dgiturbo

Has any diesel drivers out there used higher than the 5% biodiesel that Mercedes recommends? Or know of someone that has?
Just curious as to what happened if anything. I did hear Willie Nelson used 100% on his, but that was an 06 E class, and I am not sure if that has the emissions stuff the 2007 and newer ML. Overseas info welcomed also.

lkchris

The 5% is not only what Mercedes recommends, it's the maximum you can use and still keep your warranty.

cschmelz

Well, more accurately it is the highest percentage you can have in your TANK when the car dies and you have to take it to the dealer immediately...LOL

That being said, you can't find anything more than B zero where I live so it is a moot point.

lkchris

One suspects MB engineers can identify damage caused by incorrect fuel--whether there's any in the tank at the time they first see the car or not. Whether it's biodiesel or water in the fuel, you'll see the same result--no warranty coverage.

dgiturbo

Fuel is fuel. How can it damage something? As long as it has none of the sulfur and meets the ASTM standards, what can go wrong? Biodiesel lubricates better, and burns cleaner. All the car does is pump it and inject it. They all have the same cetane rating. Just want to know if anyone has tried it and how it felt power wise, if anything smells different or if any mileage change?

There must be someone out there that has tried B10 or even B100 that they made themselves... If not, once I get the ability to make my own, I guess I will be the first. Even at 30MPG, $4.00 a gallon still stinks!

macrophyllum

I recently bought a 2008 ML320 CDI and was filling it up for the first time the other day at a station that sells b20 in the winter and b100 in the summer. I went there with the intention of filling it up with b20, but after about 4 gallons I started to get scared that it might muck up my exhaust or engine on my brand new 50k car. So I stopped after 4 gallons and put regular ultra-low sulfur diesel in for the remaining amount.

Next time I think I will go for it, but I sure would like to hear from someone who has put it in.

dgiturbo

Macrophyllum, has there been any issues, or did it run fine? Any mileage difference? Post an update please when you get a chance... Also what was the price of the B20 if you remember?

macrophyllum

With only the 4 gallons of b20 in there now I don't notice any difference. I don't drive it that much as I work at home, but I can't tell any difference in mileage or engine sound, etc.

I don't recall the exact price, except that it was about 0.05 more expensive the regular diesel. The next time I fill-up I'll post more details.

Has no one really filled up with b20 before? Will I be the first

macrophyllum

I filled her up with B20 and drove about 600 miles. Everything worked fine. I didn't notice any difference in engine noise or fuel economy, but that might be because it was only my second time filling her up .

I filled her up again yesterday, but with regular ultra low sulfur diesel.

So in summary, B20 was .

dgiturbo

As I thought. If I happen to find some thats reasonably priced, I will pump away also... Thanks for keeping us informed.

biodiexel

I am writing from Madrid-Spain, I produce my own biodiesel from WVO or UCO mainly olive oil which is the most popular oil in Spain, I follow carefully all the biodiesel production steps and fill my ML320CDI tank with B100, very sheldom I fill with top quality diesel fuel and the car runs very smooth and full of power.
Any questions e-mail me at biodiexel@biodiexel.com

pitless

I make my own biodiesel and have added a 1/4 of a tank from time to time. No difference. I think the main concern of the manufacturers is bad homemade biodiesel and emission requirements. The manufacturer probably needs to test the engine to see if it meets emission requirements at any biodiesel concentration it recommends. It would be expensive to test at several different concentrations that few owners use. Too much cost and not much gain for the manufacturer.

jkaetz

The question isn't really one that can be answered in the short term. The question is what long term effect will the greater concentrations of Biofuel have. MB has extensively tested with B5 and less and is confident that the failure rate with that fuel is acceptable over the long term. No one has tested higher concentrations for a length of time that could be considered definitive. Will it run? Sure. Will you have any long term issues? Who knows. I think VW, Audi, and BMW rescinded their < B5 requirement specifying only to check the oil level at regular intervals and to change it if it begins to rise as this would indicate contamination of the oil with fuel.

06e320cdi

5%

houseofdiesel

It all has to do with the post injection cycle to heat up the DPF, in other words the regeneration. Biodiesel sludges oil, they don't mix. All modern Mercedes diesels have a post injection cycle to run the DPF regeneration so fuel is on the cylinder walls and gets past the rings into the oil. It causes the oil to sludge over time, hence the 5% limit. It will not show up in the near term, and with frequent oil changes/driving conditions that keep the regenerations to a minimum likely would never happen during one's ownership, but it could happen and has to some.
How Mercedes can get around warranty issues in states that have a higher biodiesel concentration I have not read yet or if it is an issue yet.

sbailey48

MB would not ship new diesels to Illinois for a couple of years because the state forces >5% biodiesel on their citizens. Just recently MB started shipping again and the explanation was that they were going to bite the bullet on warranty costs. They may require oil/filter changes more often but not sure of that.