# 99.9% Biodiesel fuel



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

When passing through Portland ME, I found a retailer that offers 99.9% biodiesel. I don't know what the other 0.1% is - presumably it is petroleum diesel fuel for some sort of fuel blending requirement.

Maine Standard Biofuels

www.mainestandardbiofuels.com

They have a retail pump that is open regular hours M-F. Staff there let me fill up my tank and gave me a free sticker and hat!


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Not sure what you filled with the 99.9% biodiesel? The Cruze is only rated for B20 or 20% biodiesel.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

What do you mean "let you" fill up your tank....isn't that kind of the whole idea of fuel ststion


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

Way more then the Cruze is rated for. I’d not run it even if cheaper. I’ve not
Once been to a gas station that someone fills it for you.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

pandrad61 said:


> Way more then the Cruze is rated for. I’d not run it even if cheaper. I’ve not
> Once been to a gas station that someone fills it for you.


Well I'm from NJ, and it's illegal to pump your own gas. Diesel pumps are sometimes self sometimes full service. Gas is always full service.

Could just be the whole lack of intonation and context thing on a forum but even being from a full service state the "let me" comment came across weird. 

I definitely would NOT be putting B99 in a Cruze. The fuel system isn't designed for it, and the exhaust aftertreatment system and sensors will likely suffer, I don't know exactly what rubbers/synthetics are in the fuel tank/lines/pump, but they typically dont like high bio content. mpg will most likely suffer as well.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Biodiesel doesn’t really have any common certification. That’s the main reason for lack of OEM support.

In other words B100 from one supplier may work flawlessly while another will start destroying everything.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

Snipesy said:


> Biodiesel doesn’t really have any common certification. That’s the main reason for lack of OEM support.
> 
> In other words B100 from one supplier may work flawlessly while another will start destroying everything.


This, bio can be plant based, or animal based, and they both do different things and react very differently with materials. Additionally any incomplete processing of bio fuels can have nasty remnants


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

Ma v e n said:


> Well I'm from NJ, and it's illegal to pump your own gas. Diesel pumps are sometimes self sometimes full service. Gas is always full service.
> 
> Could just be the whole lack of intonation and context thing on a forum but even being from a full service state the "let me" comment came across weird.
> 
> I definitely would NOT be putting B99 in a Cruze. The fuel system isn't designed for it, and the exhaust aftertreatment system and sensors will likely suffer, I don't know exactly what rubbers/synthetics are in the fuel tank/lines/pump, but they typically dont like high bio content. mpg will most likely suffer as well.


It’s mandatory in NJ? Had no idea. In all the states from Fl to Ohio and Fl to Cali I’ve never had a pump that was pumped for me. B99 would be fun to watch in the Cruze. I give it maybe 300 miles


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## phil1734 (Aug 30, 2019)

pandrad61 said:


> It’s mandatory in NJ?


NJ and certain parts of Oregon do not allow you to pump your own gas. 

They both permit you to pump your own diesel, but smaller, urban stations will often still pump the diesel anyway.


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## rcruze (Mar 22, 2018)

phil1734 said:


> NJ and certain parts of Oregon do not allow you to pump your own gas.
> 
> They both permit you to pump your own diesel, but smaller, urban stations will often still pump the diesel anyway.


That is just insane imo....


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Ma v e n said:


> What do you mean "let you" fill up your tank....isn't that kind of the whole idea of fuel ststion


They are mostly a commercial operation. They collect waste vegetable oil from thousands of locations in the Portland ME area and refine it into biodiesel for blending with motor fuel or heating oil. Their bioheat is 20% biodiesel and the rest petroleum diesel, but they sell custom blends upon request.

They have a single fuel pump out back of their loading dock where vehicles can fill up with 99.9% biodiesel. They run their trucks on the fuel and it works fine.


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## BodhiBenz1987 (Jan 13, 2018)

rcruze said:


> That is just insane imo....


It's very annoying since most of the drive from me to NYC is NJ. I always try to plan around fueling up in the state, even though their rest stops are otherwise very convenient. I did fuel up at one last time I went to NY, late at night, and at least the attendant was really excited my Cruze was a diesel.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

rcruze said:


> That is just insane imo....


It's jobs y0! Meant I didn't have to flip burgers or sweep floors in high school. Means I don't have to go into a store and leave a deposit if paying cash, do t have to get out in the rain, heat, cold, wind, it's awesome. Try it sometime.


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## BodhiBenz1987 (Jan 13, 2018)

Ma v e n said:


> It's jobs y0! Meant I didn't have to flip burgers or sweep floors in high school. Means I don't have to go into a store and leave a deposit if paying cash, do t have to get out in the rain, heat, cold, wind, it's awesome. Try it sometime.


I think my strong dislike for it is mostly do to always having weird diesels that I'm terrified an attendant will put gas into. I had to really convince one to put diesel in my Jeep once ... he was nice but very certain I was mistaken about the fuel I asked for. But I get the jobs aspect.


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## mwswarrior (Jul 3, 2015)

I ran high percentages up to 100% biodiesel in my '05 Duramax 6.6 for many years with no issues whatsoever. This was all commercially available biosiesel vice "home brew". The newer vehicles have synthetic o-rings, seals, etc, so no issue with that. The only thing I would want to do more research on would be biodiesel interaction with the newer emission systems (DPF, DEF, etc). My '05 didn't have those. I do know that many fleet vehicles with newer emission systems seem to do fine on biodiesel but I would do some research before making this a habit.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

mwswarrior said:


> The only thing I would want to do more research on would be biodiesel interaction with the newer emission systems (DPF, DEF, etc).


The issue with biodiesel and DPF-equipped vehicles depends on what injection system is used to put extra fuel into the exhaust stream for a regen cycle.

If you have a vehicle where there is an auxiliary fuel injector to put extra fuel into the exhaust stream to heat the DPF up for a regen cycle, most use of B100 is fine (other than quality issues with the fuel and cold weather problems that can occur).

If you have a vehicle where the standard fuel injectors are used to put extra fuel into the exhaust stream (during the exhaust stroke), the concern is that biodiesel has a higher ignition/evaporation point that petroleum diesel. If the biodiesel doesn't combustion or evaporate in the exhaust stroke, some of it can condense on the walls of the cylinders and get into the crankcase. At the start of VW cars being equipped with DPFs, there was at least one case of a guy running B100 and his oil level was increasing as a result of this. VW tested the fuel and advised no more than B20 for this reason, and that's the same reason that just about every diesel engine offered (Ford, Dodge, or GM) comes with the B20 recommendation.

During warm summer weather, I have no concern with running higher biodiesel blends. It should work just fine. I would not do this in cool weather for the obvious reasons stated above.


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