Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

[ALudlum4750 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close ALudlum4750]

i am enjoying my 300D Mercedes but the 21 miles per gallon i'm getting does add up at the gas pump.

21 miles * 5280 feet / mile * 12 inches/ foot * meter / 39.37 inches * 1 km/ 1000 meters = headache trying to do the conversion.

anyway, i saw an ad for the VW diesel beetle, they were claiming 40+ miles per gallon. and that sounds good to me.

i was wondering what success Australian users of the Diesel Beetle might have.

this is one of the biggest biodiesel forums on the web ... i thought you guys might know.


since this is off-topic - anybody else rooting for Parko & Taj at the contest in Brazil ?

[MR300TD Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MR300TD]

Re: Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

How are you only getting 21 miles per gallon? I get over 30MPG in my 300TD

Are you stuck in traffic all day?

I would figure out why you are getting such bad fule consumption and put it right, Why waste money on a diesel beetle... yuk

[ALudlum4750 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close ALudlum4750]

Re: Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

How are you only getting 21 miles per gallon? I get over 30MPG in my 300TD

Are you stuck in traffic all day?

I would figure out why you are getting such bad fule consumption and put it right, Why waste money on a diesel beetle... yuk

that's good to know, that 30 mpg is get-able.

i don't know why it gets that mileage. most of the driving is around town.

the engine makes a whistling sound when -
* my foot is on the accelerator, AND
* between 1500 and 2000 RPM.

when i push the accelerator more, to up the RPM, the whistling sound goes away (or maybe i just can't hear it ?)

when i take my foot off the accelerator, it definitely goes away.

my other vehicle is a truck with manual transmission. on that vehicle, i usually drive with one foot on the clutch pedal.

i'm slowly learning not to do that on the 300D. since there is no clutch pedal, my foot is resting on the brake pedal, just a small amount of pressure.

but i don't that's responsible for the mileage.

the other 300D's i drove, better maintained (they cost $4000+, i paid $1500 for mine), didn't make the whistling sound.

anyway, that & the mileage are the 2 symptoms.

i am pretty careful about how i drive, that is, i try to follow some of the principles of hyper-miling - don't accelerate if i know there's a stop sign a half mile ahead, don't even use the turbo unless i'm going on the freeway, just basically driving slowly (unless there's a downhill section) and not stomping on the gas pedal ... coasting as much as possible.

it's time for another fill-up, we'll see what my mileage is this time.

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

Re: Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

Are you talking US MPG or Imperial MPG?
If you are getting 21 US MPG around town consider yourself lucky

Look here

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

Re: Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

The whistling sound may be an air leak near the turbo or an exhaust leak. It is also worth checking for a blocked muffler, Just take it off and go for a drive, If you get a significant performance gain replace it. Any of these faults will affect the fuel consumption.

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

Re: Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

The Vw beetle TDI will be the older 1.9 motor which has been around for years and been used with bio by many people.

Check out dutch aussies threads as he is running bio in his caddy's which
have the same motor.

[K.H Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close K.H]

Re: Volkswagen Diesel Beetles - Run on B99 / B100 OK ?

My UK Beetle has done 8 years from new on 100% bio with no problems