Bio Diesel Probs?

[Hywel Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Hywel]

Hi all,

I've got a 1991 Hilux Surf that has run on bio for about 3 years.

Never had any probs except for once when the fuel filter blocked. New filter - problem went away.

New problem! Same symptoms - i.e. gutless & wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding. Down to 15 mph & 1st gear on any decent slopes (This is old south wales so we have quite a few of them!)

It's getting very embarassing & not helping my patience.

Any ideas? I've changed the fuel filter, oil & oil filter were done about 4000 miles ago. I've even try petrodiesel & it's a little better, but not much.

[Matt Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

Hywel, a few things to check are in order:

The fuel pickup in the tank, its a fine metal screen and must be kept clean, I had this on my landcruiser too, same symptoms. Your injection pump will quite noisy, ticking etc if its straining to pull fuel forward.

Fuel lines, make sure they are not perishing using biom although toyota lines do seem good.

Air leaks into the system, lok carefully into the glass bowel on the bottom of the CAV filter if you have one and if you don't ask yourself why you don't. The filter elements are $4 to 5 each, a lot cheaper than the OEM ones. Good idea when using B100.

Finally there is a final metal screen filter on your injection pump, it may be dirty, least likely.

Matt

[tillyfromparadise Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tillyfromparadise]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

Just to expand on Matt's post

If the problem is a blocked fine mesh screen in the fuel pick-up in the tank, swapping the pick-up and return fuel hoses around should clear this screen

[zigparacingtadpole Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zigparacingtadpole]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

I had the same problem with my Ford, the link below may be of some assistance (although written specifically for a Ford, there is a common theme in all of the replies). I would try cleaning the basket screen at the IP as a first course of action as it is usually easier to get to and less time consuming.
http://www.biofuelsforum.com/using_b...ier_2_5td.html

[Qwarla Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Qwarla]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

There is one easy test to show if your fuel pickup is the problem. Try pumping the primer. In my case it's a plunger in top of the fuel filter. Press it down and if it springs back up fairly quickly then fuel is getting to that point in the system without any problems.
If it rebounds very slowly then you know the restriction is between here and the tank or in the tank.

[Milhouse Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Milhouse]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

I had this problem when the weather got cold while using B100. I am not sure about your area and the temperature, but I had similar problems when my bio started to gel slightly at the fuel filters. Easy to check if you have clear disposable filters.....

Milhouse

[Hywel Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Hywel]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

Hi Matt,

Any pointers as to where the mesh filter is?

Tried under the banjo bolt, no joy.

Cheers

[Matt Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

If its the tank pickup your referring to it is in the fuel tank on the end of the tubing that picks up fuel from the tank. If its like the Landcruiser (I can check this for you as I have a friend who has had both of these vehicles) there will be a plate / htach cover on the floor pan under the rear seats, lift this off and you will see the top of the tank and the fuel lines to and from the tank. Open your fuel filler cap to relieve pressure, then take off the fuel lines from the filler assembly, disconnect electricals and remove it gently from the tank. Clean with petrol and an old toothbrush.

Good luck, it was so filthy in my landcuiser it stopped workling altogether, and was covered in a fine moss of dirt particles and what ever other stuff was on the tank walls, meedless to say its clean in there now! Amazing to see dirt in the tank, I know it did not come from my fuel.

Matt

[Bobch Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Bobch]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

I have a pug407d about 1 yr old which I have run on bio from VP with no probs.
I have just had my first problem with using bio in a pug407.I had about 75% bio in the tank and the temp was 9 deg.I found it would stop accellerating at 75Km/ph and would not pull up an incline.Took it to a Pug dealer who found air temp sensors faulty and the breather hose off the rocker cover.They replaced the faulty sensor and reattached the hose.When I got it back,I found it still had trouble under load;I added dino diesel and found that it fixed the problem.what is the significance of the air temp sensors if any?

[joe Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close joe]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

If it rebounds very slowly then you know the restriction is between here and the tank or in the tank.

REALLY?? Mine returns very slowly. So I should be checking for a blockage between the filter and the fuel tank. IS there a lift pump in the pajero's? Mine is suffering from a "lack of power". I have suspected a number of things but as yet have done nothing.

[Qwarla Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Qwarla]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

REALLY?? Mine returns very slowly. So I should be checking for a blockage between the filter and the fuel tank. IS there a lift pump in the pajero's? Mine is suffering from a "lack of power". I have suspected a number of things but as yet have done nothing.

Come on Joe get with it.
Map out your fuel system and you might get what I am talking about.
First of all I have no idea of the fuel system of a Pajero as I don't own one. But the fuel system on my vehicle goes something like this:-
Fuel tank> glowplug fuel heater>CAV filter>Into engine compartment to Primer Pump>then into OEM fuel filter under primer>IP>spill back to tank.

So now lets look at the big picture here. If the primer is having a hard time sucking fuel it's obvious the restriction is between it and the tank. Like this morning at 7.9oC the CAV had a fair amount of gel in it.

But Oh you are not talking about your primer returning very slowly are you. You are thinking of something else. I think your JP can write you a script to fix that LITTLE problem

[cobberdig Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close cobberdig]

Re: Bio Diesel Probs?

gday hope you rectified your problems by now.

If you are running your vehicle on b100 in a cooler climate its well worth finding out the raw materials used in making the bio diesel you been using. for instance biodiesel made from canola is different from that which is made from tallow (lard). the difference being the temperature at which the fuel starts to cloud & solidify ie lard sets at a higher temperature than canola oil. As tallow is a far cheaper feedstock than canola its a common for biodiesel plants to use it.