If you have a BMW 4-cylinder turbodiesel car, you might be interested in a new range of tuning kits for your oil burners straight from Munich.

The latest BMW Performance Power Kit released at Geneva early this year can bring the 184hp/380Nm 20d 4-cylinder N47 turbodiesel engine’s power output up to a nice 200 horsepower and 420Nm of torque, while fuel consumption remains unchanged. The 420Nm peak comes in from 2,000rpm.

Unfortunately for the 520d, it’s only available for manual cars at the moment, I’m guessing this is something to do with the 8-speed automatic as the 6-speed-equipped 3-Series doesn’t have any issue with the power kit on the automatic version.

For the 177 horsepower version of the 320d, the upgrade kit brings power up to 197 horsepower, with peak torque clocking in at 390Nm from 1,750rpm. The higher torque improves acceleration across the speed range, and it is claimed that highway acceleration time from 80km/h to 120km/h will drop by as much as 1 second.

Both these power kits are not just a simple remap – an uprated intercooler and a 600W radiator fan is required to maintain OEM reliability and is part of the package.

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Jaguar has a new lump on the cards, a new 2.2 litre diesel unit. The new powertrain – which made its debut fitted to a prototype development mule – will feature in a future XF production car, with specifications and an estimated on-sale date to be announced at the New York Auto Show in April.

The new four-cylinder, 16-valve commonrail block develops 187 hp and 450 Nm of torque, and features a water-cooled turbocharger with low-friction pistons, new injectors and a new crankshaft. Performance specs include a 0-100 kph time of of 8.5 seconds and a 225 kph top speed.

It’s installed in a north-south configuration for the first time, and the new configuration allows the addition of a new oil pan and new electronic systems affecting the crankshaft, which allows a new intelligent Stop-Start system to operate more efficiently.

The last aims to reduce the prolonged time spent in the shutdown and start-up phase usually experienced in such systems – the Jag system overcomes this partly through the inclusion of the new crankshaft sensor and fuel rail pressure holding system, meaning the engine needs less time to restore drive through an innovative engine restart capability.

For example, in a busy roundabout, a driver may only briefly bring the vehicle to a stop, only to move off again quickly. In a conventional system, the engine needs to shutdown completely before restarting again; the system here is able to restart the engine while it’s shifting down from as little as 400 rpm, meaning it doesn’t need to come to a stop, translating to a more efficient restoration of drive capability.

Along with the new engine, the development vehicle also debuted an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which will be paired to the block in production.

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It was a challenge organised by Sime Darby Auto ConneXion to see who could go the furthest distance on a single tank of diesel, in this case with the Ford Focus TDCi. Four media cars joined five customer vehicles over a three-day journey – which ended over the weekend – to see what could be achieved.

There was even a bit of national pride at stake: the participating media had the ASEAN Focus TDCi record of 1,200 km on a single tank – held by Ford Philippines – to contend with. In the end, two of the media cars smashed that record, the winning car clocking 1,365.6 km on a single 53 litre tank, with 67 km left on the distance to empty reading on the vehicle’s computer, with an average speed of 67 kph for the whole journey.

We were there (part of the winning team, no less!), and we’ll have the whole story for you as soon as we can find what’s left of our grey matter! Stay tuned.

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Ford launched the new Fiesta in India last month, and at the same time renamed the car it replaced as Fiesta Classic, which is cheaper than the new car. However, unlike us in ASEAN, the Indian market gets only the sedan version without the sporty five-door hatchback. The Fiesta is the first of eight global models Ford will be bringing to the fast growing market by 2015.

There are two engine options in India, the 1.6-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine with 120 PS or a 1.6-litre TDCI engine, an option we don’t have here in Malaysia. The diesel puts out 90 PS and 203 Nm of torque, which is about 30 horses less, but 51 Nm more than the petrol unit. The latter will certainly be felt more in urban traffic. No Powershift; both engines work with a five-speed manual.

