Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Hello,
I'm having a problem using biodiesel in my Pajero. Twice I've tried filling it with B20 and both times I had some power loss and heavy smoke under load. I tried changing fuel filter but it didn't make any noticeable changes. Going back to regular diesel seems to fix these problems. I wonder what could be wrong? Any ideas?

Where are you located? Where are you buying B20 from? It could be attributable to the bio-component of the biodiesel (it can make a difference which vegetable oil is being used - some ARE better than others). The first couple of tanks of bio can have a 'cleansing' affect on your fuel system.

All of that being said, there usually is a BIT of a drop in power. The smoking, I can't speak to that, other than it may be your foot, but if you're not driving it any different than before, well...

Both times I filled at Autogas Propane. I was thinking that they have low quality biodiesel, but gas station attendant told me that he saw many Delicas and Pajeros filling with biodiesel there. So others must not have those problems.

even B100 like i use has only an 8% loss in power, but you should have Less smoke, I dont notice any loss in power, have you checked your egr valve, I would start with that, also take off the hose from your air filter to the turbo, give that a good cleaning they tend to fill up with oily gunk that can cause deposits to end up coming off and ocasional plumes of smoke , but Its hard to guess why you have trouble with just a b20 blend., Pretty hard to diagnose over the net also.

Hi Estinko,

I've been running homemade B100 since April with no problems. Maybe a slight loss in power but absolutely no smoke.

I would try a different source of biodiesel. Just because others are filling there doesn't mean others aren't having or going to have problems.

Try getting it from a homebrewer. They usually make high quality fuel.

I have bought B20 from autogas propane in Burnaby and my van ran just fine on it, no extra smoke, some power loss and fuel consumption went way up (so it wasn't worth it since it was the same price as petro-diesel) so I don't think it's their fuel causing the problem... Not sure what it could be though. How much extra smoke are we talking about?

Schwa wrote:I have bought B20 from autogas propane in Burnaby and my van ran just fine on it, no extra smoke, some power loss and fuel consumption went way up (so it wasn't worth it since it was the same price as petro-diesel) so I don't think it's their fuel causing the problem... Not sure what it could be though. How much extra smoke are we talking about?

Interestingly I didn't notice any fuel consumption increase. Now as I filled with regular diesel and it still smokes on hard acceleration (some puffs of black smoke noticeable sometimes when I press accelerator pedal, same with biodiesel though), I start to think it might have been not only a biodiesel problem, or not a biodiesel problem at all. Could an air leak in the intake system, or a clogged air filter be a reason for the smoke?

All diesels will have some smoke when you are hard on the throttle & when you start in the am, you can reduce it, but you cant get rid of it completly, I sugest your clean your EGR valve or have it done for you, and get your Timing checked, your entire engine is based on your Timing belts Timing & your Injection pump timing, Its not something that most people can or should tackle on there own, but if you have the tools and experience you can do it, but I like to get things that important done by a mechanic...So im not the one to blame/liable for it ...

If your looking for for some tech manuals , They are a free download in our site.

etsinko wrote:

Schwa wrote:I have bought B20 from autogas propane in Burnaby and my van ran just fine on it, no extra smoke, some power loss and fuel consumption went way up (so it wasn't worth it since it was the same price as petro-diesel) so I don't think it's their fuel causing the problem... Not sure what it could be though. How much extra smoke are we talking about?

Interestingly I didn't notice any fuel consumption increase. Now as I filled with regular diesel and it still smokes on hard acceleration (some puffs of black smoke noticeable sometimes when I press accelerator pedal, same with biodiesel though), I start to think it might have been not only a biodiesel problem, or not a biodiesel problem at all. Could an air leak in the intake system, or a clogged air filter be a reason for the smoke?

Is the big puff of smoke white (too much air) or black (too much fuel)?

mararmeisto wrote:

etsinko wrote:

Schwa wrote:I have bought B20 from autogas propane in Burnaby and my van ran just fine on it, no extra smoke, some power loss and fuel consumption went way up (so it wasn't worth it since it was the same price as petro-diesel) so I don't think it's their fuel causing the problem... Not sure what it could be though. How much extra smoke are we talking about?

Interestingly I didn't notice any fuel consumption increase. Now as I filled with regular diesel and it still smokes on hard acceleration (some puffs of black smoke noticeable sometimes when I press accelerator pedal, same with biodiesel though), I start to think it might have been not only a biodiesel problem, or not a biodiesel problem at all. Could an air leak in the intake system, or a clogged air filter be a reason for the smoke?

Is the big puff of smoke white (too much air) or black (too much fuel)?

The smoke is black.

EnviroImports.com wrote:even B100 like i use has only an 8% loss in power, but you should have Less smoke, I dont notice any loss in power, have you checked your egr valve, I would start with that, also take off the hose from your air filter to the turbo, give that a good cleaning they tend to fill up with oily gunk that can cause deposits to end up coming off and ocasional plumes of smoke , but Its hard to guess why you have trouble with just a b20 blend., Pretty hard to diagnose over the net also.

What are the routines to check EGR Valve? What should I look for?

Take off the EGR valve, clean it or replace it if nessisary, Im sure it could use a good cleaning, they are usually pretty nasty inside, If your not sure how to do it, have a professional do it, but It really should be part of yearly maintenance.
Download and print off the tech manuals, keep them in your glove box incase you need to have a mechanic look at them if you find your self away from home and needing some work done

Schwa wrote:I have bought B20 from autogas propane in Burnaby and my van ran just fine on it, no extra smoke, some power loss and fuel consumption went way up

I just tried bio for the first time, filled up on B20 at autogas on main street. Ran exactly the same but I got significantly less fuel economy.. 100km less range on the tank!

Anyone know why this might be?

It seems like Butch's Delica tune fixed the problem. I tried B20 at first and it didn't smoke. Now I'm running B50, and there is no smoke! But it seems like the consumption went up a bit.

Doesn't seem to be a biodiesel specific thing for me.. I'm now getting 100km less per tank than I was before whether it's bio or regular diesel. Might take it to butch for an injector clean and check the timing.