Well we've now started using veg oil in the Disco, so if anyone's interested I'll post a little of my impressions of it as we progress week by week 'till it gets boring ... so I'll stop pretty soon then ... ;)
Just used Lidl Corn Oil, 49p per litre, 10 litres into a 1/4 full tank and topped up with ten litres of diesel.
Driven 60 odd miles so I could get a reasonable first impression and it's very favourable. The engine does run a tad quieter and it _does_ appear to run smoother and with a tad more power, seems like best of all worlds. Be interesting to see fuel consumption figures over the next few weeks 'cos we'll be doing one high mileage (>150 miles) run and two short (~50 miles) towing the caravan, a few short trips (
Keep an eye out for large Asian Supermarkets (like Sira Cash and Carry in Southall) they sell it in drums for restaurants and tend to be much cheaper than anyone else.
I'd be extremely interested in any observations, especially in the longer term, so please don't get bored too soon. I read today that the swans have arrived early from Siberia, which means we are in for a hard, cold winter.
I assume that anything that lives or dies passing through a 300tdi would do the same in my 200tdi 110.
As posted previously Kato (200Tdi Disco) is happy as a pig in ***t at 25% Lidl oil 200Tdi Disco. I think I might conduct some low temperature experiments before winter sets in in case waxing or separation is an issue in sub zero conditions.. Derek
As I've said in previous threads, I'm running my 300Tdi Discovery on
50:50 veg oil/diesel. The last few mornings have been particularly cold and I have experienced problems starting for the first time. Once it's running it's fine though.
Is there such a thing as a 12V heater element such as the type found in fish tanks that could be dropped into tank to keep the fuel warm on cold evenings, maybe with external thermostat. I'm thinking Split charging system with dual battery set-up. Secondary battery being used to provide heater supply to keep the contents from waxing.
As mentioned in a previous post I have been running my 200tdi RRC on 100% straight vegetable oil for the last 3 years. Pure rapeseed oil as a technical friend told me that it was the least viscous of all the veg oils.
Not a drop of diesel has gone into it.
I have always changed engine oil and filter at 6 months and it is running fine.
I have a heat exchanger plumbed into the engine water system inboard of the thermostat and though it always starts on the first turn of the key it takes a couple of miles to really warm up to the extent that you would not realise it is on veg oil.
I have gone through 2 winters but since I live by the sea I have never had to start in a heavy frost.
I can confirm that the engine appears quieter, has more pulling power in 5th gear and good consumption.
some time ago I have started using 100% SVO one of my 200Tdi Discos (a 1993 evented ex CT vehicle which is now converted to autobox and BW tbox, has a larger intercooler, hybrid turbocharger, tweaked fuel pump etc).
The vehicle has a problem with the fuel pump and the engine was difficult to start.
It appeared to be somewhat pressure related so I figured that adding a bit of SVO to the fuel filter would make things better.
In fact after replacing the contents of the fuel filter with SVO the engine started ok after a few turns (so that the SVO found its way into the fuel pump)
After that I started using 100% SVO for about three months.
The engine was much quiter, more freely revving and acceleration and top speed appeared to improve also. Same applied for fuel consumption which dropped by about 3% on a litres/100 km basis.
SVO tends to be about the same price as diesel fuel here in Greece (soy oil was the cheapest at around 87 cents (on Euros) per litre while diesel fuel was around 94 cents per litre.
The fuel pump eventualy gave up after three months of using 100% SVO but as the mechanic said the problem was NOT created by the SVO and using straight vegetable oil only appeared to have helped the fuel pump operate for longer until the damage inside was terminal.
SVO is now much more expensive than heating oil so next time I will be using SVO will be next summer.
There was no problem with the ambient temperature during summer (remember I live in Greece and right by the sea).
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I was also using used oil from our family's frying pan on the other camel (a
1994 evented CT Disco 200Tdi) for quite some time and at about 10 to 15% ratio over diesel fuel. The engine also appeared to be quieter and more freely revving. Stopped doing this after we got a second dog and started used the used frying oil (olive oil from our olive trees) in their food...... (so the dogs ate the Camel's food)
The Greek authorities are not so hot on the use of heating oil as a road fuel as they are in the UK then? Heating oil is now marked (yellow) like agricultral (red) diesel is and woe betide you if the marks are found in your road fuel system...
SVO and WVO is an extremely new idea here in Greece.
Agricultural and heating oil are coloured with the same red marker and share the exact same price. Using this "red" diesel carries a penalty which can go up to confiscating the vehicle (if it does not carry an agricultural vehicle road permit) but they NEVER check for it outside of the big cities. (and I live in a very small city close to Athens)
But things will change from January 2008.
By this time the "red" diesel will stop being produced and when you buy diesel for agricultural and/or heating use you will be getting a special receipt and then will be able to reclaim the tax and VAT from the tax authorities.
As you can imagine this will make checking for improper use totally impossible............... (but then again the GREAT problem here in Greece is the tax evasion from selling heating petrol without any receipt at all. You see diesel powered vehicles are NOT so many because you are not allowed to use them in the two largest Greek cities. Which of course makes you wonder why the check for "red" diesel only in those cities. But then again who said that State officials can actually think?????)
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