running diesel engines on other oils???

[dannyfiveforty]

I saw a guy in the supermarket today, he filled two shopping trolleys with vegetable oil. Both him and his wife pushed them out to the car and loaded the bottles into the boot. Except for about 10 bottles in which he filled his tank with, and then drove off.

It was a modern diesel Toyota

What effects or implications will this have on the engine, filters, emissions etc etc...

Also is this legal practice...?

Thanks guys, Dan

 

[David Nock]

Warranty, warranty, warranty.
Also I 'half read' a post the other day about clogged up fuel lines and filters, possibly due to veg oil.
So you pays ya money and ........

 

[JEZ.S320L]

I saw a guy in the supermarket today, he filled two shopping trolleys with vegetable oil. Both him and his wife pushed them out to the car and loaded the bottles into the boot. Except for about 10 bottles in which he filled his tank with, and then drove off.

It was a modern diesel Toyota

What effects or implications will this have on the engine, filters, emissions etc etc...

Also is this legal practice...?

Thanks guys, Dan

It's certainly not illegal - but if the poor guy is so anxious to save a couple of quid, perhaps he is running a car that he is not able to afford..!!

 

[C220GJS]

With the price of vegetable oil at over £1.00/Litre just now there is not enough saving to justify the inconvenience and risk involved, in my opinion.

 

[roadhog]

Definitely not illegal. After July last year you're allowed to manufacture or use up to 2500 litres of bio-diesel or fuel substitute before incurring any tax.
Veg oil comes under fuel substitute

What risk? I've been running my W124 on veg oil for the best part of a year, no modifications and no problems. Modern Toyota? Perhaps he had a veg oil conversion fitted? Fuel filters (never heard of fuel lines - urban myth?) might clog up to start with as the veg oil cleans the muck out of the tank that the pump diesel has deposited. Once clean, they stay that way and no more clogging.

Inconvenience? OK, filling up from 1 litre bottles is a bit tedious, better off with larger containers. The saving isn't as great as it used to be, when I started with it veg oil was 56ppl, diesel around 1 pound. Veg oil prices have shot up quite a bit but if you shop around you can get it for around 90ppl. Diesel round my way is £1.28ish. Best bet is to get friendly with your local chinaman or indian for a free supply of used oil, also known as WVO. However much you save, it's quite satisfying to know that you're driving around without getting totally fleeced by GB and his cronies.

For the environmentally considerate among you, drive on in the knowledge that you're reducing your carbon footprint with every mile when using veg oil!
I also like the smell!

 

[roofless]

Definitely not illegal. After July last year you're allowed to manufacture or use up to 2500 litres of bio-diesel or fuel substitute before incurring any tax.
Veg oil comes under fuel substitute

What risk? I've been running my W124 on veg oil for the best part of a year, no modifications and no problems. Modern Toyota? Perhaps he had a veg oil conversion fitted? Fuel filters (never heard of fuel lines - urban myth?) might clog up to start with as the veg oil cleans the muck out of the tank that the pump diesel has deposited. Once clean, they stay that way and no more clogging.

Inconvenience? OK, filling up from 1 litre bottles is a bit tedious, better off with larger containers. The saving isn't as great as it used to be, when I started with it veg oil was 56ppl, diesel around 1 pound. Veg oil prices have shot up quite a bit but if you shop around you can get it for around 90ppl. Diesel round my way is £1.28ish. Best bet is to get friendly with your local chinaman or indian for a free supply of used oil, also known as WVO. However much you save, it's quite satisfying to know that you're driving around without getting totally fleeced by GB and his cronies.

For the environmentally considerate among you, drive on in the knowledge that you're reducing your carbon footprint with every mile when using veg oil!
I also like the smell!

can you not buy it in say 25ltr chippy size from a cash n carry for a better saving

 

[jibcl500]

I ran a vectra and a cavalier on very oil from tesco but at the time I was paying 25p a litre, I would always add £5-10 worth or diesel and never had and probs with seals. Pengiuns well they can be bastards when they want to be.


jib

 

[simon_wall69]

Perhaps he had a veg oil conversion fitted? Fuel filters (never heard of fuel lines - urban myth?) might clog up to start with as the veg oil cleans the muck out of the tank that the pump diesel has deposited.

