UPDATED 4/25/08 IN STOCK! If your car runs on diesel, you can easily make it Biodiesel! Austinites! We want your leftover vegetable oil! Contact: Eco-Wise 512-326-4474 Diesel Green Fuels can also arrange to pick up large quantities of your waste vegetable oil! | Biodiesel at Eco-Wise!
Available to our local customers only. Pump and pay during store hours. B100 for most of the year.
Never again will poor Jonathan Richmond get stuck in Austin after his show at the Continental for a lack of fuel! Use CA$H and pay $0.05 less a gallon on BIODIESEL! (credit card companies make more profit per gallon than we do on fuel sales...)
B100 Currently priced at $ PLEASE CALL FOR PRICING
Pricing subject to market fluctuations. (Blame the corporatocracy and oily politicians....)
WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil)
$ PLEASE CALL FOR PRICING
Is your vehicle equipped to use WVO? See #2 of the FAQs below...
Why use biodiesel? Biodiesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines. It it produced from domestic crops such as soybean, canola, or recycled cooking oil.
Biodiesel has a much cleaner emissions profile compared to petrolem. Smoke, CO, and particulates are reduced by more than 40%. Cars that run on 100% biodiesel contribute the least greenhouse emissions of any fuel type today. Better for your engine! - High cetane keeps engine smooth and quiet.
- High lubricity saves wear on your injection pump and other parts where fuel is the only lubricant.
- Cleans out existing deposits in your fuel system.
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Guidelines for Using Biodiesel
Biodiesel is most commonly blended with #2 petroleum diesel. Blends of 20% or less can be used in any unmodified diesel engine. - Do not use blends of more than 20% on unmodified vehicles made before 1993—when natural rubber fuel lines were used. Biodiesel will degrade natural rubber over time.
- It is recommended to check with your local dealership for possible warranty issues.
- Run only blends of 20% or less during winter months; cold-flow properties are a concern below 40ûF.
- The US Department of Energy generally recommends 20% biodiesel for year-round use in any diesel engine. You can “splash blend” the fuel by pouring the biodiesel into the petroleum diesel directly in the vehicle tank.
Need more information?
Visit DieselGreen Fuels at www.dieselgreenfuels.com and the National Biodiesel Board at www.biodiesel.org. Also check the highly informative Biodiesel entry in Wikipedia . 
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1. What is Biodiesel?: Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, non-toxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. This emissions profile is roughly 80% lower than petroleum based diesel. Also, diesel engines are far more efficient than gasoline engines, which means a very high MPG vehicle may get 35MPG with gas, but 50MPG with biodiesel. Although diesel and biodiesel are generally 5-15% higher in price than gasoline, the higher fuel economy creates a lower “dollar per mile” total cost of ownership. Diesel vehicles also have no spark plugs or distributor, which reduces maintenance costs. Because of the heavy duty nature of a diesel engine, you can expect a standard diesel passenger vehicle to last 300-400k, compared to 150-200k for a gasoline vehicle. 2. What is the difference between Biodiesel and Raw Vegetable Oil (Also called WVO or SVO)?: “Biodiesel” must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM D6751). Biodiesel can be blended at any level with diesel. You can have anything from B1 ( 1% biodiesel and 99 diesel) to B100 ( 100 % biodiesel) – common blends are B20 and B99 (a variety of political reasons exist for these blends; ask us for more information). Also, there isno conversion kit needed for biodiesel. Biodiesel is created with a chemical reaction that uses vegetable oil, methanol and lye, to produce a complete replacement for diesel fuel with 3 caveates: vehicles made before 1992 will need a few simple hoses replaced; during the winter, biodiesel must be blended with diesel to prevent “gelling” in cold weather; and, vehicles that have high mileage on petroleum diesel will need to replace their fuel filter after a few months of using biodiesel, due to the solvent power (all that crud has to go somewhere) Just pour it straight into your tank and drive. VegOil must be filtered down to 10 micron and dewatered before it is placed in to your grease kit. WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) vehicle conversions allow diesel vehicles to run on vegetable oil that has not been chemically altered like biodiesel. The oil is thinned by heating it. The vehicle must be started and shut down on petroleum diesel or biodiesel. Once it reaches operating temperature it can be switched to run on the WVO, supplied by a separate tank installed in the trunk. 3. Why should I use Biodiesel?: Biodiesel is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel. It is less toxic then table salt and biodegradable. It is an wonderful solvent and will clean out your fuel tank, fuel lines, injector pump and injectors. It also has excellent lubricating factors that will help your fuel system last longer. Biodiesel is also make in the USA from renewable resources such as Waste Vegetable oil (WVO) and Soybeans, its use decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to our own economy. 4. Can you really use Waste oil to power a car/ truck?: Yes you can if your car/ truck are equipped with the right equipment. Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, ran an early prototype on peanut oil. If you’re wanting to use pure WVO (waste vegetable oil) you must have a "conversion kit" with a second tank installed in your car/ truck. With a second tank, you start the vehicle on diesel (or better yet, biodiesel), then once the car comes up to the proper temperature, switch over to vegetable oil. When you arrive at your destination, you switch back the diesel/biodiesel so that you aren't running cold vegetable oil the next time you start the vehicle. With modern computer-controlled systems, there is no user interaction - it switches between fuels automatically, and lets you know when the tank is low. 5. Is there any power loss with WVO?: 6. What kind of mileage do the engines get?: The engines use about the same amount of grease as they would biodiesel or diesel. 7. Where can I get grease?: Filtered and dewatered oil is available at Ecowise. For bulk purchases, contact DieselGreen Fuels at 512-247-3835 to make arrangements for pickup or delivery. 8. Does the vehicle have to be a diesel?: Yes, only diesel vehicles can be run on biodiesel or converted to run on WVO. If you have a late model gasoline vehicle, you may be able to use some blend of ethanol. 9. Is biodiesel used as a pure fuel or is it blended with petroleum diesel?
Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel or blended with petroleum in any percentage. B20 (a blend of 20 percent by volume biodiesel with 80 percent by volume petroleum diesel) has demonstrated significant environmental benefits with a minimum increase in cost for fleet operations and other consumers.
10. Is it approved for use in the US?
Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and meets clean diesel standards established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Neat (100 percent) biodiesel has been designated as an alternative fuel by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Department of Transportation (DOT). 11. How much biodiesel has been sold in the US?
The National Biodiesel Board has released the following sales volume estimates for the US: 2005 -- 75 million gallons
2004 -- 25 million gallons
2003 -- 20 million gallons
2002 -- 15 million gallons
2001 -- 5 million gallons
2000 -- 2 million gallons
1999 -- 500,000 gallons 12. How do biodiesel emissions compare to petroleum diesel?
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel. In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to diesel. Of the major exhaust pollutants, both unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are ozone or smog forming precursors. The use of biodiesel results in a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are either slightly reduced or slightly increased depending on the duty cycle of the engine and testing methods used. Based on engine testing, using the most stringent emissions testing protocols
required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives in the US, the overall ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon emissions from biodiesel was nearly 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.
13. Can biodiesel help mitigate “global warming”?
A 1998 biodiesel lifecycle study, jointly sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Agriculture, concluded biodiesel reduces net CO² emissions by 78 percent compared to petroleum diesel. This is due to biodiesel’s closed carbon cycle. The CO² released into the atmosphere when biodiesel is burned is recycled by growing plants, which are later processed into fuel..Is biodiesel safer than petroleum diesel? Scientific research confirms that biodiesel exhaust has a less harmful impact on human health than petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel emissions have decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrited PAH compounds that have been identified as potential cancer causing compounds. Test results indicate PAH compounds were reduced by 75 to 85 percent, with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was reduced by roughly 50 percent. Targeted nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically with biodiesel fuel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1-nitropyrene reduced by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only trace levels.
14. Does biodiesel cost more than other alternative fuels?
When reviewing the high costs associated with other alternative fuel systems, many fleet managers have determined biodiesel is their least-cost-strategy to comply with state and federal regulations. Use of biodiesel does not require major engine modifications. That means operators keep their fleets, their spare parts inventories, their refueling stations and their skilled mechanics. The only thing that changes is air quality.
Do I need special storage facilities?
In general, the standard storage and handling procedures used for petroleum diesel can be used for biodiesel. The fuel should be stored in a clean, dry, dark environment. Acceptable storage tank materials include aluminum, steel, fluorinated polyethylene, fluorinated polypropylene and teflon. Copper, brass, lead, tin, and zinc should be avoided.
Can I use biodiesel in my existing diesel engine?
Biodiesel can be operated in any diesel engine with little or no modification to the engine or the fuel system. Biodiesel has a solvent effect that may release deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from previous diesel fuel storage. The release of deposits may clog filters initially and precautions should be taken. Ensure that only fuel meeting the biodiesel specification is used. |
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