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Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: berserkerboy on 01 February 2008, 13:46:00

Title: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: berserkerboy on 01 February 2008, 13:46:00
Between Lewes and Uckfield I came upon a service station selling a 50/50 biodiesel/low sulphur diesel fuel. Reduce your carbon footprint read their ad, but with a proviso that you should check it was okay for your car and that they wouldn't be liable!
At 99.9p I was too tempted and put 20 litres in to test it. With over 25lt normal diesel already in the tank I reasoned that I would end up with an approximate 25/75 mix. Surely this would be okay. Well the car behaved perfectly well on the 5 miles to get home so I'm hopeful. :)
Anybody know if the car can run okay on the stuff for sure?
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 01 February 2008, 13:49:39
Properly created biodiesel should be fine (I'm not liable either!), but SVO / WVO is not so happy in the TD lump..
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: tunnie on 01 February 2008, 14:01:29
i would'nt....
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: berserkerboy on 01 February 2008, 14:02:14
I like your sense of humour! Thanks for the heads up on this. I'll see how she goes for the rest of the tank and buy some more at this price. Nearly 10% cheaper, even if the biofuel argument re: actual green credentials has not been laid to rest, is good news to me! :y
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: tunnie on 01 February 2008, 14:04:11
Quote
I like your sense of humour! Thanks for the heads up on this. I'll see how she goes for the rest of the tank and buy some more at this price. Nearly 10% cheaper, even if the biofuel argument re: actual green credentials has not been laid to rest, is good news to me! :y

I would not risk blowing the fuel pump, and clogging the inlets for a minor 10% saving...

Modern diesels do not take well to biofuel....
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: berserkerboy on 01 February 2008, 14:08:54
Okay, food for thought. I might have a quick look on the BMW forum later to see what people think. Thanks for the warning.  :-/
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: davlad22 on 01 February 2008, 14:11:13
At a bloomin quid I don't even think it's that cheap!  :o Certainly not worth damaging any engines for. I'd want it to be half that price before giving it a thought!  :)

However, the 2.5 TD is not that modern and as the boy has said, is the same unit used in the landrovers. I bet there's a a good few of them running on chip fat!  :y

As you said mate, if it's mixed 50/50 and makes a difference to your pocket, then that's what counts.
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: tunnie on 01 February 2008, 14:15:34
Quote
At a bloomin quid I don't even think it's that cheap!  :o Certainly not worth damaging any engines for. I'd want it to be half that price before giving it a thought!  :)

However, the 2.5 TD is not that modern and as the boy has said, is the same unit used in the landrovers. I bet there's a a good few of them running on chip fat!  :y

As you said mate, if it's mixed 50/50 and makes a difference to your pocket, then that's what counts.

I doubt that
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 01 February 2008, 14:18:20
Quote
Quote
I like your sense of humour! Thanks for the heads up on this. I'll see how she goes for the rest of the tank and buy some more at this price. Nearly 10% cheaper, even if the biofuel argument re: actual green credentials has not been laid to rest, is good news to me! :y

I would not risk blowing the fuel pump, and clogging the inlets for a minor 10% saving...

Modern diesels do not take well to biofuel....

PROPER biodiesel should be fine in many, many, many cars, and would be the right viscocity so couldn't clog anything up.

It's the chip fat in the tank that causes issues...
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: davlad22 on 01 February 2008, 14:24:29
Quote
Quote
I bet there's a a good few of them running on chip fat!  :y
quote]

I doubt that
Round our way it's the farms that brew all the 'bio-diesel'. I don't know how good it is, how it's sourced or what it's made from but I still bet there's a few old landy's knocking around on the stuff!
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: TheBoy on 01 February 2008, 14:45:46
Quote
Quote
I like your sense of humour! Thanks for the heads up on this. I'll see how she goes for the rest of the tank and buy some more at this price. Nearly 10% cheaper, even if the biofuel argument re: actual green credentials has not been laid to rest, is good news to me! :y

I would not risk blowing the fuel pump, and clogging the inlets for a minor 10% saving...

