Running cars on cooking oil

[Yngwie]

I've heard about more and more people running their diesel cars on cooking oil - cheaper and better than the environment. Do they need to do any conversion, or do they just pour it in? Can't be good for the engine, surely?

[kiltarlity]

I've heard about more and more people running their diesel cars on cooking oil - cheaper and better than the environment. Do they need to do any conversion, or do they just pour it in? Can't be good for the engine, surely?

Depends on car, some diesel engines are more tollerant to cooking oil than others. To do it properly with a modern diesel you need a conversion kit (try ebay) the cooking oil needs pre-heated so it's not too viscus.

Some folk like have ran old diesel cars/vans on a mix of cooking oil and derv sucessfully. However I was always aware that it could cause problems. I only did it is summer in a old derv car that was only worth ?300 or so, I bought the oil new from Tesco (last summer it was half the price of derv a litre) however I didn't do it this summer cos it went up to the same price as derv.

Locally.

Inverness College Forestry Department, have recently invested in a machine that filters (cleans up) used oil and ads chemicals to turn it into bioderv, they have a plentiful supply of used oil from the college canteen. They have had their trucks/landys modified to run on it.

Also I have heard that a female cabbie in Aberdeen has invested in the same technology. I think I heard she offering advertising on side of cab (free for a local chip shop) in return for their used chip shop oil.

Graham

[caley100]

Downside is that you smell of chipshops wherever you go..

[Alex MacLeod]

A word of warning to all thinking about it. Not only will your exhaust smell like a chippie but the C&E with assistance from police vehicle inspection department's are clamping down on the illegal use of those fuels. If you use cooking oil in your car you are legally bound to declare this to the excise man and liable to pay duty on it at the same level as is paid on refined fuels. The fine for failure to declare is up to ?5000. If you want to take the risk dont let a cop car get behind you.

[Yngwie]

I think you are allowed to use 2,500 litres per annum without paying any duty. I have no idea how they track that though.

[Alex MacLeod]

If you use straight cooking oil you will be charged duty as this is seen as substitute fuel. If you invest in a home refining kit and convert the oil to biofuel you may use 2500 ltrs of the product per annum free of duty. If you do convert the oil to biofuel you must satisfy C & E that it is produced to their laid down standard and formula. I believe a conversion kit that can be operated in a garden shed costs around ?700 and that methanol is also required as part of the process.

Also you must register with C&e that you are using alternatives and the usage is measured by the mileage on the car against the manufacturers mpg figures.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Alex MacLeod

[Mee]

Even more interesting is the trial being done on Unst on hydrogen power - a couple of local loons were (I think) splitting water to make hydrogen using solar panels and then recombining the hydrogen and oxygen to power the engine - they said it took 4 hours to make enough to go 40 miles and the only emission is water.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Mee

[Alex MacLeod]

Hydrogen, as a fuel, was developed many years ago. The problem is the unstability of the fuel. Car manufacturers are reluctant to research the means for containing the hydrogen such that there is no risk of explosion from an RTA. If that aspect could be overcome then it would be a greener alternative.

[Guest DRAGAN]

Hydrogen, as a fuel, was developed many years ago. The problem is the unstability of the fuel. Car manufacturers are reluctant to research the means for containing the hydrogen such that there is no risk of explosion from an RTA. If that aspect could be overcome then it would be a greener alternative.

U r allowed to use 2500 litres per year. VW in Germany say it is perfectably acceptable to use vegetable oils in their diesel engines althouth they recommend 60% diesel 40% veg oil for optimum performance.

Veg Oil is about 80 per litre in cash and carry so u can save a fair bit over a year.

[kiltarlity]

Me I've gone back to a petrol taxi.

I'm seeing too many expensive problems with modern common rail diesel technology.. Whilst my fuel costs will be up it's a hell of a lot easier to find another say ?7 a shift than have to find a grand everytime to replace a turbo, injectors, intercooler, lift pump etc. Also it's a running cost and tax deductable that cuts the difference even more.

