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This will let you make biodiesel in small batches and run straight veggie most of the time, saving time and money.

I'd imagine that you may be running a TDI (which are great for veggie), so TDI Club is another great site to check out.

Have fun saving money on fuel and smelling like fried foods. I hope to join you once I've saved enough money to pick up a TDI wagon.

Show us where the Jetta TDI has a bad reliabilty rating?

These people are tons of happy TDI owners.

And it has been said before, but I'll pile it on. Running BioDiesel , the volkswagen TDI is BY FAR the most efficient and environmentally sound vehicle you can have in the USA. And it's power is NOT crippled, it's ammenities are NOT reduced. You can get a TDI Passat that is as luxurious as you want, burn BioDiesel in it and still get >40 mpg. I average 54mpg in my 02 TDI New Beetle, and I drive fast. I can get close to 60mpg if I keep the speeds around 60mph.

The CARB restrictions are bunk when it comes to the modern TDI (and now Mercades CDI) engines. They test the wrong things in the wrong way - making no sense for real world issues or in real practical use.

I have a VW TDI too. As for "lower TCO," the $50 oil changes (if you use the recommended full-synthetic with diesel additive package) make up for the fuel economy, and that's not counting the mandatory timing belt change at 60,000 miles. And the mandatory-but-not-discussed removal of the intake system to remove all the nasty carbon deposits around 80,000 miles. This is supposedly due to the aggressive exhaust recirculation coupled with that good ol' diesel soot, and can cost upwards of $400. The symptom is a very gradual loss of power, though the restoration following the repair is dramatic.

If you promise not to slashdot it, you can look at Fred's TDI Page for some interesting TDI facts and tips.

Could they have been from other states? If not, I stand corrected, the info I had was on a Mercedes Benz TD (see article). I did find thisTDI FAQ, but it is not clear on the current situation and for onw I'm out of time.

Having a computer controlling the engine is fine. You can still work on your car if you buy a vag-com tool, or a program for your laptop which does the same.
I bought a 2000 vw diesel and a vag com tool and I work on my own car like everyone else on Fred's TDI page.
A car with no user access to the engine is fine for someone who leases a new car every 2-3 years, but I expect mine to last at least 10 years and at least 300,000 miles, if not forever
(the one drawback of a computer controlled diesel is that it is no longer electrically independent. If the alternator dies on a long trip across the desert at night, I am limited by battery life.)

As for an EMP pulse, well in that event my guns will probably be more useful than my car anyway.

1) We could power the entire USA on algae-based biodiesel with a combined landmass the size of Deleware for less than $2/gallon.

2) Biodiesel runs in every diesel made since about 1992 without any modifications.

3) It is a domestic, renewable, closed-carbon fuel.

Feel a little better ?

Unfortunately, I did not receive any tax breaks on my TDI. I don't even get any tax breaks on the biodiesel, either. I get charged full price from my local commercial supplier.

However, I can rightly claim that I get over 100mpg of petroleum diesel :)

Furthemore, it can be had in many parts of the US for not much more than regular diesel. I live in the Atlanta area and get mine in 55 gallon drums, delivered to my door, for $2.50/gallon, taxes and transport costs included.

I wish the media would quit griping about future alternative fuel sources. A renewable, domestic, practical, affordable solution is here, now.

Even better than that would be a modernization of a van such as the Vanagon with one of the higher-horsepower European TDI engines in it. The rear-engined design of this vehicle (same as the old bus) is much more space-efficient than anything designed for passenger use before or since, especially SUVs. :-)

Also note that the US has been stuck with the same basic 90hp TDI engine since VW starting importing it in the 90's. Apparently we should start seeing 150hp and up (as well as a twin-turbo-diesel V10) pretty soon, but it's been quite a long wait... A website such as TDIClub will probably have more info.

Also also note that, unless something's changed, VWoA states that using biodiesel in a US TDI will void the warranty, since in America, biodiesel is unregulated and the less refined stuff can seriously screw up your injectors.

