Hi guys.

I have a 6 month old FL2 (which is the best car I have ever owned by the way!)

In order to help with reducing my Carbon footprint, I am wondering whether the car will run 100% happy on processed bio-diesel.

Has anybody asked LR about this, and got a formal statement on viability.

Theres a company in Macclesfield making and selling at 60p+VAT per litre, which is starting to look cheap with all the promised fuel increases.

Cheers
Mark Freelander 2
TD4 GS
Shiney fantastic Baltic Blue
Detachable Witter Towbar

Don't know if you've seen it already, but the owner's manual says "Land Rover vehicle's (sic) are capable of running with up to a 5% blend of bio-diesel in accordance with European Standard EN590"

Thanks NFx

Now you mention it,I recall seeing that, but was hoping for 100%.

Anybody had the bottle to try it (with or without car modifications) or pushed the issue further with LR??


Mark Freelander 2
TD4 GS
Shiney fantastic Baltic Blue
Detachable Witter Towbar

markconnor33 wrote:

but was hoping for 100%.


Mark

Viking

I agree fully that "virgin biodiesel" is not the answer. I was hoping to go the used veg oil route, hence carbon nuetral (or nearly).

I think all manufacturers should be open to running vehicles on any possible fuel derivative, so that we are not so restricted by national fuel networks.

Not sure about having a Thorium nuclear reactor in my motor though.
Just think about the hazard in a crash.

Thanks for the thoughts though.

Perhaps I'll have to get an old motor to run on unprocessed waste veg oil

Cheers
Mark Freelander 2
TD4 GS
Shiney fantastic Baltic Blue
Detachable Witter Towbar

I go to a lot of offroad events with my Defender but like many other Defender owners wouldn't use vegetable oil in it because it gums up the injectors with the deposits. I would say that a large proportion of the older Japanese 4x4's that come on the offroading events run on new vegetable oil and don't seem to have any problems other than the smell from their emissions!
Around here the Vehicle Inspectorate have recently been clamping down on it's use. I believe that you have to notify them that you are running on it and obtain a license/pay a fee for depriving them of the VAT and Duty that would otherwise be paid on diesel or they take your truck away and crush it.......... How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

A lot of my mates in the Mitsi's run on new veg oil, but as I said in another thread the engine technology is old and there engines are should I say "agricultural". This is very much taken from experience - I owned a brand new L200 pickup and the 4d56 engine is very basic especially when compared to LR's latest breed of engines.

Veg oil advice noted.

Customs and Excise have recently relaxed the rules, so you can now buy/use (presumably per person in a family!) upto 2500 litres of fresh veg oil, without needing to inform HM customs.

You are right in saying that the old Mitsi Shoguns have a reputation for running great on veg.
In summer can use upto 70% veg straight in the tank. In winter, less - all without modification.
I also understand that old Peugeot 205/6/306's with XUD engines run well also as long as they have Bosch pumps (rather than Lucas CAV).

If you use pre-heat and "running" heat exchangers,which reduce the viscosity, you can probably use higher % blends than this.

Seriously considering trading in our 1995 Shogun LWB (V6 on LPG) in for a later Mk3 (upto 1998) 2.8 TD.
Anybody want to sell one??

Mark Freelander 2
TD4 GS
Shiney fantastic Baltic Blue
Detachable Witter Towbar

Hey Mark

Did you try running your TD4 on biodiesel then, more than 5% that is
With the price of diesel now it's starting to look like an attractive option.

Paul -----------------------------------------
TD4 SE Manual, Sold.
I currently own a BMW 530D.WLTB another FL2.

No Paul

Have not tried running on Bio, as my car is on lease, and didn't want to risk any warranty issues.

Will be looking to use on other cars though, and am actually looking at going into small scale production,as there are few suppliers in the Leeds area.

Any pledges of support for a Bio diesel production/sale site in North Leeds?

Regards
Mark Freelander 2
TD4 GS
Shiney fantastic Baltic Blue
Detachable Witter Towbar

The price of the oilseed rape used to produce bio-diesel has doubled in the past year, and even at the old price it was barely competitive with normal diesel so don't expect a massive increase in bio-diesel availability. Also you have to consider the amount of diesel used by my tractors,combine harvester,the truck that takes it from the farm to the bio-diesel production plant and the energy used to extract the fuel from the crop. Oh and the fact that oilseed rape is a very fertiliser hungry crop and fertiliser is produced from natural gas. So all in all its not very carbon neutral, I wish it was because as a farmer I obviously want bio-diesel to succeed.

For anyone with a calculator. the oil producer pays £300 per tonne of oilseed rape which will give approx 430L of oil. plus approx £6/tonne haulage to his factory, but the oil producer also gets 600kg of animal feed as a bi-product to sell at approx £150/tonne. He also gets a quantity of glycerine as a bi-product but I don't know the value of that

So for product alone the oil crusher pays approx 47p/l of bio-diesel (-glycerine value ) . I do not know the cost to him for the crushing/extracting/refining,distribution costs. Then of course G.Brown adds all his tax and vat.

Last month oilseed rape was worth £380 to the farmer, 2 years ago approx £130

disclaimer. CG did attain an A grade O level in maths but that was a long time ago,So figures may be wildly inaccurate  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Dont do it!!!!!!
I have had 7 misfueled fl2s through the workshop this month,and they do not run on it at all,it will be the most expensive tank of fuel you will buy!!!

The fuel tank has to be removed to get the last 18 lts out and after the pipes flushed,filter changed,fresh fuel.at dealer rates £100 an hour,you also will live in hope that the H/P pump has not broken up and sent bits of metal throughout the fuel system,and knackered it all!!!

Landrover will not honour warranty on misfuelled vehicals!!! I have a disco 3 customer at the moment with a £5k bill as he had misfuel it!!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!

No do it, keep me in business on the farm  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I beleive all petrol station have to put a % of bio in to the fuel now anyway Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Hasn't all diesel got to have 5% biofuel in from ?today - or recently? Some government directive on global warming. However, apparently they are thinking about backtracking (suprise, surprise) because someone realised that if you grow fuel you can't eat it.... so hopefully the gvt will realise that the need for food is more important than their need for votes. Interested to hear your take on this CG.....