TopBanana

Saw this on Top Gear tonight.

Seems interesting

turboman786

It is interesting..but its also an offence as you have to pay duty \on any fuel.......so expect an on the spot fine of 500.......sad but true.

Dream Weaver

Very sad - next they will be charging tax for adding NF Octane

cletterridge

If you pay the tax on it (fill in a form at local customs office) it's meant to cost 29p a litre all in. At 45mpg, that's 2.8p per mile fuel cost - and legal. Sounds great if it doesn't gum up you engine....

Jerome

If too many people start doing this, it won't take the tax man long to up the duty by 5000%

mike_s14

it sounds about as cheap as my LPG to run plus I don't have to chug round in a diesel

Luke

Remember what oil does when it get cold......it thickens up. You must use a lot of diesel in the colder weather to thin it down otherwise it will be hard to start. In warmer weather it ok.But would still use some diesel.

Luke

London - Matlock Bath and back. Average speed 65 mph. Total fuel cost £20.00.

father_jack

Saw Coltrane Planes and Automobiles a few weeks ago on the diesel engine - apparently it was designed to run on fluff, yes cotton swarf left over from the textile industry (and he demonstrated it), it will run on almost anything.
I doubt your modern PD150 would run off an old t-shirt though

simon_prickett

I have a Seat Leon TDI (VAG TDI engine) and the manual does mention biodiesel (also look at biodiesel.org).

I know someone on here with a Leon TDI has run it on 50% diesel, 50% cooking oil.

It's tempting as I live right next to a curry house... also, I think they are experimenting with buses in Leicester and this sort of fuel.

If it does take off I bet that the price of used cooking oil goes up!

Simon.

AndiThompson

Notice he said the oil was 3p per litre, bargin! but you have to pay duty, which takes it to 29p?!!?

MattN

how can duty be 10 times the cost of the original product???

This country...

simon_prickett

I think it's something to do with the feeding it into a combustion engine bit of the deal that causes the duty hike Typical isn't it, there could be a way of running your car really cheaply and in a more environmentally friendly manner, and the Revenue still want their bit.

Mind you, due to a change in personal circumstances, I may well be looking at trying this myself, in a legal fashion of course. I am just concerned about knackering the engine, as I need my current car to last for a while!

Simon.

ariel

Did you see Top Gear? Guy says you should add 3% white spirit and it made all the difference. Non-kerosene based and then tell the revenue so that they can collect 29p a litre off you, so that's a total of 32p/L

simon_prickett

There's a company in Doncaster selling the fuel... read all about it here.

Said company has a website.

Simon.

[Edited by simon_prickett - 10/21/2002 5:27:33 PM]

Luke

Methanol is added to the oil. But what ratio I'm not sure...But would like to find out.

RichieB

How does Mr Taxman collect?

Dream Weaver

Luke - they mentioned the ratio on Top Gear. Was really small like 3ml Methanol to 30Litres of cooking oil or something - tiny amounts needed.

cletterridge

The Top Gear recipe was 3mls non-kerosene based white spirit in every 97mls of vegetable oil, then left to stand for 2 weeks. Most biodiesel unthusiasts use a much more complicated recipe - methanol and sodium hydroxide in varying proportions, then removal of the glycerine layer (which is not removed from the vegetable oil in the above method - so I'd be wary of diesel made this way gumming up your injectors after a while).

Luke

so does the methonal cause the glycerine to form on the top etc and be scooped of after a period of time????

Luke

ttt

cletterridge

OK, for those interested, here's a recipe with instructions I've found:

http://www.veggiepower.org.uk/page208a.htm

Also, here's a list of where in the country you can buy biodiesel to try it out:

http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk/outlets.htm

And for those wondering if their cars manufacturer advises for/against biodiesel use:

http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk/approvals.htm