Using Vegitable oil instead of diesel

[R M Ross]

Hi
Does anyone have any experience in using a vegitable oil mix instead of pure diesel. I have the 1.9 turbo but am too chicken just to put in a veggie/diesel mix. Everything I read suggest that a 50/50 mix does not harm the engine or performance and no change to the engine is required.

As a relatively high mileage user, I can make a sizeable saving (even paying the tax).
Any advice welcome

 

[sssstew]

theres been a lot of discussion about this previously in the TDI section, have a search back through. But generally when its half full putting in another 15L of veggie oil should be fine.

 

[Nyteshade]

If you can catch slimjim he was researching this.....

 

[TheOtherSimon]

As a relatively high mileage user, I can make a sizeable saving (even paying the tax).

Not really. The tax rate on unrefined fuels is very high (30 ish p/litre if I remember correctly), so normal vegetable oil is a bad plan.

What you need is refined vegetable oil, and there isn't a lot of that around.

Simon.

 

[jetsetjimbo]

I know a couple of people that do this... They mix some kind of Solvent with it as well.

 

[muddyboots]

Are you talking about a PD TDI engine or the older non-PD TDI ?

I did quite a lot of reading up on this a while back; using straight veggy oil (SVO) in the tank of a PD is a no-no.
You need a kit that stores the veg oil in a separate tank, and feeds it in via a heater so it's at the right viscosity, then purges clean diesel through the system again before shutdown.
There are 2 or 3 companies doing vegoil conversions for the PDs, smartveg being one of them, also try googling for Elsbett. There was one other UK company as well but I can't think of their name now, some googling will reveal all though.

The other option of course is biodiesel.
Commercially available biodiesel probably won't save you much (if anything), but you can make your own. See the "Journey To Forever" website for LOTs of useful info on making your own biodiesel.

 

[Vicky M]

my sister's old land-rover series 1 (1959) ran on veggie oil!!!!!

took a bit of cranking over to start it, and it smelt like a chip shop. But it ran ok

 

[Empi5]

Didnt that bloke with the big tash, who moved from the City to the country, to live off the land do it. He collected all the old chip shops oil, and then processed it to make fuel. Wasnt quite so straight forward but it worked.

 

[kenboon]

Quite an imformative site on running cars on veggie oil
http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/fuelsdatabase/database/index.php

 

[stevie.w]

id just stick with the diesel lad, i wouldnt put that stuff near my car.

 

[muddyboots]

id just stick with the diesel lad, i wouldnt put that stuff near my car.

Done properly (ie with a coinversion kit) it should be fine and could save a fair bit of money.

But definitely don't just chuck veg oil straight into the tank of PD.

 

[WeeJase]

my sister's old land-rover series 1 (1959) ran on veggie oil!!!!!

took a bit of cranking over to start it, and it smelt like a chip shop. But it ran ok

i saw a guy filling his s1 lannie with it a while back,stood outside somefileds lobbing bottle after bottle into it.

 

[driveforward]

If it's a non-PD you'll be fine - I used to run a diesel/veg oil mix in Cordy... I never did 50:50 though, 60:40 was the norm (less veg oil in cooler weather). No diff on MPG or performance, but the engine did run smoother.

 

[SHADY-NINJA]

What about sticking vegetable oil in a stage 2 REVO'D 110bhp seat leon with boost control, and FMIC

 

[sssstew]

If it's a non-PD you'll be fine - I used to run a diesel/veg oil mix in Cordy... I never did 50:50 though, 60:40 was the norm (less veg oil in cooler weather). No diff on MPG or performance, but the engine did run smoother.

not done it in the A2 yet then ian?

 

[driveforward]

not done it in the A2 yet then ian?

PD = Not had the courage TBH mate!

 

[mhill]

What difference does the pd make?

 

[sssstew]

the PDs have a totally different fueling system to the Non PDs so they might not tolerate it so well is what ians saying i think.

 

[andythom]

PD's inject the diesel at 20000 psi IIRC......to create an ultra fine and accurate mist......

May cause problems there....

Correct me if i'm wrong......i'm a petrol man

 

[driveforward]

Instead of one big pump, you have lots of little ones - less able to cope with the 'thicker' veg oil.. it's all about viscosity