I drive a big suv and would have been begging my husband for years to get me a “veggie”. I have three children I haul everywhere so it has to be at least 4 doors, don’t want the expense of a new/hybrid car. What are the pros/cons of buying on older diesel car like a mercedes and converting it to run on vegetable oil?
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July 6th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Any diesel can be converted, but none are currently manufactured that way. The vehicle and fueling consumer markets are really stacked against you on this one.
Pros: You will have your veggie car.
Cons: You will have no warranty and refueling will be tricky. You will have to set up a filtering system and fueling nozzle in your yard, because no gas stations have the veggie fuel. You will not be taking it on a road trip, unless you pull a trailer of vegetable oil with you. Finally if the car breaks very far away from your conversion mechanic, you will be on your own to fix it because only a few competent car people in the world get into the veggie fuel thing. None of this is fun with a car full of kids (I have 5 myself).
Not what you want to hear, I know. But the big SUV sure is convenient, ain’t it?
July 6th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
basically what some people are doing is making BIO diesel, I don’t know exactly how it’s made but no modifications are needed on the motor and it cost around $1 a gallon to make you’ll have to research to find out how.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Replace all of the rubber hoses that the fuel will pass through. Biodiesel is a strong solvent. Other than that, you engine should be ready to burn the stuff. But your fuel needs to be clean.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:16 am
as long as its a diesel it should be ok i have a Mercedes i drive my car about 1 mile then flip a switch and run on vegetable oil all day and deliver pizzas i get my oil from 3 restaurants 2 of them leave the oil for me and i go to another restaurants and take oil from a bin they have out back i pour it in a filter then put it in a big pot and heat it up to get what little water might be in it then poor it in my tank in my trunk