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Old 01-21-2018, 10:23 AM   #1
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Where to find B5 for Isata 3s

Thought this deserved a thread of its own.

What gas stations have you found that always have B5?

If I remember correctly, Shell has always had B5, except for 1 Shell truck stop in OH.

Haven’t seen a Pilot, Loves or a BP gas station with B5.

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Old 01-21-2018, 11:32 AM   #2
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I have not seen "B5" diesel anywhere, yet. Here, in Oregon, all I see is B20 and while traveling out to Colorado and back, I never saw a station with B5 - it was always B20 or ULSD. I stick with ULSD in my MBS. As time goes on, this may have to change based on what is available, though.
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Old 01-21-2018, 12:09 PM   #3
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If you avoid truck stops you shouldn't have any trouble finding ULSD
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Old 01-21-2018, 12:58 PM   #4
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If the diesel pump is NOT labeled it is all petroleum or up to 5% (B5) biodiesel. I have also seen B5-B20 and B20 labels particularly at truck stops.
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Old 01-21-2018, 01:09 PM   #5
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Pretty much all diesel sold is ULSD regardless of how much biodiesel it contains.

Seems like the only nonULSD available is for off road use, marine and farming. Even those will be switching.
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Old 01-21-2018, 02:10 PM   #6
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Dave,
Retail Map - Biodiesel.org

Check out the National Biodiesel Board Web site to find a B20 pump near you. Also a new toll-free number will help motorists and truckers find retail availability anywhere in the United States. Call 866-BIODIESEL to find a biodiesel pump near you. The biodiesel hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Old 01-21-2018, 02:38 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Davis View Post
If you avoid truck stops you shouldn't have any trouble finding ULSD
Oddly enough, when I was traveling, I avoided truck stops because of the biodiesel issue. I was surprised at how many diesel stations were pumping Bio only. Thats the reason I always stop with a 1/4 tank of fuel to get diesel, in case I have to move on. Just makes trips more interesting, I suppose.
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Old 01-21-2018, 03:04 PM   #8
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Biodiesel has a higher cetane rating than conventional diesel. Biodiesel has been tested for more than 50 million miles and has showed similar fuel consumption, torque and horsepower as conventional diesel fuel. It also has superior lubricity and has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel. Besides reducing knock, higher cetane values are indicative of a fuel that burns slowly. In general, the slower a fuel burns, the more efficient it is to extract energy from it. Thus, a higher cetane also reveals a more energy efficient fuel.
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Old 01-21-2018, 08:19 PM   #9
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MB doesn't want above B5 in these engines. Winds up diluting the motor oil and potential damage from that result.

I have been able to avoid the B20 except for a tank in MN last August, one tank in 8k miles isn't the end of the world.
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Old 01-21-2018, 09:56 PM   #10
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okay people what is it with all these technical numbers for diesel fuel? All I know in Alaska is a winter diesel and a normal diesel. I pull up to a fuel station for refill I look for a green handle in the lower forty eight or a yellow handle in Canada. seems to work and though I have seen pumps that look like gas/diesel with numbers about bio something, I stay away from them. Winter diesel won't jell and regular diesel burns thru normal ambient temps. I also have a dodge 2500 with a cummins diesel and have driven from prudoe bay/north slope to key west and follow/use the same pump colors, with no problems.
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Old 01-21-2018, 09:59 PM   #11
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B5 is 5% biodiesel Winter diesel
B20 is 20% biodiesel
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Old 01-21-2018, 10:14 PM   #12
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Here is Mercedes fuel recommendation overview for the Diesels:

https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Digital..._Brochure5.pdf
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Old 01-21-2018, 10:54 PM   #13
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OK, against my better judgement I'm going to break a vow and post to this forum. If anybody wants to call BS on me go for it but I will not respond. I have personal experience that I believe could be of help to some of you Sprinter owners so I am compelled to share it.

First, I have a 2017 Isata 3 on an October 2016 Sprinter chassis. My owner's manual explicitly states that B20 should not be used except in case of emergency and if possible to avoid it altogether.

Second, while in for (Sprinter) warranty service I had the chance to talk to a technician that had been working with an MB engineer about a case he was in town to investigate. It seems that a person that had a two year old Sprinter passenger van came to his service facility complaining of poor performance and fluid leaks and was of the opinion that his engine was defective and MB should make repairs under warranty. The technician told me that the fuel in the tank was analyzed and found to be B20. He also explained that B20 is more corrosive than B5 and it had a tendancy to destroy seals and attack some metals used in the MB engine. Therefore they warranty claim was going to be denied.

It turns out that the Sprinter owner was using it for an hotel shuttle service and had a quarter of a million miles on it. Yes, in two years.

Take it for what it's worth. I forsee endless nitpicking so I'm unsubscribing from this thread.
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Old 01-21-2018, 11:03 PM   #14
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This isn’t as straight forward as it sounds... because states impose their own mandates for biodiesel. ULSD is basically a given. So ignore that. What you need to pay attention to is the blend of ethanol. Even if a diesel contains up to 5% of ethanol, by federal law they can just call it diesel and don’t have to disclose that any ethanol was in it. The next grade up is 5-20% biodiesel. Please rest assured that it will be closer to the max end of that scale. So if it says up to 15% then it’s not likely to be lower end of the scale.

Some states require gas stations to sell biodiesel. NOT just truck stops. And to complicate matters, the biodiesel blend can change from summer to winter. There’s no accurate map to guarantee you can find regular diesel. Sometimes you can find a local farm coop that sells regular diesel... interesting how the farmers push everyone else to use a product they won’t use and have gotten federal exemption for.

Mercedes has recently taken a harder stance on this issue. It used to be a tap dance, and soft push. Now they flat out say if you use a biodiesel with over 5% then it will void your warranty. Honestly I don’t know how they can legally get away with this and sell vehicles in states where biodiesel is mandated, and then tell customers sorry, your warranty is void. But I don’t want to fight that battle and be left holding the bag. It is a real issue. I’ve spoken to 3 Sprinter owners in IL. Of note, IL is a state that has mandated biodiesel for a few years now. You can’t avoid using it here. All of these owners have had serious issues over the last 2-3 yrs. I realize 3 owners isn’t statistically relevant, but it was eye opening that I didn’t run across a happy Sprinter owner in IL. One was traveling in NY and had to have the fuel tank drained in order to get MB to clear the code so they could continue home. MB tested the fuel in the tank. Others have had recurring engine issues, and while theirs were covered under warranty, it seems that policy is changing. The previous guides “recommended “ but new language on the website is more explicit.

Check out the most recent statement MB has put out.
This is copied and pasted straight from the Sprinter homepage on Mercedes website. It’s hidden under the small text link “+View Disclaimers”. https://www.mbvans.com/sprinter/home

Disclaimer
6. Requires the use of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. Mercedes-Benz Sprinters are approved to use B5 biodiesel (approved diesel fuel with a maximum 5% biodiesel content) in all engines. The only approved biodiesel content is one that both meets ASTM D6751 specifications and has the oxidation stability necessary to prevent deposit–/ corrosion-related damages to the system (min. 6h, proven by EN14112 method). Please see your service station for further information. If the B5 biodiesel blend does not clearly indicate that it meets the above standards, please do not use it. The Mercedes-Benz Vans New Vehicle Limited Warranty does not cover damage caused by fuel standards not approved by Mercedes-Benz Vans.
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Old 01-22-2018, 07:23 AM   #15
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I think most MB diesel owners know that B5 is required.

I was hoping folks might pass along which gas stations usually carry it.

We also learned to pass the truck stops and have a full tank before passing through Illinois.
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Old 01-22-2018, 10:34 AM   #16
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This tool can help locate stations with non-ethanol (B5 or less) diesel. They have almost 13,000 stations identified. Please note not all are regular gas stations for cars/trucks. Some may be specialty businesses that sell diesel for boats/planes/agriculture.

https://www.pure-gas.org/
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Old 01-22-2018, 04:50 PM   #17
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The main reason one doesn’t see B5 on the pumps is that retailers are not required to label biodiesel blends B5 or less. Only greater than B5.
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Old 01-22-2018, 04:56 PM   #18
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Green hose in states and yellow in Canada ��
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Old 01-23-2018, 07:01 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pickeljr View Post
Green hose in states and yellow in Canada ��


Be careful regarding the green and yellow handles... we have seen green handles in the States that are dispensing gas.
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