Can I Use Biodiesel In My Mercedes Sprinter? (Best Diesel)
Back in the old days, you had about 3 gas choices and 2 diesel options. Now, you have to worry about biodiesel fuel mixtures and other fuel options to get your car running at optimum levels. It is not a good scene
Yes, you can and Mercedes itself states that you can use up to 5% biodiesel fuel mixture safely. However, the higher percentage options are not that good for the Mercedes engine. The company says to use those as a last resort.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can make the right fuel decision. There are issues with biodiesel fuels and too much is not healthy for the car or RV.
Diesel For Sprinter 101
What is Biodiesel Fuel?
For those that do not know much about this fuel, we have to start with this question first. It is important to know what the fuel is and where it came from.
Biodiesel fuel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. The reason many companies are producing this type of fuel is one, it is cleaner and two many governments are making its production and use mandatory.
This type of fuel is safe, biodegradable, and does not produce as much air pollution as natural diesel and other fuels produce. Whether it is cheaper or not remains to be seen.
To understand this fuel you also need to know the code used. While you can burn 100% biodiesel fuel in car engines designed for that liquid, most companies offer a blend.
The amount of the blend is displayed via the code. That code reads B5 for a 5% blend and this is the amount of blend most car makers approve for use in their vehicles. You can get B&, B10, B20, and so on and those codes mean 7%, 10%, and 20% biodiesel in the blend.
To know which blend you need to use, check with your owner's manual. It should tell you exactly which level you can safely use in your car or truck, or motorhome.
One word of warning. Never use biodiesel in your car, truck, or RV unless the engine has been converted to burn this fuel option. Unfortunately, the word is that this fuel option is more expensive than normal diesel.
What Fuel Does a Mercedes Sprinter Use?
Regular #2 diesel should be okay but that may be harder to find these days as biodiesel fuels are becoming more evident. Different gas stations are labeling their pumps so you know which one to pull up to when you need to refuel.
The fuel you will use will depend on which engine you have under the hood. According to Mercedes “according to ASTM specification D975 [Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) with a maximum of up to 5% biodiesel] in all Common Rail Injection (CDI) and BlueTEC® diesel engines.”
If you have those engines under your Sprinter’s hood, then you cannot go above B5 biodiesel fuel. The company goes on to say that you should only use B20 as a last resort and only enough to get you to a city with real fuel options.
The accessibility and cost of B% or above biodiesel will depend on the state you are traveling through or living in.
Can I Use Biodiesel in My Mercedes Sprinter?
Yes, you can but there is a limit as to how much of this blended fuel you can use. Most carmakers only approve up to B5 which is a 5% biodiesel added to regular diesel fuel.
On rare occasions, some car makers, like Mercedes, will approve up to B20 but only in emergency situations. Also, they only recommend that you use as little of this blend as possible. Just enough to get you to a regular gas station or the nearest city.
To be sure of the percentage you can use, you have to look in your owner’s manual. It should give you precise instructions on the use of any biodiesel fuel over 5%. The word is that almost all diesel-powered cars, trucks, and heavier vehicles can run on at least a B5 level of biodiesel fuel.
You do not have to do any alterations or conversions to your vehicle to run this level of fuel. The fact that Mercedes confirms you can use B5 is evidence for this statement and you are free to use it in your Sprinter.
Just be careful and not go higher than B5 as you may be putting your engine at risk.
Biodiesel Mercedes Sprinter
Here is the tricky part about using this fuel blend in your Mercedes sprinter. The company has approved B5 for use in this vehicle model and you can do so without fear of having your warranty voided.
However, if you go greater than B5 and sparingly use B20, you run the risk of having your warranty voided by the company. Because Mercedes has approved emergency use of B20 when there are no viable options, you should be safe unless you violate that criteria.
There are other problems as well as some states are looking at using renewable diesel fuel with 5ppm of sulfur content. This is a problem as sulfur is a key lubricant for engine parts that move the diesel fuel along. For example your fuel pump. Too low of a sulfur content can cause damage to the pump.
Actually, not just the pump as related damages, including the pump, can run up to $20,000 to repair. Mercedes is said to have documents proving these claims about low sulfur fuels and the damage they can cause.
So while you may have a biodiesel Mercedes Sprinter, it is not wise to go low on the sulfur content in the fuel you use.
Best Diesel Fuel For Mercedes Sprinter
The best diesel would be regular diesel with no blending with biofuels. There is so much wrong that can happen with a biodiesel blend that your Sprinter may end up with a lot of repairs as a result of using that fuel option.
