Slashdot Mirror

You bring up an excellent point which I did not address at all. Thank you.

Diesel lubricity regulations (HFRR spec) is much higher in Europe (and Canada) than it is in the USA. Combine that with the "occasional" mistake (oops, I put a bit of regular gas in my diesel), and the Common Rail engine design which requires a high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) generating something above 10,000 psi to the injectors and which is lubricated and cooled by the diesel fuel itself, and you have a recipe for disaster.

The NHTSA investigated VW for this exact problem. When the HPFPs started going on their CR engines the cost to the consumer was $10,000 to fix it (because once the HPFP eats its own guts it contaminates the entire fuel system). Everything had to be replaced. VW just always claimed that the problem was that the consumer put gasoline in their car and would refuse to fix it. And the car may have in fact had gasoline in it, but it may have been contaminated at the fueling station, not the fault of anything that the consumer did.

What a mess. Hundreds of pages of analysis here.

The purging seems to be happening from the top down with three more execs losing their jobs today. Perhaps they already know who authorized what?

TDIClub has a good summary and a list of relevant articles for those wishing to know more about the details of the technology and emissions violation.

I'm all of a whole 0.5" shorter than you. I don't ever remember having to 'climb down' into my vehicle. I sit down just like I sit into anything.

Plus the 2" is to the geometry, it lifts a bit more.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=264494

I suppose Volkswagen Jetta TDI's don't get over 50mpg. Oh wait, yes they do: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?s=2f0fbcb80a7e7717d17cd2bc777ded2c&t=359736

I'm pretty sure those are sold in America. While they don't ALWAYS get over 50, it's pretty damn common. My Dad's had over 55mpg for an entire tank of fuel several times. They aren't rated at over 50mpg by the EPA, but the EPA's test sucks.

And as much as I dislike gasoline/electric hybrids (for my own reasons) the Prius definitely can achieve over 50mpg. And there are NUMEROUS (valid) demonstrations of practical vehicles achieving over 80mpg, which I think would be much more acceptable for a passenger car.

> clogged intake manifold (twice and it's clogged again)

EGR Delete.

> MAF Sensor (twice)

Are you running K&N or any oiled air filters?

>clogged EGR valve

EGR Delete.

> oil in the cooler

EGR Delete

>The damage done by the 'mechanic' that put in the new alternator (never going to a non-VW diesel specialist again)...

Well that's your own problem. Do you take your PC to the Apple Store? Find a good local TDI Guru http://forums.tdiclub.com/. Working on these cars is not that difficult. If you can follow instructions a Bentley will be a good investment. Alternator should take under an hour. When mine went bad I even fixed it with $3 in new Drill brushes from the hardware store.

Volvo isn't currently shipping new diesels here (and hasn't for many years). I suppose saying there are none was inaccurate, but there sure aren't many around anymore.

By far, the most common diesels available (other than big trucks) are Volkswagens and MBs because they kept selling them more or less continuously. Mine, for example, is a 1998 model, and people commonly run biodiesel in VWs as new as 2006. (Biodiesel isn't recommended on newest ones, model year 2010+, because they have fancy emissions systems that could get screwed up and the community hasn't decided on a solution yet.)

By the way, there's no need to "convert" to biodiesel; you just pump it and go. You're thinking of burning straight veggie oil (SVO), which requires modifications to the car in order to either heat up the fuel to reduce its viscosity, or to switch fuels mid-drive in order to keep dino-diesel in the injection system at startup/shutdown. SVO entails modifying the car to fit the fuel; biodiesel entails modifying the fuel to fit the car.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

Your old car weighs 1700 kg. A W221 which is of the same class but is a modern car weighs two tons in a Diesel version.

Short form: think before you reply.

Here's a news flash: My car's engine (OM617) weighs 244kg (563lbs) for the long-block only, while the OM629 weighs 259 kg with injection pump and turbos. The bosch injection pump attached to the OM617 is of the inline type, meaning it has one pump per cylinder (unlike the Stanadyne unit on my F250 with International 7.3 liter engine.) So in actuality, you're getting another liter (and vastly) more power for less weight. The weight difference in the vehicles is not about the engine; my engine is lighter in spite of being made with antique technology. Meanwhile, a 1.9 liter VW TDI motor has almost the performance of my old-school 3.0 liter, at only 256 pounds. Now, what do you think a 1.6 liter BLUETEC engine weighs?