Modern diesels do not take well to biofuel....
Its the BMW M51 lump.  Call it a lot of things, but not modern.
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: davlad22 on 01 February 2008, 15:46:05
Amen brother! So back to the original question, would you run it on properly refined biodiesel the TB???
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: TheBoy on 01 February 2008, 17:34:36
Quote
Amen brother! So back to the original question, would you run it on properly refined biodiesel the TB???
Not if I didn't have that spare injection pump in the garage, coz I know they are about £1200...
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: theowletman on 02 February 2008, 22:43:46
Quote
Between Lewes and Uckfield I came upon a service station selling a 50/50 biodiesel/low sulphur diesel fuel. Reduce your carbon footprint read their ad, but with a proviso that you should check it was okay for your car and that they wouldn't be liable!
At 99.9p I was too tempted and put 20 litres in to test it. With over 25lt normal diesel already in the tank I reasoned that I would end up with an approximate 25/75 mix. Surely this would be okay. Well the car behaved perfectly well on the 5 miles to get home so I'm hopeful. :)
Anybody know if the car can run okay on the stuff for sure?
Not cetain at all. My pals 57 plate Passat has a sticker near the filler neck warning against the use of biodiesel. Who knows for sure?
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: waspy on 02 February 2008, 22:58:39
Have a look at this site, it may answer some of your questions
www.biotuning.co.uk
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: motmann on 02 February 2008, 23:20:29
guess what car maker we fit the most diesel pumps to at £1000 a pump + fitting+ reprogram? can anyone guess??????? yep top of the charts is.....VAUXHALL!   vectra astra and zafria and always biofuel involved.   :(
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 02 February 2008, 23:31:35
Quote
guess what car maker we fit the most diesel pumps to at £1000 a pump + fitting+ reprogram? can anyone guess??????? yep top of the charts is.....VAUXHALL!   vectra astra and zafria and always biofuel involved.   :(

Thats cheap  ::)

I had to have a new fuel pump in my merc diesel.......i did let the merc dealer do it tho........dont think i got much change from £1500........but it did have petrol put in it  :( but the RAC kindly refunded the bill  :y ;D
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: tunnie on 02 February 2008, 23:35:41
Quote
Between Lewes and Uckfield I came upon a service station selling a 50/50 biodiesel/low sulphur diesel fuel. Reduce your carbon footprint read their ad, but with a proviso that you should check it was okay for your car and that they wouldn't be liable!
At 99.9p I was too tempted and put 20 litres in to test it. With over 25lt normal diesel already in the tank I reasoned that I would end up with an approximate 25/75 mix. Surely this would be okay. Well the car behaved perfectly well on the 5 miles to get home so I'm hopeful. :)
Anybody know if the car can run okay on the stuff for sure?

So back to the orginal question ^^

No.
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 02 February 2008, 23:54:40
Quote
Quote
Between Lewes and Uckfield I came upon a service station selling a 50/50 biodiesel/low sulphur diesel fuel. Reduce your carbon footprint read their ad, but with a proviso that you should check it was okay for your car and that they wouldn't be liable!
At 99.9p I was too tempted and put 20 litres in to test it. With over 25lt normal diesel already in the tank I reasoned that I would end up with an approximate 25/75 mix. Surely this would be okay. Well the car behaved perfectly well on the 5 miles to get home so I'm hopeful. :)
Anybody know if the car can run okay on the stuff for sure?

So back to the orginal question ^^

No.

Well........i carnt see why not.....diesels will run on anything thats oily enuf.........biodeisel should be fine........but at nearly a £1/L thats a ripoff! Biodiesel should be around 70p to 80p a L  :o

Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: berserkerboy on 04 February 2008, 19:48:33
I have been checking out sites that might offer some answers. It would appear that the jury is still out on this one. On the positive side it would appear that when low sulphur diesel became available the rubber in the fuel lines of all diesels was changed to a material that would not be affected by the new grade of fuel. Fortunately, the change means that biodiesel will not eat into the fuel lines where it may have done in the past.
However, manufactures will not endorse the use of biodiesel. This may be because of the confusion as to what biodiesel actually is. They do not want to face warranty claims from owners who have just bunged in vegetable oil from asda which their diesel pumps can't handle.
Soooo....I think I'll have the 50/50 mix every now and again when I've some normal diesel in the tank to the point where I get to about 30% concentration of biodiesel.
Hopefully, I wont be posting again shortly bemoaning a breakdown. :'(
Thanks everyone for their input. :)
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: hotel21 on 04 February 2008, 20:26:26
Dont quote me as I am a petrol user, not derv, but is it not the case that most of the 'diesel' sold on the continent is biodiesel?   :-/

