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General Information
Cummins Inc. certifies its engines using the prescribed EPA and European Certification Fuels. Cummins Inc. does not certify
engines on any other fuel. It is the user's responsibility to use the correct fuel as recommended by the manufacturer and allowed
by EPA or other local regulatory agencies. In the United States, EPA allows only registered fuels and fuel additives to be entered
into commerce. EPA has additional alternative fuel information at:

• http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/altfuels.htm (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/altfuels.htm)
Biodiesel Terminology:
• Biofuels - Fuels produced from renewable resources.
• Biodiesel - A fuel comprised of methyl or ethyl ester-based oxygenates of long chain fatty acids derived from the
transesterification of vegetable oils, animal fats, and cooking oils. These fuels are commonly known as Fatty Acid Methyl
Esters (FAME) or Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEE). Biodiesel properties are similar to those of diesel fuel, as opposed to
gasoline or gaseous fuels, and thus are capable of being used in compression ignition engines.
• B100 - A fuel containing 100 percent biodiesel.
• Petrodiesel - Diesel fuel produced purely from petroleum. Petrodiesel can also be referred to as distillate diesel.
• Biodiesel Blend - A fuel comprised of a mixture of petrodiesel and B100 biodiesel. A biodiesel blend is typically designated
by the percentage of biodiesel in the blend. For example: B5 is a fuel containing 95 percent petrodiesel and 5 percent B100.
• Rapeseed Methyl Ester (RME) diesel - Biodiesel derived from rapeseed oil. RME diesel is the most common biodiesel used
in Europe.
• Soy Methyl Ester (SME or SOME) diesel - Biodiesel derived from soybean oil. SME diesel is the most common biodiesel
used in the United States.
• BQ-9000 - The National Biodiesel Accreditation Program, which is called BQ-9000, is a cooperative and voluntary program
for the accreditation of producers and marketers of biodiesel fuel. The program is a unique combination of the ASTM
standard for biodiesel, ASTM D6751, and a quality systems program that includes storage, sampling, testing, blending,
shipping, distribution, and fuel management practices.

With increased interest in reducing the use of petroleum distillate based fuels, many governments and regulating bodies

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encourage the use of biofuels, such as biodiesel.

Cummins Inc. test data on the operating effects of biodiesel fuels indicates that typically smoke, power, and fuel economy are all
reduced.

There are specifications for biodiesel issued in Europe under EN14214 and in North America under ASTM D6751. These
specifications define only the biodiesel (B100) used as the blend component with diesel fuel.

Other specifications for biodiesel issued in Europe are EN16709 and EN16734 for (B20; EN16709 Table 1) and (B10)
respectively. Cummins Inc. only approves biodiesel blends up to B20.

Other specification issued in North America is ASTM D7467. These specifications define only the biodiesel (B100) and blends
(ranging from B6 to B20) respectively. Cummins Inc. only approves biodiesel blends up to B20.

 CAUTION 
To successfully use biodiesel, it is imperative that the fuel be of high quality and meet or exceed the specifications
outlined in this bulletin or engine damage will occur.

It is the responsibility of the user to verify/obtain the proper local, regional, or national exemptions required for the use of
biodiesel in any emissions regulated Cummins® engine.

Warranty and the Use of Biodiesel Fuel in Cummins® Engines

Cummins Inc. Engine Warranty covers failures that are a result of defects in material or factory workmanship. Engine damage,
service issues, and/or performance issues determined by Cummins Inc. to be caused by the use of biodiesel fuel not meeting
the specifications outlined in this Service Bulletin are not considered to be defects in material or workmanship and are not
covered under Cummins Inc. engine warranty.

Requirements for Using Biodiesel Fuel in Cummins® Engines

Cummins Inc. requires that all biodiesel fuel blends be comprised of petrodiesel meeting ASTM D975, and B100 meeting either
ASTM D6751 or EN14214. Diesel fuel and biodiesel blends up to B7 must meet the specifications found in Table 1: Cummins
Inc. Required Diesel Fuel Specifications. For biodiesel blends above B6 and up to B20, Cummins Inc. requires that the fuel meet
the specifications outlined in ASTM D7467. These specifications are summarized in Table 7: Summary of ASTM D7467
Requirements for B6 to B20 Biodiesel Blends. Reference the official ASTM D7467 standard for more detailed requirements.

