Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

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

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

To TheFuzz and others, do not write off the bio quite yet in your Hilux! The drop in distance travelled should drop a little but not what you are seeing. if I may suggest you get your injection timing checked as this can affect consumption greatly as your foor interacts with the pedal to keep it going.

Also do a search on the addition of 60ml (2 fl oz) of acetone (keep it well clear of your paint work) to each 35 litres (10 US Gallons). I have done this several times in my Landcruiser (24valve turbo) and it seems to make a difference. It may be affecting burn I cannot tell but whereas I normally get in the high 700's to mid 800's around town I am now getting in to the second half of 900km per 150 litres. (970 - 980) Makes good running for a 3 tonne vehicle at 12.5l / 100 km. I am impressed so take a careful look before writing off VP fuels and their bio. The price break is not substantial I acknowledge but its better for your injection pump, engine and the planet.

regards,
Matt

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

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

Hi Matt, thanks for that. Rest assured i am all for BD. I am interested in the acetone theory. I did some searching but come up dry. Do you have any links i can jump on. I will enquire about the injectors, in the past the local diesel mechanics just snarl at the prospect of using BD. Famous words from the 4 N 20 pie adds, "DO YOU THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR MISSING", WOULDNT HAVE A CLUE BY THE LOOK OF THEM" .

Thanks again.

Cheers

[Gunner Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gunner]

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

......but whereas I normally get in the high 700's to mid 800's around town I am now getting in to the second half of 900km per 150 litres. (970 - 980) Makes good running for a 3 tonne vehicle at 12.5l / 100 km. regards,
Matt

Matt, how do you calculate the 12.5l/100km's from those consumption figures? 150l for 900km = 16.66l/100km, and even 980km on 150l = 15.3l/100km.

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

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

My apologies I meant to put in about 120 litres. It was the 5 above the 2 key and in checking the post it made sense since the total fuel capacity is about 150 litres. I have a mate who checks his habitually and it was he who made me do it in the first case. He is aspiring to something similar in his 100 series as Tiyita stupidly said it could do anything between 8 to 14L/100 km, somehow I do not think so. He is eeing about 13 or 14 when driven carefully and consistently.

I just cruise around with a silly smile on my face anyway. Stupid and ignorant I know but I could not get by in a small diesel, anyway I have one already that can do 5L/100km when driven correctly. Never going to buy a petrol or LPG or CNG or any other fuel (except ethanol maybe) again. That may be very shortsighted I know.

Matt

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

Some more info has come to light in the form of a lab test of a sample of VP fuel. It is months old, but may still be of interest. I've posted it in the original thread in the industry section here.

[saf453 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close saf453]

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

I spoke to the owner (Bill) after I was given the number by a store operator. I was ringing because I found the supply, particularly at south strathfield, unreliable. I presume that it was the owner of the whole show as he thought that I was a Steve that he knew, not some customer that he wanted to avoid.
Anyway the conversation was perhaps informative to this this dicussion. Without even knowing about this website I asked him what was in his mix. He said, depending upon supply, about 20-30% diesel, the rest maily canola ith some cottonseed oil and a little tallow.
As for quality, well I've had no problems running on it for over a year and I have asked heavy truck drivers that I've met at the bowser and they've said the same. However as per your comments on the signs, some of them had no idea that it was bio, they'd never noticed.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

I spoke to the owner (Bill)

Actually Eddie is the bloke who owns it/runs the show. You were very lucky to get such an answer though, very few of my attempts ever got any contact with them or info from them.

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

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

I've passed VP stations ot Hurstville and Sth Strathfield in the last week and both had large signs out the front showing: BIODIESEL, along with UNLEADED.
G

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

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

I've found that the VP blends do absolutely nothing for my engine, loss of power and very poor consumption. It seems to be the same from the mid north coast, sydney and central west VP outlets that I've filled at.
The other effect I've noticed is greatly increased exhaust temps, to the stage that the plastic split tube which protects the wiring under the truck has melted due to the very hot air coming off the exhaust!!
A friend that runs it in his aircooled tractor has also said that it runs far hotter than normal when using the VP diesel from his local (hunter) depot.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

You are meant to get lower exhaust temperatures on biodiesel, up to 100°C lower than dino-diesel. I would have to put forward the suggestion that there might be something else in the "blend" that is neither biodiesel, nor petro-diesel. Certainly the previous tests done on samples from there did indicate 15% "other oils".

I know that in vehicles with particulate filters, the temperature can be raised by deliberately injecting extra fuel to the engine to raise the temp to burn off particles on the filter screen periodically, however, I'd doubt that your Hummer, or your mate's tractor employ this technology.

I'm no expert, but I'd have to guess that the reason your exhaust seems to burn at a much higher temp, based on previous experience/rumours with this supplier would point to a suspicion that the fuel you are burning would possibly contain something else that is neither biodiesel, nor petro diesel.

If anyone else has any ideas and is better qualified to explain them, please do.

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

Re: Volume Plus Servos and unknown Biodiesel Blends

In reply to saf 453

Bill and Eddie own Volume plus.
Bill is based in Sydney head office.
Eddie is based in Sydney head office but he also is in charge of the Moama plant. There has been recent as 2 weeks ago mix problems to some large transport Companys from the Moama plant. One would have to ask have they employed a chemist or sent there sample to the testing labs ??? One transport company had 13 trucks stop over a 2 day period with filter problems and injectors. The department of fair trading has checked out some of there sites and found that the signs stating that it meets the Australian fuel standards are not misleading. If any one has a problem with there vehicles and wants more info ring the Enviroment and heritage dept to lodge your complaint.
I do believe that Bio Diesel will be a more efficent fuel in years to come.