Bio Diesel and warranty

[2Gen3Gen]

Anyone know if the use of bio diesel will effect the warranty on the newer Cummins?

Today, there was an add in the local paper where a guy was selling it for 89 cents a gallon. Sounds too good to be true. I highly doubt it will ever see my truck but if it really is a good thing and fuel continues to rise, I think Im going to put my 100 gallon fuel cell in the bed of my latest truck and stock up on the french fry fuel

Comments please

 

[67guzzler]

The official Cummins position is interesting:



"Cummins neither approves or disapproves of the use of biodiesel fuel. Cummins is not in a position to evaluate the many variations of biodiesel fuels or other additives, and their long-term effects on performance, durability or emissions compliance of Cummins products. The use of biodiesel fuel does not affect Cummins Material and Workmanship warranty. Failures caused by the use of biodiesel fuels or other fuel additives are NOT defects of workmanship and/or material as supplied by Cummins Inc. and CANNOT be compensated under the Cummins' warranty. "



So basically you can put anything you want in your tank. If something breaks and they can prove that something you put in your tank caused it (even if it's bad #2 diesel!), you're on your own.

 

[2Gen3Gen]

The official Cummins position is interesting:



"Cummins neither approves or disapproves of the use of biodiesel fuel. Cummins is not in a position to evaluate the many variations of biodiesel fuels or other additives, and their long-term effects on performance, durability or emissions compliance of Cummins products. The use of biodiesel fuel does not affect Cummins Material and Workmanship warranty. Failures caused by the use of biodiesel fuels or other fuel additives are NOT defects of workmanship and/or material as supplied by Cummins Inc. and CANNOT be compensated under the Cummins' warranty. "



So basically you can put anything you want in your tank. If something breaks and they can prove that something you put in your tank caused it (even if it's bad #2 diesel!), you're on your own.

This just kinda makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Cummins can even void my warranty if I get a load of crap diesel from Akmed Turbinhead at the local fuel station. It sort of makes me wish I checked the "Hemi" instead of the "CTD" when I bought my truck!

 

[Tim]

Cummins can't void your warranty because they don't provide it. These engines are supplied for DC without any warranty at all. Your warranty discussion needs to be with DC. I don't know why everyone thinks Cummins is going to take care of them. Just because they manufacture the engine, that doesn't mean that they're required to warranty it.

 

[bighornram]

Here is a link to information right from Cummins.



http://list.priceweber.com/cummins/td/bio_diesel.html



I'm burning B20.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

That same kind of a caveat applies to gasoline engines as well. No automotive manufacturer will cover a repair for bad fuel - gas or diesel. I was very shocked that here in Michigan there is NO standard for #2 diesel - there is for gasoline. I got a bad load of fuel and there was absolutely nothing that could be done to the fuel supplier here because with no standard in place there's nothing to go after them on - I was floored.

 

[lmills]

that's right, it's not the manufactures problem to check every tankful that we run through our vehicles. If you get a tankful of bad fuel from a station you are going to be looking towards the seller of the fuel, not the engine builder.

 

[BRayls]

Cummins can't void your warranty because they don't provide it. These engines are supplied for DC without any warranty at all. Your warranty discussion needs to be with DC. I don't know why everyone thinks Cummins is going to take care of them. Just because they manufacture the engine, that doesn't mean that they're required to warranty it.

no but they do provide 5/100,000 mile, and its not DC doing it

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

No, Cummins does not provide the warranty. Your warranty is with DC only - DC buys these engines with no warranty from Cummins. You cannot have warranty done at any Cummins dealer unless a Dodge dealer subs the work out to one (which many do) - but it's still DC that is warrantying it.

 

[2Gen3Gen]

No, Cummins does not provide the warranty. Your warranty is with DC only - DC buys these engines with no warranty from Cummins. You cannot have warranty done at any Cummins dealer unless a Dodge dealer subs the work out to one (which many do) - but it's still DC that is warrantying it.

