[Greenbuilding] Off Topic: What car do you suggest?

[Reuben Deumling]

My mother has used biodiesel (mostly B100) in a '97 Jetta TDI and a 1981
Isuzu 4WD pickup for 6 or 7 years. Keep an eye on the rubber components of
the fuel system including those within the injector pump. The latter had to
be rebuilt in her Jetta after maybe 60,000 miles of using biodiesel. This
procedure isn't cheap (~$700?), and most folks with these cars and using
biodiesel seem unaware that this repair looms. Veggie oil (without methanol)
won't attack your fuel system, but involves a bit more upfront effort to
configure the vehicle and filter the fuel. Good luck.

Reuben Deumling

On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 10:08 AM, Jason Holstine <jason at amicusgreen.com>
wrote:

> So what's the word on the new TDI's ability to take biodiesel and veggie
> diesel?
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
> [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Benjamin
> Pratt
> Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 10:18 AM
> To: RONALD CASCIO
> Cc: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Off Topic: What car do you suggest?
>
> >  You might want to bring yourself up to speed on modern diesel
> > technology Ben, and the difference between horsepower (gasoline) and
> torque (diesel).
> >
> >  Ron
>
> The 2008 TDi is much more powerful and cleaner--but the gas mileage is far
> worse than the older models. I was talking about 2003 vintage VW TDI,
> which
> is slow (0-60 12.5 seconds), and dirty.
>    The problem with the new jetta is that the mileage is, at best, 25%
> better than gas cars of the same size and power, and you are paying 25%
> more
> for fuel. Additionally, you pay around 2K more for a diesel model. If
> volkwagen had used their new cleaner technology, and optimized mileage and
> not power the car would make logical and economical sense.
>   -Ben
> PS  I do have some personal experience too. I used to commute with a guy
> who
> drove a 2003 tdi beetle. It was slow, unreliable, slow starting in winter,
> and had numerous problems which were expensive to fix. He got rid of it.
>
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