2007 E320 CDI on Biodiesel
 

Wanted to get some feedback on anyone combining the E320 CDI and B100.

I purchased my vehicle new and ran it successfully on B100 for approximately 9 months before we had a very serioius issue. My wife was driving when the car stalled in the middle of an intersection and we had to have it towed. I was told by the dealer's lead mechanic that the injectors had clogged and the vehicle would not be covered by warranty since MBZ only covers up to B5. They replaced all parts assocatied with the fuel delivery and it ended up costing me $2,500. I still want to run on Bio and we love the car, but doesn't look like I can accomplish both of those goals simultaneously.

Can anyone share some knowledge that might help me acheive my goal?

RE: 2007 E320 CDI on Biodiesel
 

It sounds like you got a bad batch of fuel. (this tends to cause the problem right away instead of over time)

1. No car company in the world covers warranty work for bad fuel. (whether it's ULSD or BD)

2. Make sure the BD you use meets ASTM-6751 quality at least. (preferably: EN14214) If you are using home made BD then you are asking for trouble.

3. NEVER tell the dealership/service department what you are running on. (They are looking for any excuse to charge you money)

4. MB and the rest are out of luck since many municipalities/states have enacted RFS mandates. (B5, B20, B50, etc.) They can't use that excuse anymore.

I have a 2005 E320 CDI and a very similar thing happened to me this past winter. The difference is that my car restarted after it stalled and I managed to drive it to the dealership. It turned out that the fuel pump had gone bad. (service manager said it happens on occasion) They asked me what I was running in the tank. I knew why they were asking so I said "the normal fuel I always get at the station". (OK, I equivocated) It turned out that if I had said BD they would have charged me for the repair work but they covered it and I have not had another problem since.

BTW: Your wife should have noticed a problem coming on as this doesn't happen "all of a sudden". (the car would have been getting sluggish prior to failure)

You may not like having to run a lower blend of BD but there should be zero issues at B20 and below.

Best regards.

RE: 2007 E320 CDI on Biodiesel
 

I have some experience using B99 on my 2005 E320 CDI.

I have 2 years and 60K miles using B99, with rare the additions of reg. diesel.

The single biggest detail I learned was about the fuel filter. I was having to replace the filter every 6 gas tanks fulls, (whether truely clogged or simply triggering the computer). Once I started using an aftermarket filter by Beck/Arnsly (made by Mann), I got much better filter life. It is available online and has no water sensor in the middle, leading me to believe it for gas models and might even have more filter surface area as a result. insatallation is quicker and I just leave off the wires that were for the water sensor.

The power loss of a clogged filter is noticeable and gives me about 5 miles of warning in order to pull over at a safe place to work on my car, the check engine light comes on and the computer goes into limp mode, allowing half power and 55 max speed. I carry at least two spare filters with tools in my trunk, plus rubber gloves and papertowels. So far the only embarasing breakdown was when I was bringing out of town family members home from the airport.

The quality and cleanlness of the fuel is a huge issue. Even the finest Biodiesel will throw sediment after some months, small barrels exposed to temp variation is the worst. My advice is to buy or make the best, freshest you can.

Feel free to call my cell at 408 230 0392 or email me directly for some detailed biodiesel basics documents that I have written.


MARTY





[IMG]local://upfiles/36117/4A650BA3B1A249CBBA14AFA9E32D2585.jpg[/IMG]