oil (wvo). Your mpg findings and smoother running observations are right on.

If you use the search function for the threads you can find out a lot more, as most guys expect you to do that first, and ask when you get stumped.

READ, SEARCH, READ, SEARCH.

But it' nice to have you around. Just be careful, bio acts as a solvent so you need to read up on what fuel lines you have and make sure it wont degrade yours. Also, some of the guys recomend changing filters more often because the bio will nock the deposits in your tank and lines loose.

Happy searching

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83' 300D Turbo - resurection in progress...

I do not plan to run WVO or SVO until I see a TSB from Mercedes that approves its use.

However, thanks for the tips regarding B20. I can't imagine that a mere 20% concentration will degrade rubber fuel lines. If I ran B80 or B100 that would be a different story, but I'll keep an eye on the fuel lines without expecting to change them for B20.

Those fuel lines are going to age, crack and deteriorate on their own. It won't have anything to do with B20. Well, hardly anything.

Those of us running B100 just accept the fact that it may mean we have to replace 20 bucks worth of fuel hose at year 4 instead of year 10.

JP

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1985 300SD
2001 Toyota Tundra - soon to be replaced with diesel truck
2006 Honda CRV

Yes, B20 is very benign. I noticed no (extra) leaks when I first started filling with B20, then blending B100 to B20 or B30 into my tank when I wanted more. And if you replace hoses with Viton, you don't have to worry about them for a long while.

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'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

I run ~B50 without a signifigant hit on power or economy. And it sure runs quieter.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

I doubt MB will ever release TSB that will approve it, due to the fact that it would require money to research the WVO, SVO usage and that's money they wouldnt recover. However, If you google around the web, you will find that ,the opinion is widely held, the MB 5 cyl. is one of the best candidates for the grease car.

I dont think its the concetration per gallon but the total amount over time that causes the degredation of natural rubber. Once again, this information is readily available through the search function and other websites through googling.

I personally have run B100 in my tank once and continue to mix B50 for my everyday use, and have just had my first hose replacements. My return lines have swollen and do not fit properly around the orfice on the injectors.

but dont take my word for it......search a little

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83' 300D Turbo - resurection in progress...

B20 has less BTUs than dino diesel that is why your mileage drops. Now if they made B20 using animal fats it would have a higher BTU content and you would get better mileage.

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

Thanks Conn.

Mileage drop is so small that it may often be offset by changes in driving patterns, running the A/C, and so on.

I'll trade 1 extra MPG for smoother running any day.

FYI - last tank of got 26.88 MPG on a mix of city/highway with AC running. On the last tank of B20 it was 26.01. I cannot complain.

Can you make Bio out of waste cooking oil that contains animal fat?

I have access to as much of that as I can use. If so, I am going to start colecting it.

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83' 300D Turbo - resurection in progress...