Diesel fuel has more energy than gasoline, diesels run lean by design, diesels waste less heat energy than gasoline engines by design, and diesel fuel takes less energy to produce than gasoline. When you have something useful to add, please return and leave another comment. I will not bother waiting for your reply.

about your door open sensors, if you feel like getting your hands dirty and have an extra hour, that $500 replacement can become $1. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=77648&page=3

I do realize if you hate mother nature, one could just unplug sensors on any factory setup, immediately after testing. But it is less likely to give you any advantages (more difficult to modify for your gain.)

But not impossible. One resistor on the fuel pump stroke sensor of a TDI engine tricks it into allowing you more fuel than the ECU otherwise would: more power but more particulate emissions under some conditions.

My car also isn't the best in it's class for economy; see here for more example of people who never really need to fill their vehicle up: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=253204 See what I didn't mention is that I have no problem at all taking longer to get to work in the am, or shifting time so I avoid traffic. A lot of people can't/don't, but when you look at a car that gets at wost 38mpg and as high as 53mpg, does it really matter anymore? I fill my car truthfully every 12 to 15 days; on some weeks where I'm in more hectic times and/or I can't run slower speeds it may be every 7-10 days; but I have never had to fill the car on a Saturday and refill it before more than a week has lapsed; unless I'm taking a road trip. 100mi range; not functional for me. Not functional for a large number of people I work with. But for those who can, I think this is a good start.

I'd rather have seen a hybrid minivan with better than 35mpg highway and 45 mpg city; but hey what do I know about fuel efficient cars and what people need? I only drive 40-50k miles a year and work with breeders.

whilst biodiesel would certainly make us less dependent on oil, it still isn't a long term solution for environmental problems, seeing as the emissions are as dirty if not dirtier (higher micro-particle count, etc). the leading automobile association here (Germany, ADAC) advises not to use biodiesel in modern diesel cars. I forget the technicalities, but some components get clogged from the thicker and less pure biodiesel, forcing a more frequent exchange of these parts and shortening the life span of the vehicle.

You must have missed the part where I said that I own (or rather, my girlfriend owns -- same difference) a diesel car. Because of that, I do know these "technicalities." ; )

First of all, regarding emissions: Biodiesel has the distinct advantage (over both petrodiesel and gasoline) of being carbon-neutral. In other words, all the CO2 released from burning it is CO2 that had recently been in the atmosphere anyway (before the plants from which the biodiesel was made absorbed it). It also does not produce more particulate emissions than petrodiesel. Finally, biodiesel produces zero SO2 (but with the change to ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD), that's no longer a problem anyway I think).

Second, there are two major known possible issues when running biodiesel blends above B5 in a modern "clean diesel" (in this case, a 2009+ Jetta):

• Biodiesel might work its way past the piston rings and contaminate the oil, causing the need for more frequent oil changes (keep in mind we're talking about 5K or 10K miles instead of 20K+, when using the correct (VW 507.00) synthetic oil).
• Biodiesel produces different kinds of particles which may clog the diesel particulate filter (an extra exhaust system component that goes between the catalytic converter and the muffler) more quickly, causing more frequent regen cycles and possible premature failure of the filter itself only.

Of course, the real reason that VW doesn't warrant the use of biodiesel blends over B5 in the new cars is because it doesn't want to be liable for any unknown problems. There are people testing biodiesel in the new Jettas, and they could very well discover that biodiesel is perfectly OK. It's just that nobody knows yet.

whilst biodiesel would certainly make us less dependent on oil, it still isn't a long term solution for environmental problems, seeing as the emissions are as dirty if not dirtier (higher micro-particle count, etc). the leading automobile association here (Germany, ADAC) advises not to use biodiesel in modern diesel cars. I forget the technicalities, but some components get clogged from the thicker and less pure biodiesel, forcing a more frequent exchange of these parts and shortening the life span of the vehicle.