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All Cummins® engines are compatible with biofuel blends up to B7. Engines that are compatible with biofuel blends up to B20
are listed in Table 6 of Cummins® Fuels Bulletin. Engines that are built after 1st January 2008 are compatible with biofuel blends
up to B20, except the engines that are listed in Table 5 of Cummins® Fuels Bulletin.
For assistance in identifying the associated service model name:
• See Technical Service Bulletin, Cummins® Service Engine Model Identification, TSB130080. Review the associated
Cummins® Product Technology procedures.
◦ https://quickserve.cummins.com/qs3/pubsys2/xml/en/tsb/2013/tsb130080.html (https://quickserve.cummins.com
/qs3/pubsys2/xml/en/tsb/2013/tsb130080.html)
• Use QuickServe™ Online and enter the engine serial number for the engine being serviced. QuickServe™ Online will
display the service model name associated with the engine serial number entered.

Table 5, Acceptable Use Up to B7 in accordance with ASTM D7467

Product Series Displacement (Liters) Products
Engines built before January 2008 or
K, T, QSK, QST 19, 23, 30, 38, 50, 60, 78, 95
engines equipped with aftertreatment
Engines equipped with dual fuel
QSK 50
conversion
Biodiesel fuel can be blended with an acceptable diesel fuel up to a 20 percent volume concentration (B20) for the following
Cummins® engines:

Table 6, Acceptable Use Up to B20

Product Series Displacement (L) Products Notes
All engines built after
F 2.8, 3.8, 4.5
January 2008
V 5 ISV5.0 CM3230 V104
All engines built after
B/D 3.3, 3.9, 4.5, 5.9, 6.7 a,b
January 2007.

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Table 6, Acceptable Use Up to B20

Product Series Displacement (L) Products Notes
Cummins MerCruiser™
Diesel marine engines
produced after 01 January
2007: B-Series & QSB.
All engines built after
January 2007.
Cummins MerCruiser™
C/L Diesel marine engines a,b
produced after 01 January
2007: C-Series, QSC, and
QSL.
All engines built after
January 2007.
Cummins MerCruiser™
M 11
Diesel marine engines
produced after 01 January
2007: QSM11.
All engines built after
G 11, 12
January 2007.
All engines built after
N 14
January 2007.
ISX CM570 built after
January 2002.
X 11.9, 15
All engines built after
January 2007.

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Table 6, Acceptable Use Up to B20

Product Series Displacement (L) Products Notes
All engines built after
19, 23, 30, 38, 45, 50, 60, January 2008 without
K, QSK, QST a,b,c
78, 95 aftertreatment.
Dual fuel not approved on
QSK 50 B20.
a: If equipped with Eliminator™ oil change extender system, Cummins Inc. requires oil sampling. See details below.
b: For marine applications, Cummins Inc. requires additional fuel water separation capability due to potential ballast water
mixing with fuel. See additional fuel water separation details below.
c: For these HHP engines built after January 2008 WITHOUT an Aftertreatment system are approved for B20 fuel. Then for the
same engines built WITH an Aftertreatment system are approved for B7 fuel.
To avoid confusion with acceptable use of biodiesel between various engine names, enter the ESN in question into QSOL to
determine the specific service engine model name and build date.

Customers choosing to run biodiesel blends above B7 and up to B20 must adhere to the following requirements from Cummins
Inc.
Note : For North American markets, Cummins Inc. requires that the biodiesel fuel blend be purchased from a
BQ-9000 Certified Marketer. The B100 biodiesel fuel used in the blend must be sourced from a BQ-9000
Accredited Producer. Certified Marketers and Producers can be found at the following website: http://www.bq-
9000.org. For areas outside of North America, consult a Cummins Inc. representative for applicable fuel quality
standards.
Oil Sampling:
• Fuel dilution of lubricating oil has been observed with the operation of biodiesel under certain operating conditions. Fuel
dilution monitoring can be accomplished by performing oil sampling. Fuel levels in lubricating oil must not exceed 5
percent. Additional information on oil contamination and oil sampling can be found in Cummins® Engine Oil and Oil Analysis
Recommendations, Bulletin 3810340 (/qs3/pubsys2/xml/en/bulletin/3810340.html).
• For ISB CM2150 and ISC/ISL CM2150 products, end users are required to use oil sampling during the first 6 months of
operation with biodiesel to monitor engine oil condition and fuel dilution of lubricating oil in order to determine if the oil
change interval needs to be modified. Consult a Cummins® Authorized Repair Location for guidance in oil sampling.

