[davidzweig]

I ran my 1999 Nissan Primera 2.0 turbo diesel on virgin vegtable oil for a couple of years (I had about 400L in the back when taking the channel ferry to to drive around Europe). It cost 0.40p/l instead of 1.20/l in the UK. Bought it from a farmer from an ad on eBay. No modification needed, but you need to have a couple of fuel filters and a tool to change it handy, in case you have a blockage (more common when first starting to run on oil). In winter add 5-10% petrol to keep the viscosity down. You can always add diesel to the tank without issue.

I think many 90s indirect-injection diesels can run vegtable oil without modification, but some ppl add a fuel heating system or a dual-fuel switchover system.

There were newspaper stories of ppl going into Tescos and filling their trollies with 5L bottles of vegtable oil, then going to the parking and filling their tanks. Later (virgin) vegetable oil became more expensive than diesel, used oil is a different story.

Bonus: when reversing, or at the lights with a breeze, you often notice an odour like fried chips. :)

It probably wasn't more common because it was some hassle with the fuel filters and potential damage to fuel pump (some are built better than others). The Nissan had a license-built Bosch design that was solid.

[highwaylights]

If I’m at the lights, and you floor it and take off to leave my car smelling of battered haddock I guess you could call it…

Rolling Cod

Thanks. Here all week!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_coal

[NikkiA]

Shame on you for not going with Rolling Sole [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_(fish)

[highwaylights]

Yeah this would have been better

[j-a-a-p]

Perhaps you need to consider when you want to buy a switchover system from eBay: If caught, obviously by police with a nose for chips. They will take your car milage multiply that by the amount of fuel tax you did not pay, double it as punishment and give you a set fine while they are at it.

[gnfargbl]

If he's doing less than 2,500 miles per year using the biofuel, that's not the case.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/biofuels-and-other-fuel-substitu...

[cjrp]

According to that link it's actually if you use > 2500 litres/year, which is a lot. Assuming 40 MPG (UK), that would do you about 35k miles in a year.

[15155]

Can you prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this vehicle was operated under illegal conditions for the entirety of that duration? What if it were imported? Used?

[j-a-a-p]

In my country the tax law has a reversed proof clause. Meaning, you are guilty until proven innocent. This clause is activated after you get caught, or even when you did not comply with administrative requirements. Other countries have similar clauses.

So in this case, if you have hard proof, meaning a proper administration, fuel tickets, etc. Which you all don't have, there is basically only a central milage database and ownership records that can hedge your damage.

[local_crmdgeon]

That's absolutely fucking insane.