# Veegtable oil as an automobile fuel substitute **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2005, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veegtable-oil-as-an-automobile-fuel-substitute/319717 "2005-09-02T08:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veegtable-oil-as-an-automobile-fuel-substitute/319717/1 "2005-09-02T08:57:07Z")
[Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=157841&highlight=conversion+gasoline+vegetable) an old thread I want to link to because it seems very topical. In it, conversion of Diesel engines to vegetable oil is discussed. I drive a 1998 6 cylinder Pathfinder. I need the cargo capacity and the 4x4. In light of the current gasoline situation, would it make sense for me to try to sell it and purchase a Diesel equivalent so that I could convert it to vegetable oil? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veegtable-oil-as-an-automobile-fuel-substitute/319717/2 "2005-09-02T10:51:47Z")
Just thought I’d throw in another possibly relevant thread detailing the experiences of a poster who has actually successfully done this: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326614&highlight=hlanelee+vegetable](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326614&highlight=hlanelee+vegetable) ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veegtable-oil-as-an-automobile-fuel-substitute/319717/3 "2005-09-04T11:38:57Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Just thought I’d throw in another possibly relevant thread detailing the experiences of a poster who has actually successfully done this: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326614&highlight=hlanelee+vegetable](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326614&highlight=hlanelee+vegetable) Thanks. I think I’ll try to get in touch with **hlanelee.** ---
**Author:** ![jj\_brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@jj\_brewer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jj_brewer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veegtable-oil-as-an-automobile-fuel-substitute/319717/4 "2005-09-05T18:52:45Z")
a lot more info is available @ [http://www.wiesel.ca](http://www.wiesel.ca) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veegtable-oil-as-an-automobile-fuel-substitute/319717/5 "2005-09-05T19:04:35Z")
A co-worker of mine has two vehicles with kits from [greasel.com](http://greasel.com/). One is a 4x4 pickup with a 100-gallon grease tank. It looks like a fairly simple conversion - the engine isn’t modified at all. IIRC it involves (1) adding a second tank for the vegetable oil, (2) adding a valve to switch between the two tanks, (3) additional coolant line for heating up the vegetable oil tank, and (4) heavy-duty fuel filters. Vegetable oil has higher viscosity at low temperature, so regular diesel fuel is used for starting the engine. You switch to grease after the engine has warmed up, and switch back to regular diesel before shutting down the engine to flush the vegetable oil out of the engine.