A car owner converts his old diesel Skoda Octavia, "Miles", to run on waste vegetable oil. He sources the oil from a fish and chip shop and a Chinese restaurant, and cleans it through a filtration process. After the conversion, Miles runs smoothly, with the only difference being a slightly darker fuel color and a hint of a chip shop smell. The owner notes the environmental benefits and cost savings, estimating a yearly fuel price of £284 compared to £1,488 for diesel. However, he also mentions drawbacks such as the need for modifications, potential damage to the fuel pump and injectors, and the time and mess involved in sourcing and cleaning the oil. Despite these challenges, the owner concludes that running an old diesel car on waste vegetable oil is a good option for those who want to reduce their environmental impact and save money.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The car, named Miles, is a Skoda Octavia that runs on diesel and achieves around 75 mpg on the motorway.
2. Miles can travel over 800 miles on one tank of diesel with careful driving.
3. The car is an older diesel vehicle and can run on waste vegetable oil.
4. The author obtained 20 liters of used vegetable oil from a Chinese shop for free and 20 liters from a fish and chip shop for £5.
5. The author filtered the waste vegetable oil using a red bucket and a straining process.
6. The oil was left to settle for about a week to allow impurities to separate.
7. The author used a bungee rope to secure the oil container during filtering.
8. After the initial filtration, the oil was filtered again using a pair of scissors.
9. The author drained the diesel tank of Miles using a pipe connected to the fuel pump return line, with the help of Alex Bergeron from Wrong Fuel Doctor.
10. The diesel tank was completely drained in 20 minutes.
11. The author poured the purified waste vegetable oil into the diesel tank.
12. Miles was driven on the purified waste vegetable oil and performed similarly to running on diesel.
13. The author noticed a slight difference in the smell and color of the fuel when running on waste vegetable oil.
14. Using waste vegetable oil reduces hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide emissions, but increases nitrous oxide emissions.
15. The author calculated that using waste vegetable oil could save £1,204 per year on fuel costs, based on driving 10,000 miles per year.
16. The author noted that running a car on waste vegetable oil requires modifications, such as installing an extra fuel tank.
17. The author recommended checking online to ensure that the car can handle waste vegetable oil before attempting to use it.
18. The author mentioned a book called "From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank" that provides information on converting a car to run on waste vegetable oil.
19. In the UK, up to 2,500 liters of waste vegetable oil can be used without paying tax, as long as records are kept.
20. Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, designed it to run on vegetable oil.