How to Run Your Car on Oil
Not all cars can run on oil, but if you have a diesel car, you'll be able to do so. Not only can you save money by running your car on oil, you can save even more money by using used oil. Vegetable oil is the oil of choice for running diesel cars. It can be used oil--used in cooking--or can be bought from your local grocery store very cheap. Because vegetable oil is really thick, you will need to thin it before you can use it. If you don't thin the oil, it will ruin your car's fuel injection system. The simplest way to reduce the viscosity of vegetable oil is by mixing it with a lighter fuel such as kerosene.
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Instructions
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Pour used vegetable oil through a strainer to filter out any bits of food or debris. The best way to get used vegetable oil is to go to local restaurants and ask around. Restaurants have to dispose of used oil, so may have no problem giving it to you. Most people know that used oil can be used to run a car, so you won't have to do much convincing. If you do make an agreement to pick up the used vegetable oil from a restaurant, make sure to honor it. This means if you say you're going to pick up the oil every Friday at 5 p.m., make sure to be there every Friday at 5 p.m. Not honoring your agreement can be an easy reason for the restaurant to stop supplying you. Some other places you can look for used oil are: schools, hospitals, potato chip companies, fairs and anywhere that may be frying large amounts of food. Make sure the used oil is indeed vegetable oil. Many restaurants use liquid shortening and it doesn't work as well for biodiesel fuel.
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Pour three parts of used vegetable oil and one part kerosene into a metal container that is large enough to hold your mixture.
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Let the mix sit for a week to properly thin the oil. You don't have to mix the two substances for the oil to thin out. You just have to let it sit for a week for it to mix properly. Make sure the mixture sits in a well ventilated area that doesn't pose any risk of causing fire. Since you will be letting it sit for a week unattended, you want to make sure there is no possibility of causing fire damage. You can let it sit outside if the weather is nice. Rain and snow will affect your mixture from properly mixing.
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Order a fuel injection kit for your specific car model. You will have to go to a mechanic to get this kit installed because each model is different. You can also find kits for your specific model online and then go to a mechanic for installation. The kit allows you to put thinned vegetable oil into one chamber, while normal diesel fuel fills the other chamber. The car will use the diesel fuel to start; once the vegetable oil warms up enough, the car will begin using it to run.
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Switch back to using the diesel fuel before you shut the car off. Each car uses a different method to switch back to the diesel tank. Once you switch to the diesel tank, let your car run for five minutes before you shut it off. This will ensure that your fuel lines don't get clogged.
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References
- Photo Credit three sorts of oil image by Tomo Jesenicnik from Fotolia.com