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• For High Horsepower engines equipped with the Eliminator™ oil filter option, oil sampling will be needed to determine the
appropriate oil change interval. Oil samples should be taken every 250 hours of operation and analyzed according to the
Cummins® Engine Oil Recommendations Bulletin. This process should be repeated for at least three oil change intervals to
ensure consistent oil behavior.
Fuel-Water Separation:
• Biodiesel has a natural affinity to water, and water accelerates microbial growth. Storage tanks must be equipped with a fuel
water separator to make sure that water is stripped out before entering the vehicle tank. Make sure the vehicle and storage
tanks are kept full to reduce the potential for condensation accumulating in the fuel tank.
• Due to the solvent nature of biodiesel, and the potential for “cleaning” of the vehicle fuel tank and lines, new fuel filters must
be installed when switching to biodiesel on used engines. Fuel filters will need to be replaced at half the standard interval for
the next two fuel filter changes.
• Cummins Inc. requires the use of a StrataPore™ fuel filter media, and strongly recommends using Cummins Filtration™
filters equipped with StrataPore™ media. This filter media removes water more efficiently than standard cellulosic filter
media, which will not provide adequate fuel water separation capabilities. However, even StrataPore™ fuel filter media is
not as effective in removing water from biodiesel as it is in removing water from petrodiesel. Therefore, preventing water
from entering the fuel supply (vehicle or storage) remains very important.
• If StrataPore™ filter media is not available, a substitute synthetic filter media may be used which must provide 95 percent
emulsified fuel water separation efficiency per SAE J1488. This test method must be run using B20 biodiesel, having an
interfacial surface tension of 22 dyne/cm + or - 2 dyne/cm. The filter must meet this specification when run at the rated flow
of the engine platform's fuel system. Fuel filter gaskets must also be compatible with B20 biodiesel blends, with
performance equal to or greater than what is outlined in the Cummins Filtration™ Engineering Standard FES1544 - Seals,
Static, Rubber (Supplier Requirements, Fuel Applications).
• For all High Horsepower Marine applications, a centrifuge filtration system is required to safeguard against water
contamination. A centrifuge is recommended for all Commercial Marine applications. Water intrusion is common in vessel
fuel storage tanks. Vessels may have multiple fuel storage tanks depending on type of service. Typically, one or two of the
storage tanks are dedicated for engine supply. Fuel is transferred from the storage tanks to one or more day tanks. All
engines are fueled from the day tanks. The centrifuge should be installed between the storage tanks and day tanks and
should circulate fuel continuously. The target deliverable fuel quality of a centrifuge should meet or exceed the specifications
outlined in ISO 4406: 18/16/13 (reference the “Fuel Cleanliness” section for more detail) and should have a maximum of 200
ppm dissolved or emulsified water, with no free water permitted.

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• Cummins Inc. does not endorse specific suppliers of centrifuges, however Alfa Laval and Westfalla are two known
manufacturers of Marine filtration devices. The Alfa Laval models are MAB 103, 104, and 206. Models MMB 304 and 305
are self cleaning units. The smallest version cleans 1135 l/hr (300 gal/hr), while larger versions can have flow rates over
10,000 l/hr (2,600 gal/hr). Most of these centrifuges clean fuel to the 3 to 5 micron range, but it takes up to 13 tank cycles to
achieve this cleanliness. Some Westfalla models are the OTC 2/3-02-137 and OTC 2/3-03-107. They range from 500 l/hr
(130 gal/hr) to 800 l/hr (215 gal/hr). These also clean fuel to the 3 to 5 micron range, but still require cycling the fuel in the
tank up to 13 times. Refer to the manufacturer's product specifications and installation instructions.
• Cummins Filtration™ Fuel Pro®, Diesel Pro®, Industrial Pro™, and Sea Pro®, products offered by Cummins
Filtration™/Davco Technology LLC, can be used to provide remote mounted additional fuel filtration efficiency, with
integrated fuel pre-heaters. Consult a Cummins® Authorized Repair Location for guidance in fuel filter selection and
installation.
Biodiesel Fuel Storage:
• Use biodiesel fuel within six months of its manufacture. Biodiesel has poor oxidation stability, which can result in long term
storage problems. For this reason, Cummins Inc. does not recommend using biodiesel for low use applications, such as
standby power, recreational marine, or seasonal applications. Consult your fuel supplier for oxidation stability additives.
• The poor oxidation stability qualities of biodiesel can accelerate fuel oxidation in the fuel system, especially at increased
ambient temperatures.