If so, must be more than one Opel Omega running the stuff....
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: mkaminski100 on 04 February 2008, 21:44:33
I know that some people use vegetable oil from supermarket - it's the worst thing you can use as these contain up to 20% of water which is corrosive.
Some people filter chip oil through the cotton - second bad idea, as it will clog your filter odn your pump.
Some people buy "biodiesel" from company which cost 10% less but is't rectified by chemicals which wors faster than machines but are corrosive as well.
PROPER BIODEISEL is filtered by centrifuge machine and then rectified in slow and long process, died and filtered through 1 micrometer filter! This allows to have pure and safe oil which you can mix up to 70% with  ON.
My friend is taking chip oil from two restaurants and makes oil form his family. He told me that he did 100.000 miles on biodiesel and had no problems with the engine, but he's sure about his biodiesel.
Second thing is that you cant just add 70% of biodiesel as the engine has to be set to this kind of fuel. First you start with 10% and add extra  3-5% every tank. This way you can reach the 70% level.
Most "experts" say that biodiesel is very bad for CommonRail engines as these stopes when driven on this petrol. My friend ask Ford about it and was told that in new engines there is a sensor which is checking the fuel. If it'll find that it's different (biodiesel is) than it stops the engine.

In these circumstances I wouldn't try to save 10% buying ready made biodiesel, but if I would have a tractor, I would buy some from my friend.
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: Ross on 04 February 2008, 22:57:32
I run my 2.5DT on Biodiesel, and I have been doing it for about six months. The only thing you should look out for is in the winter time the cold weather makes the fuel thicker and can have problems with your fuel pump. If is good biofuel then you shouldn't get much of a problem. Mabe  start the car on 50/50 and then 80/20 then 100% biofuel.
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: The Cambelt Kid on 09 February 2008, 23:14:44
I thought about buying a diesel omega in place of my LPG'd V6 the other day after seeing this on fith gear.

http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain.jsp?lnk=401&description=Fifth%20Gear%20Fleet&featureid=1074&pageid=2577&show=s13e3&section=On%20test

PS: Sorry to throw a spanner in the works and hijack this thread.  ::)
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: albitz on 09 February 2008, 23:50:58
i,ve read about people buying cooking oil at the supermarket and tipping it straight into the tank on diesel cars.ive got an old diesel mondeo on the drive ,im getting tempted to give it a try just to see what happens.problem is i might have to drive around in a mondeo for a while to complete the experiment.i might have to buy a balaclava first ;D
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: waspy on 10 February 2008, 00:20:20
Quote
i,ve read about people buying cooking oil at the supermarket and tipping it straight into the tank on diesel cars.ive got an old diesel mondeo on the drive ,im getting tempted to give it a try just to see what happens.problem is i might have to drive around in a mondeo for a while to complete the experiment.i might have to buy a balaclava first ;D

Before buying my DTi Mig. I had a Rover 800 Diesel, the 2.5 litre VM engine in these cars CAN run on 75% SVO. It makes alot of difference as to what pump the manufactures use, Rover or VM use a pump thats uneffected by SVO, but i think you'll find Miggy's pump won't like it.
Most of the time it's not the engine that's gives the problem, but the pump.
Remember that the Diesel engine was invented to run on pretty much anything you put in it, Peanut, Veg, Corn, whatever oil you choose.
You can also use SVO without paying any duty as long as you don't exceed 2500 litres a year.
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: albitz on 10 February 2008, 00:27:27
till we all start doing it ,then chairman gordon will take us for every penny he can get ...again >:(
Title: Re: Can I use biodiesel in my 2.5TD 1999 meega?
Post by: perfferle on 24 February 2008, 17:47:08
Just a note - BIO-diesel will contanimate your engine oil as well as regular diesel fuel. The problem is that the Biodiesel will not disperse/evaporate in time and will also break down chemically (not good for engine). The few engine manufactures that allow Bio insist on 50% interval oil changes and complete fuel system flush and filter replacement when you switch.

Regards, P