Thread: Melbourne Shell Diesel Alert

I read this post while on the Australian Hunting Net Forum earlier !!!! This will have a bigger impact on LR diesels of all models as they use very fine mesh filter on the fuel pumps, which is very prone to blocking. Symptons include overheating, won't start, rough idle and general lack of performance. Mis-diagnosis often leads to pump replacement when cleaning would fix the problem in most cases.


" just putting this out there as it hasnt been made known to the public ..
all shell diesel now from coles express sites is now 5 percent biodiesel .. the only sites that dont have bio in their diesel are sites that sell winter formula diesel . i work delivering fuel to the shell sites and yeah .. personal opinnion its crap .
The bio component is made from tallow .. animal fats and reclaimed cooking oils . which before being added to the diesel has to be kept in aheated tank and heated lines as it solidifies ! ive tried using the fuel twice .. common rail turbo diesel rodeo .. and in 3 days straight were the temps had got down too 3 deg over night .. i had fuel filters plug and extreemly hard starting .glow it 3 times crank crank crank till i recon the starters going to melt . 2 times i was trying to start the ute at 1 pm in the afternoon and it was 10 deg by then ! apparently its government legistlation that if the amounts under 8 or so percent they dont have to mention that its in there and also the same as ethanol in fuels they get a good subsidy for doing it ..that was a massive failure for coles and shell in victoria and they dropped that .. their intention is apparently to go as high as 20% bio .
There was an information sheet at the loading terminal .. stating that its hydroscopic ... the same as brake fluid is attracts and absorbs water .. it also will pick up any dirt or foriegn particals and suspend them with in the fuel .. to the point that they made a statement saying that first few fills at retail sites it is possible to block filters in the dispensing pumps etc ..
So yeah .. if theres any foriegn crap in the tank and filters geuss were its going ... to you ! Another point made in the information sheet was that above 10 percent bio it increases fuel useage ...The other point other than its freezing at mid tempretures and causing issues .. alot of modern cars dont like bio fuels ( read your handbook ) and will actualy viod engine warrantys if there is a prob .. they do a fuel test and go ..ummm you have an issue .
The guys i work with wont use it .... talking to people at servos .. they dont know about it and alot have said they have had issues ... major transport companies i deliver to .. have had one load of it and then refuse it and go back to buying normal diesel or straight diesel extra ..
Basicaly make your own minds up ... it just annouyed me that they are providing this ..with out making the public aware whilst you are buying the fuel on good faith . "

New Shell BioDiesel 20 facility launched at Newport Terminal | Australia


Laurie

"...I've had some -3 mornings here in the last week and never had a morning start above 2 degrees in about the last month, I'm running 80% WVO in 20% diesel..."

Dave, what are you running it in ?

Before I had the IP overhauled, I could run anything including 50/50 WVO in the Paj (4D56T) but afterwards, only liked (100%) my normal, high quality bioDiesel. - would run rough on cold mornings for a minute or three on the tallow-derived bio.

Commercial bio was never a problem, except a batch that had'nt been washed/filtered properly....

Biodiesel has had a doubtful reputation amongst many diesel mechanics, but this is more a problem of of what it actually is . Or was...

There is a differance between mixing veggie oil (or liquid tallow) with diesel fuel, -and the result of said oil being subjected to methanol and a hydroxide catalyst. One is a recipe for potentially blocking filters/pumps and CRDI injectors on modern engines, the other is Fatty Acid Methyl Esters which is (my idea of) "Biodiesel" properly reacted, washed, dried, filtered and treated with a biocide.

I gave up on the stupid people who could'nt/would'nt be taught the differance between mixing and chemically reacting.

Anyone got a handbook from a European-market diesel car? - see what it says about using the local biodiesel...