Check out www.tdiclub.com for more info than you ever wanted about VW TDIs.
I own a 99 TDI Jetta, and people in my circle of friends own 98, 00, and 01 Beetles and an 01 Jetta, all TDIs. Almost all of us have experienced the Window Regulator problem, but VW has extended the warranty on this to 7 years, and if one goes out they will replace both with the redesigned part free of charge. Nice how they take care of you like that.
Gas mileage is wonderful, but really declines if you're a leadfoot like me. I drive about 80mph, and get maybe 38mpg. But on my trip from Indy to Cleveland and back I kept it at 55mph and got 51mpg. We took a 4-car trip from Indy to Toronto a while back, and I gotta say, sitting there in the Jetta not needing to buy fuel at 2 of every 3 fillup stops that the other cars needed was the greatest feeling.
Diesel isn't at every gas station, but it's easy enough to find, especially near highways. Biodiesel mixes are starting to appear - it's at I'd say 3 stations per state, on average. More if you don't live in a stupid state like Indiana.
My only big gripe is that parts are difficult to find - for instance, I needed a new battery last week, and Sears didn't sell a compatible one. So I had to get one from the dealer, which was $125. If you're willing to wait for shipping, www.vwpartscentral.com is a good source.
Lastly, I can't agree more with the previous poster about the handling. Beautiful.

In my town, diesel is currently $1.43 per gallon, while 87 octane gasoline is $1.73 per gallon... It makes one salivate for diesel (well... you know what I mean).

The TDI (diesel) Jetta, Golf and Passat cars are awesome. They do indeed get 49 MPG, and their range (in miles) can be between 700+ (for non-wagon versions) to 1,000 (wagon versions -- larger gas tank). That means you can drive from Miami, FL to New York City, NY and only have to fill up your gas tank twice! Some people have even claimed that they have driven over 1,400 miles on one tank of diesel with their TDI.

All TDI cars give lots of torque, so their smallish horsepower rating isn't a big deal. When accelerating, the car feels as peppy as any other (more gas-guzzling) car. The acceleration, braking and even steering feel much more consistent than a hybrid.

Their pollution levels, while different than gasoline, are smaller because of the better gas mileage. One thing to investigate is whether the diesel in your town includes large amounts of sulfur or not -- I believe this helps diesel burn better in colder temperatures, but significantly contributes to greenhouse gases in the exhaust. Otherwise, I've heard these engines are light years ahead of their 1980s counterparts in terms of emissions.

Anyway, my next car will most likely be a fifth-generation Golf TDI -- I should have an engine that lasts 200,000+ miles, and never have to worry about replacing a $5,000 hybrid battery down the road.

I bet you're thinking they cost more than the hybrids... Nope -- you can get a Golf TDI for about $4,000 cheaper than any hybrid on the market (around $16,000 after all is said and done). Availability of the models varies though, and you may have to drive to a larger city to find one.

1) Natural gas, not oil, is used in making commercial fertilizer.

This is an important point from the USA's point of view, since the vast majority of our natural gas comes from domestic sources and Canada.

2) Most natural fuel does NOT use more (fossil) fuel than it produces (in natural fuel).

Corn-based ethanol is the evil fuel you're speaking of. It is indeed a huge energy sink. The only reason it exists is because of huge government subsidies. Biodiesel, on the other hand, is 78% solar-powered. That is, only 22% of the energy in virgin soybean oil-derived biodiesel comes from fossil fuels.

Also consider that animal waste (pig crap) based methanol can be used in place of natural gas, thus completely removing fossil fuels from the biodiesel equation. However, this is not going to happen until one or both of the following happen:

1) consumers demand environmentally-friendly fuel by refusing to use fossil fuels

and/or

2) the demand for oil exceeds the easily-extractable supply of oil, thus raising the economic costs of extracting fossil fuel high enough to where bio-fuels can compete

Of these two alternatives, (2) is the most likely. Already, biodiesel can purchased for a little over $2/gallon in bulk, state fuel taxes included. I give it another 10 years before the increasing world energy demand outstrips its soon-to-peak supply.

As for myself, I drive a 2002 VW New Beetle TDI, which is in stock form (no fuel mods) and is powered by biodiesel. While the biodiesel is more expensive than regular diesel, the fuel economy of my vehicle is high enough (50 mpg) that I still enjoy fuel savings when compared to my gasoline-powered brethren.

Here are some interesting links:

Biodiesel Now

Biodiesel

TDI Club

This synthetic hydrocarbon fuel is different from biodiesel by two major things: no engine adjustments necessary to run on this fuel

No adjustments are required to run Biodiesel in any diesel engine made in the last decade or so. The problem is that Biodiesel can eat through some old types of rubber used in seals and fuel lines. Modern diesel engines do not use these types of rubber. Older engines could be retrofitted just by changing out old rubber lines, maybe needed anyway if the car is old enough! The only other thing is that biodiesel will dissolve engine deposits, since American diesel no. 2 is dirty, there can be a lot of deposits. If you have driven a while on regular diesel, biodiesel can lossen deposits, which can then clog fuel filters. Diesels have to replace the fuel filter pretty regularly - so it shouldn't be much of an issue.
Check out Biodiesel.org or BioDieselNow.com for more info.

