Biodiesel

[Zedd]

WVO/SVO should never be used. If you absolutely refuse to ignore common sense and choose to use WVO/SVO, you need to use a 2-tank system to pre-heat the oil before it is used.

 

[230K]

230K Do you have any starting issues in the cold weather on 50/50 mix?
I have been running on WVO mixed with 5% unleaded petrol and only recently needed some dinodiesel to help with cold starts on my E300D non turbo W210.
I did have some diesel knock due to a coked injector but its a little better after some injector cleaner.
It runs fine when warm but does need a little more maintenance on veg. More frequent oil changes due to engine oil contamination and regular doses of injector cleaner. A small price to pay since every mile is a smile at 20p/ litre.

Karl

No starting issues with 50% new veg/50% reg diesel although car is kept garaged overnight.

230K

 

[W210 Fan]

This is a subject I have been researching after a guy I know in scotland has put 40k on a land cruiser with a 2 tank system using old and filtered or new veg oil, This is the route I will be taking when somebody sells me a W210 E300 as as far as I can see the CDI type engine does not like the thicker fuel, The advantage with the 2 tank system is that it starts and ends on diesel so cold starts are not a problem, the bulk of the journey is on the veg oil at approx 1/2 price of diesel and you switch back to diesel for the last minute or so to prime the system with clean fresh diesel. The main tank in the vehicle is used for veg oil and a smaller (20 litres or so) diesel tank is fitted (normally in the boot) to start and end on,

http://www.dieselveg.com/atg_kit_photos.htm

e300 from their site

http://www.dieselveg.com/mercedes_300.htm

they also have listings for lots of CDI based sprinters, but at the moment I am still sceptical about CDI`s and veg oil

 

[230K]

Hi

All cars have a % VEG that they will tolerate, just experiment and see what you cars limit is thats my advice. 5 or 10 % they will all tolerate in my opinion. Yes it does feel strange buying veg oil in the supermarket and putting it in the tank but once you have done it once its fine.
The biggest problem for me is not how much you put in but how long you spend putting it in (1 litre bottles from Lidl).

230K

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

e300 from their site

http://www.dieselveg.com/mercedes_300.htm

This interested me because I have an E300 Diesel with the M606 engine.

What I find confusing is that many people suggest that you can use clean vegetable oil in an unmodified M606 engine. So why pay nearly £500 for a kit with a second fuel tank that ruins your boot space, install lots of pipes and components and switch between DERV and vegetable oil when it appears that you can just pour the vegetable oil into the original tank and turn the key?

I must be missing something. £500. Money for old rope?

 

[W210 Fan]

As far as i can see the 606 will burn SVO (straight veg oil) but in the winter it is too thick for the pump and the engine doesnt like starting on cold veg oil hense the two tank system, this is the way I have had it explained to me,

 

[Zedd]

What I find confusing is that many people suggest that you can use clean vegetable oil in an unmodified M606 engine. So why pay nearly £500 for a kit with a second fuel tank that ruins your boot space, install lots of pipes and components and switch between DERV and vegetable oil when it appears that you can just pour the vegetable oil into the original tank and turn the key?

I must be missing something. £500. Money for old rope?

Because the cold viscosity is harmful to the injection pump, cold VO does not burn completely and cold VO will coke the injectors.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

Because the cold viscosity is harmful to the injection pump, cold VO does not burn completely and cold VO will coke the injectors.

Thanks for your reply (and also to W210 Fan). So does the £500 kit heat the vegetable oil in some way?

 

[Zedd]

Yes it does. The engine runs on normal diesel until the VO is at least 160*f, then you switch over to VO and use it all you want. You switch back to diesel for a mile or so to purge the injection system with Diesel when you are about to stop the engine for more than a few hours.

A two tank system is the only way to do it. Single tank "conversions" are little more than a filter and should be avoided.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

Yes it does. The engine runs on normal diesel until the VO is at least 160*f, then you switch over to VO and use it all you want. You switch back to diesel for a mile or so to purge the injection system with Diesel when you are about to stop the engine for more than a few hours.

