I have recently been approached by a company selling Biodiesel.At a cost of 85p per litre this represents quite a saving on pump prices in my part of the country.My question is has anybody tried this product yet?I am told that the cummins engine that is in my beast will thrive on this fuel.It all sounds to good to be true.Any thoughts on the subject before i fill her up for this weekends run would be appreciated.

My bus number (if any): RML2478

According to our local farmer that produces his own biodiesel it can have the initial effect of cleaning out the fuel lines very well which can result in blocked fuel filters. Also Just a word of warning on biodiesel in buses that don't get used much. I understand that over time it can begin to break down unlike normal diesel and again cause problems with blocked fuel lines. Also if the tank is not kept completely full, condensation forming in the void at the top causes water to form underneath the fuel allowing minute worm like organisms to thrive. The result is they get sucked into the fuel system, you get a mile down the road and the vehicle stops. The only remedy apparently is to get the fuel system steamed out to eradicate it. (As we know it is good practise to keep a diesel tank full to help prevent corrosion.) Also First Bus had to pay out large amounts of compensation to would be passengers recenetly in one of their areas as their biodiesel froze up causing mass non running of buses - it was reported that they have reverted to normal diesel.

Graham

My bus number (if any): RML2747

Just to add to what Graham Brown has written, a lot of diesel already contains a bio fuel element and that does no harm in the small % quantities currently used. What is being suggested here is using used vegetable oil. It runs OK in tractors and some older diesel engined cars but commercial vehicle users of it have had to adapt their vehicles to having two fuel tanks, one containing diesel, the other cooking oil. The diesel is used until the engine is warm then the driver switches supply to the bio fuel tank. Experience has shown that unless this system is adopted blocking of fuel pumps, lines and filters will result from using used vegetable oil in cold engines. I think this means for the private bus owner using cooking oil is not really an economic solution to rising fuel prices.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RML 2667 and an RMC