Using waste vegetable oil for fuel in your Land Rover

Back before Christmas, I posted an article about using vegetable oil as a fuel in your Land Rover.

Back then, I was using new vegetable oil from the supermarket, but now I have moved over to using waste vegetable oil.

I have been collecting it from local food outlets over the winter period, and now have around 120 litres that need to be filtered before it can be used in the Land Rover.

This is how I am preparing it.

The first thing you have to do if you are going to use waste vegetable oil for fuel is filter it. I use a 2 stage filter process which removes the impurities from the oil quite well, and the Land Rover has been running fine on this when mixed with diesel at about a 30% veg to 70% diesel.

Filter 1: The first filter I pass it through is just an ordinary kitchen sieve with a car polishing cloth placed in it. This removes all the larger particles and food remnants from the oil.

Filter 2: Once the oil has passed through the first filter, its time for a much finer filter to remove the smaller particles.

You can buy filter kits on eBay, but I have found that an old pair of jeans provides a good degree of filtering, so this is what I have been using for the time being.

As you can see by the photo above, the end result is clear vegetable oil which can then be poured straight into the tank of your Land Rover.

I am currently running on 30% waste vegetable oil, and have had no problems other than a cold start is a bit lumpy in the mornings. I will be changing the fuel filter more regularly too, as the veggie oil helps to clean out the fuel system, so the filter clogs up a bit more quickly to begin with.

As we move into summer, I will be increasing to a 50/50 mix, and if all goes well, onto a 60/40 mix. With diesel prices set to hit a record high soon, then I am going to be making a significant saving while reducing my carbon footprint, as vegetable oil is carbon neutral!

How much vegetable oil can I use per year?

You can use up to 2500 litres a year before having to declare it to the government, who will then want their cut of duty/tax! This is more than enough for the average user who travels around 12,000 miles a year.

What Land Rover engines can run on vegetable oil?

The Land Rover diesel engines you can use vegetable oil with are:

• Series/Defender 2.25
• Defender 2.5
• Defender/Discovery/Range Rover 200Tdi
• Defender/Discovery 300Tdi
• Range Rover DT/DSE/DHSE (6 cylinder BMW engine)

Note: Its not recommended to use vegetable oil in the Land Rover TD5 engine

Related Products