bio-derv

[2004TOMMYM]

last night I put in £20 off bio-derv into my skoda superb 1.9tdi comfort. The reason for using the bio-derv was the price 82p compared to £109.

but today the car was hard too start, approx 5-8 seconds before it would fire up.

Do you reckon the bio is the cause, or is it just a concidence, it has never done this before so I am assuming its the bio.

would you empty thye tank or just run it through, I have used bio derv on a few occasions in the past with no trouble,

The car was last serviced 3,000 miles ago.

[Dr Zoidberg]

When you say bio-diesel , what percentage was veg-oil , and what was diesel?

It can vary hugely.

If it's nearly all chip fat then just fill it to the brim with real diesel and use it as normal

[MAS]

Try heating the glow plugs a few times (by turning on the ignition on and off) before starting.

[2004TOMMYM]

Try heating the glow plugs a few times (by turning on the ignition on and off) before starting.

IM A CAB DRIVER AND TRIED THIS SEVERAL TIMES TODAY WITHOUT JOY, LEFT THE CAR FOR A FEW HOURS THERE NOW AND IT STARTF 1ST TIME.

NOT TOO SURE OFF THE MIXTURE (OIL/CHIP FAT)

[Bluefox]

last night I put in £20 off bio-derv into my skoda superb 1.9tdi comfort. The reason for using the bio-derv was the price 82p compared to £109.

but today the car was hard too start, approx 5-8 seconds before it would fire up.

Do you reckon the bio is the cause, or is it just a concidence, it has never done this before so I am assuming its the bio.

would you empty thye tank or just run it through, I have used bio derv on a few occasions in the past with no trouble,

The car was last serviced 3,000 miles ago.

Fuel filter, can it be affected that quickly?

Bio-diesel has a tendancy to drag all the poop through the system and, as a result, tends to clog up your fuel filter.

I know this is probably a pre-emptive question given your problem, but how you finding it? Power/economy etc, has it changed? Spending £260/mth on diesel a saving of about 20p/litre sounds like a good thing!

[2004TOMMYM]

Fuel filter, can it be affected that quickly?

Bio-diesel has a tendancy to drag all the poop through the system and, as a result, tends to clog up your fuel filter.

I know this is probably a pre-emptive question given your problem, but how you finding it? Power/economy etc, has it changed? Spending £260/mth on diesel a saving of about 20p/litre sounds like a good thing!

I have let the fuel run too empty and filled with normal diesel and it has improved.

Regarding power/economy etc, normally bio-diesel is identical too normal diesel but cheaper. I reckon I have just encountered a bit off dirt in the fuel.

[ap0gee1978]

Try heating the glow plugs a few times (by turning on the ignition on and off) before starting.

Be careful doing this, as the glowplugs actually stay energised for up to a few minutes after the light on the dash goes out (depending on how quickly the engine is warming up), and so switching the ignition on and off and on again repeatedly could knacker them like you can if you switch a lightbulb on and off repeatedly...

[ChrisBP]

I believe it is now legal to use cooking oil as fuel for your car, so long as you use less than 1500 l and keep a lod of what you use. Cooking oil can be found for about 70p / l.

I tried a 25% mix in my 1.9 PD and it was okay. Harder to start and not so smooth at high speeds.

I wouldnt use it again.

[ericsuperbee]

The other thing to take into account is the temp at which bio diesel will wax. The crystals will block a filter in minutes.

Professional bio-users have 2 tanks - 1 to start with ordinary diesel and then a switch over to bio. when things have warmed through. Plus fuel lines have an electrically heated jacket.

My SuperB has a specific warning not to use bio in the handbook - it might be expensive to find out why!

I chatted with a chap in a supermarket car park who was filling his old Merc up with litre bottles of vegetable oil @ 52p / litre. He said that he ran on a 50/50 mix in winter, but there were no electronics to b.... up!

[2004TOMMYM]

The other thing to take into account is the temp at which bio diesel will wax. The crystals will block a filter in minutes.

Professional bio-users have 2 tanks - 1 to start with ordinary diesel and then a switch over to bio. when things have warmed through. Plus fuel lines have an electrically heated jacket.

My SuperB has a specific warning not to use bio in the handbook - it might be expensive to find out why!

I chatted with a chap in a supermarket car park who was filling his old Merc up with litre bottles of vegetable oil @ 52p / litre. He said that he ran on a 50/50 mix in winter, but there were no electronics to b.... up!

was he mixing the VEG oil or just pouring it straight in the t5ank. That would be some saving on todays prices

[Bluefox]

was he mixing the VEG oil or just pouring it straight in the t5ank. That would be some saving on todays prices

A customer at the store I used to work in ran his Land Rover on pure veg oil. He got banned from a couple of the local supermarkets because he kept buying all their stocks of 1l bottles, lol.