Biofuel bacteria wrecks engines (improper filling tank maintenance)

[phantom power]

Biofuel is wreaking havoc with car engines. Due to Government rules, all diesel sold in the UK must be blended with the eco-friendly fuel.

But what the authorities didn’t bank on was the filth inside filling station tanks. With no rules forcing forecourt owners to clean them, the reservoirs are rife with bacteria. And when they come into contact with the vegetable or wheat-based fuel, the result is oil clots, which clog up engines.

The AA has already blamed a spate of mechanical breakdowns nation­wide on the jelly-like lumps. It says they make their way into fuel tanks, and block the filters that provide clean diesel to the injectors. This leads to the motor cutting out and, ultimately, a big repair bill for the owner.

(...)

Ray Holloway, head of the Petrol Retailers Association, said that action is already being taken to rectify the situation. “We’ve issued a set of guidelines to fuel stations to help them tackle the problem,” he said. “These include testing tanks for excess water – which helps the bacteria to breed – and taking advice from their supplier about the exact biofuel content of the diesel going into the tanks.”

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/221658/biofuel_bacteria_wrecks_engines.html

[madokie]

1. a good example why knee jerk reactions are most times not good

It should be studies, studies and more studies, then do it if it is shown to be good.

[izquierdista]

2. Progress, not studies

These are little glitches that show up when adopting any new technology. Just because you can't do things exactly the way you used to is no reason to sit back and refuse to make any progress until more 'studies' are done. I would remind you that "we need to study it more" is the rallying cry of the global warming deniers.

[madokie]

3. I'm just glad you're not making the decision that have an effect on my life

nothing personal but going headstrong into something without having an idea of the results is not Progress, sorry

[hatrack]

4. It's not so much that this is a huge technical issue - it likely isn't . . .

It's that nobody bothered to consider this particular wrinkle of the biofuel mandate.

More precisely, nobody apparently remembered that (a) biofuels are susceptible to bacteria, (b) like any motor fuel, retail biofuels are stored in large metal underground tanks subject to a variety of physical, chemical and biological processes and (c) gas station owners may or may not maintain their facilities in a way that meets the needs of these particular fuels.

Did anyone even ask about this issue beforehand? Did anyone even think about it?

And that's what worries me about energy policy and collective responses - things that nobody thought of that ought to be obvious as all hell. Corn-based ethanol comes readily to mind . . .

[hunter]

5. Bacteria are enough of a problem with ordinary diesel fuel.

Usually they are just scraping by and making a minor nuisance of themselves, but biodiesel is like a feast for them.

There are additives that inhibit bacterial growth, but then you have to worry about the safety of those. If diesel leaks or spills you don't want to inhibit bacterial degredation, and it's also important to figure out how the additive affects emmisions.

[madokie]

6. Yes, more studies need to be done

And a study does not have to be long nor tedious as to stop something from going forward either.
Back years ago there used to be a lot of problems with the diesel gelling in the winter months as to in come cases be a pain in the ass.