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Loofer
30-06-2008, 10:00 PM
There was a program on earlier this evening about the affect of increasing fuel costs.

Quentin Wilson poured SVO (straight vegetable oil - unused from supermarket/shop) into a car towards the end of the program.

Obviously there was no further information on what modifactions were made or if there was a certain of diesel mix used.

The car was a 54 reg'd Vauxhall astra 1.7 CDTi.

Anybody know which vehicle can be used safely with SVO?

I'm reluctant to try on my Bora. Might seriously consider changing my car if I can find a viable alternative

Crasher
30-06-2008, 10:04 PM
If everyone starts doing this, vegetable oil prices will rocket and supplies will run out.

Loofer
30-06-2008, 10:09 PM
If everyone starts doing this, vegetable oil prices will rocket and supplies will run out.
People have been using alternative fuels for years now... no sign of supplies running out.

I still think it will take some years for a considerable take up the above scenario... where nearly everybody starts using bio-diesel.

Bio-fuels are considered 'renewable' energy.

Production of RME biodiesel might increase (and as is the case now) and push up the price of food crops as land resources are diverted towards this emerging market.

mluton
30-06-2008, 10:16 PM
Vegetable oil has rocket up in the shops the past 12 months, i have to eat less chips now.

Crasher
30-06-2008, 10:17 PM
That means you must be less fat than you were, or have you found other ways to keep the pounds on :biglaugh:

Loofer
30-06-2008, 10:18 PM
Vegetable oil has rocket up in the shops the past 12 months, i have to eat less chips now.
Is it more than £1.30 per litre?;)

mluton
30-06-2008, 10:23 PM
I now eat oven chips, Boring.

When me and SWMBO moved in together only 3 years ago, We bought a bottle only 29p and as above £1.30 is what we pay now.

Loofer
30-06-2008, 10:24 PM
just checked Sainsburys online... it is over £1.30/litre

There goes my idea then.... though I'm sure price of diesel will rise at a faster rate.

mluton
30-06-2008, 10:27 PM
Chip shops will be getting burgled next

Clinterous
01-07-2008, 09:37 AM
As a rule of thumb, older the car, the better it is for when using SVO.

Loofer
01-07-2008, 02:01 PM
Well now I've started to look on eBay for LPG converted cars.

Couldn't justify paying for a conversion so I will have to choose (from a limited range) of already converted vehicles.

It annoys me how some people state 50-70mpg on a V6 3000cc etc.

Their rationale is that the car normally does 25 mpg on petrol but by using the same amount of gas in volume, they can double the efficiency just because the gas costs half the price... where's the logic there :mad:

I understand that LPG cars are exempt from London congestion charge. What are the implications on Road Tax (current & future) for a car registered after 2001? How does this change from next year?

Anything else I should consider about lpg?

Crasher
01-07-2008, 02:20 PM
Caveat emptor, some LPG conversion I have seen were nothing short of appalling and running problems are common.

Clinterous
01-07-2008, 03:44 PM
In one of those 'down the pub' type conversations, someone said that because LPG is not as volatile as petrol, one has to apply more accelerator, resulting in a lower MPG. As a consequence LPG becomes false economy.

Can't vouch for the individuals accuracy though....

Crasher
01-07-2008, 03:51 PM
What he is trying to say is that LPG has a lower calorific value than petrol so you need to burn more, which is true. The only reason it is cheaper is that the tax is lower.

Loofer
01-07-2008, 05:14 PM
Yup, I knew that using LPG wasn't as fuel efficient as petrol... and there lies crunch point.

What if (or rather 'when') future Chancellors start to increase the tax on LPG (or the suppliers/producers charge more)... there will come a point when it just won't be worth it!

Though having said that I reckon that if/when LPG gets to £1/litre... petrol/diesel would be over the £2 mark anyway.

So LPG advantages:


Cheap at pump price per litre
Greener at point of use/combustion
Lower road tax bracket (I think)
Exempt from London Congestion Charge

Disadvantages


Initial cost for conversion
Consumes more fuel (litre for litre/mile)
Additional srervicing costs
Possiblility of reduced boot space
Filling stations aren't as common as petrol/diesel
Possibility of decreased performance

Clinterous
01-07-2008, 06:52 PM
About time someone developed an engine which runs on urine:biglaugh:.

Crasher
01-07-2008, 07:42 PM
Actually companies are developing such systems, sort of, such as the Urea based Adblue additive NOX treatment developed by Mercedes and being licensed by VAG.

Captain Answer
01-07-2008, 08:29 PM
It annoys me how some people state 50-70mpg on a V6 3000cc etc.

