I saw and smelled a Jetta TDI that ran on Bio Diesel yesterday

[moribundman]

I saw a lady drive it in San Francisco. It had CA plates. A sticker on the back said "Cleaner Burning Renewable Bio-Diesel." I was behind that car for maybe 2 miles in stop-and-go downdown traffic. The exhaust smelled only mildly of fries -- much less than the bio-diesel-powered cars I've smelled in Europe during the past 15 years.

I thought cars with the TDI engine couldn't be registered in CA?

 

[ruking77]

CA TDI here also. Perhaps the propaganda wars have worked! Yes you can register TDI vehicles in CA. What CA (4 other states also) did was to ban the sale of "new" 2004,2005,and I am assuming 2006 models). So if you buy those model years used (defined as 7500 miles) there is absolutely no problem in registration of any of these vehicles in CA. Any other model year is also no problem also.

 

[moribundman]

Thanks for clarifying that!

 

[PandaBear]

Yeah, we will soon see a cult to roll forward your odometer on your new car.

 

[oilyriser]

How many MPG would a TDI get if you put the front end up on blocks and let it run for a day or two, in 5th?

100 hrs of running at 75 mph would put you over the 7500 mile mark. If you get 200 mpg with no load on the engine, that would use up about 38 gallons of fuel... not a bad price to get one of those cars in CA.