OT Aldi corn (maize) oil 99p/litre

[Another Dave]

What would happen if I poured some of this into the tank of my diesel car? Just curious.

Another Dave

[The Natural Philosopher]

It would run for a while. Then you would have an expensive repair bill.

Better is to dilute diesel with heating oil

I use two diesel stations, one is 10% more expensive than the other bit I get 10% better mpg

[alan_m]

Just replace the engine oil with cooking oil - a bigger saving for an oil change

[The Natural Philosopher]

And it will run for an even shorter time.

[Rob Morley]

Until the revenuers dip your tank.

[Andrew]

And traces of it, and red diesel can be detected with modern lab analysers long after the vehicle has been back on normal diesel.

[SteveW]

Completely correct for modern, common-rail diesels, but not necessarily so for older vehicles. A 40 year-old diesel would likely run fine on it, while also being VED exempt and exempt from emissions zone charges!

[TimW]

I used to have an old Mitsubishi Pajero and all the interwebs said that vegetable oil was good as fuel. In fact the first problem I had was that on a cold morning the fuel solidified like olive oil in the fridge does so I was a bit late to work that day. After that I diluted it about

50-50 with diesel.

At the time I was buying 20 litre drums of the cheapest cooking oil available which if I recall was about half the price of forecourt diesel so the saving on cost was about 25%, maybe £15 a week for me then, and at the time I didn't mind the faff of buying the oil, the mess of filling from a drum, oil on your shoes and trousers, dirty funnel on the floor, disposing of empty drums etc, but barely worth the bother.

TW

[Fredxx]

Can you cite anything where I can register a vehicle to be exempt? Or were you taking the piss?

I am aware it is possible to become a road fuel manufacturer and pay the requisite duty.

[SH]

You can use up to 2,500 litres of home made bio fuel annually before you then have to register and pay fuel excise duty, relevant bit is section 2.4

[SH]

If its the ULEZ charges you are concerned about then there is

[Smolley]

Ok for my indirect injection G-Wagon‏, but not for modern direct diesel injection cars.

[Fredxx]

I will have to look this up. I heard stories of people burning vegetable oil and being prosecuted.

Steve implied an old diesel burning vegetable oil would be exempt from ULEZ charges.

[SH]

I heard that too, it involved the Frying Squad from the police force.....

[SteveW]

The VED and emissions zone exemptions are both part of historic vehicle status, due to age (40 years plus).

From gov.uk:

"If your vehicle was built before 1 January 1982, you can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2022.

If you do not know when your vehicle was built, but it was registered before 8 January 1982, you do not need to pay vehicle tax from 1 April

2022."

and for "Clean air zones":

"You’re automatically entitled to a national exemption, and do not have to pay a charge, if you have:

a vehicle that’s ultra low emission a disabled passenger tax class vehicle a disabled tax class vehicle a military vehicle a historic vehicle a vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) certain types of agricultural vehicles"

[SteveW]

No. I stated that a historic vehicle (40+ years old) enjoys a national exemption from low emission zone charges. That is regardless of fuel.

From gov.uk:

"Clean air zones"

"You’re automatically entitled to a national exemption, and do not have to pay a charge, if you have:

a vehicle that’s ultra low emission a disabled passenger tax class vehicle a disabled tax class vehicle a military vehicle a historic vehicle a vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) certain types of agricultural vehicles"

[Fredxx]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[Brian Gaff]

Did not Myth Busters do a show on alternative ideas for running engines. The whole issue seemed to be the lubrication aspects and the carbonisation, not to mention the very differing timings that can occur with weird oils from vegetable sources. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

So what was in that stuff called Red X that people squirted into their tanks when they filled up? You can of course get engines to run on most oils, but whether it would be very efficient and clean is a whole other story. Brian

[Andrew]

Which is why buying a 2nd-hand 'modern' diesel-engined vehicle is always a bit of risk. You never know if the reason for sale is because it has been mis-fueled and got shot of, PDQ.