Lots of Volkswagen TDI owners use Biodiesel.

To remain on topic - there is a plant near Salt Lake City, Utah that is doing something similar to this. Smithfield Foods Inc. will be making BioMethanol from pork waste.

This synthetic hydrocarbon fuel is different from biodiesel by two major things: no engine adjustments necessary to run on this fuel

No adjustments are required to run Biodiesel in any diesel engine made in the last decade or so. The problem is that Biodiesel can eat through some old types of rubber used in seals and fuel lines. Modern diesel engines do not use these types of rubber. Older engines could be retrofitted just by changing out old rubber lines, maybe needed anyway if the car is old enough! The only other thing is that biodiesel will dissolve engine deposits, since American diesel no. 2 is dirty, there can be a lot of deposits. If you have driven a while on regular diesel, biodiesel can lossen deposits, which can then clog fuel filters. Diesels have to replace the fuel filter pretty regularly - so it shouldn't be much of an issue.
Check out Biodiesel.org or BioDieselNow.com for more info.

Lots of Volkswagen TDI owners use Biodiesel.

To remain on topic - there is a plant near Salt Lake City, Utah that is doing something similar to this. Smithfield Foods Inc. will be making BioMethanol from pork waste.

I do live in the wrong country. I currently drive a 2000 VW TDI, and while it is a nice car, with a nice engine, the best of VW's offerings are not available in the states. For those that are interested, you can check out TDI Clubfor more information about these cars.

BTW... When the law requires that all diesel fuel sold in the U.S. is Ultra Low Sulpher (I think 2005 or 2006), we will start to see the really good engines. Like the new common rail engine in the new VW SUV. I believe it is an eight cylinder. HP around 325, Tourqe over 500 ft/lbs and 28 mpg in regular driving. Simply Amazing.

Here is a TDI Rally Car. I have a TDI, and love it. Sure it's only 90 hp, but the 155 ft/lb of torque makes up for it.
BTW, they are TDI engines, not TD. TD means Turbo Diesel, whereas TDI means turbocharged direct injection. For more info on this, you can check out TDIClub
Now, I am just waiting for them to bring the 2.8l V6 diesel over here!

Here is a list of retail diesel pumps that provide Biodiesel. Here is a good forum discussing the Volkswagen TDI vehicles.

The EPA has released the Top Ten List of fuel economy winners for year 2003. The top slots are occupied by the Hybrid electrics (as expected) followed closely by Diesel cars. Diesel fuel injection systems are responsible for some European cars able to achieve remarkable fuel efficiencies of upto 75 mpg. They also have lower emissions and are quieter to drive. Europe's embrace of Diesel powered vehicles has caused their refiners to unload their excess gasoline across the Atlantic helping keep gasoline prices at our pumps steady even if crude oil prices keep rising. Increasing the popularity of Diesel powered passenger vehicles has always been known to be a part of the solution to meet todays national environmental and energy goals. However, the lineup of cars with diesel engine options for the North American buyer is still very limited. I wonder why . Here is a website dedicated to Turbo Direct Injection Diesel (TDI) cars that are known to have phenomenal fuel efficiency. You can read more about fuel efficient diesel applications in this Diesel Forum .

Go over and visit TDIClub.com, we're good people.

The gelling problem is fixed as long as you buy your diesel from decent-volume stations. Winter diesel has anti-gelling additive mixed in before it gets to your car. The VW TDIs don't even have a way to plug the car in; some of the very anal types up in Calgary (or thereabouts) have retrofitted engine-block or coolant heaters because (a) they think it'll prolong the life of the engine and (b) they want to heat the interior faster. Some of the biodiesel devotees are working on fuel-tank heaters (since BD does gel, and anti-gelling additives for BD are virtually unavailable mass-market).

The reason the early '80s US passenger diesel days didn't last is because those GM diesels uniformly SUCKED. The memories of those (my grandparents bought a GM diesel that didn't make it home from the new car dealer), plus FUD from the enviro-wackos who want hydrogen/fuel-cells or nothing, are much of what has hurt US diesel acceptance to this day.

