I bought a 2003 Freelander about 5 weeks ago and have been running it mostly on bio-diesel. All was well until it decided not to start. My mechanic said bio was keeping them busy at the garage, causing problems on lots of cars. It turned out the fuel pump packed up. I have read that because it is a thicker fuel, it puts the pump under strain. I told the local Bio-diesel guy and he said 2 other people with the same car had told him of problems they had and advised me to stop going to him for the fuel. Are any of you guys a expert in this area or have you heard of problems?
2007-11-11 08:59:30 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
The Freelander engine is not designed to run on bio-fuel unless it has been modified to do so, the most obvious addition is a fuel heater to reduce the viscosity of the fuel.
Its use will also cause premature failure of the injectors in the common rail engines.
2007-11-11 09:13:56 · answer #1 · answered by rookethorne 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It can be a problem as the bio fuel is a lot more susceptible to viscosity changes at temperature. On a cold day with say half a tank of fuel, it can thicken up to the point where the pump can be overloaded. The short answer is to change back to normal diesel. Then look around to see if you can fit a low temperature kit to the fuel tank.
These kits are fitted as standard to Volvo cars sold into the far northern European countries. They consist of a heater for the engine (Not needed) and a heater for the fuel tank.
At night or when the car is not used you plug the car into the mains at home or office. The heater is thermo statically controlled and keeps the diesel nice and warm.
2007-11-11 21:50:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why do people keep on confusing "chip fat" and biodiesel?
Straight Vegetable Oil, SVO or old chip fat, whatever you want to call it is the one which needs to be kept warm and will often wreck a modern diesel. Biodiesel is not SVO but as currently available is a blend of esterified vegetable oils and fossil diesel. Most engines will be fine on this but ..... biodiesel is an excellent solvent inside the system and if you start using biodiesel in an old engine, it can clean out deposits left in the system after only a few years of using ordinary diesel and this can block filters and put enormous strain on fuel pump. It is often recommended when first changing to proper biodiesel (not old or new chip fat) to change the fuel filter once or even twice over the first few weeks of use. A new diesel engine with clean system will take biodiesel without problems.
2007-11-11 19:40:53 · answer #3 · answered by oldhombre 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
True bio-diesel is a mix of bio-fuel and mineral diesel fuel.
Most modern cars are designed to run on bio-diesel with up to 5% bio-fuel content (B5), while a few special models are now available in some countries that are warranted to run on bio-Diesel with up to 30% bio-fuel (B30) - mostly using a specially modified version of Renault's F9Qt 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine.
If you were running a direct-injection engine on 100% bio-fuel (B100), then I would expect problems. Only older indirect-injection engines can easily be run on B100 fuel without modifications, and even then it is advisable to fit a fuel heater to prevent the fuel waxing.
2007-11-11 20:26:36 · answer #4 · answered by Neil 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
being a mechanic we had a similar problem the other week on a mitsubishi the weather temperature was cold thus making the fat thicker (wax like)does yours have a seperate radiator to heat the fuel and thin it out.run the engine on diesel until worm then swop to bio fuel if possible
2007-11-11 12:10:21 · answer #5 · answered by crash2 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Forget the diagnose fuel,fat and lard,when cars went lead free a sticker told you it was The same is applicable here,and a quick call to the agents will tell you.That said,this green thing is going to continue to cost people a fortune,so in effect going green has done its job,emptying bank accounts
2007-11-12 00:37:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the comparable warning signs on a motor vehicle and it replaced into the gas pump. each each now and then a gas pump won't paintings besides because it ought to, yet sufficient for the motor vehicle to start off and run. Have the pump tension examined, which will tell regardless of if it is undesirable.
2017-01-05 07:17:28 · answer #7 · answered by nerio 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freelanders are bad enough without trying to run them on chip fat.
As you are finding out bio fuels are a false economy in the long run.
2007-11-11 09:08:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