Both powerplants are better than those in the Fiesta Classic, in line with Ford’s positioning. The older car makes do with a 101 PS 1.6 Duratec petrol and a 68 PS/160 Nm 1.4L diesel unit.

Aimed at the Honda City, the Chennai made Fiesta comes well equipped with Voice Control and all the kit our 1.6 Sport has. However, the Indian car adds on cruise control with buttons on the right steering spoke.

The instruments are identical, but they’re lit up in a light blue hue as opposed to white. The rim design is also new.

All very nice, but if there’s anything we envy, it’s the diesel option.

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Diesel drivers have been enjoying their RM1.80 per litre of subsidised diesel that can take them over 1,000km per full tank, but commercial vehicles have been enjoying their diesel even more – certain industries get super subsidies that result in a per litre price of RM1.481 for diesel.

If your business falls under these 9 categories, you’ve probably been enjoying super cheap diesel thanks to your subsidy fleet card – prime movers, general cargo movers, Luton box vans, vans, rigid lorries for bottled beverages, rigid tanker lorries for flour transport, rigid lorries for refrigerated goods, water tankers and limousine taxis.

I know for a fact that these subsidy cards can be abused and are being abused as I know someone who enjoys fueling his pickup truck with super-subsidised diesel thanks to a card that he got from a relative who runs a business that qualifies for the subsidies.

But when even RON95 and RON97 price hikes can affect the prices of goods and services that the everyday rakyat consume, what more a hike in the price of diesel fuel that’s used by these lorries that run everyday and perform services that are essential to the economy?

That’s exactly what the government is going to do – it announced earlier this week that it will be removing this super subsidy, which means everyone will have to pay the same RM1.80 per litre of diesel. That’s about a 20% hike in fuel costs, and the government will supposedly save RM659.3 million in 2011 alone from this action.

I wonder what’s the real situation with the government coffers right now as I consider this to be sort of an extreme measure relative to any previous subsidy cutting. The government has in the short term only resorted to removing subsidies for RON97, a so-called “luxury” fuel, and have promised to only revise the “everyday man” RON95 fuel every six months. They rarely touch diesel as diesel practically runs the country’s logistics.

Other than the fact that this might and most definitely will increases the prices of certain goods and services, there’s also the danger of lorries resorting to overloading to be so-called “more efficient” per trip. It’s not like they don’t already do that.

Read more at TMI.

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Click to enlarge

While the modern diesel engine is still a bit of a novelty here, it’s the default engine in Europe, and is usually the volume seller in many a model range, luxury ones included. There’s no sign of this trend waning, and we’ve seen CO2 figures pushed down and power figures pumped up over the years. Now, Renault has what it hails as THE diesel engine family boasting high tech for regular cars.

It’s called the Energy family, and the first to appear is the dCi 130, a 1.6-litre diesel that will be launched in the Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs before powering the Megane range. This unit will supersede the long serving 1.9 dCi 130 (F9Q) in line with the downsizing trend.

The 1.6L Energy dCi 130 is the world’s most powerful engine of its size, Renault says. It makes 130 hp and 320 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm, 80% of which is available from 1,500 rpm. That’s about the same as what the Focus TDCI’s 2.0L Duratorq makes, but with max twist produced 250 rpm lower, so it’s an impressive effort.

At the same time, combined-cycle fuel consumption is 20% better than the 1.9 dCi engine it replaces, while CO2 emissions have been slashed by 30 g/km. Renault says that with the Energy dCi 130, the Scenic/Grand Scenic will be the most frugal MPVs on sale with CO2 emissions of 115 g/km and fuel consumption of 22.7 km/l. Compared to before, potential range on a full tank is up by 300 km.

Working from a clean sheet, the Energy is said to carry over a number of technologies developed and fine-tuned by Renault’s F1 engine den at Viry-Chatillon. Philippe Coblence, the design office manager for this R9M project, used to work at Viry.

