Bio diesel at the pump

[Hezbez]

Just over the last week or so, I've noticed on both BP and Jet forecourts that the diesel pumps now have a sticker on them stating - 'Diesel is now mixed with up to 7% bio fuel'.

I am a bit wary of using this and have maanged to avoid using it so far (I hope) by buying my fuel at other suppliers who don't have this sticker.

A wee bit of research on the internet suggests that diesel fuel sold in the UK has to comply with BS EN 590. There are 2 standards for this: 2004 was a mix up to 5% bio fuel and now 2009 which is up to a 7% bio fuel mix.

I assume we've all been putting the 2004 5% mix in our tanks without major mishap for the past few years, however, my X250 handbook which was written before 2009 states 'use fuel to BS EN 590' (5% mix I presume).

Also, our 2004 Mondeo and Transit handbooks actually state a mix of no more than 5% bio fuel mix should be used.

Am I being over cautious? Is the 7% mix ok for our vehicles?

Thanks

 

[Belgian]

A diesel engine wil run on almost everything. Bio fuel or not. A few years ago overhere bio-diesel was sold with used fat from chips-shops. Nice try, only the smell did remind too much to a chips-shop
Never heard of it again I wonder why: I like more chips than petrol

 

[ajs]

.

don't think yer van can do maths hesbullz

regards
aj

 

[l77 tuf]

any van over 1999/2000 will not run on bio fuel totally due to them being hdi or similar cos of the injection system for fuel it wont cope with bio

 

[biggirafe]

I do not think major fuel suppliers would provide fuel at the pump that would bring about huge claims for engine damage. I use a bio mix in my new Zafira and I used it in my last new car which did 120,000 miles in 3 years on the 5-7% mix provided at the pump.

Now if you were to run it on a bigger bio mix thats different, You need to do research on your model, engine and even vin number to know exactly what your engine can use. Its not as simple as you would think. Even the type of fuel line being used is important.

I've just started testing using Bio and a mix of veg oil and having researched over the last couple of months I would say that there is a lot of rubbish talked on the internet on both sides of the fence. In short if you have the right engine you can use the correct mix of diesel / veg oil for your engine or you can get you van cheaply modified to cope with SVO or BIO if you don't have the correct engine then you can still get it converted but the cost may outweight the saving but if saving the planet is your thing this might still be something you want to do.

For me the math is easy, my engine needs no conversion to run a 20% mix and veg oil costs 75p a litre

 

[l77 tuf]

my van is a 99 v reg iveco daily 2.8td with a old fashion fuel pump as i like to say nowt fancy i run my van all yr round on 90% straight veg oil with 10% mix of naptha(high octane race fuel for racing cars) and hydraulic oil