# Upcoming Biodiesel Mandates



## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

More frequent oil changes seems to be the group consensus on when forced to run biodiesel. As far as the gelling aspect, at B20 with the anti-gelling agents they will add before you even get the fuel this should not be an issue. If you were talking about very strong concentrations then it becomes a big worry. For example B100 depending on how it was made and what has been added to it can gel north of 0 C which I bet happens a lot in your neck of the woods.


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## cssnms (Jan 24, 2011)

rmorin49 said:


> The corn lobby at work. For the life of me, why doesn't our Congress wake up? It is environmentally, economically and morally irresponsible to take a perfectly good food crop and turn it into fuel. We should all be lobbying our representatives to stop this nonsense.


Wishful thinking... Congress is awake and they know exactly what they are doing. They all have their hands in the pockets of lobbiests. It's why our corrupt politicians continue to give the corn growers association billions, YES billions of US tax dollers every year to subsidize their operations. Same issue with ethanol. Makes me want to puke!


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## cssnms (Jan 24, 2011)

hotbox99 said:


> Okay, this is a bit of a cross-post as I posted in the Great Lakes regional forum, but it's probably more topical in this forum. Minnesota currently has a mandate that diesel fuel must be B2, and in May 2012, that moves to B10. To make matters worse, May 2015 will require a B20 biodiesel. *Now, my 35d allows for B7*, but no higher. Will BMW address this? Is my X5 in any danger because of this?
> 
> From reading this forum and others, I see two problems with >B5 biodiesel. One is that the higher percentage of bio raises the temperature in which the fuel gels. The second is that oil contamination increases at an accelerated rate. Is the solution a matter of heating my garage and more frequent oil changes?


B7? You sure? According to the BMW maintenance/warranty manual our 335d's should not be run on anything higher than B5. I believe the engines between our two vehicles are the same.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

cssnms said:


> B7? You sure? According to the BMW maintenance/warranty manual our 335d's should not be run on anything higher than B5. I believe the engines between our two vehicles are the same.


I have seen images showing fuel caps that say B7 but since you have a 2011 then I am guessing yours is like mine and says B5?


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## cssnms (Jan 24, 2011)

Snipe656 said:


> I have seen images showing fuel caps that say B7 but since you have a 2011 then I am guessing yours is like mine and says B5?


Yes.

Perhaps BMW started to see problems in the market w/earlier model diesels, which prompted them to take a more conservative approach with MY '11?


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

cssnms said:


> Yes.
> 
> Perhaps BMW started to see problems in the market w/earlier model diesels, which prompted them to take a more conservative approach with MY '11?


Perhaps, mine is a 2009 and I'd swear I saw people saying with some of the newer cars it says B7 instead of B5 like mine days. Personally I think we are fine even at B20 but I sure would not be trying for the 13k or whatever the max oil change interval is that the car can give.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

rmorin49 said:


> The corn lobby at work. For the life of me, why doesn't our Congress wake up? It is environmentally, economically and morally irresponsible to take a perfectly good food crop and turn it into fuel. We should all be lobbying our representatives to stop this nonsense.


Since this is an older thread, it's premises are not up-to-date. In June, Congress and the Senate essentially voted to remove ethanol subsidies. I don't think action has actually happened, as they (stupidly) punted it to the 6-man super-committee. And just this month Congress voted to strip $1M+ farmers of subsidies.

And second of all, it would be more proper to say "soybean and camelina lobby", as that's what commercial bio-diesel producers use.:bigpimp:


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## trz (Feb 22, 2010)

Congress may have removed the subsidies, but I don't think they removed the mandates. Farmers won't get tax breaks - but the market (enforced through mandates) will continue to exist. Farmers will pass along their higher tax costs to the captive market resulting in higher fuel costs.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

A Federal mandate to use biodiesel exists? I know they do at the state level for some states but never heard a Federal one exists. The requirement to use E10 gasoline I do believe is long gone but good luck finding fuel that does not have Ethanol in it.


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## trz (Feb 22, 2010)

You're right - I was getting federal and state mandates mixed up.


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## hotbox99 (Oct 4, 2011)

cssnms said:


> B7? You sure? According to the BMW maintenance/warranty manual our 335d's should not be run on anything higher than B5. I believe the engines between our two vehicles are the same.


Yep, I'm sure. It's a MY2012 X5 diesel and clearly states B7 on the fuel cap.


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## 62Lincoln (Sep 26, 2004)

My 2011 335d's cap also has B7 printed on it. Chris, when was your car built? Mine was built at the end of May, 2010.


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## cssnms (Jan 24, 2011)

62Lincoln said:


> My 2011 335d's cap also has B7 printed on it. Chris, when was your car built? Mine was built at the end of May, 2010.


Oct 2010. But ya know, I never really looked to see what my fuel cap says! :rofl: I'll check tonight.


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## bmw_n00b13 (Feb 15, 2008)

Ironic how, now that manufacturers are making sensitive Diesels to comply with smog regulations, that the government starts polluting the fuel. 
According to legend, the 1970s and 80s Mercedes Diesels would run on just about anything. They are quite popular for the DIY biodieselers for that reason. Unfortunately today's engines are a different breed.


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## anE934fun (May 10, 2008)

hotbox99 said:


> Okay, this is a bit of a cross-post as I posted in the Great Lakes regional forum, but it's probably more topical in this forum. Minnesota currently has a mandate that diesel fuel must be B2, and in May 2012, that moves to B10. To make matters worse, May 2015 will require a B20 biodiesel. Now, my 35d allows for B7, but no higher. Will BMW address this? Is my X5 in any danger because of this?
> 
> From reading this forum and others, I see two problems with >B5 biodiesel. One is that the higher percentage of bio raises the temperature in which the fuel gels. The second is that oil contamination increases at an accelerated rate. Is the solution a matter of heating my garage *and more frequent oil changes*?


I can't speak to the issue of when B20 would gel, because I thankfully don't have the cold weather issues. But on the oil contamination, you definitely have a risk of contamination. As the biodiesel content starts to go north of B5, I would suggest sending samples of engine oil off for analysis on initially a 2,500 mile sample interval. Depending on what comes back from analysis, the sample interval can get extended. At some point, you will find out what kind of modified oil change interval you will need to follow.


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## dunderhi (Dec 10, 2006)

Slightly OT. I've owned a 2001 New Holland diesel tractor for the past decade. The manual says no biodiesel allowed. That said, it runs best on B100 pure biodiesel. It goes from sounding like a diesel tractor to purring like a gas engine. I haven't had my oil analyzed, but I do change it regularly - every three years! :rofl:

I can no longer buy B100, so it's back to sounding like a tractor.

BTW, B100 gells pretty easily.


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## 62Lincoln (Sep 26, 2004)

anE934fun said:


> But on the oil contamination, you definitely have a risk of contamination. As the biodiesel content starts to go north of B5, I would suggest sending samples of engine oil off for analysis on initially a 2,500 mile sample interval. Depending on what comes back from analysis, the sample interval can get extended. At some point, you will find out what kind of modified oil change interval you will need to follow.


x2 Excellent advice!


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## TDIwyse (Sep 17, 2010)

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6406054#post6406054

~11,500 miles on mostly B5-B20. No oil dilution issues to report for my vehicle and driving style.


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## bayoucity (Jun 11, 2010)

62Lincoln said:


> My 2011 335d's cap also has B7 printed on it. Chris, when was your car built? Mine was built at the end of May, 2010.


Mine has max B7 on it. The built date is June, 2010.


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