Don't forget about diesels. I am NOT a Volkswagen salesman nor am I in any way connected to Volkswagen (I'm a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) software engineer, if you must know), but you can buy a VW Golf, Jetta, or Beetle with a diesel engine far cheaper (under $17k, brand new) than you can buy an Insight or a Prius and STILL get 50 mpg on less pollution and more torque !! With a diesel engine, you can also use 100% biodiesel fuel, a renewable, lower-polluting energy source grown here in the U.S. that is not much more expensive than regular (petroleum-based) diesel fuel.

Click here for more info.

Not many people realize this, but every single diesel automobile produced today is capable of burning 100% Biodiesel fuel. Here is how you would buy Biodiesel. Here is a forum site for the only passenger automobile diesel engines available in North America, the TDI. On this site, are forums, among many others, that deal with biodiesel fuel itself, reducing emissions, and getting better fuel economy. Another little-known fact: approximately 40% of the automobiles sold in Europe today are diesel-powered, yet only 1/3 of 1% of the automobiles sold in the U.S. are diesel-powered.

Not many people realize this, but every single diesel automobile produced today is capable of burning 100% Biodiesel fuel. Here is how you would buy Biodiesel. Here is a forum site for the only passenger automobile diesel engines available in North America, the TDI. On this site, are forums, among many others, that deal with biodiesel fuel itself, reducing emissions, and getting better fuel economy. Another little-known fact: approximately 40% of the automobiles sold in Europe today are diesel-powered, yet only 1/3 of 1% of the automobiles sold in the U.S. are diesel-powered.

Not many people realize this, but every single diesel automobile produced today is capable of burning 100% Biodiesel fuel. Here is how you would buy Biodiesel. Here is a forum site for the only passenger automobile diesel engines available in North America, the TDI. On this site, are forums, among many others, that deal with biodiesel fuel itself, reducing emissions, and getting better fuel economy. Another little-known fact: approximately 40% of the automobiles sold in Europe today are diesel-powered, yet only 1/3 of 1% of the automobiles sold in the U.S. are diesel-powered.

Not many people realize this, but every single diesel automobile produced today is capable of burning 100% Biodiesel fuel. Here is how you would buy Biodiesel. Here is a forum site for the only passenger automobile diesel engines available in North America, the TDI. On this site, are forums, among many others, that deal with biodiesel fuel itself, reducing emissions, and getting better fuel economy. Another little-known fact: approximately 40% of the automobiles sold in Europe today are diesel-powered, yet only 1/3 of 1% of the automobiles sold in the U.S. are diesel-powered.

However, the TDI has 155lb-ft. of torque at 1900 rpm. That's producing maximum torque practically as soon as you put your foot on the accelerator. It takes almost no time at all for the engine to go from idle speed (950 rpm) to 1900. I can't remember the torque specs on the 1.8T, but no matter what, the TDI has a respectable start off the line. Also, if you like, check out TDI Club.com and see some of the nice things they have to say about the reliability of the 1.8T as compared to the TDI. :-)

I totally agree. I had a Jetta TDi for a couple of years (sold it for the D/P on a house...dammit) and it was amazing. I would routinely get >50 MPG on the highway...that's a 700-mile range. Try that with a hybrid!

And with the new diesel combustion technology, it really is a pretty clean car as well. It's definitely worth a look for somebody who wants to burn less fuel and support the terrorists less. (yes, that was a troll...kind of.)

For some really good, geek-level info about the TDi cars, go to the TDI Club.

500 miles per tank? That's not a very ambitous goal, IMO. A Volkswagen TDI (Golf, Jetta, or New Beetle) can easily go 750 miles on a 15-gallon tank -- 850 miles, if you try a little. I can go get one of those right now, for under $20K. These are some of the safest compact vehicles ever built.

You can run them on anything from kerosene to soybeans, even synthetic fuel made from natgas. I won't list the many other advantages of compression-ignition, direct-injection (CIDI) engines here; but, if you want to hear more about all the advantages of CIDI, just visit Fred's TDI Club.

I think that TDI's are attractive in almost every category; and, one can argue that they stand up well against up-and-coming technologies such as hybrids, fuel-cells, &c. Interestingly, the excellent TDI's that we get in the U.S. represent older technology -- improvements and enhancements are coming out of Europe fast and furious.

