Running my Vauxhall Astra on veg oil

worried_jim

mikey72 wrote: »

What jobs did you need to do on it

When I first got it I had to spend a couple of hundred on sorting the brakes out. I had a new exhaust last year, a new fuel tank. The clutch cable snapped. The list is endless, however the only veg related repair was for £90 when I fuelled it with homebrew in February last year and it was too cold and I broke down and I had to have it drained and a new fuel filter. Overall what I have spent on it I have probably saved in free fuel so it has really cost me a penny except tax and insurance so one way of looking at it is that I have had nearly three years of free motoring, if it had passed its MOT I would still be doing it, but I've had to say enough is enough and cash in my chips.

Maybe the next thread will be called "running my rover on ethenol":rotfl:

I am keeping my filters and set up in the garage as the next time I need to buy a car great veg cars like the 1st generation Audi A4 will be in the £500-£600 range and I can start again. Here's to ethanol!

worried_jim

scotsman4th wrote: »

The astra away yet?
Putting mines over the scales today, just filling it with any old metal I can lay my hands on.

And a 5 month tax refund due too.

I can drive it on it's current MOT for a few more days so I am using the fuel up, my Rover isn't taxed at present and I will do it on Mon/Tue next week when I shall swap the cars over. My Astra tax runs out at the end of the month (good timing) and although I plan to scrap it I haven't got around to arranging anything yet so I have sorned it just in case. Fortunately where I live there is a private road so having the two cars here taxed/untaxed is not an immediate issue although I do have a very nosey neighbour so I shall keep them out the way just for an easy life.

mkirkby

worried_jim wrote: »

You are a bit late mate, I've been doing it since September 2009 which is when this thread started and why it is called "running my astra on veg" and not "can I run my astra on veg".

.

Oh yeah....I suppose I should have looked at who started the thread in the first place....

But the info is still useful for those that don't know.

Rolandtheroadie

Well thats mines gone, I got the the princely sum of £145.
Not bad really, my own next thread will be along the lines of "Does anyone know what could be wrong with my Frontera".

worried_jim

scotsman4th wrote: »

Well thats mines gone, I got the the princely sum of £145.
Not bad really, my own next thread will be along the lines of "Does anyone know what could be wrong with my Frontera".

"Does anyone know what could be wrong with my Frontera".

Yes, its a vauxhall! (actually I know that it's a rebadged Isuzu).:rotfl:

Rolandtheroadie

worried_jim wrote: »

"Does anyone know what could be wrong with my Frontera".

Yes, its a vauxhall! (actually I know that it's a rebadged Isuzu).:rotfl:

Unfortunately I think the engines still GM though lol.

mikey72

worried_jim wrote: »

When I first got it I had to spend a couple of hundred on sorting the brakes out. I had a new exhaust last year, a new fuel tank. The clutch cable snapped. The list is endless, however the only veg related repair was for £90 when I fuelled it with homebrew in February last year and it was too cold and I broke down and I had to have it drained and a new fuel filter. Overall what I have spent on it I have probably saved in free fuel so it has really cost me a penny except tax and insurance so one way of looking at it is that I have had nearly three years of free motoring, if it had passed its MOT I would still be doing it, but I've had to say enough is enough and cash in my chips.

Maybe the next thread will be called "running my rover on ethenol":rotfl:

I am keeping my filters and set up in the garage as the next time I need to buy a car great veg cars like the 1st generation Audi A4 will be in the £500-£600 range and I can start again. Here's to ethanol!

I suppose if you look at it as £350 a year, it's not too bad.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

tip with the rover, the honda engine a pain in the !!!! thermostat housing if you even need to replace it douse it in WD.

also fuel pump loom can chafe causing rough idle and smoking easy fix.

worried_jim

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

tip with the rover, the honda engine a pain in the !!!! thermostat housing if you even need to replace it douse it in WD.

also fuel pump loom can chafe causing rough idle and smoking easy fix.

Thank you very much! It's tips like these that will defo help me.
should I pop the bonnet and check the fuel pump loom, anything in particular to look for? Presently ticks over very smoothly and passed its emissions test on Wednesday so I "presume" that it isn't smoking.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

worried_jim wrote: »

Thank you very much! It's tips like these that will defo help me.
should I pop the bonnet and check the fuel pump loom, anything in particular to look for? Presently ticks over very smoothly and passed its emissions test on Wednesday so I "presume" that it isn't smoking.

hi jim, does the remote central locking fob work (prone to damage and the tranmitters/reciever inside fob drops off the pcb) by a good decent one off ebay as a spare £30 for a recode to car with a autolecky.

in the rover manual there should be key dance code to activate de-active immobiliser using the drivers door key barrel (dont think they fitted a barrel in the passenger they blanked them off) if your ever stuck with the fob not working.

another thing while security was good for the rover, they stupidly overlooked one feature and thats the fuel cut off inertia switch (under bonnet near latch or behind dash mounted side of the stereo), these can interfier with the immobilser (giving the impression your immobilser is at fault) because inside the inertia switch is a ballbearing if the inertia switch is under the bonnet and the rubber cap is broken water can seep in rust the parts inside and activate the fuel cut off hence no start and the immobiliser light stays on constant while ignition on instead of flashing.

make sure all of the rear arches are free from dirt build up where the inner arch meets the sills.

water in the boot, the lights has a foam gasket to seal them to the body over the years these get worn allowing water to ingress into the boot.

water in the rear foot wells, behind the bumper there are drain channels, remove bumper (really easy) lift rubber flaps or unscrew vents on scoop out the dirt leaves and moss that grow in there.

water in the passenger floor well 95% of the time its the windscreen seal on the passenger side that fails, 5% of the time its the channel in the roof blocked and water poors down the pillar into the foot well. get your metal coat hanger ready in this case its a PITA to remove the build up in there.

suspension top mounts, when they go tyre wear is extreme and i mean youll go through 2-3 set of fronts per year if that isnt sorted out.

all the best i like rovers cant beat the ride and handling and power the 2.0 honda engine can deliver over the same year vehicles, such as the cavalier 2.0 sri ( i turned grins into sad faces when my 214 si quick shift fitted 3dr would leave them behind and xr3i's couldnt touch me!):).