These new fangled diesel cars engines seem to need major work well before 100k. Bring back the old engines Primera R reg TD 210k head never off original everything, Passat tdi W reg 180k same..

Graham

Besides I bought my new cab with a little cash and loads of nice tesco motorpoint clubcard vouchers. Thanks Mr Tesco!!

Edited September 29, 2008 by kiltarlity

[Alex MacLeod]

Hydrogen, as a fuel, was developed many years ago. The problem is the unstability of the fuel. Car manufacturers are reluctant to research the means for containing the hydrogen such that there is no risk of explosion from an RTA. If that aspect could be overcome then it would be a greener alternative.

U r allowed to use 2500 litres per year. VW in Germany say it is perfectably acceptable to use vegetable oils in their diesel engines althouth they recommend 60% diesel 40% veg oil for optimum performance.

Veg Oil is about 80 per litre in cash and carry so u can save a fair bit over a year.

Think you chose the wrong one of my quotes in relation to your comments.

Diesel engines were first developed to burn corn oil many years ago so yes the manufacturer will tell you its ok to use and I'm not doubting that fact. If I was you though I'd check the law on its use. My info comes from the Customs and Excise website where they provide all the info.

[caley100]

Me I've gone back to a petrol taxi.

These new fangled diesel cars engines seem to need major work well before 100k. Bring back the old engines Primera R reg TD 210k head never off original everything, Passat tdi W reg 180k same..

Graham

Besides I bought my new cab with a little cash and loads of nice tesco motorpoint clubcard vouchers. Thanks Mr Tesco!!

Agree...

How does the motorpoint thing work then?

[kiltarlity]

"How does the motorpoint thing work then?"

If you get say ?10 worth of clubcard vouchers sent to you a quarter then if you change them to deals vouchers you get 4x value thats ?40 in motorpoint vouchers (motorpoint is a national car supermarket).

Now, it's possible to buy things that are on promo and get much more ? in car vouchers than you paid for items you bought.

Rather than go into it in depth in here all I will say is over a year of collecting I spent about ?1500 on stuff in Tesco (mostly toiletrys ie shower gel, shampoo, deodrant, some baby products, confetti, garlic tablets) and got ?4000 towards my car.

I got a ?5000 car. (So I paid ?1000 and used the ?4000 vouchers) so got car half price.

But even better than that our family will not need to buy shampoo, deodrant, shower gel etc for the next couple of years, I have a mega stockpile, so I will be saving probably about a ?1000 in time... So car cost me ?1.5k in effect less than 33% of screen price..

If you want to know more google the phrase "paid to shop" and you will find a forum full of folk who are making the most of Tesco's vouchers.

Car is a 55 plate mazda6 2L TS with 40k on. Macrae and Dick want ?6500 for same car.

[Yngwie]

Now if you can get it to run on shampoo.......

[Charles Bannerman]

Does anyone have an answer to a question to which I've never been able to elicit a satisfactory response? -

"Apart from the fact that you make less mess by not throwing away cooking oil and you don't use up scarce crude oil resources, what's the point of burning cooking oil instead of diesel?"

I've always sensed the implication from the chip pan fuel brigade that they're saving the planet by reducing CO2 emissions. But the reality is that cooking oil produces CO2 just like any other carbon based fuel when it burns.

Biofuels only reduce CO2 output if they are grown specifically and additionally as fuels and create a net increase in the capacity of the planet to photosynthesise away existing emissions. Unless that happens, you just grow biofuels instead of food, still produce CO2 and also contribute to the large food price increases we've been seeing of late.

Similarly, people often forget that to get hydrogen as a fuel (and it's extremely awkward to store) you have to get energy from somewhere. But sunlight on Unst... that's got to be a wind up in a place which doesn't see the bloody thing for the entire winter!