You must have missed the part where I said that I own (or rather, my girlfriend owns -- same difference) a diesel car. Because of that, I do know these "technicalities." ; )

First of all, regarding emissions: Biodiesel has the distinct advantage (over both petrodiesel and gasoline) of being carbon-neutral. In other words, all the CO2 released from burning it is CO2 that had recently been in the atmosphere anyway (before the plants from which the biodiesel was made absorbed it). It also does not produce more particulate emissions than petrodiesel. Finally, biodiesel produces zero SO2 (but with the change to ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD), that's no longer a problem anyway I think).

Second, there are two major known possible issues when running biodiesel blends above B5 in a modern "clean diesel" (in this case, a 2009+ Jetta):

• Biodiesel might work its way past the piston rings and contaminate the oil, causing the need for more frequent oil changes (keep in mind we're talking about 5K or 10K miles instead of 20K+, when using the correct (VW 507.00) synthetic oil).
• Biodiesel produces different kinds of particles which may clog the diesel particulate filter (an extra exhaust system component that goes between the catalytic converter and the muffler) more quickly, causing more frequent regen cycles and possible premature failure of the filter itself only.

Of course, the real reason that VW doesn't warrant the use of biodiesel blends over B5 in the new cars is because it doesn't want to be liable for any unknown problems. There are people testing biodiesel in the new Jettas, and they could very well discover that biodiesel is perfectly OK. It's just that nobody knows yet.

My 215k mile TDI and my friends 415k mile '92 non turbo diesel beg to differ.

German cars can be more reliable than Asian cars, they're just "different" as in you MUST keep up on maintenance. Asian cars are appliances. You drive them until something big breaks and you go cut a new one out of its shrink wrapping.

German cars are tinkerer cars. I want my computer to "just work" that's why I own a Mac. I don't mind tinkering with my car and keeping up on maintenance. That's why I own a VW. Sure my vacuum locks gave it up a while ago and I had to rig new ones, but the engine and drive train are rock solid. (Akin to finding that damn linux driver for that new piece of hardware, but the rest of the system is rock solid).

Second. Dealers Suck. They've screwed up more things on the TDI forum than I care to recount here. (But You can check out the thread). If you don't know how to work on your car, learn. If you don't like working on your own car, don't own a VW.

Actually, BTL (biomass-to-liquid fuel) is a viable alternative to biodiesel. On the upside, it is much closer chemically to petroleum diesel than biodiesel (methyl or ethyl esters). This has the advantage of not violating warranties (Bio does, in some cases) and being more energy dense than B100. On the downside, it takes a lot of energy to run the BTL process, so it pushes the carbon bubble elsewhere (hopefully, IMHO, to nuclear power).

Addressing your first question: modern diesel engines with Diesel Particular Filters (e.g., the 2009 VW Jetta TDI) could experience some issues with biodiesel. In short, the DPF is designed to trap particulates which are periodically (every 1000 miles or so) burned off by injecting diesel into a specially designed fuel catalyst in the exhaust. This injection uses the cylinder fuel injectors during the exhaust stroke. Unfortunately, biodiesel has a higher boiling point than petroleum diesel, which leads to condensation on cylinder walls and consequent crankcase oil contamination. (reference)

A recent study at MIT's Sloan Automotive Lab indicates that this contamination might not be as deleterious as previously believed despite the fact that the highly polar methyl esters compete with ZDDP on engine surfaces.

A couple drivers on the TDIClub forums are running B100 (100% biodiesel) in their 2009 TDIs with the express intent of directly testing oil quality and engine wear. While 2 cars do not a comprehensive study make, their experiences, oil analyses, et cetera will be invaluable in allowing owners to decide what risks they're willing to take. (For reference, previous versions of the VW TDI engine came with stern warnings that no biodiesel should be run at all, and yet many owners have run B100 for 100k to 200k miles with no problems attributable to the biodiesel).

My guess is that within the next few years all diesel vehicles will be designed to work well with some percentage of biodiesel, since governments around the world (including the EU and several American states) are mandating a schedule of increased biodiesel percentage in their petroleum diesel. Combined with the maturation of BTL, diesel vehicles have a far brighter future than the brain-dead food-for-(poor)-fuel economics that is E85.

