Alternative diesel fuel

My RAV4 has a 2 liter "D4D" diesel engine. Here in Europe, diesel fuel prices have gone up dramatically, and some farmers around here are using vegetable oil in their tractors. Some day, maybe diesel fuel won't be available.... Rape oil in the tractor diesel smells a bit "fish and chips" (the chips, mainly), but it works ok! Would a Toyota diesel engine accept rape oil a a fuel, or maybe up to a certain %? If I just try and it does not like it, what exactly would be the kind of potential trouble from it? Tx

Reply to
Keske Saram
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or Google biodiesel

I'm pretty sure you have to modify the engine; the oil has to be heated and I believe atomized differently. Greasecar will be able to supply the info and they sell a kit.

I can always tell when I am behind a Greasecar. i was behind a converted van yesterday, and guess what?

It SMELLS like Fish n' Chips! (I'm not kidding!!!)

Reply to
Hachiroku

Or you could try here:

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Reply to
Savalas

The short answer is NO. Any diesel having a common rail fuel delivery system and electronic controlled injection with multi spray deliveries runs at exceedingly high pressures. Pressures within the injector approaching

25,000 psi. That's not a typo. The older mechanical injection systems like the early '80's Toyota pickups would tolerate biodiesel well enough (only 1,500 psi operating pressures), after you swapped out all the rubber fuel lines for teflon lined (biodiesel disolves rubber). In a current tech diesel like yours, B20 is probably the strongest blend to run safely. DO price out an injector and think twice about biodiesel. Also, "good" biodiesel carries ASTM purity and performance numbers. Steer clear of everything else especially home brewed biodiesel.

Out here in Los Angeles, biodiesel is NOT cheap by our standards and it is derived from soy beans. So the smell you get still isn't nice. B100 out here currently sells for $3.60 (USD) per gallon (US). Now B20 (80% petro diesel with 20% soy oil) is $3.16. Standard petro diesel is about $3.18.

Reply to
Philip

I see one of the top best gas mileage cars is a diesel. Does biodiesel fuel affect the fuel economy? What does that soybean crap smell like, a fart? I never liked the idea of food for fuel. We're making corn into fuel here. Someday we'll pay a price where the fuel side will make more money off a bushel of corn than the food side and food shortages will ensue.

Reply to
.DBU.,

Thank you, that's clear and complete info. Do you think, Toyota is giving any thought at all to biodiesel, at least in the long term? Obviously, there will be no way to adapt a common rail engine. In case I have an interest (or a need) in the future to use biodiesel, I shall probably have to get a different engine or even a different car?

Reply to
Keske Saram

Hah! New diesel powered vehicle sales have been banned (again) here in California earlier this year, primarily due to the amount of soot causing sulfur in the fuel, on the order of 25-50 ppm. The rest of the nation has higher sulfur levels. Sometime next year, California's diesel is supposed to drop to 15 ppm sulfur which will put it on par with Europe. Even then, the California Air Resources Board one other governing bodies are STILL jaundiced against new diesel car sales. Without exception, diesel fuel here has been as expensive ... if not higher ... than gasoline for a number of years. The reasons are taxes and political / legislative sweetheart deals.

I can only guess what Toyota is scheming with regards to diesel here. I know of a number of people who would buy Toyota's turbo diesel Tacoma pickup. Nissan has a similar product and similarly held at bay by our exhaust regulations. Apparently, Mercedes has seen fit to sell their diesel sedans in other states (notably Texas) but the piezeo electric injectors are expected to experience shortened life span due to the higher fuel sulfur.

As for your desire to use even an ASTM certified biodiesel fuel, I would contact Toyota tech and pose your question. Without a doubt, Toyota has run compatibility tests.

- Philip

(2003 Corolla - gasoline 1982 Datsun pickup SD22 diesel)

Reply to
Philip

I believe that top diesel was a Volkswagen TDI Jetta or Passat. I've had a couple of occasions to drive (and do diesel work on) a 1998 Jetta TDI.

Biodiesel can affect fuel economy DEPENDING on the type of seed used. Various seed oils produce more or less BTU per gallon. My experience has been a small decrease in MPG. Biodiesel is VERY detergent and depending on how strong the blend is with petrol diesel and the composition of your rubber fuel hoses, will attack those hoses. So you need Teflon lined hoses. Supposedly, all diesels manufactured after 1990 or 1992 have hoses that withstand biodiesel ... to some degree.

I've got a tank of B99 in the ol Datsun now. Exhaust smells something like the fumes you get when you squirt a bunch of charcoal lighter fluid on hot charcoals ... and a bit like model airplane exhaust. There's probably a better description. Soy does not make a pleasant smell that makes you hungry, that's for sure. There is more benefit from blending soy oil with diesel than there is from running straight soy oil.

Reply to
Philip

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