http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=7816&page_number=1

Speculation on the future of diesel passenger cars in the US.

Good article. I wonder if the Jeep Liberty will have the 2.1 Mercedes diesel when it finally arrives at our local dealers? Have stopped in to several Jeep dealers and no one seems to know much about the new Liberty diesel.

I heard it was an Italian diesel that is contracted by a German company. They have been sold in Europe for a good while and get favorable reviews. I just hope it is enough engine to perform well. Underpowered vehicles tend to get beat, 240s being the exception to the rule. Seems I remember someone said it is a 2.5.

Why is bio-diesel never mentioned in these kinds of articles? I don't claim to be very knowledgeable regarding bio-diesel but it is the kind of fuel that can be grown rather than pumped. Does bio have the same NOx problems as regular diesel? Is large scale bio-diesel production out of the question?

No Less NOx I believe, at least less then dino diesel.
No easier to do then making from crude oil.

Why not more Bio fuel used? Big oil company's want the big proffits in gasoline sales.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

Maybe if someone sent a letter to the editor of "wake up and smell the coffee" about biodiesel it would get more notice and become more common.

National magazines, like this, would be a great place for biodiesel to be exposed to greater numbers.

To be honest with you, I had never heard of biodiesel until visiting this forum.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I agree! While I havent yet tried the bio-diesel fuel concept in my own car, many of my friends have. I havent heard anything bad about the alternative fuel. Their cars run great, and the bio-diesel fuel cleans out the whole fuel system constantly. No black soot!!! If there could be more nation wide mass scale exposure of this new fuel for diesel engines, it could possibly radically change the way diesels are though of in the future. I live in the bay area, and there is already now a bio-diesel fuel station south of here on the peninsula. And Im not sure if you guys get them, but ive gotten countless fliers left on my windshield examining the pros and cons of running bio-diesel. And to say the least, it seems like a great thing!

I can already imagine the look on the oil companies faces....

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Nate

1995 E420
1992 BMW 525i
1984 300D Turbo sold
1993 Volvo 244 sold
1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P!


"The details are not details. They make the product."
-Charles Eames

www.cbs.nu

Only problem is in the economics. Kind of like making ethanol for gasoline addition or blending, where it takes more petroleum based fuel to operate the farm than the ethanol you get back. BioD seems to be priced substantially higher than DinoD everywhere I have seen it advertised. Does seem to be a cleaner alternative though, and if the coking issues are not too substantial could be successful in the long term. The economics need to be right though!

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

Mfg's are making a killing on the B100. Soy oil is made when making the bean paste for use in food stuff's and they make a lot of cooking oil from that, even after selling oil to fuel makers. They have so much left over from the process even after sell it for cooking and other types of oil that most is dump. They can do that because it is a non bio hazard.

One of the problems that still give the B100 makes fits is lower the jell point. The crap starts getting thick below about 75* F and turns solid at 32* F and as yet no additive to prevent other then heavy mixing with dino fuel.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

check out this page for hard facts: http://www.biodiesel.org/

Biodiesel could (and is) be quite easily mass-produced. Large volume would reduce prices, so long as a supply of raw materials did not become constrained.

Biodiesel doesn't do anything to help NOx, unfortunately. NOx is formed through high temperatures and pressures, which cause the Nitrogen and Oxygen in the air to combine. Since biodiesel runs the same temps and pressures, it's gonna produce roughly the same NOx. The other emissions are much better, however:

Emissions:

Emission Type B100 B20 (100% vs 20% biodiesel)
Regulated
Total Unburned Hydrocarbons -67% -20%
Carbon Monoxide -48% -12%
Particulate Matter -47% -12%
Nox +10% +2%

Non-Regulated
Sulfates -100% -20%*
PAH -80% -13%
nPAH (nitrated PAH’s)** -90% -50%***
Ozone potential of speciated HC -50% -10%

What about cholesterol and saturated fat

It is a cleaner alternative, and it's a better fuel. The coking issues you mention are not associated with biodiesel, they are associated with burning vegetable oil that is not hot enough.

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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

Does it run more efficient? I saw a station in San Diego selling it, at $2.39, thought that was ridiculous expensive at the time.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

I don't know what crappy b100 you've been using, but mine started cold without any issues down to 20 this winter. World Energy b100. Thick at 75 cannot possibly meet the astm standard.

There is an anti-gelling agent that's been designed for biodiesel specifically. If memory serves, it's called.... Power Service Arctic Express Biodiesel Anti-Gel. Hard to find, but supposed to work great!

the cars listed below LOVE b100.
k

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Cannondale ST600 XL
Redline Monocog 29er
2011 Mini Cooper Clubman
2005 Honda Element EX

www.djugurba.com
www.waldenwellness.com

It actually has a slightly lower heat content than diesel, so you get a little less out of a gallon (I believe).

That station in San Diego sells B20, which is only 20% biodiesel. Bummer...