Biodiesel....

[b0redom]

Anyone use it?

My understanding is that you can have a conversion done, and then just use vegetable oil?

If you do have the conversion done, and then can't get oil, and need to fill up with normal diesel is that possible?

[Flibb]

Biodiesel and veg oil are two totally different fuels. You can make biodiesel from veg oil, but its not particularly cheap as the process takes energy, chemicals (methanol), time, and you have to pay duty on it.

You can run many diesels on a 50/50 veg oil diesel mix, and a few on straight veg oil with no modification. The standard conversion is to start the engine on diesel, which is used to pre-heat the veg oil, when its hot enough the engine switches over to straight veg oil. The biggest problem with any of these systems is that the duty rules are compliated, if you buy new veg oil ( as low as £8 for 30L) to use as fuel you have to pay duty, cant remember what the rules are if you use waste veg oil (chip shop cast off)

My reading about this is based on landrovers, rather than standard cars.

[Fabula]

a uni friend of mine ran his fairly new VW polo straight off veg oil from tesco.
He should have declared it and paid tax, but he didn't. He said that no modification was needed.
It worked fine for at least 6 months, after which I left and didn't see him, so can't be sure of the long term risks.
Performance was fine, as he gave me a lift in once and he was doing 90+ on the A-road.

Biodiesel is different as Flibb said. You need a conversion, but used to be able to get subusidies for it.

[joshwa]

Nearly all VW Deisels will run Biodeisel without modification apparently (source wikipedia). I'd try it but can't find any local sources. (There are some in Liverpool, but not local enough).

[kalniel]

Engines are warrantied to run 5% biodiesel, but beyond that they're not.. they'll nearly all still work fine, but the manufacturers can't guarantee the quality of the fuel with more than that.

All diesel in france is 5% biodiesel by default I think.

[kopite]

SOrry for the thread revival

I have a peugeot 207 52 plate and am starting to look seriously at running it on biodiesel.

There are a few places around where i work and wehre I live that sell it so i should be able to get good quality stuff from there.

The problem I am having is finding any hard evidence as to weather it will work or not.

I have found posts in some places that say it will work no problem and ppl have been running it for thousands of miles with no problem then other ppl who say that 5% is fine but more might not be,

I was looking at doing full biodiesel straight off has anyone any experience? Would I be better doing a 50/50 split to start with?

[Betty_Swallocks]

Stick with petrol. Biodiesel is taking food out of the mouths of the poor and is making a major contribution to the current world wide increases in food prices.

Is it worth starving people to death to save a few quid on your fuel bill?

[kalniel]

Well most people already do it for their clothes and food anyway

[finlay666]

Eh????

A lot of the Biodiesel sellers I have seen where I will be living are farmers who are getting a better price for their crops

I would say go 5%, then 10%, then increase it untill you notice a performance drop, I plan to do it with my Megane when I get it but have a feeling the DCI isnt exactly helping

[kopite]

The bio-diesel Suppliers near where I work ALl get the fuel from surrounding farm land.

Betty_swallocks If you have enough disposable income to be able to take such a kind view and help the starving in the world but at the moment I am at the point where The amount I earn only just covers all my outgoings so any way of saving a few quid here and there is a good thing

[kalniel]

I would say go 5%, then 10%, then increase it untill you notice a performance drop, I plan to do it with my Megane when I get it but have a feeling the DCI isnt exactly helping

I don't think the problem with biodiesel is going to be performance - the problem is that biodiesel is going to try and disolve any rubber washers/pipes you might have. Not really a problem on modern cars.

There are some quick fag packet maths on numbers here:
Biodiesel Production

Which seem to suggest to me the best thing we should do is what they do in France and just put a little bit of biodiesel in all diesel fuel (up to 5%).

[kopite]

From what I have read it seems that as long as the car is newer than 13 years it should be fine.
I need to fill up this week so i`m gonna give the place a call on lunch and check with them if it will work in my car.

its 99p a litre atm which compared to 1.25 is a pretty big saving imo

[kalniel]

Yup, it's only 80% of the price, for 94% of the energy. If you can source locally then cool. Let us know how it feels

[finlay666]

Yup, it's only 80% of the price, for 94% of the energy. If you can source locally then cool. Let us know how it feels

and smells

So I would need to replace tubing/seals on mine? is it easy to do pretty much? (1st car and don't do much mechanics stuff.....but have done water cooling loops lol)

[kalniel]

The advice I just read was if your car is between 98 and 04 then you just need to change the fuel filter after the first fill (the veg oil will dislodge crap and bung up the filter). No idea on how you do that but it's a very minor service item so can't be that hard (or alternatively it's a fiver at your local independant).

[kopite]

Aye thats what i`ve read as well