The F1-inspired features include a so-called ‘square’ architecture. The engine is said to be square when the piston stroke is similar to the diameter of the cylinder (bore), an arrangement which allows large-diameter valves to be housed in the cylinder head for more efficient filling of the combustion chambers. This helps performance. Other measures are transverse water flow cooling technique that allows for a smaller, less energy-consuming water pump. This has been combined with a double water jacket arrangement for the cylinder head.

Super-finishing and special surface treatments as well as UFLEX oil control ring technology also feature in the Energy. The U-shaped geometry is highly flexible and enables the ring to adapt to bore distortion to achieve the best compromise between efficiency and friction. “The principle is comparable with that of a multi-blade razor. It adapts naturally to the contour without having to exert high pressure on the cylinder wall. The result is maximum efficiency and less friction,” Coblence explains.

This ‘unprecedented high-tech package’ contains over 30 patents, according to Renault. Of course, existing tech from higher up engines such as VGT, Stop & Start plus cold-loop, low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) are present. Alliance partner Nissan, which co-funded this project, should also benefit greatly from it.

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The implementation of the B5 biodiesel programme in the country is set to begin in June, with Putrajaya starting off things, according to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

It’s all going according to plan, as announced last year, for B5, which is a blend of 95% regular petroleum-based diesel and 5% palm oil-based biodiesel. The minister told reporters last Fri that the programme will be introduced in stages, starting from Putrajaya, before its full implementation at all petrol stations nationwide.

He added that B5 blend’s price mechanism will be regulated and determined by the Finance Ministry. “The price will not burden the people and the Government will ensure that it will be affordable to everyone,” he was quoted as saying.

The introduction, of course, follows on the recent announcement that the super subsidy on regular diesel is to be removed, meaning everyone – including those running commercial vehicles – will have to pay the same RM1.80 per litre for regular diesel.

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The Japanese are a long way behind Europe in diesel technology, but catching up has never been a big priority for them. Understandably so, since their major markets Japan, North America, China and ASEAN are petrol dominated, and they’re just bit part players in Europe.

But with high growth markets such as India embracing diesel in a big way, Japanese brands may lose out in the long term to rivals like Volkswagen. Market leader Maruti Suzuki buys oil burners from Fiat, and No.2 brand Hyundai has its own diesels, but companies like Honda have nothing in the bag at present. They realise this, and are doing something about it.

“The rapid dieselisation of the market has happened only in the last one year, as the price difference between diesel and petrol has gone up from Rs 10 to Rs 21. We had to prioritise our efforts to be a big brand with big volumes, which will come from Brio. We are developing a diesel engine in Japan to power City,” revealed Jnaneswar Sen, Senior VP Sales & Marketing at Honda Siel India.

A City Diesel won’t debut anytime soon, though. “It could take us more than two years,” Mr Sen added. Surely they’ll be hoping that not too much ground is lost in the process.

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Fantastic news for BMW 320d owners – with BMW Performance’s new Diesel Power Kit, you can now boost up your turbodiesel engine to 197 horsepower and 420Nm of torque, an increase of 16 horses and 40Nm. Best part is even with the additional power, BMW claims that your average fuel consumption will remain unchanged.

The BMW Performance Diesel Power Kit for the E90 320d includes a combination of hardware and software, unlike other third party tuning kits which usually just up the boost via a software update. BMW’s kit will provide you a new ECU with upgraded software tied to your car’s VIN number, as well as a bigger intercooler, a more powerful 600W electric fan, a new fan frame and a new plastic air guide. As this is an official BMW product, your warranty will be intact.

“Our fleet of BMW Advanced Diesel vehicles now account for more than 25% of the total vehicles delivered by BMW Group Malaysia. The vehicles have also played an integral role in our BMW EfficientDynamics strategy here and demonstrates our commitment in introducing Clean and Green technologies that perform remarkably well with the fuel specification currently available for the Malaysian automotive industry.” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Geoffrey Briscoe.

