Running my Vauxhall Astra on veg oil

vaio

mikey72 wrote: »

Don't need to anymore for a small user.

I think "small user" is less than 2500 litres per year

mikey72

bryanb wrote: »

I believe you refer to biodiesel regarding tax. Used veg oil is not biodiesel. perhaps a call to HMRC would clarify the tax position.

No, unprocessed or processed oil are exempt to 2500 litres per year.

rev_henry

I believe ideally you'd want a machine like these people sell:
http://greenfuels.co.uk/

Which actually converts the oil into proper diesel by cracking the hydrocarbon chains. But older diesels (I understand especially old mercs) can be run on straight filtered veg oil, with some mineral diesel mixed in.
Only really worth investing in one of those machines if you're doing this with a car that isn't an old runabout I guess.

bryanb

mikey72 wrote: »

No, unprocessed or processed oil are exempt to 2500 litres per year.

Can you give a reference for that? I have just been on HMRC website. Under FAQ Biodiesel, it appears that using cooking oil as road fuel is subject to tax. Perhaps they have not made it easy to find the exemption.

worried_jim

EdGasket wrote: »

....and of course you will send the appropriate tax cheque off each month for the fuel duty?

of course not I wont be using enough. may be 1500 l a year and that would running 100%, at best in the summer I would run 50/50.

If you use more than 2500l in one year then you have to pay duty on all the oil you use.

If you use less than 2500l in one year then you pay no duty on anything.

Makes no odds if it's new oil, old oil, or bio-diesel, so long as if it's bio-diesel, you make it yourself. If you buy in bio-diesel, then the maker must pay the duty.

Keep records of what you buy, and how much you use, and the mileage reading of the car each time you fill up. Keep the records for seven years.

worried_jim

In the UK the government have recently introduced a new tax incentive for vegetable oil based fuels. The definition of biodiesel is 'an ester of vegetable oil fatty acid', which includes methyl ester (biodiesel made with methanol) and ethyl ester etc. Also, from a technical perspective, vegetable oil in it's pure form is an ester, therefore it should also come under the tax ruling, but customs and excise consider that because it is not 'diesel quality' it is not elligible for the reduced tax rate. The duty payable on biodiesel is now 28.35 pence per litre (+ VAT), as opposed to 48.35 pence for ultra low sulphur diesel (September 2006). The duty payable on vegetable oil, or SVO, is 48.35 pence. Duty does change regularly, so these figures are not always up to date. More recently, customs have given a ZERO tax rate payable on biodiesel and vegetable oil if production is less than 2,500 litres per year.
Some people, however, have managed to get the lower rate for their veg oil. Notable cases are Dominic Goodwin of Biomotors and Plymouth biofuels. Dominic managed to persude his local customs team to accept a DIN standard as being proof that his fuel was of diesel quality. Plymouth biofuels went to court over attempts by customs to claim back pay for the difference in the two rates and customs lost the case! The big problem with customs is that their policy seems to vary from one region to another and they dont seem to communicate with each other. No doubt they will solidify their national policy on veg oilers at some time in the near future. But can they reverse their regional experiences, given that one of them is probably now a precedent set in court?


http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/customs.html

worried_jim

Just has a look under the bonnet and on what I believe to be the fuel pump- front of engine between the block and the radiator with 4 small metal pipes going into each cylinder- has written on 2 of the black plastic mouldings "bosch". I could be in business.
Also had a look at the pipes on the turbo and everything seems fine although there is a big metal plate covering it so there is not a lot for me to see with out removing it. It is very clean under the bonnet with no leaks that I can see.

mikey72

bryanb wrote: »

Can you give a reference for that? I have just been on HMRC website. Under FAQ Biodiesel, it appears that using cooking oil as road fuel is subject to tax. Perhaps they have not made it easy to find the exemption.

Depends on the ester and sulpher content
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD1_024771&propertyType=document
"What is Biodiesel?

Section 2AA of The Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 (HODA) describes biodiesel as a diesel quality liquid fuel that is produced from biomass or waste cooking oil, and has an ester content which is not less than 96.5 per cent by weight and a sulphur content not exceeding 0.005 per cent.

What is the duty rate on cooking oil?

Cooking oil (whether used or unused) which has not been specifically produced or processed as a road fuel, will normally be classed as a fuel substitute. The duty rate will be the same as the sulphur-free diesel rate.
The important question is whether the finished fuel meets the legal definition. If a vegetable oil used as road fuel meets the fiscal definition HMRC will be happy to accept that it is entitled to the duty rate for biodiesel."

Most waste oil meets the definition. If you really are worried you can get the waste oil tested to confirm it meets the spec or not. (Some really abused oil doesn't, as the ester content may be low, if you have fried a lot of garlic in it, it can raise the sulpher content as well)

The exemption is in HMRC Reference:Notice 179E (March 2008)

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000205&propertyType=document#P223_24622

"4.2.1 Exempt producers/users


If you have produced or used less than 2,500 litres of:

• any biofuel, or
• any other fuel substitute or additive

within the last 12 months, and/or expect to produce or use less than 2,500 litres in the next 12 months, you are an exempt producer and do not need to register with HMRC and account for duty. However, there are simple record-keeping requirements, which are described in paragraph 4.9.1.
Production includes the manufacture or processing of road fuel, and the setting aside of any product that has not been charged with duty, with the intention of using it as road fuel."

worried_jim

Whilst trawling the net for further info I came accros this-

http://pesn.com/2005/03/17/6900069_Acetone/

Acetone drastically reduces the surface tension. Most fuel molecules are sluggish with respect to their natural frequency. Acetone has an inherent molecular vibration that "stirs up" the fuel molecules, to break the surface tension. This results in a more complete vaporization with other factors remaining the same. More complete vaporization means less wasted fuel, hence the increased gas mileage from the increased thermal efficiency.
In addition to increased mileage acetone added to fuel boasts other benefits such as increased power, engine life, and performance. Less unburned fuel going past the rings keeps the rings and engine oil in far better condition.

How long before I find a site telling me that Buxton spring water can be added to your tank to aid a smooth running engine. Very interesting article though, has anybody tried it?

hewhoisnotintheknow

my advice would be join a proper forum for this and find somone with exactly the same car as you. Also i would try buying some clean stuff from a shop and slowly increasing the % until you are happy with it, then start playing with this second hand stuff