Just bought 2007 1.9 JTD great car, seriously thinking about converting to run on Vegetable Oil. Anyone done this? What problems if any? What kit did you use?

Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

NO

You'd wreck it

It's a modern direct injection diesel, designed for low sulphur mineral diesel.

If you want to run on chip fat get an old non-turbo diesel, or a tractor.

I mean common rail:bang:

Anyway, don't even think about it.

Thanks for the reply. Take a look at this site http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/fuelsdatabase/database/allentries.php

This site shows a database of differnt cars which have run succesfully on Vegetabel Oil. Unfortunatly, there isn't the mention of a Multipla. The fact that it is a modern turbo diesel engine should not be a problem.

Please see this site

http://www.biomotors.co.uk/CarsVansD.html

In which it shows that the Multipla would need a two tank system. Basically you fill up existing tank with Vegetable Oil and have another tank with Diesel so when starting cold draw from diesel once engine has warmed up then vegetable oil is used. (lot more complicated than that, but you get the general idea).

So once again I ask anyone out there with some knowledge/experience who could advise.

see this thread here:

https://www.fiatforum.com/leisure-lounge/99672-bio-diesel-fiat-engines.html

Go to the link at the end of that thread to Angel tuning as well, They use a 2.4 JTD Alfa on bio diesel

Mine is still running fine on a 75% bio 25% diesel ratio

Thanks for your response. Not to concerned with using Biodiesel, really interested in using Vegetable Oil.

Some info, as requested,

Cut& paste

"The Veggy builds up in the engine lube-oil....
There comes a 'Critical Mass' point, (although before this, it can thicken to some extent but without careful testing the amount of contamination cannot really be assessed),- where the Mineral Lube-oil and the Veggy oil are in the right proportions with the normal engine heat and other forces to react to form a polymer, and on that fateful day the engine cools after the 'Critical-Mass' has been reached where the lube-oil will set solid, just like jelly!

-Seen it happen, Very strange stuff is evolved...Same consistancy as Dessert Jelly, with the wobble and shake to boot, but greenish black opaque and covered in a clear yellow thin oily fluid. It has a slight but weird almost linseed/white spirit type smell too....

Next engine start, youll not have any oil pressure, and if not noticed, engine destruction will occur within minutes....."
end of cut&paste

Ref,

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/viewthread.php?tid=1553

oilrag said:

Some info, as requested,

Cut& paste

"The Veggy builds up in the engine lube-oil....
There comes a 'Critical Mass' point, (although before this, it can thicken to some extent but without careful testing the amount of contamination cannot really be assessed),- where the Mineral Lube-oil and the Veggy oil are in the right proportions with the normal engine heat and other forces to react to form a polymer, and on that fateful day the engine cools after the 'Critical-Mass' has been reached where the lube-oil will set solid, just like jelly!

-Seen it happen, Very strange stuff is evolved...Same consistancy as Dessert Jelly, with the wobble and shake to boot, but greenish black opaque and covered in a clear yellow thin oily fluid. It has a slight but weird almost linseed/white spirit type smell too....

Next engine start, youll not have any oil pressure, and if not noticed, engine destruction will occur within minutes....."
end of cut&paste

Ref,

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/viewthread.php?tid=1553

Click to expand...

I used to run a Citroen BX turbo diesel. Used Veg oil for long runs for years with no trouble, BUT I changed the engine oil regularly. Must have been lucky; changed it before it turned to Jello! It finally died, primarily because the higher viscosity of veg oil over diesel made the injection pump work harder. Eventually.................

I've since been told that Lucas pumps will not tolerate veg oil long term, but Bosch will. I cannot vouch for that from personal experience

One thing that puzzles me. If you enter `Fiat Multipla Diesel' on Ebay, you'll find veg oil conversion kits, designed to work with Tesco's finest (not bio diesel). If your engine seized up, blew up or in any other way went horribly/expensively wrong after fitting one of these kits, would the manufacturer/supplier be liable?

Thanks for the replies.

Still not sure though, as the examples pasted do talk about single tank conversions (putting straight vegetable oil SVO into the fuel tank), whereas I would be looking for a twin tank conversion which would pre heat oil before going into the engine.

something like this

http://www.dieselveg.com/conversion info.htm

THanks for all the input and would welcome further input.

Is there a conversion for cooking chips while you drive too? Id buy that 1!

I'm at agricultural college at the moment and know several people who run their Diesles on sunflower oil at 79p per L from Aldi or Lidl! But all their cars are over 10 years old so don't know how a new Diesel would cope.

But I can tell you that they haven't had to do any convirsions or even drain the Diesel. They just poor it in, and the cars run fine. One person even said his Rover 'seemed' to have better performance.

They said the only down side is the funny looks they get when they buy 30-40L of sunflower oil at once in 1L bottles.

I personally would by it like this rather than re-useing chip fat and having to filter it, seems like to much hassle like that.

And you don't even have to declair it to pay tax anymore.

Jon.

Ok, tried mine at the beginning of March on a 50/50 mix of veg oil/diesel. Just one tank full to see what would happen. It was a cold, cold week.

From turning on the ignition I immediately heard the pump struggling. Never even heard the pump before! This I think was to do with the low viscosity at low temperatures of the veg oil. It also took a fraction longer to start, but preheating with the glow plugs twice helped this a bit.

Power seemed a little better, enough to be noticeable and it smelt nice too!

Economy was identical, not a great test over one tank, I know, but no great leaps in economy either way apparent.

Basically it worked, but I wouldn't recommend it at all. The pump really struggled and I was quite concerned I was doing some damage.

I'm not saying it isn't possible but in fact I am sure it is, but use SVO not home brew of old oil and buy a PROVEN QUALITY kit to preheat the oil. From what I understand a good kit has a small tank to allow the vehicle to run on diesel on start up and it later switches to the main fuel tank which now has warmed SVO in it.

It can be done, I'm sure but do it right. And you will notice that veg oil prices are DIRECTLY related to the price of diesel. 1 litre of veg oil on the shelves is 98p in Dover now. It was 78p when I carried out the test. Interesting, or what. (Obviously don't buy it in litre containers though! I bought it in 3 litre ones from Asda at 72p/litre, I think.)

Hope this helps.

Run it on 50/50 in the summer and you will be fine, i know owners who have run it on veg oil from day one without problems, just make sure you get your engine oil checked every so often.

I had a dabble at making some bio-diesel last year, methanol and sodium hydroxide method. Made up about 5 litres as a test and ran it 50/50, worked a treat, ran quieter and quicker than ever. However it was a fair bit of messing about to do.

I am sorely tempted to try the 50:50 with straight oil now we are coming into summer. Anyone else had any experience with doing this??

i've used 25% sunflower oil during the winter with no problems, also have used 100% bio diesel there was a drop in performance but at 90% it was as normal
mine is a punto 1.9jtd