Now if only the Performance Diesel Power Kit was available for the 520d as well, but I am guessing it’s something to do with the kit only being approved for cars with the 6-speed auto for now, as the F10 520d (available in Malaysia with an 8-speed automatic) can be fitted with the kit in Europe only if it has a manual transmission.

There are also a few new BMW Performance parts available to be specced onto your 320d or 320i. You can spec a set of BMW Performance front brakes, which are larger and more powerful. There’s also a new set of wheels available – the BMW Performance Style 269 which are 19 inch in size. For a sportier sound, you can install the BMW Performance Spor Silencer. For aesthetics, there’s a new shift knob with a new shifter boot, aluminium pedals, and sticker strips.

Here’s a price list of all the new BMW Performance items:

BMW Performance Diesel Power Kit – RM 6,800.00
BMW Performance Sport Silencer – RM 3,412.29
BMW Performance Selector Lever Grip – RM 668.18
BMW Performance Selector Lever Boot – RM 396.53
BMW Performance Steering Wheel Cover – RM 351.70
BMW Performance Steering Wheel – RM 6,427.98
BMW Performance Sport Brake – Front – RM 11,175.67
BMW Performance Hand Brake – RM 676.95
BMW Performance Aluminium Pedal – RM 613.35
BMW Performance Wheel – Style 269 – 19″ – RM 24,206.20
BMW Performance Strips – RM 670.13

The wheel set is a package that includes four runflat tyres.

These prices do not include installation.

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It was supposed to be 2012, but it looks like we won’t be getting Euro 4 or Euro 5 grade diesel next year after all. This is because the government has given petroleum companies a two-year extension to the original deadline to offer better quality fuel. They now have until 2014 to roll out Euro 4 fuel.

This was revealed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, who said that the oil companies requested for a later date, claiming that they weren’t ready to upgrade. “The industry has, however requested for an extension, saying that it was not ready to make the change.

“Although the government has agreed to the extension, the delay is ultimately hindering the progress of diesel usage in the country. In Europe, about 70% of new vehicles run on the higher grades of diesel,” Kong added, reminding us of what we’re missing out.

So it looks like Malaysia will continue to remain as a laggard in fuel quality, even as our neighbours and supposedly less sophisticated markets like India and China move up to better stuff. As the world moves on, it will become even harder and not worthwhile for manufacturers to “custom make” and dumb down engines to suit our Euro 2M pumps. Sad news, for both car enthusiasts and the environment.

Learn more about fuel standards in our previous post here.

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It seems that the availability of Euro 5 diesel in Johor, originally reported to be from July 1, has been delayed. Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO Madani Sahari has said that Euro 5 diesel will now only be available in the southern state in a month’s time, The Sun Daily reports.

“We are going to implement first in the Johor area because of the need of our lorries to go into Singapore for the lower HSU (Hartridge Smoke Unit) requirement. The company that has agreed to do so need to do some engineering works.”

“We as an observer, an outsider, thought that it is a straight-forward thing, just pump in the Euro 5 and that’s it. Actually, it’s not that straight-forward. They need to do some engineering work in the petrol station and that work needs to be approved by the local authorities like the Fire Department and so on. So that’s still a work in progress, but it will be out in a month’s time for Johor,” the daily quoted Madani as saying.

In June, we reported that BHPetrol had agreed to supply Euro 5 diesel in Johor, following discussions with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and MAI. The imported fuel is slated to be available at 15-20 out of its nearly 50 stations in the southern state. It was reported to be priced at RM2.10 per litre, 10 sen more than current Euro 2M-grade B5 biodiesel available in the country.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency earlier lowered the maximum permissible level of emitted black smoke from 50 to 40 HSU, with January 1, 2014 being the original effective date; later, a six-month grace period to comply was given.

