Toyota Innova Owners & Discussions [ARCHIVED]

[jaeger]

I started using BD in my Innova D4D just three weeks ago (odo at 2,100km), and just pour in 1-li. every time I load up fuel full tank.

At first, I was hesitant to use BD in a CRDI since I've only read posts on using BD on pre-chambered and DI diesel engines. On the net, I discovered that EU member countries/gov'ts already imposed by law the use of BD5 since mid-2003; thus all the CRDI Benzes and Bimmers have been running on BD5 blend for the past 2 years.

Altec talked to his Toyota technical rep. and the guy Ok'd the use of BD on his Innova, who also told him not to worry about fuel filter plugging or injector clogging since we have a dual fuel filter system in our D4Ds, confirming what was posted by a fellow tsikoteer last June :

. . . . you're right about the need for at least 2 fuel filters to prevent injector clogging. The service advisor head at Toyota Otis and the Parts Supervisor showed me (both the schematic diagram and the parts) that the IMV (Fortuner, Innova, Hi-Lux) have a secondary fuel filter that's supposed to last 350,000 km and a primary fuel filter that's inspected and cleaned every 5,000 km. There is an indicator on the dashboard if the primary filter in performing poorly thus requiring cleaning or replacement. They said these vehicles were tested with the poorest diesel fuels in the Asian countries (e.g. China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.) so they were able to devise this strategy to prolong the life of the diesel fuel injectors (common rail).

So don't worry too much about your D4D's shutting down in the middle of the road due to a plugged fuel filter. The usual symptoms will come out first: poor acceleration, non-responsive throttle, then your dashboard indicator light starts to flash. I don't think your fuel filter will get plugged by gum/dirt that BD cleaned up since there's hardly any significant accumulated gum/dirt to begin with, as your Innovas are still relatively new.

If you plan to use BD on a vehicle with more that 40Tkm on the odometer, then you follow a different procedure. You first cleanup your fuel delivery system by using B20 for 2 full tanks, then change your plugged fuel filter, then move to B1~B2 maintenance dose thereafter.

For starters you might find this link helpful:
http://www.doe.gov.ph/alternative/cme.htm

I've been using BD on my 2 other diesel rides (Starex & Everest) since end-June this year. Fellow tsikoteers have been using BD since June 2003 over at the Biodiesel Rulez thread and they have a wealth of experience to share.

Where BD will also help is reducing your soot/black smoke emmission which also gets accumulated in your tailpipe/exhaust. Altec has been very methodical and technical in his approach to using BD. He fully shared his opacimeter test results before and after using BD on all the rigs in his motorpool in our kotse.com biodiesel thread - all favorable. (link: http://www.kotse.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2718 ).
Saludo ako kay altec, I don't have the patience he has.

Hope this helps.

[beeper0358]

Thanks jaeger, this is very enlightening information you just shared to us.

[larshell]

Jaeger, Thanks for the info. Im from Valenzuela where is the nearest i can buy BD ba?

[jaeger]

To find a biodiesel outlet near you, click on these links: (courtesy of RafRaf)

http://www.doe.gov.ph/alternative/Estrol.pdf
http://www.doe.gov.ph/alternative/Bio-activ.pdf

I just plucked the above links from the other thread.

There are 2 local producers of BD :
Senbel makes Estrol Biodiesel (now at P66/liter)
Chemrez makes Bio-activ Biodiesel (sorry, I don't know current price)

You will read on the net that B5 has been the standard in Europe since it's introduction in 2003, and many EU countries are now moving to B20 blend this 2005 (like Czech Republic, Germany, etc.). This may be interpreted as regular daily-use dose or maintenance dose for them (but not for us).

Just a word of caution: do not be too aggressive on the use of our local biodiesel (CME, Coconut Methyl Ester); do not mimic the Europeans by starting at B5 or B20.

Our local biodiesel is far superior than the BD of Europe which is based on rapeseed oil (cetane index 50-55); or the BD of US which is based on soybean oil (cetane index 53). Local biodiesel is based on coconut oil with cetane index of 70 ! - this translates to better and far-superior combustion efficiency! B1~B2 blend should be Ok to begin with.

There's word that the DoE will put into law B1 usage in 2006 moving to B5 by 2014 (but this might get accelerated if crude oil prices keep going up).

[altec]

Jaeger, grabe naman yung pagpromote mo sa akin dito sa innova thread! Yup, I've started but still on my 1st full load of BD1 on my innova. I have been monitoring my fuel economy, although just to be sure, I am going to compare after my 1,000km check-up, up to 3,000km thereabouts as using regular diesel. 2,000km should be sufficient to establish an accurate fuel economy. Travelling over more of less the same route, using BD, will soon have a comparison. Take note whatever is my fuel economy, would depend on my driving habits and route. So any km/liter comparison should not be done between innovas owned by different people, living in different places, and travelling in different routes.

With BD1, I noticed also the same as what Jaeger mentioned, although its possible that its also psychological. Let's see after a few refuels. Maybe by the time I reach my next change oil. will ask my toyota service advisor for a more conscious check up on the fuel filters.

[rcl_inno]

sa V- variant lang yata available ang immobilizer , na available lang sa mga kijiang - innova ng indonesia and thailand at india, mukhang tinipid tayo ng toyota philippines dito.

[altec]

I just plucked the above links from the other thread.

There are 2 local producers of BD :
Senbel makes Estrol Biodiesel (now at P66/liter)
Chemrez makes Bio-activ Biodiesel (sorry, I don't know current price)

You will read on the net that B5 has been the standard in Europe since it's introduction in 2003, and many EU countries are now moving to B20 blend this 2005 (like Czech Republic, Germany, etc.). This may be interpreted as regular daily-use dose or maintenance dose for them (but not for us).

Just a word of caution: do not be too aggressive on the use of our local biodiesel (CME, Coconut Methyl Ester); do not mimic the Europeans by starting at B5 or B20.

Our local biodiesel is far superior than the BD of Europe which is based on rapeseed oil (cetane index 50-55); or the BD of US which is based on soybean oil (cetane index 53). Local biodiesel is based on coconut oil with cetane index of 70 ! - this translates to better and far-superior combustion efficiency! B1~B2 blend should be Ok to begin with.

There's word that the DoE will put into law B1 usage in 2006 moving to B5 by 2014 (but this might get accelerated if crude oil prices keep going up).

Jaeger, can you provide the actual link to this? Gusto ko rin mabasa yung thread na ito. Thanks!

[jaeger]

Jaeger, can you provide the actual link to this? Gusto ko rin mabasa yung thread na ito. Thanks!

Naku, iba-ibang sites galing all these info. I just did a google search to get the EU info. Try typing in "biodiesel B20 Czech Republic" or "EU biodiesel standards"

For the cetane index, I used the link fuego4x2 gave us :
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_yield.html

There's a procedure on this link on how to properly test-wash your biodiesel to check for impurities. Since holiday on Monday, maybe I'll do this little experiment. Here's the link to washing your biodiesel : http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bubblewash.html

According to the washing pics. - the biodiesel should be super clear golden yellow in color. The Senbel with the tiny white chips which I shook hard and dissolved - the BD from that entire bottle was not super clear, just a tiny bit murky.

[jaeger]

OT: Oooops, maling thread. Sorry, I should have posted the above post (washing BD) on the Biodiesel Rulez thread and not here. Sorry again.

[mikey177]

No problem, jaeger. That's good info that any motorist may find useful, especially diesel owners.