Biofuels are not the answer
Biofuels are not the answer to climate change / global warming problems - if you think they are the solution then you are asking the wrong question!
The law varies from country to country
check to see how the law locally affects you.
Only buy fuel made from used, waste oil
big agribusiness are cutting down virgin raniforrest to feed our demand for biofuels (ethanol and vegetable oil) - don’t be fooled, don’t buy it!
Injector-pumps
There is some evidence to suggest that some injector-pumps are less robust and not suitable for conversion to run on vegetable oil; please contact me to see if yours is up to the job.
Dishonest people
Unfortunately there are some less than honest people out there who will be keen to sell you “biodiesel” which may not quite be what you think it is, it may be one of the more experimental fuels mentioned below, it may actually be 5% biodiesel and 95% diesel (common on forecourts); in fact it could be anything and getting the truth from the seller may be difficult. If in any doubt, don’t buy it.
Experimental fuels
Usually made from vegetable oil and/or diesel and/or white spirit and/or acetone and/or turpentine and/or turps substitute (commonly about 82% waste veg oil + 15% diesel + 3% white spirit or 80% waste veg oil + 20% turps / turps-substitute) - it may well be that some blend of the above, or other, chemicals and compounds makes a good, safe, green, reliable alternative to mineral diesel, but I don’t advise it. By all means experiment on your own vehicle, but be cautious of people trying to sell it to you as Biodiesel or Biofuel.
Cleaned up used vegetable oil comes in a variety of qualities
and I am aware of people selling cleaned used cooking oil which is nothing like clean enough. Be cautious.
Biodiesel is a good solvent
Biodiesel is a good solven and dino-diesel is dirty stuff, biodiesel will clean the deposits left by thousands of miles worth of diesel from your fuel tank, be aware of this and change the fuel filter after a few tanks of biodiesel.
Rubber components
In some very much older engines biodiesel may damage the rubber components of the engine - this is almost certainly not you.
Buy my book
I have written a book on biofuels, biodiesel and vegetable oil for McGraw-Hill, it will be published in late Summer 2008 - read more about it here - and find it on Amazon here.
