Watchdog investigates the cause of Hyundai ix35’s to break down
Hyundai owners in parts of Scotland have received a stark introduction to the risks associated with modern biodiesel according to BBC’s Watchdog. The consumer affairs programme launched an investigation after receiving reports that a number of diesel Hyundai ix35’s had lost power in colder weather. The cause? Dirty diesel.
The BBC investigation discovered that some ix35 engines were breaking down after the fuel filters became blocked with wax. Unfortunately for those affected, diesel is prone to wax formation at low temperatures (typically when temperatures drop below 4°C). This is known as the fuel’s ‘cloud point’.
The formation of wax crystals is caused by the biological element added to diesel to reduce its environmental impact. As per the fuel standard EN590, diesel is made up of 93% petrochemical diesel / 7% biodiesel (which is referred to as B7). Although it is predicated that the level of biodiesel will rise as Europe strives to meet an aggressive renewable fuels target.
According to Hyundai, between September 2013 to April 2015 there were 14,845 reported incidents of blocked diesel filters. Not all of these reports relate to cold temperatures but it is further evidence that modern engines are sensitive to contaminated fuel.
Now imagine you’re a datacentre, hospital or bank and your fuel is stored in a cold outdoor environment. During a blackout you start your generators to maintain critical systems. But after just a few minutes wax builds up on the fuel filter and the engine stops.
For organisations like this there is only one solution, Diesel Defence.
Diesel Defence provides long-term protection for your fuel by eradicating contaminants before they reach the day tank or generator. Through single and multi-stage filtration, a Diesel Defence unit can preserve the quality of your fuel to surpass international standards EN590 and ISO 4406. Ensuring your engine has the clean fuel it needs to run reliably.
Diesel Defence provides:
- Single and multi-stage filtration removes solid and microbial contamination to 6 microns or less
- Water extraction using IPU’s advanced custom filters
- Fuel circulation in the tank to eradicate the pockets of contamination that grow in stagnant biodiesel
- A customisable touchscreen panel that allows clients to use the system without technical expertise
- Alerts that can be passed directly to your Building Management System (BMS)
- Fuel maintained to surpass ISO 4406’s 18/16/13 standard of cleanliness and EN590’s 200ppm level of water content
For more information simply call the IPU Fuel team on +44 (0) 121 511 0470. Alternatively use this link to watch the clip from the show.