Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion > Alternative Fuels

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-11-2006, 09:03 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 68
Please lobby to make WVO legal in the USA

1 - go to the following links and contact your elected representatives (thats right, they are supposed to represent you with their lawmaking abilities) in the house and the senate (dont forget that each state has two senators and you should have one house member elected specifically by your voting district).

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

http://www.senate.gov/general/conta...=state&Sort=ASC

2 - cut and paste the text below into your message, or write your own, or modify however you see fit:

I am contacting you because I want to use a clean domestically produced fuel in my car instead of relying solely on foreign oil. That clean alternative fuel is vegetable oil, and with some minor modifications I could potentially run my car on it instead of going to the gas station. However, the Clean Air Act, section 211, prohibits the use of all unregistered fuels in motor vehicles. Vegetable oil has not been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") as a fuel or fuel additive, and therefore I cannot legally use it instead of relying on foreign petroleum to get to work.

The type of vegetable oil I want to use is more safe, efficient, and available than the registered bio-fuels already on the market, such as ethanol and biodiesel. I want to use unprocessed Waste Vegetable Oil ("WVO") that I could collect from a neighborhood restaurant disposing of its used fryer grease. For more information about using unprocessed WVO as fuel in a diesel engine please see www.greasecar.com, www.greasel.com, www.frybrid.com, and www.plantdrive.com. The use of WVO as transportation fuel is far more efficient, safe, and sustainable than using biodiesel or ethanol because it does not require any chemical processing or the use of hazardous materials. Furthermore, WVO emissions are drastically more clean then petroleum diesel fuel.

The fact that I am not allowed, under federal law, to use a clean domestically available fuel is what has provoked me to contact you and ask for your assistance. Please sponsor a bill that makes the use of unprocessed WVO as fuel a legitimate alternative to supporting overseas petroleum interests.

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-11-2006, 09:12 AM
timmyd's Avatar
Registered Lo0zer
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Southern MN
Posts: 63
The more publicity it gets

they will figure a way to tax the hell out of us.
__________________
04 Sprinter 140" 2500
97 F450 7.3L
97 K2500 6.5L
76 Mercedes 300d 98k original
78 300CD 133k
"It has recently been discovered that research causes cancer in rats." -Steven Wright
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-11-2006, 11:01 AM
boneheaddoctor's Avatar
Senior Benz fanatic
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hells half acre (Great Falls, Virginia)
Posts: 16,007
Quote:
Originally Posted by timmyd
they will figure a way to tax the hell out of us.
yeah they will require WVO to be handled by liscensed people to be certain they extract every gram of flesh they can get.

Best kept on the low down and untaxed.
__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-11-2006, 12:07 PM
mac2's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Posts: 227
Quote:
Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor
Best kept on the low down and untaxed.
Scarily enough, I have to agree. It's probably best that John Law remain ignorant of this. If anything this is best left to state policy, such as "Oregon Apollo" for state tax credits for using alternative fuels including Veg oil. We will see.

With the current administration in Washington, I'd keep it below the radar.
__________________
'84 190d 2.2 - Silver
Converted to 5-Speed
'84 190d 2.2 - Blue
Factory 5-Speed

'76 300D (W115)
Sold, found again in less auspicious circumstances
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-11-2006, 12:33 PM
Austin85's Avatar
Smells like Diesel..
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Rio Ancho, Dibulla Colombia
Posts: 2,729
Thumbs up

It's cool to be an activiist and this is definetly a noble idea and well written letter; but as I understand it if we are using a blend of WVO and RUG or Diesel, or any taxed fuel....then we are not breaking the law because the WVO is simply being used as an "additive" to our taxed fuel.......

and I like the idea of being "underground" when I pick up my buckets of UCO in the back alley of Sushi Yama.....it was even more exciting and fun to go dumpster diving for UCO.....
__________________
'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-11-2006, 12:43 PM
fantom71's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Madison, AL
Posts: 85
Backwards Alabama

There is another side to the legality of running WVO here in Alabama. We have two "kinds" of diesel here, standard and "farmer"/"off road". There are check points set up perodically and THE MAN checks to see if you have the proper colored fuel in your car. I have yet to be stopped ( I have only had my diesel for two months and there are not that many MB diesels around here) but the fines are HUGE if you are caught without the proper colors, just like in da hood i guess.
__________________
Fantom71 aka Dale
Madison, AL

