Mercedes sprinter fuel question ?

Thats a RRRV · 11-02-2018, 05:21 PM

Heard that you can only use certain diesel fuel in the RV ? Not at any diesel pump is that true ?

AJMike · 11-02-2018, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thats a RRRV

Heard that you can only use certain diesel fuel in the RV ? Not at any diesel pump is that true ?

I don't think so. As far as I know you can use any Ultra Low Sulphur diesel fuel. When I test drove one at the local dealer they filled it up from a standard diesel fuel pump.

CoastalEd · 11-02-2018, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thats a RRRV

Heard that you can only use certain diesel fuel in the RV ? Not at any diesel pump is that true ?

Mercedes specifies that only Diesel with no more than 5% BioFuel be used in their engines. Ford allows up to 20% BioFuel in the Transit Diesel engine. ...ergo, easier to find diesel for the Ford.

AJMike · 11-03-2018, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoastalEd

Mercedes specifies that only Diesel with no more than 5% BioFuel be used in their engines. Ford allows up to 20% BioFuel in the Transit Diesel engine. ...ergo, easier to find diesel for the Ford.

Did not know that. Learned something new today. Thanks, and it does make me glad we decided on the Ford diesel, not the Mercedes.

But it does raise a question. I have not noticed any specification on the diesel pumps about what the BioFuel content is and I can not help but wonder if I was not paying attention or if that information is missing. If it is missing how do you go about finding out if the diesel can be used in a Mercedes?

Koja · 11-03-2018, 09:14 AM

by fed law fuel sales is required to post on the pump weather its low sulpher, bio, or any other additives. so just make sure when you fuel up, I didn't have a sprinter MH I had a service van but I had to watch for to much bio fuel too.

CoastalEd · 11-03-2018, 09:32 AM

Just to make Koja’s post clear, the actual percentage of the bio fuel is required by law. If Sprinter owners see a label with bio fuel higher than 5% they should avoid that.

luvlabs · 11-03-2018, 10:34 AM

No need to avoid biodiesel but... Mercedes, for some peculiar reason, tells you not to use above 5% biodiesel except when you can't buy anything else. Go figure. So, you can use B20, B15, B10 if you need to but not all of the time. Actually, Mercedes had to back off of their initial recommendations of B5 or less because multiple states mandate B20 fuel in the summer months. Maybe those states are trying to help their soybean farmers?

When you buy diesel, all diesel sold in the US for road use is ULSD (and has been for years). Bio content above 5% is supposed to be labeled.

What I suggest you do is get fuel first and worry about the bio content later. If it is above 5%, try to get B5 the next time you buy fuel. One thing with the Mercedes diesel you do not want to do is prolonged idling. This is especially true with B20.

CoastalEd · 11-03-2018, 10:51 AM

From the horse’s mouth. ( pay particular attention to page 9 ) :
https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Digital..._Brochure5.pdf

AJMike · 11-03-2018, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoastalEd

From the horse’s mouth. ( pay particular attention to page 9 ) :
https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Digital..._Brochure5.pdf

Scary reading regarding storing diesel BioFuel and the possible need for pumping out the tank and replacing engine parts. I wonder why Ford is more lax in this regard.

Old Crows · 11-03-2018, 05:13 PM

Love Labs has given sound advice.

AJMike · 11-03-2018, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvlabs

No need to avoid biodiesel but... Mercedes, for some peculiar reason, tells you not to use above 5% biodiesel except when you can't buy anything else. Go figure. So, you can use B20, B15, B10 if you need to but not all of the time. Actually, Mercedes had to back off of their initial recommendations of B5 or less because multiple states mandate B20 fuel in the summer months. Maybe those states are trying to help their soybean farmers?

When you buy diesel, all diesel sold in the US for road use is ULSD (and has been for years). Bio content above 5% is supposed to be labeled.

What I suggest you do is get fuel first and worry about the bio content later. If it is above 5%, try to get B5 the next time you buy fuel. One thing with the Mercedes diesel you do not want to do is prolonged idling. This is especially true with B20.

This does raise a separate question, at least for me. What about the Ford diesels. I know the posts said that Ford allows up to 20% BioDiesel but are those with the Ford diesel better off looking for a lower BioDiesel content? If we can choose between B5 and B20 should be choose B5? Or between B5 and B10 should we choose B5? Or does it not make any difference.

I typically try to err on the side of caution so is this something I should be cautious about with the Ford diesel?

