Biodiesel Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is biodiesel vegetable oil?
A: No, it is made from vegetable oil in a chemical reaction between an alcohol and a catalyst called a transesterfication reaction.

Q: What modifications are required to run biodiesel in my
vehicle?
A: Blends up to 20% biodiesel (B20) require no modifications. Higher blends may require changing out natural rubber components that come into contact with the fuel.

Q: Does biodiesel need to be preheated to run in my engine?
A: All diesel fuel needs to be preheated at very cold temperatures. Biodiesel cloud and gel points are a little higher than number 2 diesel but usually not much. (Users of Blends up to B20 usually report no change)

Q: Why should I use biodiesel instead of straight vegetable oil (SVO)
A: The short answer is that biodiesel is very similar to regular diesel: viscosity, Cetane number, cloud and gel points and is very easy on the engine. In fact biodiesel is much cleaner and better for your engine than petrol diesel. There are success stories of diesel owners using commercial SVO fuel setups, but these setups start and shutdown the engines on regular diesel. The diesel engines in use today were not designed with the combustion characteristics of SVO in mind and can cause problems.

Q: Can I make biodiesel myself?
A: Maybe, Bad biodiesel is easy to make, Biodiesel that meets ASTM standards requires very good equipment and techniques and a working knowledge of organic chemistry. We do not recommend that anybody use untested biodiesel in their vehicles!

Q: Does biodiesel get worse fuel mileage than regular diesel?
A: Though biodiesel has slightly less energy content then petrol diesel, it is so slight that most users report no difference.

Q: Will my car smell like French fries if I use biodiesel?
A: Depending on what the biodiesel was made from it can smell a little like French fries, or Chinese food, or vegetable oil. Most users of biodiesel report that the smell is greatly improved over that of petrol diesel.

Q: Does biodiesel clog fuel filters?
A: Not exactly, biodiesel is a very good solvent and cleans out the deposits left over from petrol diesel. Some users report having to change out the fuel filter after the first few tanks but then go back to the regular changing schedule.