91 190E 2.6 5 speed 220k miles and this car still scoots!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-11-2006, 01:04 PM
mac2's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Posts: 227
Quote:
Originally Posted by fantom71
There is another side to the legality of running WVO here in Alabama. We have two "kinds" of diesel here, standard and "farmer"/"off road". There are check points set up perodically and THE MAN checks to see if you have the proper colored fuel in your car. I have yet to be stopped ( I have only had my diesel for two months and there are not that many MB diesels around here) but the fines are HUGE if you are caught without the proper colors, just like in da hood i guess.
I'm pretty sure all states have farm or "Red" diesel and the penalties are STIFF! However I've never heard of a Mercedes getting it's tank dipped and I've never seen such a check point in an urban setting. A few people here run Red diesel in their Mercedes and the odds of getting caught in the city is about 0. Nonetheless I wouildn't risk it.
__________________
'84 190d 2.2 - Silver
Converted to 5-Speed
'84 190d 2.2 - Blue
Factory 5-Speed

'76 300D (W115)
Sold, found again in less auspicious circumstances
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-11-2006, 01:54 PM
junqueyardjim's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cicero, Hamilton County, Indiana about 30 miles north of downtown Indianapolis
Posts: 2,623
Well!

Well, I'd just say burn it and let your car's conscience be your guide!
__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-11-2006, 02:21 PM
Biodiesel300TD's Avatar
|3iodiesel300T|)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Albany, OR
Posts: 4,845
Even if you do get dipped they are going to be dipping into your stock fuel tank, which will have legal taxed diesel, or legal taxed biodiesel, unless you are running homemage BD. So unless the MAN knows you are running WVO they won't mess with the VO tank, I guess I am assuming a little here. You kow how the saying goes--If you assume you make an....
__________________
Andrew
'04 Jetta TDI Wagon
'82 300TD ~ Winnie ~ Sold
'77 300D ~ Sold
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-11-2006, 03:27 PM
Cabernet red, actually
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Willamette Valley, OR
Posts: 503
There are checkpoints in other states where they stop you to check what kind of fuel you're using???

I never knew it was technically illegal to use only VO as fuel. I bet most cops probably don't know that either and would only care slightly more if they did.

It probably would be taxed heavily if people in power heard it was widely used.
__________________
Ralph

1985 300D Turbo, CA model
248,650 miles and counting...
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-11-2006, 03:59 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Central Maine
Posts: 165
Dye

The checkpoints are looking for DYE in your fuel. If it is there.. you are in trouble.

I added just a few gallons of dyed K1 to my MB. I needed to thin out the summer fuel in the tank.

Those few gallons dyed the snot out of all my fuel. I couldnt believe how red it was going thru the prefilter.

Regular "on road" diesel, and Homeade biodiesel would have no dye in it.

All set.

As for the grease kit... why would they look in your trunk. They would think it a coincidence if they smelled frenchfries from the area around your car.

JP
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-11-2006, 08:36 PM
Keith
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Rocky Mount, NC
Posts: 119
Diesel additive....

I don't recall paying road taxes on that bottle of injector cleaner that I put in my tank......it is a diesel additive. I think I have a few residual ounces of regular taxed diesel in my tank sloshing around with the B100 "additive" I put in there. I'm not too worried at this point.
__________________
1983 300SD "Helga"
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-11-2006, 08:59 PM
jshadows's Avatar
Bob
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Paris, FR
Posts: 737
Seeing that none of the conversion kit manufacturers discuss it as an issue, and that most people wallpaper their cars with the fact that they are running on Veggie, I highly doubt it's a problem either.

Suppose they could make it illegal, but enforcement will always be a problem. So keep on burnin'!
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-11-2006, 10:11 PM
boneheaddoctor's Avatar
Senior Benz fanatic
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hells half acre (Great Falls, Virginia)
Posts: 16,007
Washington State and the Peoples Republik or Kalifornia would be the first two places to do anything to shaft the people...the feds are the least likely. I think until we see something start there common sense will prevail. But thats just one mans opinion.
__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-12-2006, 10:02 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 68
"ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
JFK

my point - who cares about a few cents per gallon in road tax, lets get less dependant on foreign oil as a nation. maybe even have ambulances, fire engines, and military vehicles running on WVO so that they are more versatile in case of an emergency.

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:40 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page