“Now, other oil companies are also thinking (about it), but they are still undertaking a study on whether it is feasible for them to introduce Euro 5 in the southern part of Malaysia,” Madani added. “Actually, it is an open platform – anybody can start supplying Euro 5. It is not exclusive to any oil company.”

Further reading here: Euro 5 diesel to be sold at selected locations in Johor.

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According to a Bernama report, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism ministry (KPDNKK) expects to implement the diesel subsidy rationalisation plan in early January.

The ministry is awaiting the final decision from the Economic Planning Unit and the Finance ministry, regarding a number of policies, before implementation takes place, said KPDNKK secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad.

“The implementation of the subsidy rationalisation for just diesel is expected in January, while that for petrol will take a little longer. This is because the system for diesel is the Diesel Subsidy Control System which is ready, and we are merely ‘upgrading’.

“For petrol, we are starting from zero and it needs time,” he said, adding that the rationalisation of petrol subsidies could happen two to three months after that for diesel.

According to Alias, around 780,000 vehicles will be involved in the subsidy rationalisation for diesel, and about 18 million for petrol. He also said the diesel subsidy rationalisation will result in savings of between five and six million litres annually.

Second finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah revealed in July that the government is looking at a certain salary level to be eligible for fuel subsidies. He cited, as an example, those with monthly earnings of RM4,000 and below alongside those earning more, and up to a certain level.

Meanwhile, an official decision has yet to be reached on whether RON 95 petrol and diesel will be exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The tax is scheduled to come into effect on April 1, 2015.

But we’ll know the fate of our fuel prices soon enough, as the final list of zero-rated or tax-exempted items will be gazetted on October 10, when Budget 2015 will be tabled in Parliament.

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Now here’s something we didn’t expect – reader Ong Kok Tsin just sent us a picture of a W205 Mercedes-Benz C 200 BlueTEC parked at Cycle & Carriage Jalan Tun Razak.

A diesel C-Class isn’t exactly a shocker – MBM did bring in a fleet of the W204 C 220 CDI recently – but this particular engine variant caught us by surprise.

While we were predicting that the 170 hp/400 Nm, 2.1 litre C 220 BlueTEC would reach our shores sometime in the future to take on the BMW 320d, this C 200 BlueTEC is powered by a Renault-sourced 1.6 litre four cylinder turbodiesel engine with 136 hp and 300 Nm of torque. It should be paired to the same 7G-Tronic Plus transmission found in other W205 models.

This base diesel variant will join the Australian market in the first quarter of 2015. As the rest of our W205 range mirrors Australia’s rather closely, you can expect the C 200 BlueTEC to arrive here officially within the same timeframe.

Earlier this month, MBM added the RM339,888 C 250 AMG Line to the Malaysian lineup, which also includes the RM285,888 C 200 Avantgarde and RM 314,888 C 250 Exclusive. Meanwhile, we already know that the Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid will arrive here soon, as a tax-free CKD model. Exciting times ahead for MBM, eh?

W205 Mercedes-Benz C 250 AMG Line
W205 Mercedes-Benz C 250 Exclusive
W205 Mercedes-Benz C 200 Avantgarde

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Malaysia is set to implement the B7 biodiesel programme for the subsidised sector next month – this will replace the current B5 biodiesel. The programme is set to begin in the Peninsular, with East Malaysia to follow on in December, according to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.

A projected saving of 667.6 million litres of diesel is expected as a result of increased biodiesel consumption – 575,000 tonnes of it, to be exact. The blend consists of a ratio measuring 7% palm biodiesel and 93% petroleum diesel. No changes to the price, which stays at RM2.20 per litre.

The move was approved on October 17, with several petroleum firms, the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) and other relevant parties being involved in discussions with the government leading up to the implementation.

“Based on the consultations, there are no significant issues involved in implementation of the B7 programme,” Douglas told Bernama. The move aims to place the nation on par with neighbouring countries like Thailand and Indonesia, which already sells B7 and B7.5 biodiesel in their respective markets.