Regular #2 diesel should be ideal for Sprinters and Mercedes does not ban its use not say it will void your warranty if you use it. Biodiesel is said to have been out there for some time but somehow it has not been improved upon to prevent it from doing damage to key engine parts.
Those parts include- the oil separator PCV valve, the turbo, the EGR and swirl valves, the engine oil, etc. Unless developments have been made recently it is always best to avoid biodiesel fuel.
If you can’t, do not go higher than B5. Mercedes will not repair or pay for any repairs to damage caused by B20 and above blends. Here is an 18-page pamphlet put out by Mercedes where the company discusses the risks of biodiesel fuels.
It is best to stay as up-to-date as possible on this topic so you know everything there is to know and avoid problems.
Mercedes Sprinter Diesel Issues
No engine is going to be perfect. Even if you run clean diesel #2 fuel, you will eventually run into difficulties with your engine. The Blue Tec engine has been out since 2007 and it was a few years before problems started to present themselves.
Oil leaks occurred and the check engine light would come on for no reason. Finding the sources proved next to impossible. The DPF issues were a complete mystery to mechanics as Mercedes did not share valuable information.
Part of the problem with this particular engine model is that it is more complicated and very expensive to maintain. These factors are design related and may be exaggerated by diesel fuel use.
These parts, DEF temperature sensor, level sensor, tank, and control unit sensors and actuators, can fail on you and they usually do at 100,000 miles. To repair them can cost you between $600 and $1000 EACH.
Those parts are part of the Sprinter problem. Because the parts are shipped internationally and assembled in the US, the replacement parts may not be in the country when you need them.
It has been suggested that you buy the extended warranty when you buy the Sprinter new. That is to protect you from the high costs of repairs when something does go wrong.
Is Biodiesel Better Than Regular Diesel?
This depends on your point of view. It is safer when it comes to polluting the air. The biodiesel puts out fewer pollutants than regular diesel. Then it is not as volatile as diesel but that Is not saying much as diesel is not that volatile to begin with.
Then the fuel is biodegradable which diesel is not. That makes it slightly better than regular diesel fuel. However, you can have more problems with biodiesel fuel than with regular diesel.
Parts can be clogged, plugged, and even ruined because of the sludge in the former fuel and not diesel #2. Plus, if you use the wrong blend level, you could void your warranty. That situation makes regular diesel better than biodiesel.
You have never had to worry about voiding a warranty6 by using a regular fuel option before biodiesel came along. Diesel engines are made for diesel #2 fuel and at times you can even burn diesel #1 in those engines without problems or the threat of voiding your warranty.
Also, fuel economy is less with the biodiesel fuel. That makes it worse than regular diesel as you have to fill up more often and pay more money. The biodiesel fuel is often more expensive than regular diesel.
Both factors make that fuel inferior to regular diesel.
The Pros And Cons Of Biodiesel Fuel
There is no sense in trying to change words on this topic. We will just quote from this website the exact pros and cons so you have no confusion and avoid misleading you. It is a dot gov website and should be quoted intact without interference from third parties:
Pros:
- Domestically produced from renewable resources
- Can be used in most diesel engines, especially newer ones
- Fewer air pollutants (other than nitrogen oxides)
- Less greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., B20 reduces CO2 by 15%)
- Biodegradable
- Non-toxic
- Safer to handle
Cons:
- Use of blends above B5 not yet approved by many automakers
- Lower fuel economy and power (10% lower for B100, 2% for B20)
- Currently more expensive
- B100 generally not suitable for use in low temperatures
- Concerns about B100's impact on engine durability
- Slight increase in nitrogen oxide emissions in some circumstances
Some of the cons that we have come across are the destructive nature this fuel has on parts of the engine. We listed some for Mercedes above. The blend may have to be above 10% before any damage is done which may explain the approval for B5 but not B20 biodiesel blends.
The reason some companies are going to this fuel alternative is that production is cheap. That fact is supposed to help keep your fuel costs lower. However, biodiesel fuels are often more expensive to buy than regular diesel.
Another con would be that it is not a good fuel for cold weather. The liquid can gel when the temperatures drop making it impossible to use your vehicle. That ‘cold’ weather can be as high as 55 or 61 degrees F depending on the ingredient in the fuel.
Some Final Words
When you are buying a new car, check what the manufacturer has to say about using biodiesel fuels. It may be better for the environment but that fuel is not better for your vehicle’s engine or your pocket book. Often it is more expensive to buy and can damage key engine parts.
You also lose fuel efficiency as well as mpg and that is not good for your budget either. An indirect problem is that farmers may stop growing food to grow crops for biodiesel fuel. Not a smart move.
