Biofuel Explained Then Warning Issued

Sunday, 21. December 2008

A warning has gone out from representatives of the car manufacturers about the use of Morrisons’ Bio Fuel called B30. It would seem that using this fuel could invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty. The warning was issued by service maintenance and repair expert Motorconsult about the new 30% biofuel. For those who don’t understand the expression biofuel this is fuel produced from either plants or commercial waste. The most common and most publicised is the use of old cooking oil which is converted and used to power cars in home manufacturing units. It will only work in diesel cars that often need a little modification. When bought at filling stations the bio part has normally been produced from renewable plants such as sugar cane and is then blended with ordinary diesel. In Canada this can be around 5% – 20%, however in France, the highest producer of biofuels, this can be as high as 50%. Drivers should be aware that the manufacturer must approve a fuel before it can be used in a car that is covered by it’s warranty and most have not approved the Morrison’s biofuel. If using the fuel leads to a replacement engine this could of course be very costly. Even if your car isn’t covered by a warranty you should still be very cautious as the cost of a replacement engine can be expensive however old the car. Not surprisingly, given the fact that France is the biggest producer of biofuels, Citroen and Peugeot have both sanctioned use of the fuel but with special dispensations required with regard to fuel standards. You should always check with the manufacturer before using biofuels. By Graham Hill