And a secondary question. Is there any app that can tell you what amount of BioDiesel is at a station so you can plan where to stop? I use Gas Buddy to let me know where diesel fuel is available, and the price, but it tells me nothing about the amount of BioDiesel at any particular location.

Old Crows · 11-03-2018, 08:59 PM

Can't speak to Ford's. Don't have one.

Mercedes has stuck to the < 5% "rule" for maybe 10 years now. I'll "guess" that it was good advice back in the day as there were, and are, many kinds of bio diesel. Of concern appeared to be "home brews" which were quite the rage back in the day. While you could run that stuff in almost any old technology diesel, those with DPF and now DPF and SCR require a higher quality and consistent blending of ULSD fuel for emissions control and performance.

Since 2009, Merc diesels have required a low-SAPS oil. The MB specs for diesel oil has also been raised to better tolerate fuel contamination and give longer service life.

It's my thought that being a conservative engineering company, MB has not changed its position regarding 5% biodiesel because it is the most "conservative" position to take regarding biofuel use .... for a lot of reasons. They are turning a Nelsonian Eye toward the use of increasing % of bio in the fuel. Systems and controls have likely been silently re-jiggered to accomodate higher bio content AND as long as you are using MB BEVO spec 229.52 oil AND following the recommended OCI, you will be OK.

That said, following Love Labs advice would be a prudent course of action.

luvlabs · 11-04-2018, 07:44 AM

AJMike - you should check your owners manual for Ford's advice. I doubt that they are as "caring" as Mercedes Benz is.

AJMike · 11-04-2018, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvlabs

AJMike - you should check your owners manual for Ford's advice. I doubt that they are as "caring" as Mercedes Benz is.

I should be able to do that just as soon as the dealer gets me one. There was no Ford owner's manual in the RV when we got it, and hence all of the questions.

luvlabs · 11-05-2018, 11:23 AM

You can do it right now - Google "2018 ford transit owner's manual" and you will find lots of links to PDF versions of your manual.

AJMike · 11-05-2018, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvlabs

You can do it right now - Google "2018 ford transit owner's manual" and you will find lots of links to PDF versions of your manual.

Actually it may be "2017 Ford Transit owner's manual" as I think the Ford Transit chassis is the previous year's chassis for Winnebago. That is, I think the 2019 Winnies use the 2018 Ford Transit chassis and the 2018 Winnies use the 2017 Ford Transit chassis, but it is still a great idea.

Thanks.

Winterbagoal · 11-11-2018, 05:58 PM

Some other items of refueling note, and maybe interest?

Bio-diesel mixed with dino-diesel, like ethanol in gasoline, may dilute and weaken the overall power output of the fuel. Bio anything has less explosive power than good old fashioned oil from under the ground based products, or so I've read. This may lead to poorer fuel economy when using the "bio-ed down" fuels.
Another item I've noted. As luv labs suggested, the law only requires fuel additive mixes over 5% to be labeled on the pumps. I've also started seeing some odd "disclaimer" labels on some name brand diesel pumps that suggest "This is not a ___________ (place name brand fuel company here) product". I saw it most recently on both a Shell and a BP diesel pump. I believe I also saw a Loves pump with a similar disclaimer label last September while "out there". I expect it's a caveat to consumers that they either didn't produce the fuel at their own refinery, and/or can't guarantee the content of it on that basis, or both. Not necessarily a bad thing, but may be worthy of note. I've simply avoided using them, as I prefer to know what I'm pumping into my MB/vehicles. Perhaps someone else has a more comprehensive explanation of these disclaimers?

Ray,IN · 11-11-2018, 08:38 PM

Like it or not, there is nothing we can do about biodiesel percentages, or biodiesel itself for that matter, besides VOTE.
Mercedes Benz seems to be saying the reason for their B5 limit is the DPF system regeneration.

Winterbagoal · 11-11-2018, 09:49 PM

We can avoid it whenever possible, and it's possible to avoid it if you pay attention to the labels on the pumps.

jcurtisis · 11-12-2018, 08:51 AM

Always check The owner’s manual! Our 2018 Sprinter (we have the Navion 24D version motor home) stated that you MUST use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulphuric Diesel) fuel, and B20 IS allowable as long as it isn’t CONTINUOUS use: that will lead to clogging the fuel filter, injector deposits and rising engine oil level (and other bad things) as unburned fuel washes into the engine oil pan.
I’ve used B20 on occasion without isssue- for us we never fill up twice in a row with B20, and we try to avoid it as much as possible.