Currently, B5 biodiesel is being sold with the product having been introduced nationwide in stages – first becoming available to the general public back in 2011. Six stations in Putrajaya were the first to sell it, with other stations across the Peninsular following suit and East Malaysia capping things off.

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We’ve been reporting about the introduction of Euro 5 diesel on our shores – required due to tightening emissions regulations in Singapore – and now it’s finally here, with BHPetrol being the first petroleum company in Malaysia to launch the fuel at its station at the Pagoh southbound rest stop in Johor earlier today.

The fully-imported Infiniti Euro 5 Diesel – sold at a regulated price of RM2.30 per litre, 10 sen more than regular Euro 2M diesel – will be offered at this station, as well as the BHPetrol station at the Pagoh northbound rest stop, BHPetrol Tebrau 2 and BHPetrol Pasir Gudang 3, beginning today. Another seven stations in Johor will be outfitted with the new fuel within two weeks.

Euro 5 diesel has a sulphur content of just 10 parts per million (ppm), compared to 500 ppm for current Euro 2M diesel. On top of that, BHPetrol has added a double dose of German additives. The company says that modern advanced diesel engines using Euro 5 diesel will be able to meet the 40 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) emissions standard set by the Singapore National Environmental Agency (NEA) on July 1.

Due to the low price of Euro 5 diesel in our country compared to neighbouring regions – including Singapore – only Malaysian-registered vehicles will be able to be filled with the fuel.

“Our new BHPetrol Infiniti Euro 5 Diesel will be the fuel of choice for advanced diesel engine vehicles that require low sulphur diesel to achieve optimum performance,” said Boustead Petroleum Marketing managing director Tan Kim Thiam. “The introduction of Euro 5 diesel will encourage car companies to introduce vehicles with advanced diesel engines, thus Malaysians will have more choice.”

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After seemingly endless rounds of postponements, we finally have an updated schedule for the introduction of Euro 4 and Euro 5 fuels in Malaysia. Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed announced the new timeline in parliament earlier this month.

As it stands now, Euro 4 RON 97 petrol will arrive first in September 2015, followed by Euro 4 RON 95 petrol in October 2018. Diesel fuel, meanwhile, will be upgraded straight to Euro 5 standard, but its introduction has now been delayed further to 2020. Currently, fuels in Malaysia comply to Euro 2 standard.

“This is due to issues regarding the large investments that are forced onto oil companies to replace their fuels from Euro 2 to Euro 4 standards,” said Mustapa, explaining the delays.

Last we heard, Petronas is still some time away from delivering Euro 4 fuel – its Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex is set to deliver higher grade diesel and petrol to Malaysians, but that won’t come online until sometime in 2017. Shell, meanwhile, hasn’t revealed its transition plans as yet.

Just last week, BHPetrol introduced Euro 5 diesel fuel in Johor, a good six years ahead of schedule. An expedited introduction in the southern region is required due to tightening emissions regulations in Singapore. The fully-imported (from Singapore) Infiniti Euro 5 Diesel is sold at a regulated price of RM2.30 per litre – 10 sen more than regular Euro 2M diesel – and is only available at selected stations in the state.

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While the updated timeline for the introduction of upgraded fuels in Malaysia was revealed in parliament recently – Euro 4 RON 97 in September 2015, Euro 4 RON 95 in October 2018, Euro 5 diesel in September 2020, Euro 5 RON 95 and RON 97 in September 2025 – it has now been announced that oil companies can start selling such fuels earlier than the gazetted dates.

They are more than welcome to do so, in fact, according to Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Hamim Samuri. “Fuel producers are encouraged to sell (Euro 4 and Euro 5) earlier to maintain the quality of the environment,” he was quoted as saying in a report by The Sun.