Not an urban myth, currently having to replace fuel lines on the w123. Although, I suppose they may have disintegrated anyway.

Although savings aren't massive, I reckon about 40ppl average, they soon stack up and is definitely worth doing on an old car that requires no conversion and where there are no warranty issues.

Wouldn't do it in a new car though, and a conversion would be a long term investment.

 

[roofless]

Not an urban myth, currently having to replace fuel lines on the w123. Although, I suppose they may have disintegrated anyway.

Although savings aren't massive, I reckon about 40ppl average, they soon stack up and is definitely worth doing on an old car that requires no conversion and where there are no warranty issues.

Wouldn't do it in a new car though, and a conversion would be a long term investment.

only 20+years old & needs new fuel lines you must have got one of the bad ones

 

[roadhog]

Not an urban myth, currently having to replace fuel lines on the w123. Although, I suppose they may have disintegrated anyway.

Although savings aren't massive, I reckon about 40ppl average, they soon stack up and is definitely worth doing on an old car that requires no conversion and where there are no warranty issues.

Wouldn't do it in a new car though, and a conversion would be a long term investment.

I think the original mention of fuel lines was concerning blockage hence my reply. I'm guessing that yours were suffering from old age and not you're not changing them because they're blocked?

As for the rest, you're leaning against an open door here! I think veg oil is the way to go. Now if only my BMW would run on it....

 

[simon_wall69]

Kept getting blocked, I assume from some sort of internal disintegration, the car is 30 years old.

Replaced now and working fine, or they have been for the last 10 miles anyway!

 

[SilverSaloon]

Well I run two W124 E300D's on 100% veg. Runs fine and totally LEGAL! You need to replace the odd seal here and there in the fuel lines and replace filters etc.

Anyway - its only really for old style diesels. If his toyota was year 2000 or newer then he's in for some serious wallet bashing when his fuel pump fails..............

of course, price of veg (same with all food-stuffs) has risen recently, but I have worked out that every tank full I save approx £25 with the price i get it for. So i believe it is worth doing if you do quite a lot of miles.

 

[steptoe]

Most of the doom and gloom merchants have never used or tried veg oil.
Their opinions are based on what they read on the internet.

I ran a range rover for 40k miles on veg oil, and a Citroen for 100+k miles, all without any modification whatsoever.

I ran my merc 250D for approx 15k miles before the price rise made all the faffing about pointless.

Never had any problems starting the vehicles, even in the middle of winter. But i wouldn't use it in a modern diesel engine.

 

[Normski]

I ran an Iveco Daily 2.8td on veg oil/deisel 50/50 for 2 years no problem and I currently rum my Pajero the same. I have cash and carry access and currently pay 86p per litre otherwise i wouldnt bother.

 

[mortinson]

I have been running my G300 Diesel for 18 months now, no probs to report other than having to replace the fuel pre-filter and filter after 1,000 kms or so due to all the muck removed from fuel tank... after that I run a mix of 90-95% pure sunflower oil with 10-5% diesel, all year round, but my G is kept in a cosy garage.

Smells beautifully and its carbon neutral, but there is no saving around here now: SVO is ~ € 1.30 and diesel ~€ 1.20/litre, but the injection pump is much better lubricated and the engine sounds like clockwork (passes the MOT smog test with flying colours too).

My G is powered by the OM603 N/A six-in-line diesel, as fitted to the W124 300D.

I love it!

 

[simon_wall69]

Most of the doom and gloom merchants have never used or tried veg oil.

Completely agree, as long as the compression isn't sufficient to polymerise the veg oil and as long as the fuel pump can cope, there isn't really a problem.

 

[djp]

i was running my w124 e250d on biodiesel for quite some time, just had to change the fuel filter after a couple of tanks. as the majority of my driving is on the motorway it was perfect, although the performance wasn't as good as normal diesel, especially when the engine was warming up. i stopped using it when my glow plugs failed, but it turned out that wasn't due to the biodiesel, the relay was faulty, so you'll get nothing but an honestly high opinion of it from me.

i may go back, but i'm currently keeping an eye on the diesel prices to see if it's worth it.