As a new member to this forum, I find it a bit appaling that there are so many "veggie" cars on here.

two tank, one tank, doesn't matter. veggie oil is an engine killer. the glycerin molecule combines with your motor oil, significantly aging it by several thousand miles... in a short amount of time.

why would someone do this? you're not saving any money nby cutting the life of an engine short.

plus, veggie cars have no power and they smell like crap when they run.

with the advent of biodiesel, I hope that people will eventually stop destroying good mercedes with vegetable oil, used or new.

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Pierre Hedary 1985 280SEL, 1970 111.026 in progress
Mercedes technical advice hotline: 407 765 2867
[servicing older Mercedes in the state of Florida with competence and passion].

From the standpoint of an honest MB technician, Vegetable oil is a threat to your diesel engine's mechanical integrity.

Each to their own. I've never seen any scientific proof that a properly installed veggie oil system is bad for our MBs. Unfortunetly there are many improperly installed systems and many gallons of improperly filter/dewatered veggie oil going into cars. Poor systems are what kill engines. There are many testimonials on various websites and forums of people going more than 50k miles on veggie oil. The diesel engine was originally designed to run on peanut oil.

As for no power, it's not any different than running biodiesel, a 7-10% decrease in power. And as for the smell I think and I know a lot of other people think biodiesel and veggie oil smell a heck of a lot better than diesel. Although smell is a personal thing. The exhaust is a lot safer to be breathing then diesel.

Veggie oil isn't supposed to be in you motor oil in the first place. The only way it gets in there is if your piston rings are sticking which means your veggie oil isn't hot enough. Which leads again to an improperly installed system. And if you are getting veggie in your motor oil you can avoid any damage by changing your oil often.

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Veggie oil will eat up your piston rings after several thousand miles of use.

plus, it doesn't burn thoroughly no matter what temperature it is - it can't burn completely. It has too many impurities.

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Pierre Hedary 1985 280SEL, 1970 111.026 in progress
Mercedes technical advice hotline: 407 765 2867
[servicing older Mercedes in the state of Florida with competence and passion].

From the standpoint of an honest MB technician, Vegetable oil is a threat to your diesel engine's mechanical integrity.

I don't run VO - rather B100, but I definately prefer the smell of BioD to PetroD. (I like both, don't get me wrong), but when I have had to top off with petro, I miss that "burger and fries" smell as my wife calls it.

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Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

I filter my veggie oil to 1 micron. What impurities are going to be in there if I removed all the water and filtered to 1 micron. The stock diesel filter in most diesel rigs is rated at 10 microns. That filter is going to allow more impurities than my 1mic veggie oil.

Sorry Kessler for hijaking your thread.

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Sigh... no matter that Rudy Diesel originally invented the thing with burning veggie oil in mind.

No matter that people have logged hundreds of thousands of miles on vehicles with no ill effects reported.

It is an experimental fuel system, granted, and some have logged ill effects! Still, it continues to work well for many.

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1982 300D, anthracite grey, 260k miles, Greasecar
1999 E300D, black, 160k miles, Greasecar
2010 Honda Insight Hybrid
http://www.chuckwyatt.com
http://www.wordimpressive.com

The folks that are logging thousands and thousands of miles aren't showing up in shops with cars that aren't running, and aren't visiting the forums with problems. So you don't read, see, or hear about them as much. You only get the ones with problems.

The ones that are having problems are experiencing those problems because they are either not filtering/dewatering properly, or their VO system isn't built properly, ie not enough heat.

I say this to most folks that ask me about veggie oil. It's a lifestyle if you are doing it properly. You don't just pump it in the car and go, like at the fuel station. You spend a lot of time collecting and filtering the VO before it ever sees the tank. Atleast you do if you want the car to last.

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Yeah, just as a further comment, I'd say it isn't for everybody by any stretch. I've been doing this now going on nearly 3 years. It makes a bloody mess even if you are fairly careful. It's a pain to procure quality sources, and difficult to regulate (too much or two little).

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1982 300D, anthracite grey, 260k miles, Greasecar
1999 E300D, black, 160k miles, Greasecar
2010 Honda Insight Hybrid
http://www.chuckwyatt.com
http://www.wordimpressive.com

Err, Not Quite.....The Glycerine-component of Veggy-Oil molecule is NOT responsible for 'Lube-Oil Polymerisation' This can happen where NO Glyc. is present

Its possible (And I have seen this, on a D.I. engine....) that was run on Good BioDiesel. The engine in question wasn't in great condition with less than great compression. After 9K miles (Without an oil-change...) the lube set solid...No straight veg was used, therefore No Glycerine present.--This is why its important to change the Lube at Regular intervals, and below those recommended by the Makers when running 'Biofuels'...

