In this study, we investigated the effect of biobutanol and biobutanol-diesel blends on the combustion and emission characteristics in a four-cylinder compression ignition engine using pilot injection strategies. The test fuels were a mixture of 10% biobutanol and 90% conventional diesel (Bu10), 20% biobutanol and 80% diesel (Bu20), and 100% diesel fuel (Bu0) based on mass. To study the combustion and emission characteristics of the biobutanol blended fuels, we carried out experimental investigations under various pilot injection timings from BTDC 20 degrees to BTDC 60 degrees with constant main injection timing. As the butanol content in the blended fuel increased, the experimental results indicated that the ignition delay was longer than that of diesel fuel for all pilot injection timings. Also, the indicated specific fuel consumption (ISFC) of the blended fuels was higher than that of diesel at all test conditions. However, the exhaust temperature was lower than that of diesel at all injection timings. Nitrogen oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and soot from Bu20 were lower than those from diesel fuel at all test conditions and hydrocarbons (HC) were higher than that from diesel. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.