School blames biodiesel for bus troubles, state begs to differ

KSTP TV ^ | January 17, 2009 | From The Deer Stand

[From The Deer Stand]

Minnesota officials are coming to the defense of biodiesel after the Bloomington, MN schools cancelled classes when buses couldn't run in cold weather.

Classes were cancelled in the Bloomington School District on Friday when 12 of its buses wouldn't start. The problem was clogged fuel lines and filters.

First Student bus company blamed the problem on the biodiesel fuel required by the state but the State of Minnesota argued that condensation in the fuel tanks or lines was the culprit and not biodiesel.

[Paladin2]

If the school was indeed using a 2% bioDiesel and 98% dinoDiesel blend, there should be no problem at 0 deg F.

[Smokin' Joe]

Is that No. 1 or No 2 Dinodiesel?

No.2 gels when it gets cold.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

If the school was indeed using a 2% bioDiesel and 98% dinoDiesel blend, there should be no problem at 0 deg F.

It may be a month before Minnesota sees 0 F.

[olezip]

First Student bus company blamed the problem on the biodiesel fuel required by the state but the State of Minnesota argued that condensation in the fuel tanks or lines was the culprit and not biodiesel.

My neighbor converted his van to biodiesel fuel. He has difficulty starting if the temperature is below 50 deg. F. Also, he noted that you have to preheat many components for the engine to run smoothly. It is an efficient system that leaves very little extra heat for the passenger compartment without augmentation by electric heaters. The problem is that the biodiesel fuel tends to coagulate.

The State of Minnesota must have a growing affirmative action program, and many awards for filling quotas, IMO.

[steelyourfaith]

*Gas pains: Southwest Florida boaters say ethanol is harming engines

*Protests as ethanol leaves US boats dead in the water

[grey_whiskers]

I walked into work at -22^o F on Thursday morning :-)

Now I've got bragging rights -- and I *intend* to use them.

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

Like, *PING*, dudes.

(Who's got the Minnesota Freeper Ping list?)

Chris Baker (100.3 FM KTLK) was ranting about the biodiesel on his morning show.

Someone needs to check the dew point and the relative humidity for the last couple of days.

Not much moisture in the atmosphere at -20^o F and below (air temperature, not wind chill).

Cheers!

[Venturer]

When all the vehicles around you are running and you are not, They are burning regular fuel and you are not. Chances are the fuel you are using aint cutting the mustard.

[informavoracious]

Must be all them french fries gumming up the fuel system.

[wita]

Not much moisture in the atmosphere at -20o F and below (air temperature, not wind chill).

I’m betting at 20 below, #2 diesel is already at the gel point. Back in the day when below zero was more common, you know, before global warming, I was making a winter trip to UT across WY I-80 and the temp never got above about 20 below the whole way.

I have never seen so many big rigs sidelined because they had not put #1 diesel in the tank. They were lined up on the shoulder by the 100’s.

[Tupelo]

Boats are not the only thing that ethanol is harming. I own a motorcycle shop and we are seeing many bikes with the carburetors gummed up. Even a few problems with fuel injected bikes. What happens is, the bikes sit a couple of weeks, the ethanol attracts moisture, moisture and fuel form a molasses like substance, “molasses” plugs jets and passages and bike will not run. Shazam a repair bill for a very fuel efficient mode of transportation.
Not much of a problem with bikes that are ridden daily, but let that sucker sit for a few weeks without any additive to dry out the moisture and you have “molasses” and a repair bill.
unintended consequences

[imspartacus]

What you describe is a WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) conversion. Running a diesel on vegetable oil which requires heating the fuel to over 160F to thin it out enough to get proper spray patterns at the injectors. Vegetable oil is not biodiesel.

Biodiesel will still gel, but how low depends on the feedstock. BioD made from Canola oil is the best, and will remain liquid into the mid 20s F. Blending down to B2 with winterized D2 or D1 should get you well below 0F.

I’m not saying that BioD wasn’t the cause... I think it likely was. I just wanted to clarify the difference between BioD and running on vegetable oil.

[steelyourfaith]

Uh oh. I imagine that would apply to my lawn mower, chain saw, etc. Is there any was to prevent it, like fuel stabilizer?

[Rebelbase]

60 years from a Minnesota Granddad will be telling his grandkids, “I remember when it was so cold we had to walk to school 5 miles, uphill both ways when the bio diesel in the school buses froze. “

[Tupelo]

There are lots of additives available at most auto stores. STP HEET works real well. I also like Sea Foam. Most bike shops, including mine also sell additives but do not have the choices places like Auto Zone or NAPA do.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Fuel stabilizer is intended to help preserve the octane levels in gasoline.

It will not do much for preventing the chemical change caused by the short shelf-life of ethanol in gasoline.

[bray]

But, what about the children?? These enviroterrorists don’t care about the children.

Pray for W, Sanity and Our Troops

[grey_whiskers]

See my post #7 this thread.

Cheers!

[org.whodat]

If your diesel did not work correctly before the conversion it will still not work correctly after the conversion. There is such a thing as a fuel heater and fuel line heater!!