Q. With the rise in fuel prices and the increasing possibility of shortages, is there any serious effort to produce biodiesel? If it becomes available, will it work in my 2004 Ford six-liter diesel without problems?
If the production of biodiesel is feasible, it would be a tremendous cash crop for American farmers, and would help do away with sending cash to outside, oil-producing countries. I for one would be willing to pay a premium for the product.
— D.Q., Carson City, Nevada
A. Biodiesel is made from many different substances, from cooking fat to row crops. Universal standards for biodiesel have not been set. Therefore, its purity and performance are not guaranteed. Engine manufacturers are testing it in their engines, but because the fuel is not standardized. It will be awhile before it is approved by all manufacturers.
— K.F.
Ken Freund’s more than three decades of auto-repair experience and 20-plus years of RVing helped him author numerous books and articles on vehicle repair. In addition to RV Clinic and Performance, he writes the Powertrain column in MotorHome magazine. Ken has been a California Automotive VO-Tech and Smog-Test Program Instructor and an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician.
