Biodiesel in a 2013 Jetta TDI

I ran my 2000 VW Golf TDI on biodiesel (in the summer, in Wisconsin) and it did fine. We moved to Portland and it was getting kinda sad as a vehicle, so I bought a (slightly used) Jetta TDI. I was excited to buy biodiesel from a station close to my home, when I read the manual and it stated I would VOID my warranty if I used biodiesel.

Does anybody know if I'll really damage the car with biodiesel? It's been a huge disappointment to have to use dino diesel. (That, and the mileage is nowhere near as good as my old Golf.)

Julia Winter : Actually- Biodiesel is a superior product to Dino-diesel !!! That does make a problem, Because the bio-D is a better solvent it will pick up every
little crumb of gunk that was deposited from previous use Initially you will have to change your fuel filters much more often - This is a good thing ! After your
system is cleaned up by the Bio-D your filters will last longer !

Then there is the problem with certain upgrades in the fuel-lines and Pumps ( likely more than one line and one pump in your system - check it out ) This could
be looked at as part of a conspiracy- but actually these upgrades in fuel-line Plumbing were to improve the system that was built for Dino-D only! The Bio-D
has much greater solvent characteristics and in addition to picking up old crud Dino-D will dissolve - or more accurately soften several of the fuel lines fittings,
gaskets and seals and promote leaks, again These parts are Fine with Dino-D, it is Your Newer vehicle with newer plumbing parts that is the culprit .

Start with getting every thing I told you confirmed, the places you can get Bio-D will know who is a reliable Mechanic, and the upgrades to your Diesels plumbing
system, specifically for your Jetta are well known !

A good Diesel Mechanic who keeps these vehicles running can tell you what parts need to be changed now, and what will need to be replaced several
tankfuls later - Be proactive and do a little more than the minimum - often a simple tweak of your Diesel engines injectors will add milage.

You maybe told that the Jetta's onboard computer needs an upgrade this is out of my depth and I am not trying to B.S. here this is a possibility, and if you can
find a good well recommended Diesel Mechanic you should be able to wean Your Jetta off of Dino - D

Actually a series of short follow up threads on what you have had done anyhow it has worked for you would be a well-followed Thread ( I Think ! )

For the Good of the Crafts ! Big AL

Julia Winter wrote:I was excited to buy biodiesel from a station close to my home, when I read the manual and it stated I would VOID my warranty if I used biodiesel. Does anybody know if I'll really damage the car with biodiesel?

Hi Julia,

Biodiesel use can't "void your warranty" - that being said, dealers can take that position, and unless you are willing to push them on it, be unwilling to repair warantable issues on your vehicle. Here's a statement from The National Biodiesel Board (NBB's) website that sums up the issue.

Engine Warranties
All diesel engine companies warranty the product they make - engines. They warranty their engines for “materials and workmanship.” If there is a problem with an engine part or with engine operation due to an error in manufacturing or assembly within the prescribed warranty period, the problem will be covered by the engine company.
Typically, an engine company will define what fuel the engine was designed for and will recommend the use of that fuel to their customers in their owner's manuals.

Engine companies do not manufacture fuel or fuel components. Therefore, engine companies do not warranty fuel - whether that fuel is biodiesel or petrodiesel fuel. Since engine manufacturers warranty the materials and workmanship of their engines, they do not warranty fuel of any kind. If there are engine problems caused by a fuel (again, whether that fuel is petrodiesel fuel or biodiesel fuel) these problems are not related to the materials or workmanship of the engine, but are the responsibility of the fuel supplier and not the engine manufacturer. Any reputable fuel supplier (biodiesel, petrodiesel, or a blend of both) should stand behind its products and cover any fuel quality problems if they occur.

Therefore, the most important aspect regarding engine warranties and biodiesel is whether an engine manufacturer will void its parts and workmanship warranty when biodiesel is used, and whether the fuel producer or marketer will stand behind its fuels should problems occur.

from the National Biodiesel Board website

The largest potential issue with using biodiesel in a 2013 vehicle is the possibility of crankcase oil dilution due to biodiesel bypassing the piston rings during the diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration cycle. I am aware of a number of people using B99.9 (99.9% biodiesel) in 2013 and newer vehicles without issue. That being said, I have no first hand experience with it and would be hesitant to recommend it to others. I drive a 1987 Mercedes Benz 300TD wagon on B99.9 without issues - after changing the fuel lines.

B20 might be the way to go.

Bob

I've got a 2004 Golf TDI that I run biodiesel in. the word I heard was that the 2003-2005 TDI had the right hoses/gaskets/seals for biodiesel standard, but newer models do not. I haven't bothered to look into that much further, but fuel system material compatability may be an issue for you.

changing the fuel lines to Viton on my grandma's 1986 F250 was a relatively simple project. I doubt the same would be true for a modern TDI. then again, I've read that most fuel system materials used after about 1993 should be fine with biodiesel. in short: there's a lot of conflicting information.

What warranty do you have left on a 2000 VW Golf?
For specific info you might try Fred's TDI forum. Might find compatibility info there.

I think the car in question is a 2013 model.

Yes, you're right. I ran the 2000 Golf TDI on B100 much of the time. We had it delivered to our house and pumped into a barrel up on a rack in the garage, so I could refuel at home.

There was one time that I stalled out because it got too cold for B100, and my husband had to rescue me, but that's the only trouble I ever had with biodiesel.

The newer car, I'm not sure what to do. . . maybe in a while I will work on replacing the pertinent lines.

tel jetson wrote:I've got a 2004 Golf TDI that I run biodiesel in. the word I heard was that the 2003-2005 TDI had the right hoses/gaskets/seals for biodiesel standard, but newer models do not. I haven't bothered to look into that much further, but fuel system material compatibility may be an issue for you.

Most vehicles post 1994 have no material compatibility issues with biodiesel. We have a number of customers tooling around in 2013 VW TDI's with no fuel line issues.

I’m considering a 2013 VW Jetta, any new news on how these do with B100? I’m also Looking at a 2012 BMW X5 diesel. It seems like there is much less data on the x5. Any info would be appreciated!

Ive heard conflicting reports. Some saying that long term uses of pure biodiesel damaging engines. One of my main concerns is quality control of the fuel. How does one now how well they are making it? I certainly didn’t trust the stuff I made in my backyard lol.
Temperature is very important. I remember my old Mercedes ran too cold and eventually got gunked up. I decided I’m not a devoted mechanic to get it perfect and quit using it. I miss my Mercedes however and would run it if someone could get it right.

I've been running B100 (quality fuel from Sequential Biofuel which meets ASTM D9675 standard) for 3 years in my 2013 Sportwagen TDI. No issue except I do notice eventually crankcase oil level rising, so oil changes more often. Otherwise it runs great!  I've been interested in removing the DPF and doing the Delete so it doesn't cause fuel to be injected to burn off soot in the DPF (causing fuel to slip by the rings into the crankcase), but haven't done anything beyond just considering it. The engine has 100 mile warranty...so just make sure you put petrol diesel back in it if you have to bring it in to the dealer with any warranty issues.

I have a 2012 Jetta TDI, and live in the Portland area.  I had problems with b20 diesel; my engine would stall or have difficulty starting.  I am gettin B2 in the Troutdale area and couldn't be happier.  And my car is very happy as well!