-=rsw

You know this is how the Germans survived WWII? Even though they had no

GTL is looking to be the next "big thing" bio-fuels. Now I'm not saying that this guy has figured out all the hard stuff that is holding big corporations back, but there's a chance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_to_liquids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_to_liquid

If the cost of diesel fuel goes much higher I might look into buying some from racing stores. Shipping is the killer right now.

There are a few people running it on the forums and say it's great. 63 Cetane Number, 20% more BTU vs regular D2, etc, etc.

Dude, don't loose your mind. I was just making a joke up they're. If you come off you're rocker that quickly I wonder what you have up their in your noggin. Sounds like a screw lose or something. I mean I didn't try to effect you in anyway, but now look how you've gone and disrupted the affect the original poster had. Here me out, there are a lot of people that are knew hear. You should calm down than come back later.

(stolen from myself)

First, I'll note that Gothmolly was wrong about the injection pressure on the Pumpe-Duese TDIs. It's 30,000 PSI, not 20,000. The common rail TDIs will be about 30,000 PSI as well.

Anyway, there's many problems. First is the viscosity of the vegetable oil. It's thick enough that the pump (or pumps in the PD cars) has to work a *LOT* harder to pump it, stressing it beyond the design specifications.

Second is... once you heat it to even get it close to the correct viscosity, it loses its ability to properly cool the fuel system.

Third is... in the injectors, the extreme heat there causes it to break down into its component fatty acids and glycerin... which then cokes on the injectors. When that happens, the spray pattern of the injectors is worsened, which can cause streams of fuel to hit things in the engine... causing major damage.

Look on TDIClub in the Alternative Diesel Fuels forum... there are various threads showing pictures of the carnage that WVO can cause.

I'm pretty sure a 98 should be fine. But you could double check with the guys over at http://www.tdiclub.com/

-Rick

The cost of hybrids and Diesel vehicles is a perfect example of this. I have a TDI and I'm an active member at Fred's TDI Club

People are buying TDIs on ebay for $3-4k more than a comparative gasser. It's absolutely ridiculous. All they see is "45-50 MPG" and that's all they can think about.

I bought my 1998 Jetta in 2003 with 60k on the clock for $5500. I could sell my car (now with 150k) for $7-8k on eBay. What car appreciates that much in 4 years?

But if you do the math, 60 miles a day, you're saving maybe $4 / week (assuming the 2.0L 1998 Jetta gets 30 MPG). This means that your break even point is in the 1,000 week range.

Case and Point: 1990 Jetta Diesel. 290k miles. 17 years old. A comparative gasser may fetch $1000-$2000. It's just plain stupid.

KBB is worthless for TDIs. You might show every ad you can find to your credit union, and show that KBB is inaccurate for this model.

Alternately, go older - there are as old as 1996 TDIs, and the 1996-1997 Passat TDI is LARGER inside than an A4.

For the GP... here in the US, here's the TDI models we have:

1996-1997 Passat (B4) 1.9TDI 90bhp
1997-1999.0 Jetta (what you call the Vento) (A3) 1.9TDI 90bhp
1998-present New Beetle (A4) 1.9TDI 90bhp and (2004+) 100bhp
1999.5-2006.0 Golf (A4) 1.9TDI 90bhp and (2004+) 100bhp
1999.5-2005.0 Jetta (what you call the Bora, including Variant) (A4) 1.9TDI 90bhp and (2004+) 100bhp
2004-2005 Passat (B5.5) 2.0TDI 136bhp
2004 and 2006-2007 Touareg V10 5.0TDI 313bhp
2005.5-2006 Jetta (A5) 1.9TDI 100bhp

That's it.

If you felt like paying multiple thousands of dollars on doing an engine swap, you could also import the 2.5 V6 TDI that the GP referred to.

I can guarantee you that my thermostat is working perfectly.

If you would like to take a look at http://forums.tdiclub.com/ you will see that this is a common "problem". Larger engines sometimes will run a high idle when they're at truck stops, but getting to operating temps from just idling takes quite a while. This is also why larger diesel vehicles will sometimes have a cover to go over their radiator. The engines don't produce enough heat to keep themselves warm in the winter.

