Also, read the links I posted in my reply to Jon above, then you’ll have a good idea about using biodiesel in your car.

In summary, yes, you can make biofuel from the waste oil from your employer. You can use it in winter time too, though you would have to heat the biofuel so that it is fluid enough to be pumped. I don’t know if that is economically viable. I would choose an old car because if something goes wrong it’ll be cheaper to fix. Your plan of 80% WVO in summer and 0-20% in the winter sounds about right, though it depends on the vehicle so try that and see how you go.

For much better, more in depth information, read the excellent article Make your own biodiesel.

Once you’ve read that, read this article Biodiesel and your vehicle.

If you still have questions, ask the experts on a biodiesel forum.

Good luck!

In the summertime though the tempratur will be approx. 10-30 degrees – and I’ll be able to run on vegtable oil. To process the WVO I only need to filter it, heat it to get rid of water, and then it’s ready to use?
Am looking for a car now, so the most important question is; the only thing needed for driving on up to 50-80-100(?) % Vegetable Oil is that the car is “50% RME (Rapeseed-Methyl-Esther)”-ready, in other words able to run on biofuel?
Does it make any difference if the car is old or new? Would suspect that new cars have a very wounderable tecknique… Anyone who has had any problems with new cars compeared to old, or visa versa?

Was thinking of running at up-to 80 % WVO in the summertime, and then to “clean up the engine” run at 0-20 % in the wintertime – would that be a problem? Anyone had any problems with the car/engine actually been destroyed by using Vegetable Oil?
Sorry for the long post =/ total noob…

Check your Polo manual and it should say that it can run on 50% RME (Rapeseed-Methyl-Esther). It’s a different engine to mine, but I suspect you’ll be able to run it on biodiesel.

Filtering oil takes a bit of time to set-up but it is worth it for the free motoring! There are lots of options for filtering the used oil (known as WVO – Waste Vegetable Oil). Have a look here:

http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/filteringoil/

A friend of mine used two oil drums – one of top of the other – and filtered the oil through old socks and rags. Very enterprising and low cost.

I initally put one litre of Rapseed oil in. Over a period of 8 months I have gone up as high as 95% oil, although both times, the air temperature was cold, the last time was when in snowed in Brighton, I think from memory that was in April.

Each time I went this high, the car broke down after a couple of miles. Sensibly, I always carry 5 litres of diesel in the car, and both times it broke down I poured the diesel in the tank, left it 5 minutes & the engine re-started.

I am currently using 90% oil with no problems. My latest venture is to now try the car with filtered only waste vegetable oil which I have sourced from my local kebab shop for free. I have filtered the oil down to 5 microns as I understand the fuel filter on the car only filters it to 10 microns. I have not used caustic soda & methanol.

I hope this information is of assistance to anyone thinking of giving it a go.

Wish me luck, as I have now got rid of the Mondeo (Too expensive).

Gary

For a short period it ran on pure veg.oil, but it was slow to start, and once I had to use an ‘easystart’ spray in the air-intake. It was also sluggish power-wise,(how much the tired engine counts,I can only guess).

Starting on 50% veg.oil with regular diesel seems to be OK, but because it is outside all the time I use pure diesel in winter because of the slow-starting.Veg.oil is available in 3700 kj and 3400 kj (see energy value on label):I’m careful to use only the 3700 stuff.

Because of the old engine, four years ago I fixed a Broquet fuel-catalyst in my fuel line.(It improves engine-performance by improving fuel quality). This may help the use of veg.oil too; I’m no technician but it seems reasonable.

Cheers,

D.Thomas