Hi guys

Last year a few of us wrote of to Syeed Kamill who is an MP and deals with issues with motoring and green gases etc etc.

I wrote to him in Nov 2010, he has put the questions forward to the parliment - this is the question and answer:

Following your email below, I submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission. I attach the question and the answer below.

4 November 2010
E-9096/2010
WRITTEN QUESTION by Syed Kamall (ECR) to the Commission
Subject: Diesel particulate filter (DPF)

I have been contacted by two constituents regarding an EU legislation issue which is causing concern among owners of diesel cars.

One of my constituents owns a 2008 Volvo diesel-engined car that was the subject of a safety recall by Volvo owing to concerns that rising oil levels in the engine may cause the car to ‘self-fuel’, thus making the car run away without it being possible to turn the engine off.

It appears this problem is not unique to Volvo, since another constituent has had the same problem with his Mazda 6 2.0tdi. My constituents believe that this problem has been caused by the now compulsory 7% biodiesel content of road fuel available at the pump. They also point out that these cars are fitted with a compulsory Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in the exhaust stream, which requires a regeneration process roughly every 300 miles.

Biodiesel has a lower flash point than conventional diesel fuel, and when extra fuel is injected to produce the temperatures required to regenerate the DPF the ‘bio’ element of the fuel is left behind unburnt in the engine, gradually increasing the engine oil level to the point where the car ‘self-fuels’, i.e. burns its own oil, rather than fuel from the tank.

Apparently, Volvo and other manufacturers have addressed this problem by reducing the recommended oil level in the engine, draining out oil to below the three-quarter mark, and modifying the engine software to change the frequency and duration of regeneration cycles.

My constituents are also concerned that the oil specified for use in these engines is a rather expensive synthetic version that is designed to last for 18 000 miles between changes. They believe that the dilution of this oil by unburnt diesel fuel causes a deterioration in its lubrication qualities, leading to a significant possibility of excessive engine wear and premature failure. They are also concerned because the recall campaign to repair the problem with the DPF has been conducted during the summer months, when regeneration is less problematical.

They tell me that there is a considerable body of opinion to the effect that during winter months the DPF regeneration will not be completed correctly, leaving affected car owners with filters that become full and blocked, requiring a chargeable visit to the dealer to have the problem rectified.

Is the Commission:

1. aware of these problems?

2. proposing to take any steps or to address the problems outlined by my constituents?

3. able to offer any additional advice to my constituents on these issues?

14 December 2010

E-9096/10

Reply

The Commission understands the question as relating to possible technical issues with biodiesel use in cars. The legislation determining the quality of fuel for road transport at EU level is the Fuel Quality Directive[1] (''the Directive'') which has most recently been amended by Directive 2009/30[2]. The Directive establishes limits on certain fuel parameters primarily for health and environmental reasons. It should be noted that the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) also establishes voluntary technical specifications for diesel. The CEN standard for diesel is EN590. Vehicle manufacturers' warranties often state that the fuel used must be compatible with EN590.

Although it is not clear if the question refers to biodiesel in general or FAME (fatty acid methyl ester – the most common type of biodiesel), the Directive prohibits Member States from imposing a minimum level of FAME in diesel without prior approval from the Commission pursuant to Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Therefore it would be illegal for a Member State to set a mandatory FAME content.

Further, the Directive contained no maximum limit on FAME content in diesel prior to the latest legislative amendment. The Impact Assessment[3] for the revision explored this issue thoroughly and concluded that there was no need to establish a limit in the Directive since the main reasons for such a limit were technical and therefore best addressed by CEN.

During the co-decision process the co-legislators introduced a maximum limit on FAME of 7% by volume, while allowing Member States, within their territory, to permit the placing on the market of diesel with a higher FAME limit if they choose to do so. No limit was established for other types of biodiesel such as hydro-processed vegetable oil or synthetic diesel since these do not cause vehicle compatibility issues. There was extensive debate on the appropriate level of the limit on FAME and the impact on vehicles during this process and the various industries stated their positions[4]. As a result of the agreed outcome, Member States are required to "ensure the provision of appropriate information to consumers concerning the biofuel, in particular FAME, content of diesel fuel".

Given the provision in the Directive to require the dissemination of proper information on the usage of biodiesel, the Commission is not aware of any reason to amend the limits that have been established. Nevertheless, the Commission is monitoring this situation.

I hope this is helpful.

Regards,

Syed

SYED KAMALL

Conservative MEP for London

www.syedkamall.com

Let me know what you guys think!? as i want to have a very good argument back......