Freelander 1 Bio diesel?

has anyone successfully run a td4 on bio diesel? My other half wants one and it would be handy if we run it on my home made bio diesel.
Is the td4 a common rail Diesel engine?

I wouldn't. The TD4 is fussy about which pump diesel it likes. So I can see Bio stuffing the injectors up very quickly.
Yes the TD4 is a common rail engine.

There's no reason why bio should ruin any injectors if it's made properly.

I have used professional bio diesel. Had to pay for a set of injectors. NEVER again.

Your engine. You choice. Your money.
From experience, the TD4 is very fuel fussy. Even supermarket fuel stuffs up the injectors. Bio is more likely to do so imo. But try it and let us know how the long term reliability goes. You'll need to save a lot on fuel to ofset the cost of a new set of injectors at circa £800.

You would be better off going for an L Series diesel Freelander which is not common rail. They're fantastic motors, mine's great, but you can't get them in auto, they're generally not as well equipped as the later TD4s and of course they are older. They'll give you better fuel consumption than a TD4 auto, and at least as good as a TD4 manual. I got 43mpg out of mine the other day when I checked - but over 40 is rare, I generally get about 38mpg They're a bit more sluggish, but pull well once moving and are bullet proof in the reliability stakes.

I'm sure I've read about people running their L Series motors fine on Bio. Bio is definitely "in character" for an L Series

Thanks for that. I'm not familiar with L series freelancers but will search for them. What years were they made?

The L series hasn't been made since 99. 2000 MY onwards Freelander had the BMW TD4 common rail engine.

Ah, ok thanks. I'll start looking for one.

Steviecops said:

Ah, ok thanks. I'll start looking for one.

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Be warned. The L series Freelander is hard to find in worthwhile condition.
Additionally they were considered the economy model by many. So were often supplied as base spec, without many luxuries. Many L series Freelander's don't even have ABS. Which means no TC or HDC either. The engine is able to do huge mileage and requires only simple maintenance.
Just check the whole vehicle for rust as pre 2000 models weren't up to the same build standards as the 2000-2003 Freelander.

Yeh, they are just the early 'yellow indicator' models - cept mine as been 'upgraded' to the clear lenses. I got them off a wrecker car that I also took other higher spec bits off that weren't on mine like the big console, roof rails, cup holders (removed quickly as it was a backwards step!). Some of the goodies that were on/options for the later models may take more effort to fit - such as heated seats and windscreen.

ABS was an option on the early models - but I'm sure almost all of them were fitted with it.

I've not heard of the older cars having a poorer build quality leading to rust - but they are older, so more likely for the worm to have set in. Freelander in general suffers rust nowhere near as bad as, for example Discovery. They're pretty good. Check the sills and, if you can, the bottom front of the rear wheel arch behind the plastic liner.

My March 2000my L-series XEDI has got ABS, TC, HDC and Aircon as did the Jan 1998 one I had before that. Obviously neither had the Ford inspired heated front screen at that time nor heated seats. It is very easy to liven the engine up and I haven't found any particular rust issues. Sun roof and window lifts seem to be problems shared with later models but I don't think the build quality was any worse on the early models. Perhaps I've just been lucky! Once sorted the L-series Freelander makes a great workhorse if you can find one!

Happyhippo

I have seen a few threads where people have had secret rust under the plastic trim that has got a bit grim in some places.

Very useful info, thanks.