vegetable oil?

Question

How do you run a car on vegetable oil?

Also is it legal and will it do the engine in?

Answer 1

My mate shoves a couple of big bottles of Veg Oil into his car every time he goes to Tesco's. It seems to mix up in the tank ok with the diesel he's got in there and it actually makes the car quicker and more responsive! Doesn't seem to have blocked the injectors so far!! Oh, it's not specifically legal to do it this way (there's no fuel duty on it, that's why it's cheaper) but if you do it in the privacy of your own driveway.....

It's a '96P Golf TD

Answer 2

You can use vegetable oil, but you either need to add an additive or convert it properly to bio diesel.
The BBC series "It's not easy being green" featured the family creating their own bio diesel convertor from old chip fat and you can find more about it in the book (see below).
The family's website also has a forum where people chat about all sorts of gree issues including bio diesel so check that out.
However, if you use vegetable oil, you must still pay the duty on the fuel you 'create' or else Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs will come after you and prosecute.
Hope that helps.

Answer 3

First, you need a diesel engine, and preferably an indirect-injection engine, not a modern direct-injection engine, and definitely not one with a high-pressure injection system such as common-rail or Pumpe-Duse. It can easily gum-up the injectors and pumps in a high-pressure system, and it can eventually gum-up the pistons in the cylinders in direct injection engines. Up to 5% bio-diesel (which is derived from vegetable oil, but is not the same as you buy in the supermarket) in normal mineral diesel is permitted by most manufacturers but beyond 5% and you're at your own risk.

Vegetable oil solidifies at low temperatures, so if you either need to use small quantities of vegetable oil mixed with normal diesel fuel, or you need to install a fuel-heating system.

As for the legality - it is legal if you contact the Customs & Excise, keep acceptable notes of exactly how much vegetable oil you use as road-vehicle fuel, and pay the (reduced) duty. If you don't pay the road-fuel duty it is illegal to use it on the public roads.

You can get more information at http://www.dieselveg.com/

Answer 4

Since COB goober just wants his 2 points and doesn't know anything about diesels let alone diesel fuel then I hope no one takes his advice. Veggie oil is used ONLY in diesels....diesels use EXTREMELY HIGH COMPRESSION AND HEAT in order to ignite. This is known as a compression ignition system. This is why diesels have their reputation as grease burners. When you use your bio-diesel...YOU REALLY need to be sure you trust the person making the product. Since a dirty final product will easily foul your injectors forcing you to miss fire and replace your injectors due to your quality of fuel. If you decide to get a diesel then i do suggest that you put in half petroleum and the other part CLEAN filtered bio-diesel. Bio-diesel is an extremely clean burning fuel....your noxious emissions are dramatically reduced.
Bio-diesel so far is 100% legal.....Iowa has already got 40-50 some plants so far for ethanol and bio-diesel production.
I also want to state that Bio-diesel has to be mixed with lye along with some other long drawn out processes. If you aren't real familiar with what your doing then you could severely injure your self or just die. since lye will numb your nerves which you can't feel....as it eats away your skin.

Answer 5

You can run a diesel on vegetable oil but it userly need pre heating to work correctly and it is nowhere as efficient as diesel you must mix it with diesel about 60%diesel , don't use on late direct injection engines it will gum up the works, at the moment it is not illegal but if to many people started to use it they will soon make it so, not a job for an amateur

Answer 6

Unless your car has a diesel engine it is not possible to run it on vegetable oil. If it is a diesel it will run on a vegetable oil/diesel mixture and is legal to do.

Answer 7

Vegetable oil must be processed before it's bio fuel. It is much better for your engine than diesel and smells like McDonald's.

Answer 8

They make conversion kits for certain diesels. It is legal and it is safe for the engine. Just might have exhaust that smells like fries.

Answer 9

Do a search on bio diesel, yes it is legal.

Answer 10

ive been running my tractor on veg oil for years instead of diesel, smells nice and does not produce smoke, seems more powerful but could be in me mind..............