HELP ! TD4 and biodiesel spluttering.

I did a silly thing...i filled up at morrisons not quite paying attention.


They have started selling biodiesel (B30) so i have put just over half a tank of B30 on top of normal diesel.

didn't even notice right away last night...then after half a mile
chattering, stuttering and lumpy acceleration.

once it gets going (higher revs) it seems ok
but not happy at lower revs and spulling away from a stop.

I had ron's tu3 on, so i removed it. went back to normal throttle response.
i was noticably less lumpy, but still stutters a quite a bit.

though once again seem ok when i drove up the local bypass and back.

Question, 2002/TD4
have i damaged something ?
should i just top it up with normal diesel asap.
or should i drain it and refill ?

trouble is i'm away from home on business and really could do with driving home tonight (all motorways)
can i get away with before worrying too much ?

thanks in advance
Rich.

as far as i know, the TD4 is ok up to about 60% bio!

Try brimming tank with best ordinary diesel & if no better try changing the fuel filter. After that I think it's check the injectors, but others here might have different paths to try. Best to quickly unplug your maf sensor to eliminate it just in case it coincidentally failed though I admit it seems unlikely.

Thanks for those comments...

hmm, ok so might not of killed it then..
cant brim it up just yet...i had brimed it with the B30
but i have a 160 mile journey home...so can top it up during the trip.

half a tank of B30 equals a full tank of B15 doesnt it.
so if it can cope with 60% it ought to be ok.

I did wonder about the MAF myself. but it would be a hell of a coincidence. i had just driven 160 miles no trouble at all.
i thought they usually fail gradually.
anyway, as i'm on business no tools or old clothes
so will have stay on for a while yet.

Doesn't Biodiesel disolve some of the accrued crud ?
could that be it?
and will it burn off and go away after while ?

Rich.

rdainton said:

Doesn't Biodiesel disolve some of the accrued crud ?
Rich.

Click to expand...

yep, BUT not instantly, even running B100 as i do, it took around 500miles before the filter started getting blocked!

Top it up A S A P wiff doozle,un as stated change that filter, youve given it a quick ****e de gunk. . . .if using bio/vedg oil fer furst time. . . . . .Mings werds er wisdom. . . . .slow slow slow

First time I started using veg it cleared that much gunk it blocked the fuel line from the tank, there was that much it couldn't get through the pipes to the filter.

blocked fuel line...bummer.

Well, I made it home ok.
It was twitching and crackling around the town, and scared me a few times at roundabouts as it almost died as it pulled away.
(and kicked out a bit of black smoke)

It was running fine on the motorways though.
no problems at all that i was aware of.
so as i was moving i chose to get home rather than stop and top up.

by the time i got home it was generally pretty ok, even at the lower revs.

but this morning its was crackling again..so maybe its happier when its warm.
anyway I have topped it up now and will take it for a run in a bit.

Rich

kinell, cheap doozil must be pretty durty I had my fuel tank open on my petrol monster (14 years old) and there was nowt in the tank cept petroil! clean as yer like.

ah sounds good. just give it a bootfull to get the fuel flowing through the system quick and clear out any crap.

My problems seem to have escalated...but i'll update anyway.

Ok, so i topped it up...to just over half a tank..
and it was still spitting and crackling..
i only had a couple of short journeys..so didn't give it much welly.
anyway today i had a long run again...(total since BioD went in 380miles)

this mornign it was really awful, much worse than before i put normal diesel in...stalled it several times in traffic..and it didnt want to start once it was warm. had to bump it on a hill.

back on the motorway again...fine...but still crackling away at low revs.
and even stopped while idling several times and the trouble starting..

But new symptom appeared that makes me think its nowt to do with the Bio-diesel. just a co-incidence.

I started a new thread 'TD4 no power and overheating ?'

Rich.