 CAUTION 
Avoid storing equipment with biodiesel blends in the fuel system for more than three months, or fuel system damage
can occur.

• If biodiesel is used for seasonal applications, the fuel system must be purged before storage by running the engine on pure
diesel fuel for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Care must also be taken when storing biodiesel in bulk storage tanks. All storage and handling systems must be properly
cleaned and maintained. Steps must be taken to minimize moisture and microbial growth in storage tanks. Consult your fuel
supplier for assistance in storing and handling biodiesel.
Energy Content:
• B100 biodiesel provides approximately 7 percent to 10 percent less energy per gallon of fuel when compared to

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conventional diesel fuels. Operation with B20 biodiesel blends can potentially result in a slight decrease in fuel economy
and/or power, depending on the application. To avoid engine problems when the engine is converted back to 100 percent
petrodiesel, do not change the engine rating to compensate for the potential power loss when operated with biodiesel fuels.
Materials Compatibility:
• The engines listed in this bulletin are compatible with biodiesel blends up to B20. However, the following must be taken into
account:
• Natural rubber, butyl rubber, and some types of nitrile rubber (depending on chemical composition, construction, and
application) may be particularly susceptible to degradation. Also, copper, bronze, brass, tin, lead, and zinc can cause
deposit formations. The use of these materials and coatings should be avoided for vehicle fuel tanks and fuel lines.

 CAUTION 
Contact your vehicle manufacturer to determine if any of the OEM supplied components are at risk with biodiesel in
order to prevent engine damage.

Low Temperature Performance:

• Biodiesel fuel properties change at low ambient temperatures, which can pose problems for both storage and operation.
Precautions can be necessary at low ambient temperatures, such as storing the fuel in a heated building or a heated
storage tank, or using cold temperature additives.
• The fuel system can require heated fuel lines, filters, and tanks. Filters can plug and fuel in the tank can solidify at low
ambient temperatures if precautions are not taken. A fuel heater is recommended for ambient temperatures below -5°C [
23°F ]. Consult your fuel and additive supplier for assistance in attaining proper cloud point fuel.
Microbial Growth:
• Biodiesel fuel is an excellent medium for microbial growth. Microbes cause fuel system corrosion and premature filter
plugging. The effectiveness of all commercially available conventional anti-microbial additives, when used in biodiesel, is
not known. Consult your fuel and additive supplier for assistance.

It is strongly recommended that customers running biodiesel blends of B7 or below follow the above precautions as well.

Table 7, Summary of ASTM D7467 Requirements for B6 to B20 Biodiesel Blends.

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Performance
Item Requirements Test Procedure
Characteristics
--- --- D1 Blends D2 Blends ---
Flash Point, °C
1 38 52 ASTM D93
minimum
Water and sediment
2 volume percent, 0.05 0.05 ASTM D2709
maximum
Physical Distillation,
3 343 343 ASTM D86
T90 °C, maximum
Kinematic Viscosity,
4 1.3 - 4.1 1.9 - 4.1 ASTM D445
cSt at 40°C
Ash, mass percent,
5 0.01 0.01 ASTM D482
maximum
ASTM D5453, D2622,
Sulfur, wt percent, Per regulation Per regulation
6 or D129, depending on
maximum (reference Table 1) (reference Table 1)
sulfur content
Copper strip corrosion
7 Number 3 Number 3 ASTM D130
rating, maximum
Cetane Number,
8 40 40 ASTM D613
minimum1
ASTM D2500, D4539,
9 Cloud Point2 Per footnote Per footnote
D6371
Ramsbottom carbon
residue on 10 percent
10 0.15 0.35 ASTM D524
distillation residue, wt
percent, maximum

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Lubricity, HFRR at
11 60°C, micron, 520 520 ASTM D6079
maximum
Acid number,
12 0.3 0.3 ASTM D664
mgKOH/g, maximum
Biodiesel content
13 6-20 6-20 D7371
percent (V/V)
Oxidation stability,
14 induction time, hours, 6 6 EN14112 (Rancimat)
minimum
15 One of the following must be met:
Cetane index,
(a) 40 40 D976-80
minimum
Aromaticity, percent
(b) 35 35 D1319-03
vol, maximum
1Low ambient temperatures, as well as operation at high altitudes may require the use of fuels with higher cetane ratings.
2The maximum cloud point temperature shall be equal to or lower than the tenth percentile minimum ambient temperature in
the geographical area and seasonal time frame as defined by ASTM D975.

Last Modified: 08-Nov-2022

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