I started running BIO (80% Canola and 20% Soy) from the pump here in San Diego about 5 tanks ago and had great results until the other day. I filled up and drove 20 miles and then parked the truck for 2 weeks while out of town.

I started it up and it ran fine for a few minutes then started to sputter. I recognized the symptom and knew I needed to change the fuel filter. No big deal, I'll nurse it home.... didnt make it. Again, I knew I was going to be clogging a filter sometime soon after running bio for the first time in my engine but when I pulled the filter I was shocked.

It looked and felt like the filter was smeared with vasoline.... this is gelling, correct? It never gets or got too cold here on the beach. Whats up? So I put a new filter in and bumped the starter to get fuel into the filter canister like normal and it wont fire. Good batteries went dead trying and still no luck after trying again with my Jeep jumped to it. I cracked the filter canister drain and fuel comes out so I know the canister is at least getting some from the tank.

Any ideas as to whats going on?.... Why would it gel? Why wont it start? Will plugging in the block heater help at all? Truck is still on side of the road and I want to try and figure it out before throwing in the towel and towing it to a shop.

Thanks

 

Maybe try pouring that Diesel 911 stuff into the filter canister and tank?

 

Highly doubt it was gelling with southern Calif temps.
My bet is you got a bad batch of bio.
I'd complain to the supplier, no doubt your complaint won't be the first.
Similar thing happened up here in Montana where the supplier used 20% bad bd in the farm tanks they filled in just one day. It took them over a month to suck out all the tanks and send the fuel back to the refinery for reprocessing.

 

Very true...it may be clogged in the fuel line from the tank and/or from the filter to the IP or clogged injectors. Seems your prob resides from the filter to the injector. You could removed the injector lines and blow them out w/compressed air. Just an idea.

 

Sounds like an incomplete reaction or some kind of bacteria growth in it which means its not dry. Its hard to make the stuff well and keep it fresh.
If you ever do go up into the mountains or someplace cold with bio, a heated filter might be enough to get you home.

 

its whatever the bio was made from generally. in colder temps you gotta worry about the cloud point. Maybe some ether or some of that diesel 911 might work. You could also try draining the tank and putting some diesel #1 in it to get it to fire. bio's tough to perfect.

 

Just sounds like bad bio.. Put some of it in a water bottle and add an equal amount of water. Lightly shake it and let it sit. If the water is cloudy, then you have soapy BIO. bad stuff... drain it and replace with #2.

 

Yes bad bio , 80% canola , has a much lower gel / cloud point than most other oils , non of which should gel/cloud in so cal .
Get back to the supplier , start the paper work on getting them to pay , but get cleaned as quick as possible , depending on what bad about the bio , high water content will start to do a lot of bad things to injectors , main pump , lift pump , fuel lines , get all cleaned out , an run a few tanks of #2 to flush .

 

Fuel supplier picked up the truck and took it into dealer and they are trying to figure it out. So far after 2 weeks in there I hear they are replacing the lift pump and relocating it to the frame rail. Now I fear the injector pump was compramised because the lift pump got ruined?. Still havent heard yet why the fuel gelled either. At least they are taking care of it so far.

More as I hear it.....

 

What source is the bio from ?
If your paying , you may want to just park in a heated space , then put an additive in .
What % bio are you running ?
Also what is the source ?

 

It really sounds like the glycerine was never completley drained out from the mix. What color is it? Cause if it is dark like a beer bottle thats what you got then. We had a buddy with the same problem from a home brewer and i took it all apart and it took me 3 days to get it all out. That stuff settles out to the bottom in the mix and thats the stuff you make soap from. Now if thats what it is and nothing else then just make sure it didn't get past the fuel filter. It is posiable that it did get past it and now is up in the injection pump after sitting. I would love for you to send me a pic of what it looks like . I wish i was there to help you out to see for myself what went wrong in the mix. Have you pulled any from your tank? Have you dropped your tank and looked inside of it at all?

thanks chris.