Yes. I do know what I'm talking about. I've had a TDI for 5 years and a I work for a small diesel engine company, Cat.

For the record, VW only warrants up to 5% biodiesel.

However, CAN they run 10% (or even properly processed 100% assuming it's not too cold?) Yes.

BTW, Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel is much more of a danger to injection pump seals than biodiesel, due to the fact that the Low Sulfur Diesel, which has a low aniline number (the main reduction is caused by aromatics in the fuel), has swelled the seals, causing them to crush. The ULSD has a high aniline number, so it shrinks the seals... which are now crushed, causing them to leak.

A similar problem happened back between 1992 and 1994, when the changeover from High Sulfur Diesel to LSD happened, although it was a much more drastic change. Most cars before 1994 have had their fuel injection pump seals replaced with Viton seals (due to leaking), which are less vulnerable (but not invulnerable) to swelling.

(Note that some people on TDIClub have reported leaking FIPs on cars that came with Viton seals, though.)

Biodiesel has a low aniline number, despite having zero aromatic content.

Anyway, http://tdiclub.com/ is a good site to read for this stuff.

Biodiesel blend (10% biodiesel) can be burned in current cars with no modification, and pure Biodiesel (100%) can be burned in current cars with slight modifications. Newer cars could be built to accept 100% biodiesel with very little additional cost (less than $30).

Biodiesel that has been properly produced (that means drying it after washing it) does NOT contain water.

It IS hygroscopic (attracts water), but an additive will take care of that - and, so is regular petroleum diesel, for that matter. Using it quickly, or not letting it sit in a container that air can get in, solves that problem, as well.

BTW, fuel tanks on most diesel cars are plastic. Even on my Jetta, which is a 1985, I have a plastic tank.

Check the following sites:

http://www.biodieselnow.com/
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/
http://forums.tdiclub.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52 (centric to modern VW diesels)

Reading in the TDI Club I was surprised to read that Ethanol provides worst MPG than pure gasoline.

Does anyone have information on this topic?

Because if Ethanol provides worst milleage, and it is not energy-efficient to prodce Ethanol... this might be just a marketing campaign, not a fuel product.

Peace

I'm not going to dispute your numbers. If you say you got that, then good for you.

That being said, you'd never get so low as 32 mpg on the highway in a Golf TDI. I have seen a lot of dismay over the CR numbers by VW owners you need to take those numbers with a big grain of salt. However, I think those numbers look just about right for the gasoline Golf... as long as you're not driving like a jackass.

If you run straight biodiesel (b100) you will see about a 5% hit in mileage. There is a good forum on http://www.tdiclub.com/ about running volkswagen diesels on biodiesel. Aside from VW and Mercedes, there aren't any other small passenger cars available in diesel in North America currently.

(grumble, it's 2005, and Slashdot STILL doesn't have an edit function...)

If you REALLY want to play the gasoline-in-a-modern-diesel game, here's a thread over at TDIClub on it...

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=123995

Just because no one the submitter knows uses biodiesel doesn't make biodiesel an "experimental" fuel.

I think you might be able to have your little veedub, if you are willing to buy it out-of-state. I don't live in CA, so I'm not sure. Check out the forums on http://www.tdiclub.com/ for more info. Also, Consumer Reports did real-world testing on hybrids, and the Prius gets the same, overall average as my VW Jetta TDI with a 5-speed manual: 44MPG.

Just in case you haven't been there... http://forums.tdiclub.com/

No, you don't have to convert your engine to run on biodiesel. However my understanding is that biodiesel will "gel" (the waxes become solid) at a somewhat higher temperature than petroleum diesel. So you may run into problems with cold starts.

(Again, my understanding of ) the reason people say you have to "convert" a vehicle to run on vegetable oil is that you have to add another tank to hold diesel; the gelling is a much bigger problem in WVO. Therefore you have to get the fuel warm in order for it to get pumped into the engine, and the kits use engine heat to warm the fuel. I think the general reasoning is that it's approximately the same amount of work to add a heater to a fuel tank (safely) as it is to add an auxiliary fuel tank.

Multiple points here to related posts in this thread.

Diesel engines aren't very practical for hybrids because they are not very efficient and certainly not clean till they are at full operating temperature. You would need to run the engine for 15+ minutes at load to get it there.