You should drive one. I own a 2000 TDI Jetta, and everybody who has ridden in it has been surprised to find out it's a diesel. It only sounds like a diesel when it's cold, and when it warms up, there's hardly any noticable difference between a gas and diesel.

Besides, there's tremendous performance potential from the one TDI engine VW sells here in the US. I've added the Wetterauer chip and it's awesome. If you think the PC Overclockers are crazy, look at the TDI Club .

I just think it's too bad that the biggest reason we can't get the better (more efficient, more power) diesel engines in the US is that sulfur levels in our fuel are too high to run in these engines without damaging them. I'v love an Audi A6 with a V6 TDI!


-------------------------------

:-) I drive a volkswagen, but then again I'm not a doctor.

Consider this:

The Insight, and the soon-to-be-released Toyota, are pretty much experimental cars. No one knows how reliable hybrid technology will be, or how much it will cost to maintain.

The Insight, and the Toyota are sold, and serviced at an economic loss to their respective manufacturers. One seriously has to consider if these cars are serious looks at the future, or just marketing vehicles.

So, do you want to pay $23k to be a beta tester for the automotive industry?

If you don't, and you want to buy a efficient, clean vehicle that you'll be able to drive and get parts for for a couple hundred thousand miles, hop on over to Fred's TDI Page and figure out if you are the kind of person who could drive a diesel. And yes, those of you over 6' or with families are welcome.

If you are lucky enough to live in Europe, and want a car to put any Insight to shame, check out the VW Lupo, a TDI subcompact that gets nearly 100mpg without the aid of windmills, sails, flux capacitors, or overthrustors.

p.s. I drive a 99 Jetta TDI, average 60+ miles per day, and 43MPG. I can fit my wife, and 2-year-old and luggage, and a trunk full of work-related stuff in it with no problem. I'll race any Insight owner: First one to a junkyard loses.

It amazes me how people constantly overlook the VW/Audi TDI engine.

All the other reviews of the insight that I have read, state that it doens't actually acheieve the stated gas mielage figures that are quited. Those only occur under ideal contitions (ie. crusing on the highway without accellerating, never going up a hill, etc...)

The VW/Audi TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection) engine achieves a REAL 50+MPG mixed driving. On my last take in my Jetta TDI, I achieved 53MPG. This car has more torque than the insight. Max Torwue 155ft/lbs reached at 1900 RPMs. (Thanks to the wastegate turbo system!) (compared to 93ft/lbs for the insight at 2000rpms)

And look at horsepower on the insight. "73 HP @ 5700" That's pittiful. To get max power you have to rev the engine pretty high to get max acceleration. While I'll admit that the TDI only achieves 90HP, it does so at a much lower RPM figure. Allowing for an optimal shift point below 3000 RPMs

Now...on to body construction. The insight is aluminum. I took a good look at one when the 2000 car show came through. and the construction just feels cheep! I honestly wouldn't feel safe in it. My Jetta TDI on the other hand feel sa lot safer and has more safety features.

Price. The insight MSRP quoted in this reviwe $20,080 i believe. A simillary equiped jetta TDI (which seats 2 more and has much more trunk space, goes for less than $19,000. And very nicely quipted at about $20,850

one last thing. maybe you know, maybe you didn't. The TDI runs on diesel. It is a virtually smokeless diesel engine. (meaning you get a little smoke on startup on a VERY cold day). There is no nasty smeel (Despite popular opinion). Diesel is cheaper! This engine is quiter than any other 4cylinder engine that I've ever driven. and has quite a lot of get-up and go.

All I can say is, test drive a Gold/Jetta/Beetle TDI, test drive an insight...then let me know which one you like better.

Visit tdiclub.com to hear form other TDI owners

Drive a diesel, VW TDI. Get 50 MPG. Pollute Less. Be Happy.

tdiclub.com

Diesel engine improvements far outweigh the efficiencies demanded by the solo car driver.

I seriously suggest you check out the TDI engine from Audi/VW. It's a passanger car diesel engine, which has about 1.5-2x the mileage of an equivilant gasoline engine, with a fraction of the emissions.

the other reason not to get one of thier special edition bugs, is that they won't make them with a TDI engine in them.

I just bought the 2000 Golf TDI. Very yummy. What's a gas station? VW's had a V6 tdi for some time now. Very popular in Europe. You should head over to www.tdiclub.com if you're interested in all there is to know about the tdi.