Their rationale is that the car normally does 25 mpg on petrol but by using the same amount of gas in volume, they can double the efficiency just because the gas costs half the price... where's the logic there :mad:



That one really boils my urine, how you can justify stating your MPG is double because the fuel is cheaper? By the same logic if I use someone elses car but never fill it does it do an exponential MPG?

LPG does give a lower calorific burn but you tend to use similar amounts of fuel ie litres per 100 miles etc and it isn't noticable in bigger cars. I've never had a normal car with LPG though

MalcQV
02-07-2008, 09:13 AM
That one really boils my urine, how you can justify stating your MPG is double because the fuel is cheaper? By the same logic if I use someone elses car but never fill it does it do an exponential MPG?


It is just stating an equivalence. To me it does not matter what the exact MPG, it is the cost to run at the end of the day.

And yes if you are lucky enough to use someone else's car and they pay for the fuel http://www.windowsguide.org/forum/images/smilies/cool-smiley-030.gif

dod1e
02-07-2008, 10:59 AM
I know someone who runs a LPG SUV (Cant remember make) and when running on LPG he recons he looses around 2 MPG (from 28 down to 26), so the cheaper purchase price if you have access to a supplly will far outweigh the increase in consumption.

Captain Answer
02-07-2008, 12:19 PM
And yes if you are lucky enough to use someone else's car and they pay for the fuel http://www.windowsguide.org/forum/images/smilies/cool-smiley-030.gif

Chance would be a fine thing, I'm sure Mrs Hereketty doesn't know how to fill a car with petrol. She always empties mine and if I get in hers it's never over a quarter :zx11:

MalcQV
02-07-2008, 03:39 PM
Chance would be a fine thing, I'm sure Mrs Hereketty doesn't know how to fill a car with petrol. She always empties mine and if I get in hers it's never over a quarter :zx11:

Me too, only ever drive Mrs QV's car to fill it up :p

paul b
02-07-2008, 04:42 PM
Me too, only ever drive Mrs QV's car to fill it up :p
The A6 always needs fuel when I want it...

Paul

Dudey Head
02-07-2008, 10:48 PM
Me too, only ever drive Mrs QV's car to fill it up :p

I drive Mrs. Dudey's car as often as possible to avoid filling mine up! :D (she got nippy Lupo 1.4, I got gas guzzling coupe 2.6, more economical to pinch hers for nipping out etc.)

MalcQV
03-07-2008, 08:44 AM
I drive Mrs. Dudey's car as often as possible to avoid filling mine up! :D (she got nippy Lupo 1.4, I got gas guzzling coupe 2.6, more economical to pinch hers for nipping out etc.)

I love driving Mrs QV's it is an MX-5, and such a drivers car, wheels at the back being the driven ones front ones, doing just the very precise pointy stuff, not this gay FWD stuff :p:D

Dudey Head
03-07-2008, 11:09 AM
I love driving Mrs QV's it is an MX-5, and such a drivers car, wheels at the back being the driven ones front ones, doing just the very precise pointy stuff, not this gay FWD stuff :p:D

My brothers Mrs. has got an MX5, they say the same about it.

DarrenUK
03-07-2008, 11:30 AM
Regarding the original topic I posted a bit about this at

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=202258&postcount=16

To reliably run a Tdi on SVO you need to fit a twin tank kit or get some advanced equipment from Germany that allows you to fuel with diesel, biodiesel (as long as the car is compliant) and pure rapeseed oil (and some other vegetable oils) at any ratio - just pour what you have in your tank and drive. In most cases cost of modifications is comparable to an LPG conversion. As with most things normally you get what you pay for

MalcQV
03-07-2008, 12:20 PM
Regarding the original topic I posted a bit about this at

:o:o Sorry I do go on a bit :o

DarrenUK
03-07-2008, 05:15 PM
:o:o Sorry I do go on a bit :o

Who me:confused::biglaugh:

Didn't see this post when I replied to the other but thought I'd stick my oar in here.

The daft TV thing really wound me up :zx11: they keep doing it. First Top Gear with the Volvo then Fifth Gear did something similar with a Mercedes although they did add a bit of sensible info on their website when people compained after the show and now this??? There is some half truth in most of it but can't any of the motoring show researchers get it right?

Hate to think how many engines have been messed up due to those shows/items. You don't have to look far to get some good info / always best to go to a few sources- why didn't they?

Dudey Head
03-07-2008, 05:21 PM
Regarding the original topic I posted

Yup, I tend to stray from the beaten path topic-wise. Sorry about that. I swear I must be related to Ronnie Corbett somewhere, you know when he has his "The producer said to me..." moments & then rambles seemingly aimlessly for several minutes? C'est moi! :D

DarrenUK
03-07-2008, 05:36 PM
Ahhh thought you were on about my double posting but I guess you were refering to the topic swerve...