Thread: B100 & TD5 Experiences

Landrover is a "green" company.. They specify that their V8's can run E10 etc.. And have no issues with the TDi s running Bio.

Now when its in their interests to have their engines run bio...

You know, cheaper to run our vehicles, cleaner for the enviro, yadda yadda

Yet they definatively state to not run it in the TD5.

I'd say this in itself is a sensible answer. However I'd suggest ringing the boys at Graeme Cooper Automotive who have said explicitly that it causes problems in the TD5 engine.

Now all the arguments for more lubricity etc... Who cares! We dont have mechanical pumps that need that we have cam actuated injectors so it makes no difference.

But, really, in the end - I dont mind what you run

Tombraider

I will contact them - I am keen to get to the bottom of this and I'll post some info on exactly what the problems are to see if anybody has had them.

It is fair to say that making the switch to B100 would be at the pointy end of an inevitable global switch to non-fossil fuels. It's just most of the case studies I have read about concern people dabbling with older engines usually modified to use the stuff. I need to find out what, if anything, actually fails in a TD5 - a newer generation engine - which is able to handle new generation fuels such as low-sulphur diesel.

One of the other bio-fuels threads concerns the different types of oil (canola etc). If it is only certain oils or other additives which cause problems, then it may not be as simple as saying ALL biodiesel is bad for TD5s. Again, I am looking to find the right formula (if any) so I can make my own and be sure of the quality.

Check this thread http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/td5...oil-24787.html
I'm guessing the problem is a density/viscosity issue with the fuel in a common rail engine.

I would be interested in this, considering how many TD5's have leaking injectors causing massive fuel dilation, surely it couldn't make them any worse than they are LOL.

From the Biofuels Forum, relating to the common rail diesel in the TD4 Freelander:
"I do not want to pour cold water on you but I must warn you the LR uses what is referred to as a pin lift sensor to indicate that fuel is reaching the motor. It uses a rubber part and is affected badly by biodiesel. I have a work mate who went through this recently (last year)."
and:
"I'm also having a look in my workshop manual which covers the L series too and I can see reference to a "Fuel Injector Needle Lift Sensor", which "informs the ECM of the start of the injection sequence". It is only 1 of 11 sensors listed that tell the fuel system how to run. Most of the other sensors are not actually part of the fuel system though.
As for info on this Needle Lift Sensor, it appears that is is an integral part of the 1st injector and cannot be renewed on its own. I'd guess this means that a new #1 injector would be needed if this part was causing problems.
As for whether this part is made from natural rubber or is synthetic, I have no info here, but perhaps if I could look it up in my LR software, I could give you a part number for it. This might make it easier to hone down on a more specific answer, perhaps from LR."
Could the TD5 Defender use the same component/sensor?

This is good info... now what I am interested in is whether the needle lift sensor in the #1 injector is just one of several TD5 weak spots. If it was the only one then I wonder what modifications can be made to overcome it.

I also pointed out on the other thread that the April 2005 issue of Overlander magazine (which is bundled free with the current June 06 issue) has an article on biodiesel. There is one case study of a TD5 where the owner swears by it. That was more than 12 months ago so I wonder if a call to the Overlander office to see if they could follow him up would be in order. That other UK bio-fuels forum was a good read and most of the problems referred to there seemed to occur 4 or more months after making the switch.

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but I am not sure transferring information from the TD4 to the TD5 is very relevant - certainly they are both common rail, but isn't the TD4 a BMW engine? where the TD5 is a Landrover designed engine?

John

The info on the biofuels forum warning of the pin lift sensor in the TD4 apparently relates only to earlier model TD4 engines (pre 2000). The remainder of that particular thread generally gives the newer TD4s the thumbs up.

As for the relevance of TD4 info to the TD5, this is my reason for wanting information specific to the TD5. I don't want to assume anything - after all, it makes an "ass" out of "u" & "me".