Biodiesel - MB Sprinter Warranty - Page 2

bobcat66 · 06-29-2014, 04:00 AM

interesting...

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde ... 255AATAe3O

It may be years before the long term effects of using B5+ are known - but I personally would avoid it's use.

Fastpaddler1 · 06-29-2014, 04:06 AM

I guess we over here in my part of Canada are really deprived--no Biodiesel around here as far as I can determine. I just fill up at the same pumps as the 18 wheelers! I guess Stateside there are a lot of rules and regs re fuel we dont have, YET!!! I noted that Davydd said to keep the engine oil "topped up". I guess that mean close to full. If overfilled one gets a warning "HI" which means overfilled--at least in my older rig anyway.

booster · 06-29-2014, 05:09 AM

Actually with the biodiesel, they are concerned with the level getting too high from fuel getting into the oil during the DPF regeneration. Fuel diluted oil is not good for engines.

bobojay · 07-01-2014, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

Actually with the biodiesel, they are concerned with the level getting too high from fuel getting into the oil during the DPF regeneration. Fuel diluted oil is not good for engines.

Correct, this is the whole issue. The bio diesel itself is not going to damage the engine unless the sump gets too much fuel in it from over aggressive & numerous DPF regens. That's why MB's spec sheet says if you use B10 to 20 multiple times, to keep an eye on your oil level

booster · 07-01-2014, 02:32 PM

Minnesota just passed the 10% rule for biodiesel. Lots of folks with concerns, it appears, according to an article in the daily paper. It will 5% in the winter due to gelling issues. Like the MB documentation listed, they talked about a lot of things beyond the oil dilution, such as corrosion, filter plugging, emission stuff plugging, etc. On thing that came up in all the articles I have seen was related to the fact that they say the biodiesel does not age well, which could be a factor for the RVs that sit a lot, when compared to daily use or commercial vehicles. We have the same issues with ethanol laced gas, so hopefully they will have a biofuel preservative like we use for the ethanol gasoline.

Davydd · 07-03-2014, 07:11 PM

As of July 1 it is officially 10% biodiesel. The comments are starting to come in the editorial pages of the newspaper.

Does this mean every trip I start out I have to drive over to Hudson, Wisconsin for my first fill? I imagine I will only put in enough diesel to get to the state border only if I have to since almost all my B trips go out of state.

DutchMountain · 07-10-2016, 06:37 PM

Thank you for this discussion, has there been any new developments in the past couple of years?
I live in the Phoenix area and have only found B20 in my area. Does anyone know of B5 sources in Arizona or how to locate them?

Thanks!

classbbud · 07-10-2016, 07:40 PM

Are you saying you want to use B5?

obgraham · 07-10-2016, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DutchMountain

Thank you for this discussion, has there been any new developments in the past couple of years?
I live in the Phoenix area and have only found B20 in my area. Does anyone know of B5 sources in Arizona or how to locate them?

Thanks!

I spent the winter in Mesa. How did you determine the B% of diesel there? I didn't see it marked on pumps I used.

classbbud · 07-10-2016, 10:08 PM

According to this website, there are only seven stations within a 25 mile radius of Phoenix that carry biodiesel. Alternative Fuel Fill Stations and Prices

Davydd · 07-10-2016, 11:12 PM

It is my understanding that biodiesel up to B5 the pumps don't have to be labeled biodiesel. Over B5 up to B20 the pumps are labeled but there is no percentage given. I know everyone panics over that, especially in Minnesota where B20 is allowed, but I found out the only biodiesel in the Minnesota market is B10.

I have attended presentations by Mercedes Benz reps a couple of times now and they don't seem overly worried about B20. Yeah I know what their boilerplate warranty stuff says. Their advice is watch oil levels carefully and change oil more frequently than the maintenance intervals. At the same time their service intervals have gone from 10,000 miles to 20,000 miles. Until such time someone says their warranty is voided because they used biodiesel I am not worried either. I haven't seen such on any RV board.

DutchMountain · 07-11-2016, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by classbbud

According to this website, there are only seven stations within a 25 mile radius of Phoenix that carry biodiesel. Alternative Fuel Fill Stations and Prices

Could those must be 100% biodiesel? Even the Pilot stations show B20 blend on the web but I called them and they said it depends on the time of year. So that may explain the signs with B20 as it may be a maximum. Most of the time the folks maning the stations are unsure.