Modern TDi's are now PD (Pump Deuse). There is no longer a high pressure injection pump. The last generation of TDi's prior to PD were reaching injection pressures of 18000+ psi. The PD injector has a piezoelectric mini-pump (to really simplify it) right in the injector assembly. Incoming fuel pressure is the same as a gasoline engine, because all that's needed is to move the fuel to the injector. Now we're talking about a cheap (relative to injection pressure) pump. Design the pump correctly, and it should handle BD fine.

Somehow I think that VW says "We do not support BioDiesel" simply because they haven't dedicated the resources to test it thouroughly. I know plenty of people who have tens (and probably hundreds) of thousands of miles on BD blends or straight Bio.

The big problem you run into running BD after Petro is that it dissolves a lot of the Petro gunk in the gas tank and lines, depositing it in the fuel filter. Clogs it up pretty quickly. Most people switching are aware of this, and will either put a cheap filter in line for the first tank, or just be prepared to spend $50 on a new filter after the first tank of BD.

If I could get BD here I'd buy it. I have it in mind to make some of my own, but work, family, and life in general haven't left much time for it. I've read about it, and cooking it up and doing all the chemistry right takes about a month (to get nice, clean fuel).

If you're really interested in TDi's and BD, check out the forums at http://www.tdiclub.com/. There's an entire section dedicated to BioDiesel.

Low-sulfur diesel is supposed to be introduced to the US in the next couple of years to allow for catalytic converters on diesels.

Low-sulfur petrodiesel* will arrive in the US in late 2006 (unless they push the date back ... again). And it will be a good thing, but it won't be so automakers can put catalytic converters on diesels. Volkswagen (the only automaker to still sell passenger diesels in the US, IIRC) has been putting catalytic converters on their diesels for years. The TDI FAQ even has recommendations for things to do to keep your CC healthy.

Which is not to say that the improvements are independent of the CC -- but that it's not as mundane as "ULSD = we can now install CC's on diesel engines".

(* We already have low-sulfur diesel. Biodiesel has no sulfur. And some petrodiesel is apparently already ULSD-ready. The big deal is that in October 2006, *all* diesel fuel will be ULSD here in the states.)

re your Beetle TDI: what mixture of biodiesel-to-diesel to you use? Some sources I've read said that any modern diesel engine can run on B100, but vw.com says VW only officially approves a paltry B5.

I've run B100 with no problems, except that the fuel economy drops from 43mpg to 38mpg. Straight BD has a lower BTU per gallon than straight petrodiesel.

B20 appears to be the best mix. The truckers at Carl's Corner report that the extra lubricity helps their big rigs run cooler, so they actually get better fuel economy (and the difference between 6mpg and 6.5mpg is significant, when your fill up is 150 gallons or more). I notice that my TDI runs better on B20, and my economy stays high.

VW's main issue seems to be that US biodiesel isn't subject to the stringent requirements of European BD. In Europe, VW warantees for any biodiesel mixture. Technically, though, VW doesn't cover any damage due to bad fuel, whether it's derived from an Illinois soybean or a Precambrian fern.

The subject is hotly discussed on the Biodiesel and "Fuels and Lubricants" forums at TDIClub.com -- everything I've stated above is stuff I learned from TDIClub.com (or from links I found there).

Just be aware that Pimentel releases this "finding" every other summer, Looking at the dates below, he's a month ahead of schedule this year.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/8.23.01/P imentel-ethanol.html

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/03/8.14.03/P imentel-ethanol.html

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/ethanol .toocostly.ssl.html

I can't speak to this newest report, but Pimental's work has been repeatedly critiqued, and one of the main compliants it that he uses out of date numbers for yield and conversion efficiency:

http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/balance.html

http://www.usda.gov/oce/oepnu/aer-814.pdf

http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol_rooster.html

http://www.ncga.com/public_policy/PDF/03_28_05Argo nneNatlLabEthanolStudy.pdf

http://www.ethanol-gec.org/corn_eth.htm

All that having been said, Pimental is right that soy and corn alone cannot replace our petroleum addiction. You can read more about this in the archives at TDIclub.com.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board =UBB14&Number=946804&Searchpage=1&Main=941398&Word s=%2Bethanol+%2Bmoney+DrStink&topic=&Search=true#P ost946804

According to the very active Biodiesel forum at TDIClub.com, this study isn't worth the electrons you're viewing it with. One poster notes, "This Cornell fellow brings this up about once a year. Do a search on this site and see the FUD."

