Converting to vegetable oil?

Question

I've just bought a MG ZR 2.0L Diesel with the view to running it off vegetable oil as well as diesel. I am unsure of how to do it or where go to find any information/advice about it. Could anyone offer any advice ?

Answer 1

i'm not entirely sure whether that is legal?

Answer 2

There have been a lot of other questions on this topic - for example http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060807104746AAHwowD

The MG ZR used a electronically-controlled rotary distributor pump direct injection (DI) system, which I think was supplied by Bosch. This is not a common-rail system, so it might be OK with higher concentrations of vegetable oil, but DI engines can suffer problems that older indirect-injection (IDI) engines avoid when using vegetable oil.

You might be able to get more information from the pump manufacturer, but you'll need to know the exact model of injector pump (its located just behind the radiator, and should have a plate on it with the model type - I think its a Bosch VP-44 but I'm not certain).

See the information and discussions at http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/index.php
There are discussions there relating to the VP44 pump and DI engines in general.

Answer 3

According to them that knows. a diesel will run on chip oil and 10% diesel quite easily - Jeremy Clarkson did just that on Top Gear.
Government not interested - and they expect you to pay the relevant amount of tax (just as though you had filled up at a garage - how stupid do they think we are!)

Answer 4

If you are using used vegatable oil make sure you filter out all the cack and so forh to avoid damaging your engine. Also it is a good idea to add about 5% White spirit.
Please remember that if you run you vehicle on the public road you will be liable to pay tax on the fuel that you put into it.

Answer 5

Thers a product called bio diesel that is manufactured from old cooking oil.Some vehicles run ok on it but they are older less complicated injection systems.If I where you I wouldn't put anything in your tank until I had checked with the vehicle maker to see if it can run on bio diesel in any circumstance i wouldnt just chuck old cooking oil in, it will destroy your injection system in minutes! BE CAREFULL!!!!!!!

Answer 6

You have to remove the solid fats,a teaspoonful of caustic sodas per barrel(44 gals),this makes the fats into soap which settle to the bottom.Then you drain off the top,filter well and add methanol.4 parts cooking oil to 1 part methanol.

Answer 7

I think it should run off filtered, used cooking oil. Saw something on TV where they did this same exact thing. Just find a local resturaunt and ask for their used cooking oil and they should give it to you for free or very cheap. As for using it... I'd google it.

Answer 8

I used it once and it damaged my injectors, or at least an injector needed replacing soon after I used it so i am putting two and two together.

I have heard of people using it without problems, maybe that's on more old fashioned diesels.

Look on motoring website www.pistonheads com and go to topics, same with www.autoblog.com although this is a US site

Answer 9

you need a preheater to warm up the cooking oil first to make it thinner. you also need to tell the tax man so you can pay the duty on it also some cars cant run on cooking oil.by the time you have payed for the kit to convert pay for the oil pay the tax man its not relay worth it

http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/vegoil.htm

Answer 10

To answer the legal aspect raised earlier, you are supposed to pay HM customs and excise a certain amount of duty per litre.

Not sure what the penalty is if you don't.

Answer 11

Check out the website below for information on converting your diesle to veggie oil. It is UK specific so hopefully that's where you're at.

Good luck!