Its the reaction between the two dissimilar materials, one veggy based, one mineral based that causes polymerisation--nowt to do with 'Glycerine' --IF-- and ONLY IF for whatever reason, the Veggy Based Fuel, whether straight veg or Proper BioDiesel comes into contact with Mineral Lube-Oil in sufficient Quantity, with the heat and pressures found in an engine.....

As to the power-output, Providing the engine is Set Up Correctly (And by this I mean Timing alterations specifically for Veggy-Fuels, taking into account that veg/BioDiesel takes Longer to fully combust, and has good injectors and compression to start with...) then there will be little or no power losses over standard diesel fuel...

I Really DO agree however, after nearly 15 years of veggy-motoring that the smell of the exhaust on 'Straight-Veg' is Orrible--Used to like it, but after so long.....

My 'first veggy engine', a 617 has done over 80K miles on veggy. Still runs well, and is kept as a spare. It has near 400K total miles, and as you can imagine at that age is rather 'tired' --Just cant bring myself to 'open it up'

But--No excess loss of compression over the entire time I ran it on a variety of 'Good' Straight veg, and 'Orrible nasty semi-solid veggy....
I used to test the compressions every Autumn and have a record of them round here somewhere....

I reckon what I'm saying is-- Its all to do with How Its Done. Not the fuel used....

I'm currently re-building another 617 (that had a rusty bore--Bad storage) for my 'Wagon' New pistons, bearings, valves all that stuff....

Its gonna be run from day one on veggy based fuels. Would you think I would risk several thousand dollars of work and parts by using a fuel that would 'Kill' this engine....??

Please, Keep up the good work of 'slagging off' veggy.....

More money in my wallet and more fuel in my tank for everyone you put off using it!

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http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0TDnoplate.jpg

Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

No matter that Dr. Diesel didn't design Mercedes' engines.

No matter the thousands of cars being killed off by it each year that go unreported to the scrapyards.

No matter that 99% of installations are not documented, designed well or maintained properly.

No matter the number of car being killed by poor maintainance. But none of y'all have Anti Bad Maintainance phrases in your signatures.

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I guess I'd ask, "why dost thou protest too much?" In the end, it is just a car. If it cost me $3k for my car and if compared to running regular fuel in a 25 mpg car, I net $2k in fuel savings over 3 years, I'll count myself ahead. I do think that's a likely outcome. Could you say that with even a Prius? No. With a cheap Corolla? Not really.

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1982 300D, anthracite grey, 260k miles, Greasecar
1999 E300D, black, 160k miles, Greasecar
2010 Honda Insight Hybrid
http://www.chuckwyatt.com
http://www.wordimpressive.com

Well that was it, I am now almost 600 miles and no problems!!! The starburst stuff did the trick!!! And the clear prefilter that I have installed in the like looks great, not red gunk at all!!! Thanks so much for everything.

Glad you got it worked out. Happy VO'ing.

You should come join the Biodiesel and Veggie oil group. There is a link in my signature.

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I wish people would give up on the "Rudolph Diesel invented his engine to run on peanut oil!" shtick. While true, and I have repeated and propageted this old saw myself, it betrays a lack of critical thinking and awareness [Ref. Argument from Authority]. I can run my children on froot loops and twinkies and pizza, but to the extent possible, I choose not to, for reasons that most here will agree with(early onset diabetes, epidemic obesity, arterial placque & low energy, bad concentration). In addition, I used to run on cheesburgers, but gave those up, along with all other meats shortly after marrying a vegetarian. This is not as messy, and probably better for your karma and carbon, environmental & petroleum footprints than greasing. You don't have to worry about rainforests being cut down to grow beef or palm oil, but the agriculture of soy is not very pretty in the US- THX, monsanto, ADM. Ref. The Oil We Eat

Anyways, [/ food rant]. The benz 61X and 60X as well any other passenger diesel that someone happens to drive and/or convert was most likely designed & optimized by a team of sliderule, drafting board, mechanical and machine shop professionals for the mechanical & chemical properties of Diesel #2. In the case of the 61X, probably a boss that asked for a brick *****house as well. This engine will be at least 50 years and many, many developmental generations separated from Rudy's Black Mistress. By coincidence, & good fortune, other stuff works as well, but I would apply 2 other maxims to those cases:
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Your Mileage May Vary

BTW, I do grease, and I can't say I love the smell