I run Biodiesel in my New Beetle TDI engine when I can, so I'm biased, but I agree with my fellow TDI'ers. When the study says "It takes 27 percent more energy to turn soybeans into biodiesel fuel," there's no comparison being made against the alternative. How much energy does it take to pump crude oil out of the ground? How much energy is burned loading it onto a tanker, and then refining it into useful products?

How much energy will be used to clean up the hazardous chemicals required to turn prehistoric ferns into internal combustion fuel? How many gallons of gasoline were burned in the funeral procession for the 15 workers killed near Houston when a tank of benzene exploded this year? By comparison, you can make Biodiesel in a converted water heater, with lye and methanol (hazardous chemicals, but available at any hardware store).

And I won't even touch the issue of how many soldiers must die to ensure the continued flow of addictive foreign petroleum...

What the hell vehicle do you want?

Golf. Check.
Beatle. Check.
Jetta. Check.
Passat. Check. (after a little bit of a dry spell.)
Touareg. Check (V10 Goodness, new for 2005)

Lupo?

http://www.tdiclub.com

* can make in USA (no foreign dependence).
* runs in existing diesel engines.
* less toxic than regular diesel, in fact biodegradable.
* creates more demand for US soybean crop.
* no new infrastructure needed, just more diesel engines.
* emissions better in almost also cases than existing diesel emissions.
* can mix in any percentage with existing diesel fuel.

yes i know it would take *a lot* of soy crop to meet the US oil consumption - but check out some of the research on using algae for biodiesel production at a much higher land density.

overall there are a *lot* of pros vs. cons regarding this alternative fuel IMHO.

for more information:
http://www.grassolean.com/
http://www.biodieselnow.com/
http://forums.tdiclub.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board= UBB44

Oh, and greasel.com

My 2001 VW Jetta TDI once achieved 54 MPG on a road trip with the AC on, 4 adults, and a packed trunk. 785 miles on a single tank.

I have a 5-speed manual transmission which helps a lot. I hate it when they compare an automatic TDI to the hybrids because the automatics get considerably less mileage than one with a manual transmission. Automatic TDIs usually get at least 5-7 MPG less than manual ones. Still, the mileage is awesome considering the fact that there are no differences between a regular gas Jetta from a diesel one besides the engine.

Stock TDIs may be a bit slow, but that is easily solved by a $300 software upgrade to the ECU. The torque is addicting and hills are an absolute blast!

For more on TDIs, I suggest visiting TDICLUB.com.

I'd recommend everyone check out Fred's TDIForum for some more technical info, especially the BioDiesel board.

Actually - to nitpick, it's a 1.9l engine. And the new Pump Deuse engines (PD) have more horsepower, torque, and better fuel economy.

In my 02 TDI new Beetle (not the new PD engine, sadly :( ), I get about 40mpg in the city and > 50 on the highway, and that is using BioDiesel, and not one engine modification. :) Clean and renewable.

Check out TDI Club for more info...

If people are looking for a good database of TDI mileage stats, check out Fred's TDI Club

I myself love my new(used) Jetta Wagon TDI. There is a diesel station in Boston that carries the ultra-low sulfer diesel fuel as well as biodiesel. You really can't argue with an awesome car to drive with a massive moding community (check out Fred's www.tdiclub.com) and true fuel to wheels efficency between 42 and 52 MPG.

And as far as economics is concerned, it takes less energy in the first place to make diesel (even dino diesel) than gas. Like the engines, the reason why it is expensive is because supply is low and demand is high, but this is only artificial. If an american manufacturer would bring out a TDI car and actually push it, you'd see prices drop for both the vechicle and the fuel. As far as availability of fuel, once you start driving a TDI, you see it everywhere. Plus, it's realy fun to fill up next to a big rig and have everyone look at you.

I love my car