BHPetrol has already pulled such a move, as it introduced Euro 5 diesel fuel in Johor last week – a good six years ahead of schedule. The fully-imported (from Singapore) Infiniti Euro 5 Diesel is sold at a regulated price of RM2.30 per litre – 10 sen more than regular Euro 2M diesel – and is only available at selected stations in the state.

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Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO Mohamad Madani Sahari has announced that there are plans underway to introduce Euro 5 diesel fuel in other states outside of Johor. Currently, BHPetrol has 11 stations that offer the […]

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Today’s National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2014 status update also briefly touched on the subject of Euro 4 and Euro 5 fuels, with Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed reiterating the introduction timelines that were first announced in November last year.

As mentioned, Euro 4 RON 97 petrol will arrive first in September 2015, followed by Euro 4 RON 95 petrol in October 2018. Diesel will get to Euro 5 standard in September 2020, and Euro 5 grade RON 95 and RON 97 petrol is scheduled to be introduced in September 2025.

It was also announced that this year will see the rollout of fully-imported Euro 5 diesel to other states, especially in the Klang Valley, following the fuel’s introduction in Johor last year, though no specific timeframe was given for deployment.

It’s likely the fuel will be made available via BHPetrol, which introduced its Infiniti Euro 5 Diesel last November – the fuel is currently available at 12 of its stations in Johor. Euro 5 diesel has a sulphur content of just 10 parts per million (ppm), compared to 500 ppm for current Euro 2M diesel.

Following the introduction of Euro 5 in Johor, MITI said that oil companies were more than welcome to begin selling such fuels earlier than the gazetted dates.

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BMW Group Malaysia has issued a response to the reported implementation of B10 biodiesel by October – essentially, it says its tests worldwide have found “technical challenges” running the 10% palm-based biodiesel/90% petroleum diesel blend in engines.

According to MD and CEO Alan Harris, testing has found that fatty-acid methyl ester (FAME), which boils at high temperatures, will move into the motor oil, causing it to thin and possibly leading to oil sludge. This reduces lubricity and increases the risk of engine damage.

Other issues cited include formation of injector deposits, injection invariance, reduced idling cycle stability and higher levels of water in the fuel, the latter causing component corrosion.

Current modern diesel engines are suited to run on B7 biodiesel, Harris said, also asking the Plantation Industries and Commodities ministry (MPIC) to consider the feedback and opinion of the Malaysian auto industry before implementing B10 biodiesel.

Statement by BMW Group Malaysia MD and CEO Alan Harris, dated June 8, 2015

In response to Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Plantations Industries and Commodities on the implementation of B10 Biodiesel by the month of October 2015, we at BMW Group Malaysia would like to state that the Ministry of Plantations Industries and Commodities should also take into account the feedback and opinion of the Malaysian Automotive Industry before implementing the use of B10 biodiesel.

In our tests with B10 Biodiesel worldwide, we have found technical challenges present when blending 10% of palm based methyl ester with the current conventional fuel.

Testing on vehicles have found that Fatty-Acid Methyl Ester (FAME), which boils at high temperatures will move into the motor oil due to the regeneration setting resulting in thinning of the motor oil as it does not evaporate when the engine runs at high temperatures. This in turn leads to oil sludge, reduced lubricity with the risk of severe engine damage.

Further to this, in our testing, we have also found the formation of deposit films at the injector due to the lack of compatibility of additives with FAME. Polymer linings at the injector results in the invariance of the injection, as well as reduces the stability of the idling cycle, creating negative emissions and changes the engine acoustics.

B10 biodiesel also results in higher levels of water in the fuel, which leads to corrosion of the components, which transport the fuel and promotes oxidation in the tank which causes a blocked fuel filter.

The current modern diesel engines in Malaysia are well suited to run on the B7 levels of biodiesel, however, while biodiesel is introduced with the intention of promoting the use of clean and green technology as well as to increase the domestic use of palm products in the country, we must ensure that the technology is safe and proven to also benefit the industrial and the automotive sector.

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