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  #1  
Old 01-02-2009, 08:38 AM
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Minnesota Diesel Fuel

This May 1st Minnesota has mandated all diesel fuel to contain at minimum 5% biodiesel. In 2012 all diesel sold in Minnesota must contain at least 10% biodiesel. The owners manual for our 2008 M-Class CDI states that the maximum biodiesel content allowable is 5% and that anything above that percentage mixture is not allowed, will void the warranty and will damage the engine.

Are other states mandating the same percentages and what is a diesel owner to do? Of course one obvious thing is to not buy diesel in Minnesota but that may be quite impractical.

Jim W.

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  #2  
Old 01-02-2009, 10:12 AM
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I would think a state mandate would override a warrany specification, unless the company can withstand a class action lawsuit.
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  #3  
Old 01-02-2009, 10:43 AM
F18 F18 is offline
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JimW.......contact your State's Attorney Generals Office just to have the complaint/concern on record. The State could block the sale of any future diesel MBs until the manufacturer extends the warranty to cover use with the new state mandated B10. And they can put pressure on the Dealers to cover the recent vehicles already sold in your state with an in house warranty.

This has also been a concern about some gasoline vehicles from VW, BMW est. which states in their owners manuals that the use of fuel with more than 5% ethanol voids the warranty...............well all pump gasoline is now 10% ethanol in the US whether it is marked or not.

File an official complaint and keep yourself covered. Send a CC'd copy of the letter that you send to the State Attorney Generals Office also to the MB Dealer and to MB North America.

Personally I don't think you will have anything to worry about using B10
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Last edited by F18; 01-02-2009 at 11:20 AM.
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  #4  
Old 01-02-2009, 11:30 AM
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it is currently B-2, and has been for about 1.5 yrs.
and I really think that it is a good move on our states part. I am not aware of another state that mandates any bio use.

I reckon that the 5% that diamler-benz put into your owners manual is just a major CYA(cover your a$$) move on there part, but you have gotten some great advice on covering yours, too. if you communicate via email, you then have proof for your records.

I also wonder how bio-D and the new urea systems will get along. we may have screwed ourselves over on the bio fuel front by having such strict diesel emissions regulations for new models.
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Old 01-02-2009, 12:09 PM
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Just wanted to add that the State of Massachusetts had passed a mandate that all diesel must be B5 in this state by some time in 2010 ( I may be wrong about the year).

Didn't Minnesota first require diesel to be B2 or B5 only at Highway fueling stations initially (so the big rigs would be using it)? Or is it state wide now?
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Old 01-02-2009, 01:18 PM
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I remember reading somewhere that as long as the fuel you put into your vehicle meets ASTM standards, manufacturers can not void your warranty for putting higher percentages than 5% in the tank.
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  #7  
Old 01-02-2009, 01:39 PM
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What year and Model is your Car?
Is there any actual evidence that greater then %5 percent Biodiesel will cause any damage to anything other then leaking O-rings?
It may be Mercedes was worried about the people who make their own Biodiesel and the variable quality of the fuel the end up with.
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Old 01-02-2009, 02:35 PM
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B-2 was phased in from 6-05 thru 10-05, when it became mandatory. in 12-05, the law was suspended for a few weeks while cold filter plugging issues were sorted out. no problems since.

were are looking at b-20 by 2015 under current regulations.
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  #9  
Old 01-02-2009, 02:43 PM
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You all are lucky.Stupid rednecks here,got rid of the only B20 pump.I have to drive over a 150 miles to get any bio mix.
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  #10  
Old 01-02-2009, 05:12 PM
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He is not lucky at all. Can you imagine how many gelling and fuel separation cases Minnesota will have with their frigid winters? There is good reason why Bio is not recommended below freezing temperatures.

Requiring bio in diesel is no different than requiring ethanol in gas. When you force things down people's throat bad things happen. When I was in Oklahoma last week almost every station was advertising the fact they have ethanol-free gas at their pumps.

Biodiesel is great, when people are given the choice to use it.
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  #11  
Old 01-02-2009, 08:09 PM
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Yep,your right forced.I just like to run at least twice a year,to clean everything out.
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  #12  
Old 01-02-2009, 09:44 PM
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There was a thread on here some time ago where a guy was running a CDI on increasing amounts of biodiesel. B100 set some codes off, but he was good to go up to something like B75 or B80. Mercedes is probably just doing a CYA due to the variable quality of home brew.

I thought the stuff you put in gasoline for super cold weather was mostly alcohol. Woudn't that mix with any water in the tank and help keep it from freezing?
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  #13  
Old 01-03-2009, 02:13 AM
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The stuff that is added to gasoline in winter for water problems is Methanol, while the chemical most recently foisted on the public for general use is Ethanol. Two different chemicals with very different properties!!

Methanol was once known as wood-alcohol, and is mostly derived from petroleum today. Ethanol is the "drinkable" stuff, if appropriately cleaned up. However it forms azeotropes with water and other chemicals and is difficult to keep moisture free. This is one of the reasons it has not been pipelined, but transported to mixing locations by rail car or truck. Another added expense when used as a fuel additive!
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Last edited by Lycoming-8; 01-03-2009 at 02:20 AM.
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  #14  
Old 01-03-2009, 12:51 PM
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I know that here in Phoenix, we have had B20 mixes for the last 3 years! Biodiesel is easily availble in B100 and regular diresel is too. Stupid rednecks pushed for more biodiesel stations around the state and got 'em. Must be a different type than those from Tennessee.

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