Thanks Steve

 

[Ereynolds72]

Cummins Warranty

No, Cummins does not provide the warranty. Your warranty is with DC only - DC buys these engines with no warranty from Cummins. You cannot have warranty done at any Cummins dealer unless a Dodge dealer subs the work out to one (which many do) - but it's still DC that is warrantying it.

Here's a brief discussion on the 5yr/100,000 mile engine warranty.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134666



I wouldn't go to a Cummins dealer for this work but it is backed by Cummins (or Star or whoever handles it for them). I had the "0216" code and was experiencing "dead pedal". I wanted to be sure the work would be covered by warranty. It turns out that the original pumps did not meet certain criteria and would not set off the code again so Cummins (or Star) would not approve the repair.



This is just what I discovered through the course of my saga.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

STAR is DC's technical help line for dealers - it has nothing to do with Cummins. Some warranty claims HAVE to be approved by STAR before they can be done. Believe what you want but there is no warranty on these engines from Cummins in any way shape or form.

 

[67guzzler]

Steve -- that's true but I believe that the 7/100,000 warranty is at the advice / blessing of Cummins. See this Cummins Warranty Statement at their site. Let me be clear here. I'm not saying that the warranty is any way / shape / form through Cummins. I don't know either way.



But I believe strongly that Dodge is not 100% on their own on how to handle problems with these engines. I believe that it's a symbiotic relationship between Cummins (PR to the masses via their engines / brand going into light trucks) and Dodge (moving trucks that they otherwise might not move by using a first class engine like the ISB's) to each of their betterment. So what I'm trying to say is that I believe that Cummins is involved with the warranty issue from a distance. They even went to the trouble to put the warranty information on their website. Granted they did say See your Dodge dealer for more details and not your Cummins dealer.





Bottom line -- If a bunch of the engines started imploding, I believe that Cummins will step forward and get involved but service will still be through Dodge.

 

[Buffalo]

You might want to check with member "LightmanE300". I believe he has some experience with the biodiesel.



Also, I have heard that the highest, recommended, percentage of biodiesel, you can use, is the "B-5", or 5%.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[evldsl]

Dodge install a kit for Bio-Diesel if that helps. So I guess they back the product.

One thing I have seen is that when money is being made by a vehicle company they are not so tight on coverage of their vehicles and will try to help you out to a greater point then when the company is not making money and right now the dodge truck co. is making money.

 

[Doughboy21kd]

If your read your owners manual on your dodge cummins it will say right in there that you can run a 5% blend of bio-diesel in your cummins

 

[67guzzler]

That's 100% correct. I'm guessing the question implied is "what will happen if you run B10, B20 or B50 and have an engine problem?"



The answer is very simple from DC's standpoint. If there is a failure caused by (or if they can reasonably argue that it's caused by fuel) fuel, any fuel, even proper #2 or #1 diesel, it's not covered.



I wish there should be some sort of certification for at least up to B20 and maybe even B50.

 

[Ereynolds72]

Cummins Warranty

I hope the pictures show up... I don't have a scanner. But this is what shows up in my Warranty Information Booklet that came with my '02. I'm not sure how else to interpret that except that my engine and the listed parts are covered to 100,000 miles and it sure isn't DC providing the warranty.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Yes, all those items are covered to 100,000 miles. NO they are not covered by Cummins. That warranty booklet is from DC and that is who provides your warranty. You can choose to believe me or not but I have talked directly with reps at Dodge and at Cummins and verified that information a long time ago. DC buys the engine from Cummins with NO WARRANTY - they are self insuring. Nearly all of the big 3 contracts with suppliers are this way. They take the risk of warranty claims and if there are too many then they drop that supplier and go elsewhere. The only place you can go to get warranty work done is a Dodge dealer and it just so happens that some of those Dodge dealers sub the work out to a local Cummins shop - that Cummins shop then bills the dealer and the dealer bills DC.

 

[BRayls]

are you sure they aren't just the administrators of the program? if it is through them bend over its worthless as well.