Well, I have read that you needed might need to change out the filter right after to switching to bio - but I thought this was "if you have a few miles on the truck"... I am running between b20 and b70 - I'll top off with bio and then refill with D2 when I hit a half tank a couple of times then top off with bio again (b99).

Yesterday - the truck went into limp mode and wouldn't rev over 2000 rpm - from reading other posts on this, sounds like it threw a code 1093. This can happen due to a defective pressure relief valve on the fuel rail or from filter restriction.

The code reset after I turned the truck off for a tad - then I noticed it wouldn't pull over 2300 rpm up a grade near my house. So I stopped off at the dealer and picked up a new filter - got the new, longer dual pleat one (no black stripe around it anymore...). Changed it out and now it runs like a champ.

I didn't cut open the filter but did notice a bit of gunk and sludge at the bottom of it...

Others running bio - how often are you changing out your filters?

jeff

I have 4k miles on B99 and have had no filter problems. I would check out the bio you are using and put it in the fridge and see if it stays clear. You may have just got some bad bio. BTW the soy based bio seems to be the best answer and there are gov't standards for it. There are some ASTM specs that are supposed to be met. You really shouln't have any problems running it except for the warranty. Just clear it all out if you take it in. They can smell that stuff a mile away!;)

Well after cutting open the filter and finding some whitish goo on the bottom of the filter - I think it's back to chevron diesel and stanadyne additive for me...

C ya!

jeff

On Edit :

What is the waxy, cream colored stuff that was at the bottom of the filter? Is it definitely from the bio? Don't want to condemn it - but I can't have the filters plug every 3k miles. The wife uses the truck to tow a very expensive horse with.

..

Last week I put a whole tank of B100 in. I got 200 miles and it lost power, but would still go 65 w/ the propane on. I got it home and changed the filter. This filter had 20K on it, so it may have been almost there already. I had the 1093 code also. I cut it open and didn't see anything, but it was the double pleat 'A' filter which I think is supposed to do around 5 micron. It must have been plugged with something, probably asphalt from diesel fuel. I put the new 'B' filter on it. I've been running 15 - 20% bio since about 10K miles, now have 30K.

Definitely sounds like bad bio. If you put bio in the fridge to cool it down it will seperate out almost a wax that has a cream color. If it is bad enough just letting it sit will do the same thing. That being the case I would say if you want to run bio to go elsewhere or maybe show a sample to the distributor. The company I buy from stands behind all there products and they sell everything from bulk motor oil to bio to ethanol. And of course regular gas and diesel fuel. They even have a few tanks of off-road fuel. All the bio I use is pumped from there tanks and none of this 55gallon drum business. Don't totally give up on the bio though...it does steal a little power and is hard to find but it definitely takes the middle east out of the equation!

I have almost 10K on these filters running everything from B5 to B99 w/o any problems.

All of my bio fuel has come from the same source. They use it too, so I'm pretty sure it is good.:)

Sort of sounds like water is in the fuel.

No - it's not water. It's a by product of the biodiesel - glycerine or wax.

I looked on stanadyne's website and found the joint statement on biodiesel from all of the different injector mfgrs. It's pretty scary... The downside of biodiesel is stability -when it breaks down the components created plug filters and can muck up the entire fuel system.

I guess the government needs to take one more step to make biodiesel successful. They are throwing $1.00 a gallon at it and now every tom, **** and harry can crank out biodiesel. Problem #1 is that there are not sufficient standards - e.g. biodiesel lacks stability specification. Problem #2 - no enforcement of current biodiesel spec. (monitor and fine offendors).

Unlike petro-diesel -> biodiesel is way too easy to make....

jeff

Jeff,

Commercial Bio has a lot to be desired. I ran into a similar problem with a supplier who had sold Bio that operated flawlessly....followed by another load that was just crap.

They were both Soy based.

The problem I think is the stuff has been in huge demand due to both the credit and the run up on diesel fuel.

Producers are cutting corners INMHO.

Do not give up on the Bio...stick with B20 for now.

I am dropping back to the manufacturer recommended b5 maximum. This way I'll get benefits of increased lubricity without the downside of decreased stability. Another concern is the increased viscosity of b99 over Diesel #2. I did want to go "all the way" to quit sending my money to big oil and to saudi arabia; I think I'll have to wait a few years until they get the kinks worked out of the stuff.

I can imagine that if you run the truck hard - b99 will break down and glycerides will be generated that will clog filters. D-max has higher pressures and temps in the fuel rails than others. The vendor that I spoke to says that they see issues with filter clogging on new d-max's and dodge sprinters (mb diesel). My guess is that part of the issues with the dmax is the new dual pleat filter.

Also FYI - I did see something from Cummins website that bio can halve fuel filter change interval....

jeff