FAQs

Biodiesel is not available in all areas yet but its availability is growing. There are many more pumps in the Midwest than other areas of the U.S. Biodiesel is becoming available at existing service stations but can often be obtained through farmers, small distributors and coops. The best resource for locating ASTM certified biodiesel in the U.S. is the National Biodiesel Board.
www.biodiesel.org. (Click on “Buying Biodiesel”.)

 

There is abundant confusion surrounding this question. As stated earlier, any diesel engine will run on biodiesel with little or NO modification. The confusion stems from people hearing about cars being converted to run on straight vegetable oil (SVO). Biodiesel is NOT SVO. Biodiesel has been altered on a molecular level to remove the glycerin from the oil.

SVO conversions involve either replacing fuel injectors with specially made ones or adding additional fuel tanks, filters and heaters to utilize straight vegetable oil. Biodiesel is a cleaner, simpler, more straightforward fuel that is much easier to use. Also neither SVO nor Biodiesel can be used in an internal combustion engine that normally runs on gasoline. You MUST start with a diesel engine.

Mileage and performance are very similar between biodiesel and petro (or DINO-diesel). Again tests vary by engine type, condition, load, test method and fuel used. Some show slight decreases, some show slight increases. A School bus district in Michigan recently reported saving over $4000 last year due to lowered maintenance costs and ½ mile per gallon mileage increase.

Biodiesel will work in any DIESEL motor with little or NO MODIFICATION. This includes engines from generators to cars, trucks, boats, buses and earth movers.