How to run your car on vegetable oil
 

Does anyone know what is needed to convert an engine so it can run on waste vegetable oil? What cars are suitable for conversion? How efficient is it? Any info would be great. Also, I've heard of a range that runs on waste vegetable oil. I'll get more info on that and post it up.

Only for diesel cars
 

Mine is petrol so I can't do it. But I'm looking into E85 at the moment (well not literally!!). Anyone converted to that? How much did the conversion cost? Any info. Thanks

One of our local councillors Brian Meaney used vegetable oil as a bio fuel. However, he was made pay the excise duty on the product that he had produced himself for his own use. If you google it you might get more info.

found this through google
 

Mr Meaney makes his own diesel from 20 litres of vegetable oil, bought in the local supermarket plus four litres of methanol or ethanol and 70 grammes of caustic soda.

That works out at 66c a litre - but costs only 6c a litre when he can obtain used vegetable oil.

Cheers Betty
 

Good to know for anyone driving diesel cars. I'm still looking for info on the E85 though. Anyone?

Have a look at this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuOs1yap8mU

Some info here:
E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC) by volume. On an undenatured basis, the ethanol component ranges from 70% to 83%. E85 as a fuel is widely used in Sweden and is becoming increasingly common in the United States, mainly in the Midwest where corn is a major crop and is the primary source material for ethanol fuel production; however as yet, there are about 1500[1] filling stations selling E85 to the public in the US, and, until recently, only three in Canada.[2][3]. It is also available across most of the Maxol chain in Ireland.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85

Thanks again
 

Betty, you're a mine of information. Thanks a million. Will check out the maxol website and see if there are suppliers around here somewhere.

I was checking into this a while back and had bookmarked this site

http://www.veggiepower.org.uk/vegoilcar.htm

Regards

Diane

veggie oil
 

just a note re vegetable oil as fuel.There are numerous sites on internet re this topic.Depending on which one you read it can be a success or a failure.I wouldnt recommend this to any one with a diesel car less than fifteen year old.The older models without common rail or electronic injection are most suitable.I drive a 1990 renault 1600cc five.I put ten euro worth of diesel in tank and then fill rest up with vegetable oil from lidl at roughly 60 to 70 cents a litre.The only problems i have had are during very cold weather.Hard starting when cold.Always started,but may have taken two attempts.I cure this by adding more diesel.So my experience is to mix a ratio of 5 to 1 roughly.In colder weather maybe three to one.In very good weather{if we ever get some}I sometimes run it on neat vegetable oil.I have done almost 30000 miles so far with no problems.One other thing ,keep an eye on oil levels.The life of any engine is regular oil and filter changes,no matter what fuel you use.you can of course go down the route of obtaining used oil,filtering,mixing to a recipe,adding preheaters to your diesel supply,twin tanks etc.This all depends on your time,money, interest.Its all individual.Then again you could just source a filling station that provides biodiesel at 89 cents a litre as in our area.

Thank you
 

Thanks a million to everyone. I knew I could rely on you for help. Unfortunately, E85 seems to be my only option but it's not sold anywhere locally. The nearest station is over 49 miles away. I have contacted the local providers to see if there is any chance of making it available but they "have no immediate plans to supply in Cavan". Don't they know us Cavan people are mad to save money and if they offer a cheaper fuel we'll jump at it!
Anyway, thanks again to all. Some wonderful info there which I am passing onto others too as it comes online.

bio fuel
 

Just saw an article on tv this week about a man in the u.k. who buys uses
cooking oil from local chipper at 10p a litre. He takes it back to his home where he converts it in his garden shed using a machine which cost approx.£ 1,000.00.
He adds either methenol or ethenol plus caustic soda, he had to contact local Fire Station to inform them he was storing the chemicals but they gave him the go-ahead to store them.
He said the finished product costs about 30p per litre and he runs his car on it.

http://www.science.ie/EN/index.cfm/s...e/news_key/610


tho doesn't mention they broke down & didn't drive back from paris lol

bio fuels
 

Who broke down in Paris?

Anfearisfearr,

do you have your engine converted or are you putting the vegatable oil into an ordinary diesel engine? I've always driven a petrol car but I was thinking of switching to a diesel car for a long time so that I could use vegetable oil.