You are here: Home: Guides: Talk about it | Mail it | Bookmark it

Biodeisel use in Cars

Biodeisel can be used in your car provided it is a diesel, but there are a few things you need to know first.

When you first change to biodiesel, check the fuel filters regularly and change them when required. The first couple of weeks are the most important. Some people fit a second cheap filter upstream of the main filter for the first few weeks. If a car has been left standing for a long time with diesel fuel in the tank, it's possible the bottom of the tank may have rusted. Biodiesel will free up the rust, and it could clog the particle filter inside the tank. At worst the car will simply come to a stop, starved of fuel. More possibly the engine gradually loses power first, and will probably get ypou to your destination before it stops. It's not a common problem but it does sometimes happen.

Older cars may have rubber parts in the fuel system and they may erode through time if you use biodiesel. Change to resistant parts and you shouldn't have a problem. Newer cars should have resistant parts already fitted, if you are unsure check with your garage or dealer. This isn't too common a problem however and In fact it seldom happens. Any vehicle made from the early 1980s on is unlikely to have problems, even using 100% biodiesel.

Biodeisel made from different types of oil can vary in quality and have different characteristics, some are better in colder temperatures than others, but overall it is an excellent fuel. Even biodeisel made from used cooking oil is extremely good and it's clean too. Some bus companies in the US run their fleets on used cooking oil.

In the United States, biodiesel is made primarily from soybean oil and also from a product called yellow grease, which is essentially used in restaurant cooking oil. It can also be made from tallow, a hard fat that comes from cattle or sheep, which is frequently used to make soap and other products. In Europe the fuel is made from rapeseed oil, a plant that comes from the mustard and turnip families.

Biodiesel can be used in any equipment with a diesel engine without making any modifications to the engine. As a result, it's seen in farm tractors, construction equipment, manufacturing machinery and even boats. When it comes to diesel-powered automobiles, it is hugely popular with both public and private fleets vehicles, especially with companies that use trucks to make deliveries.

Copyright Clipp.org

Eco Features
Eco Guides
Health & Lifestyle
Mail This Page
Link To Us
Bookmark
Archives

Recent Articles