A two tank system is the only way to do it. Single tank "conversions" are little more than a filter and should be avoided.

Thanks, much appreciated.

I wonder if I should consider using VO only in the summer months.

 

[crockers]

Will a C320cdi run on biodiesel? Saw it for sale when we were in Germany but was reluctant to try it.

 

[Zedd]

Make sure it is legal for you to use VO in the first place. I know for a fact it is illegal to use in the USA.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

Make sure it is legal for you to use VO in the first place. I know for a fact it is illegal to use in the USA.

It is legal in the UK - surely you realise this is a UK-based forum?

In the UK, you pay no tax on biodiesel unless you do more than 25,000 miles per year. The category "biodiesel", includes new vegetable oil and recycled waste vegetable oil that has been used for cooking.

 

[Zedd]

Just making sure. Being a Yankee I'm not completely familiar with UK laws.

 

[W210 Fan]

It is legal in the UK - surely you realise this is a UK-based forum?

In the UK, you pay no tax on biodiesel unless you do more than 25,000 miles per year. The category "biodiesel", includes new vegetable oil and recycled waste vegetable oil that has been used for cooking.

Just to clear that up its the first 2500 litres are tax free which roughly equates to 25,000 miles,

 

[Satch]

Useful site.

http://www.bio-power.co.uk/svo.htm

Considered going down the SVO route for my Land Cruiser but it turns out to be a complete non starter for EU4 engines

 

[Mondorich]

I ventured my first tentative steps today by pouring 3L of fresh rapeseed oil into my car's tank today, which had approx 55L of DERV in it already.

My motor has completed 192K miles and is generally sound and has had regular servicing including a new set of heater plugs at 189K.

I am not predicting any sort of change to the starting or driving characteristics based on the amount put in today but I will gradually build up the percentage over the coming weeks to see where the sensible ratio may be. For now 5.5% is a good starting point.

FYI I bought 3L of Morrisons rapeseed oil for £2.21 (74p/L) knowing that I eventually but it in 25L drums from Booker / Costco etc or even Sainsburys who sell 'Pura' Veg Oil 1L at 56p per 1L bottle.

 

[230K]

Hi

By comparison i have just put 30 litres into my 1998 E300 Turbodiesel. I had driven approx 240 miles since it was filled so reckon thats around 50% veg 50% Derv.

Dont be afraid of it.

They drive so much smoother and quieter on the veg. I buy the veg at 69 cent per litre in Lidl ROI approx 50p sterling. Thats cheaper than red diesel and legal.

230K

 

[beachhut]

Hi Guys

One seems to think its ok others say you need a kit???? It seems to be what suits you, and how healthy your car engine is . I want to give it ago but like everyone else its taking the first step with something that does'nt feel natural.

My understanding is that you should put up to 80% veg oil or cleaned chip fat and 20% unleaded fuel to thin. This also prevents leaks in the system so I am advised.

Any thoughts

Beachhut

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

My understanding is that you should put up to 80% veg oil or cleaned chip fat and 20% unleaded fuel to thin. This also prevents leaks in the system so I am advised.

It depends who you ask. Based on the definition of "expert" being someone who is prepared to express an opinion, ask ten biodiesel "experts" and you will get ten wildly differing pieces of "advice".

I have a W124 E300 Diesel with the M606 high output non-turbo engine. It is supposedly one of the easiest engines to fuel with biodiesel. But I have been given "advice" varying between "use no more than 5% biodiesel" and "just pour vegetable oil into your tank" including "you must install a dual fuel system with fuel heaters and a supplementary fuel tank that reduces your boot space by a third and costs £1500".

Somewhere in there lies the truth. And some of the rest is pure, clean, low emissions but expensive nonsense.

So what is a boy to do?

I'm going to buy some vegetable oil and fill the tank with it. And that's all.