Uh oh. Biodiesel.

[2tough2park]

The East Coast is FINALLY converting over to Pay-at the-Pump INCLUDING (you sitting down) the tractor trailer pumps. Kick asss!!! Since they are essentially down for the last month and a couple more weeks, I decided to grab a few gallons of expensive diesel at the local Shell. It's the only station around me that actually LABELS the sign out front that the green stuff is BioDiesel. So, in it went. I can't tell a difference. I count that as a good thing. I was a bit leary, especially at $3.49 a gallon, but I needed a few and wasn't in the mood to drive around looking for cheap fuel(turns out the local to me Valero and local to me 7-Eleven(go figure) were priced more in line with expectations. DIC usually tells me between 15-16.5 around town, less when there's lots of traffic and so far DIC has nothing new to say. Would I go Bio again? Yea. But not for that price. Just thought I'd share.

[tufcj]

When I lived in Denver, the local Sapp Bros. truck stop sold B20 (20% bio). It was about $.02-.03 higher than regular diesel, but my 2003 ran a bit quieter, got a little better mileage, and the exhaust smelled better. I always filled up there when I was close. No ill effects that I could tell.

Bob
tufcj

[Mark Rinker]

I ran at least 100 gallons of B20 this last trip to Florida. Since I tend to run the tank nearly empty before fueling, some good comparisons can be made as to mileage, power, etc. Mileage was same, power same, and it did seem like the truck ran a bit quieter/less diesel rattle under acceleration.

No complaints here.

[93GMCSierra]

The pattern here though is that bio costs more, which does not make sense, its much cheaper to produce.

[linchhummmer]

i ran biodiesel in my truck for a while i thought that it lost a little power. i saw a few months ago in diesel power an injector pump that was eaten up from some bad bio. i would make sure that you buy good fuel

[2tough2park]

i ran biodiesel in my truck for a while i thought that it lost a little power. i saw a few months ago in diesel power an injector pump that was eaten up from some bad bio. i would make sure that you buy good fuel

That's why I bought from a name brand filler(Shell). I GUESS I can trust them. hahaha
No ill effects here either so far although East Coast is almost done with the new pumps so I'll be back to "inexpensive" diesel. I know the truckers will be happy.
Never ran Bio in my 94, only in this one. Plus, the ten gallons I bought had so mix with 15 or so gallons of incumbant fuel. But, knock on wood, the truck drove to Lowe's and back the same as always. I'll have to run by that Shell again and see with percent mix it is.

[mschuyler]

The pattern here though is that bio costs more, which does not make sense, its much cheaper to produce.

No, it's not. The feedstock prices have gone up because of demand the same way corn prices have gone up because of ethanol. The process to "make" Bio-D may or may not be cheaper, but the key ingredient price is subject to supply & demand. That's why commercial Bio is not doing so well right now. My supplier just went out of business. Regulat diesel is cira $3.40. At $4.40 per gallon for bio, he could not compete.

[93GMCSierra]

the fact the prices went up seems pure greed, they were doing fine with prices before and this way its more needed thus a better cash flow, but if the price goes too high it kills interest thus its a short lived demand.

[radracing]

Last summer I ran some bio about 3 tanks full. and my fuel filter got pluged up. I had it changed and ran ok. I went back to regular diesel and about 5 tanks and the fuel filter was fine. so in Denver are we getting dirty fuel and the bio cleaned up the system?
In Denver Diesel is running about 3.95 and bio is about 4.49. why is bio so much more?
I would like to try Bio again but not at that price.

[2tough2park]

Last summer I ran some bio about 3 tanks full. and my fuel filter got pluged up. I had it changed and ran ok. I went back to regular diesel and about 5 tanks and the fuel filter was fine. so in Denver are we getting dirty fuel and the bio cleaned up the system?
In Denver Diesel is running about 3.95 and bio is about 4.49. why is bio so much more?
I would like to try Bio again but not at that price.

I just filled up with East Coast cheap stuff for $3.87. Mean price over the region(Stafford, Spottsy, Caroline) is about $3.91. The Shell has the B10 priced at $3.94, right in line with the "normal" diesel. Actually, I'm a bit surprised it's as cheap as the normal stuff, unless the normal stuff is actually B10 and nobody else advertises it as biodiesel. The Shell(US95 and Route 3) is the only place I've seen so far that plainly lists Biodiesel on their outside sign. If only the pumps were easier to get to.