[updated:LAST EDITED ON 20-10-02 AT 11:36Â PM (GMT)]I was watching a new series of Top Gear (UK motoring TV show) this evening. The new format was absolutely apalling and I don’t think I shall bother to tune in again but they did have one interesting article about running diesel cars on cooking oil. They drained all the fuel out of a diesel Volvo and filled it with a mixture of 97% used but strained old cooking oil and 3% non-kerosene based thinners to make it a shade less thick. They then bled the system and drove off in the car. Supposedly the car suffers no performance deterioration, needs no modification and the whole process is slightly more environmentally friendly than normal diesel.
The real plus is that the oil costs 3p a litre (as opposed to nearly 80p on the forecourt) but to keep things legitimate you have to pay the government a tax of 26p a litre, bringing the cost to 29p a litre.
Anyone got any more info as my wife and I both have diesels.
By: keithmac - 22nd October 2002 at 20:48
RE: Running a diesel on cooking oil
One things for sure, doing it the other way round and frying your chips in Diesel is NOT a good idea!
By: wysiwyg - 21st October 2002 at 18:53
RE: Running a diesel on cooking oil
They were saying that if you use a non-kerosene based thinner and paid the 26p a litre tax it wasn’t illegal. While they were just using the simple concoction I mentioned earlier, the following website (which I found via a google search using the parameters ‘diesel cooking oil uk’) shows a much more complex veggie recipe!
http://www.veggiepower.org.uk/page208a.htm
And here’s another interesting website
By: Saab 2000 - 21st October 2002 at 15:50
RE: Running a diesel on cooking oil
Its illegal I thought?Police have stopped a few truckers using cooking oil from ASDA.Makes an awful smell…
By: Hand87_5 - 21st October 2002 at 08:18
RE: Running a diesel on cooking oil
As you know France is the country were diesel is most common.
50% (maybe more now) of new cars are diesels.
As you point out the matter is taxes. Taxes for diesel are quite low in France (compared to regular gas) 0.8 € vs 1.1€.
I don’t know if you’re aware but since a couple of years ELF has a patent to add water (!!!) in gasoil (10%) without any performance issue.
Therefore I’m proud to tell the we do pay oil taxes on … water 🙂
It’s not a joke….
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October 20, 2002 at 11:34 pm