Keyne · 07-11-2016, 03:50 PM

It's interesting how diesel is becoming more and more complicated (IMO) with the DEF and now biodiesel questions and state regulations. Might be much to do about nothing but spending that kind of money on a van and having states changing regs it reminds of leaded and unleaded gas. Also, I lived through small outboard motor issues with the ethanol changes; not fun especially when going down to the boat, loaded up and not able to start the motor... Good times indeed. Stabil solved the problem because the boat was only used on weekends it caused problems. The comments about RV's not being used all the time and having issues with diesel sitting in the tanks sounds similar. Do they have Stabil style diesel additives?

Given the premium price over gas engines there seems to be more and more reasons to just stay with a gasser. Not as cool as a diesel at cocktail parties but it seems to be making a lot more sense to me. I have heard Mercedes may introduce a gas Sprinter; that would be a nice alternative and given the Ford and ProMaster options it makes sense that they should.

classbbud · 07-11-2016, 05:03 PM

"The comments about RV's not being used all the time and having issues with diesel sitting in the tanks sounds similar. Do they have Stabil style diesel additives? "

I use PRI-D.

Davydd · 07-11-2016, 05:10 PM

Gas or diesel never entered into my equation. I bought the Class Bs that most appealed to me and they happened to be diesel Sprinters. There was no choice.

gregmchugh · 07-11-2016, 05:32 PM

It is interesting that some people seem to get obsessed with what type of engine is in the van instead of focusing primarily on all the other stuff that will have more impact on how much they will like actually using the van...

I bought a used Roadtrek diesel Sprinter because it was a good choice for our needs at a good price with the engine being a secondary factor at best...

DutchMountain · 07-11-2016, 07:19 PM

There doesn't seem to be as much of a reason to go with diesel these days except for potential longevity. I chose my GWV for the floor plan: large wet bath, large refrig, roomy kitchen and great flex storage behind and under. the couch. But I wanted the Sprinter with all the safety features that were not widely available from Class B upfitters at the time: Blind spot assist, collision warning, breaking assist, lane departure warning, and even the auto headlights. Hopefully all RVs will include these soon.

avanti · 07-11-2016, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DutchMountain

Hopefully all RVs will include these soon.

I'm sure they will. The problem is that by then there will be another generation of safety and convenience features that will become objects of desire. IMO, that is the tragedy of GWV's demise. They seem to have been the only non-custom upfitter that offered top quality and high-end features without coupling them with over-the-top luxury finishes and doodads.

To avoid thread-hijack:
I, too, was indifferent between diesel and petrol. Like the others who have commented, I just wanted the right layout in a cost-effective package. Whether gas or diesel is "better" varies over time with fuel prices and the state of the ever-evolving emissions technologies. It rarely drifts far from a flip-of-the-coin.

Keyne · 07-11-2016, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

It is interesting that some people seem to get obsessed with what type of engine is in the van instead of focusing primarily on all the other stuff that will have more impact on how much they will like actually using the van...

I bought a used Roadtrek diesel Sprinter because it was a good choice for our needs at a good price with the engine being a secondary factor at best...

A lot of the floor plans are very similar so if you have a choice between a gas or diesel in the same floor plan and even from the same manufacturer (e.g. 59G or K from WGO in gas or diesel) then the choice makes sense. All things being equal they could choose and actually enjoy the van more by not buying a diesel given the other variables with a diesel (cost, local regs, etc.). I find it fascinating on this forum that a simple questions gets seen as obsession. It seems to me people are coming here to inquire and learn to make their own choices not obssess. LOL

booster · 07-11-2016, 08:59 PM

As much as the diesel or gas shouldn't really make a difference, and doesn't to many people, it actually did to me, but not for any of the more common reasons.

I do nearly all the repairs and service on all our vehicles, which is a very big monetary saving for us, as we keep our vehicles a long time. That makes the practicality of being able to do the same with a new vehicle pretty important. I don't know a lot about diesel service, or have any of the necessary tools or test equipment, but all of that could be learned or purchased, within reason. But would be quite expensive for only one vehicle. At the time we were looking at class B's, about all there was for diesels were the MB models, and I think that slanted things more toward the gas than other things, again based on service and repair. At the time, there were lots of things I found that I just didn't care for, like lots of proprietary stuff so locked into dealer testing, extremely expensive parts with little in the aftermarket, non rebuildable rear axles and transmissions, and to some extent also the engines, etc. If a gas model had the same things come up, it would also have been out for us.

Now, with some other diesels becoming available, things might be different for us, but we are happy with what we have so not even checking it out.

Sometimes the gas/diesel decision is not really based on gas or diesel, as was mentioned by others in relation to floor plans, etc, and that can include a coincidental relation between a diesel and it's manufacturer's prices and policies.

You may also like: