BioDiesel in Mercedes Benz Sprinter

[Michael Standley]

What percentage of BioDiesel is allowed in the MB Sprinter without voiding the warranty?

[milkman55]

See the linked brochure from Mercedes Benz -

“Mercedes-Benz USA approves the use of B5 according to ASTM speci cation D975 [Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) with a maximum of up to 5% biodiesel] in all Common Rail Injection (CDI) and BlueTEC® diesel engines.”

“B20 blends are generally not approved and should be only used on a very limited basis and only if unavoidable.”

Most of the automotive pumps (not truck stops) have the B5 in my area (Texas), but other areas of the country have higher bio mandates.

https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Digital..._Brochure5.pdf

[FFred]

IF stuck with B20, purchase as little as you can to reach civilization , burn as much as you can before refilling and never ever leave the bio gunk to sit in the fuel tank for a time when the unit will be inoperative for weeks or months.

If farm states mandate B 20 to increase their incomes ,it would pay to route around those areas.

[clr]

I have noticed that in Illinois all the diesel bio signage has changed in the last few months for some reason. All the diesel in central ill now states the fuel may contain between 5 and 20% biodiesel. I am sure there must be some political reason but I have been unable to determine why.
So you may want to avoid the corn states in the middle of the country.

[RolandRevenger]

Here in MN. the biodiesel percentages change for the cold months. We also have the 5% to 20% signs on the pumps. From the state of MN: Minnesota was the first state to mandate the use of biodiesel, establishing a B2 mandate that took place September 29, 2005. Since then the mandate has moved to 5% (May 1, 2009) and most recently to B10 beginning July 1, 2014. The currently higher level mandate is in effect for the “summer” months, April through September, and reverts to B5 for the winter months. The mandate is now scheduled to move to B20 for the summer months in 2018.
I will have my first oil change in a few weeks, after my unit (stored with non-biodiesel fuel) comes out of storage. I am having it changed at 15,000 miles instead of the manufacture stated 20,000. I talked to the service rep at the local dealer, regarding having the fuel filter replaced at the same time. His response was that they suggest following the factory service schedule; since the oil should be changed at 20,000 OR every two years, he agreed I should get the oil changed. They would change the fuel filter if I wanted them to. When I asked him if they had been having issues with biodiesel related problems, he said he could only think of one time, and apparently there were other factors involved. The increase to 20% is a concern. I have contacted the state office involved with this to see what their response is. I don't live too far from Wisconsin, and usually get my fuel there where they don't mandate bio.

[Slolane]

We had a Sprinter based Roadtrek for 2 years, 28000 miles. I filled it with whatever diesel was available and never had any problems with the Mercedes portion. The Roadtrek however.......

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by FFred

IF stuck with B20, purchase as little as you can to reach civilization , burn as much as you can before refilling and never ever leave the bio gunk to sit in the fuel tank for a time when the unit will be inoperative for weeks or months.

If farm states mandate B 20 to increase their incomes ,it would pay to route around those areas.

Originally Posted by clr

I have noticed that in Illinois all the diesel bio signage has changed in the last few months for some reason. All the diesel in central ill now states the fuel may contain between 5 and 20% biodiesel. I am sure there must be some political reason but I have been unable to determine why.
So you may want to avoid the corn states in the middle of the country.

I'm not sure why there's such disdain for biodiesel, when mixed with #2 it is a great fuel and it isn't "gunk." Far from it, biodiesel is cleaner than straight #2, it keeps your fuel system cleaner, and it keeps the injection pump and injectors lubricated much better. B2 diesel is the best-lubricating mixture you can ask for, beats adding diesel additives by a long shot.

The problem some people run into with biodiesel is that it's such a good cleaner that it will clean the REAL gunk from pure #2 out of your fuel tank and lines and this has often led to plugged fuel filters. It's not the biodiesel that is plugging them but what it cleaned out.

Regarding Illinois, B5-B20 has been the mandate for a while now but it sounds like some stations are either finally adding stickers or they're updating their pumps so it's easier to notice.

tl;dr - Biodiesel blends are great, but if you don't run it frequently then you may end up with plugged fuel filters because of what it cleaned out. The biodiesel itself isn't the issue.

[Crusadernoob]

I like to run a bio blend for all the reasons stated above, other than the slight reduction in MPG's, it's good stuff.

[JLeising]

There have been several discussions on this issue before. While the premature fuel filter replacement and other fuel system issues are likely true, the issue most have identified as most critical involves the diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration cycle. Apparently Mercedes accomplishes the regen cycle by increasing injection of diesel into the cylinders such that unburned diesel passes through to the DPF, where it burns and raises the temp of the DPF sufficiently to burn the filter clean (to my mind, like a self cleaning oven). During this process some raw diesel fuel bypasses the piston rings and dilutes the engine oil. Normal diesel "boils out" of the oil at normal engine operating temp. Apparently biodiesel has a higher boiling temp and dilutes the oil "permanently". Hence the warning to closely monitor oil level if forced to use biodiesel (above B5). As I understand, if your oil level increases, get your oil changed ASAP, as it is likely diluted by the biodiesel.

Again, these are largely items I read here on the forum, or outside references linked to from this forum.

[Rich.M]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

I'm not sure why there's such disdain for biodiesel..
The biodiesel itself isn't the issue.

Biodiesel is the issue for Sprinters due to crank case oil dilution. Sprinters inject an extra injection of diesel at the end of piston stroke during regeneration of the DPF. This oil passes to the dpf to burn off particulates but some gets past the rings and ends up in the crankcase. Normal b2 will volatalize and get burned off thru crank case gas recirculatioon. Organic glycerols will not volatalize and are retained. Dip stick levels can rise but the oil is diluted with biofuel components losing lubrication. This may be a Mercedes engine design / emissions issue , I'm not sure about other Diesel engine designs. I avoid biodiesel whenever possible and now change the oil every 10,000 if forced to use biodiesel traveling.

[Rich.M]

You beat me to the post, well said.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by JLeising

There have been several discussions on this issue before. While the premature fuel filter replacement and other fuel system issues are likely true, the issue most have identified as most critical involves the diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration cycle. Apparently Mercedes accomplishes the regen cycle by increasing injection of diesel into the cylinders such that unburned diesel passes through to the DPF, where it burns and raises the temp of the DPF sufficiently to burn the filter clean (to my mind, like a self cleaning oven). During this process some raw diesel fuel bypasses the piston rings and dilutes the engine oil. Normal diesel "boils out" of the oil at normal engine operating temp. Apparently biodiesel has a higher boiling temp and dilutes the oil "permanently". Hence the warning to closely monitor oil level if forced to use biodiesel (above B5). As I understand, if your oil level increases, get your oil changed ASAP, as it is likely diluted by the biodiesel.

Again, these are largely items I read here on the forum, or outside references linked to from this forum.

Originally Posted by Rich.M

Biodiesel is the issue for Sprinters due to crank case oil dilution. Sprinters inject an extra injection of diesel at the end of piston stroke during regeneration of the DPF. This oil passes to the dpf to burn off particulates but some gets past the rings and ends up in the crankcase. Normal b2 will volatalize and get burned off thru crank case gas recirculatioon. Organic glycerols will not volatalize and are retained. Dip stick levels can rise but the oil is diluted with biofuel components losing lubrication. This may be a Mercedes engine design / emissions issue , I'm not sure about other Diesel engine designs. I avoid biodiesel whenever possible and now change the oil every 10,000 if forced to use biodiesel traveling.

Yes, that makes sense and is understandable. The additional injection cycle for DPF regen is what the 6.7L Cummins engines do as well and as a result aren't approved to run B20 either due to oil dilution concerns.

I was specifically referring to the posts I quoted, though, and the references to it being "gunk", etc. Seems like some folks are against biodiesel due to some misinformation or lack of understanding, not because of technical limitations or reasons such as using a late injection cycle to do DPF regens instead of using a downstream injector.

[rskeans]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

The additional injection cycle for DPF regen is what the 6.7L Cummins engines do as well and as a result aren't approved to run B20 either due to oil dilution concerns.

Hmmm. I have a '14 RAM 6.7 that is rated by Cummins to run B20.

[CaptnJohn]

My 2016 F350 has B20 on the 6.7 badge. I avoid it if at all possible, especially when towing. Ethanol gas and bio-fuel is nothing but another farm subsidy. People wonder why food prices have been rising when we put food in our fuel tanks.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by rskeans

Hmmm. I have a '14 RAM 6.7 that is rated by Cummins to run B20.

I was going by what Cummins states on their website (see below). Running B20 in a Ram requires the B20 option according to the owner's manual, by default they are NOT B20-approved.

• A maximum blend of 5% biodiesel meeting ASTM specification D-975 may be used with your Cummins® diesel engine. (Chassis Cab models not configured with B20 capability.)
• A maximum blend of 20% biodiesel meeting ASTM specification D-7467 may be used with your Cummins® diesel engine. (Pickup models and Chassis Cab models configured with B20 Capability.)

and

Pickup Models And Chassis Cab Models Ordered With B20 Option

Your vehicle has been validated and approved for the use of Biodiesel in blends up to 20% (B20) provided that you comply with the requirements outlined below. It is im- portant that you understand and comply with these requirements. Failure to comply with Oil Change require- ments for vehicles operating on biodiesel blends up to B20 will result in premature engine wear. Such wear is not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

https://cumminsengines.com/biodiesel-faq

Cummins approves the use of up to B20 in the RAM trucks for municipal, government, and commercial fleets only. This applies to selected model year vehicles. Please consult Chrysler for specific requirements and approved vehicle models.

[Crusadernoob]

Today's engine oils have advanced greatly and a good quality HDEO will handle the normal fuel dilution, many engine manufacturers have done the post injection for years. Unless you have serious internal engine faults, not due to bio fuel, you won't have any concerns.

[Skyliner]

B20 is fine in any modern diesel and don't know what the big deal is regarding its use.

One caveat, this 20,000 mile oil change interval is baloney. Add B20 fuel and you are really pushing your luck if you exceed 7500 miles or 1 year per oil change. Fuel dilution is a problem with all modern diesels but biodiesel is harder on on due to its potential to cause oil polymerization. FWIW, I wouldn't exceed 1 year or 10k per oil change interval.

I have a OM642 in my wife's vehicle and have run B20 to B100 regularly before the exahust experienced a weight reduction.

My 2015 F350 is rated for B20 and I've burned B50 to B75 on a regular basis in warmer months.

If you run B5 to B20, keep an eye on DPF soot levels after a regen. Biodisel doesn't burn as well during a regen and it is thought that this may cause decreased DPF lifespan from soot builtup.

[caswelld]

Originally Posted by Skyliner

B20 is fine in any modern diesel and don't know what the big deal is regarding its use.

Here's the big deal according to Mercedes Benz:

"The use of diesel fuels containing a higher percentage of biodiesel, (B6 to B20) according to ASTM D7467 as well as straight biodiesel (B100) according to ASTM D6751 may cause severe damage to your engine and fuel system, and are not approved by Mercedes-Benz."

Regarding the MB warranty:

"Fuel with biodiesel content greater than 20%, including B100, is not approved by Mercedes-Benz due to the risk of severe engine damage. Any damage caused by the use of such non-approved fuels will not be covered by the Mercedes-Benz New Vehicle Limited Warranty."

For Sprinter owners, read what the manufacturer has to say before pumping biodiesel into your MH: https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Digital..._Brochure5.pdf

Advice to treat the MB diesel the same as Cummins, Ford or Chevy diesels is at best unhelpful and at worst could cost an owner thousands. Would I rather have a Cummins instead of a MB diesel in my MH, absolutely. That may be a decision point for potential buyers of a Sprinter based MH.

But for MB diesel owners, listen to Mercedes. Regarding the use of B20, it should "only [be] used on a very limited basis and only if unavoidable."

And FWIW, in defense of another post, MB says that biodiesel produces "sludge" in their engines. The Sprinter owners on this thread have it right. There's no disdain for biodiesel, it just doesn't work in the MB engines.

[RolandRevenger]

Very interesting information in the previous posts; way over my head on occasion, but helpful. The Diesel Help Line in MN responded to my concerns; an excerpt is below. This concern about biodiesel is one that many Sprinter owners share; Mercedes Benz is pretty clear that they don't want you to burn it. Hence, our concern about our warranty. Bad fuel usage will void most warranties, which is understandable. Whether or not biodiesel is determined to be safe to use by parties not affiliated with MB really doesn't allay the concerns of Sprinter owners. It does appear that there is not much actual proof that biodiesel harms Sprinters; I just hope I am not the exception. If dealers sell MB diesels in MN, and MB allows this, I think one would have a strong case if a warranty issue did arise. I worried about this a lot when I first got our Isata 3, but have decided to use non-biodiesel when I can and hope for the best, and enjoy going camping.
Here is the excerpt:

Minnesota has been using B10 in the summer months since 2014. We did talk to the head mechanics in several Illinois and Minnesota dealerships and they have not seen anything out of the ordinary with diesel vehicles.

Minnesota has required biodiesel in their diesel fuel since 2005. In that time, the specifications for the fuel have tightened and improved. The industry has grown and quality is a high priority. The specification for diesel fuel allows up to 5% biodiesel to be in the fuel and it is just considered diesel fuel and requires no labelling at the pump. The engine manufacturers, refiners and biodiesel industry have come up with a separate fuel specification for diesel fuel containing between 5% and 20% biodiesel. The specification went through a long process where all concerns were addressed and voted on numerous times before being passed. B10 and B20 are covered by this specification. Minnesota has required 10% biodiesel in the summer month since 2014 without problems.

[JCDMeyer]

I did some research on the myths of biodiesel. The main one being that it will void your warranty. Not true. Not legally in the USA anyway. Any fuel that meets the US ASTMD-6751 standard cannot void your warranty.