Use Vegetable Oil If You Have A Diesel Car

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  • GarethK
    GarethK Posts: 180 Forumite
    Hi,
    So how many of the people in this thread running cooking oil have tried pouring their used engine oil into the tank?

    Paul.

    Hopefully none, used engine oil contains many contaminants and toxic chemicals that would not only ruin the injector pump in a short amount of time, it wouldnt burn very clean either...and be very bad for the enviroment.
  • GarethK wrote: »
    Hopefully none, used engine oil contains many contaminants and toxic chemicals that would not only ruin the injector pump in a short amount of time, it wouldnt burn very clean either...and be very bad for the enviroment.

    Just wondering. I know a couple of people that do. You are indeed correct about it not burning too well, if you use more than 20% or so it affects performance. Neither has suffered any pump problems as yet though, although the engines and pumps in question are known to be not too fussy when it comes to fuel.

    Paul.
  • anewman
    anewman Posts: 9,200
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    No doubt this is increasing the market prices of the old diesels which can cope with it. Like old mercs etc.

    I think I have read that Lucas pumps/injectors do not cope well but Bosch is better.

    As for the vote, it depends on whether the car will run on it without expensive repairs later. I'm all for saving money and helping the environment, but not paying hundreds for a replacement injector a few weeks later.
  • If you use used veg oil which has been drained off and meth or similar ingredient being added you still run the risk of the solidifying in the tank. However if you use veg oil etc from a shop then you do not have this problem.
    ONLY COPY WHAT I AM DOING IF YOU ARE 100% SURE AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE END RESULT MAY BE. ALWAYS CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE FOLLOWING MY ADVICE. I AM NOT LEGALLY TRAINED . IF WHAT I AM DOING HELPS YOU IN ANY WAY CLICK THE THANKS BUTTON
  • Seeing that once again the petrol and diesel prices have jumped up. Anybody care to comment on this ?
    ONLY COPY WHAT I AM DOING IF YOU ARE 100% SURE AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE END RESULT MAY BE. ALWAYS CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE FOLLOWING MY ADVICE. I AM NOT LEGALLY TRAINED . IF WHAT I AM DOING HELPS YOU IN ANY WAY CLICK THE THANKS BUTTON
  • GarethK
    GarethK Posts: 180 Forumite
    Seeing that once again the petrol and diesel prices have jumped up. Anybody care to comment on this ?


    Yeah i'm really angry about it but i'm just going to sit at my computer screen and agree that it is disgusting how expensive it is, but do nothing pro-active about it.
  • anewman
    anewman Posts: 9,200
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    Again same message as before. Depends largely on the car. Find an owners forum for your car and ask there whether veggie oil will kill it and search for experiences of other people with using veg oil with the same car. If all looks good take a risk and go for it.
  • I just googled my car (citroen c3) with vegetable oil to find out whether my car could be converted. It appears it can and would cost £850 for the kit which seems to be imported from Germany.
  • There is not a snowball in hells chance that I would use veg oil in my car (or any of my other vehicles).

    Perhaps if I had a valueless old clunker I would be tempted, But in the vehicles that I do own. No way.

    Good luck to you if you do go the veg oil route -- but check out the parts and labour costs of a fuel pump before you start. It'll possibly give you the time to start saving.

    BTW, have you seen what the price of veg oil is doing ATM ?

    blackcat.gif
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,976
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    Anyone thinking of buying a kit to convert oil to biodiesel should do some more research.

    The kits with a plastic hopper are over-expensive for the components you get, and many people will say there are safety issues.

    For example, the plastic won't last that well at the 60 or 70 degree temperatures involved. Some people slate them as a fire risk. Also, there is no control of methanol emissions on these. I was stunned by one firm who said just let it escape to the atmosphere. Well, it does oxidise with sunlight in a few days to water and CO2, but before that breathing in concentrated methanol fumes in your garage is not clever as it's toxic.

    An enclosed metal vessel is better; converted oil drums or hot water cylinders are a popular basis for designs that can be built for modest costs, and discussion of these can be found on forums.

    Meanwhile, I'm using commercially made bio at 92 pence a litre, in a Xantia HDI.
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