Can any car run on vegetable oil?

No, this technology only works on Diesel engines only.

Can I convert any diesel vehicle?

If the vegetable oil is heated to 160°F, any diesel vehicle can be converted. However, some applications have more complicated fuel systems and require more complicated conversion systems.

Which vehicles are the best candidates for conversion?

What vehicle best fits your needs? The most popular kits to date are for the Mercedes 300 D/SD/SDL, newer VW Diesels (including Jetta, Bug, Golf, Passat) the Chevrolet Suburban, and the 1994-1998 Dodges with 12 Valve 5.9 Cummins. Although your choice of vehicle must be based on what you intend to use the vehicle for, if you have 4 children then buying a pickup will likely not meet your needs as well as a Suburban, conversely if you need a vehicle for commuting, a smaller vehicle would likely be a better choice.

Is this different than biodiesel?

Vegetable oil has many fuel properties that make it an attractive substitute for diesel fuel, except for much higher viscosity. Both SVO conversions and biodiesel are attempts to lower the viscosity to an acceptable level for disel fuel injectors. The biodiesel approach is to chemically alter the vegetable oil to thin it out. The SVO conversion approach is to install components in the vehicle that will heat the vegetable oil and thereby reduce its viscosity to an acceptable level.

Biodiesel requires that the fuel is modified each time it is collected. SVO systems modify the vehicle so that the unmodified fuel can be used. The making of biodiesel requires that oil is collected and filtered, then heated, mixed in exacting proportions with lye and methanol (caustic and explosive substances) and that the resulting glycerin byproduct is disposed of. Failure to properly titrate the mixture will result in soap. SVO requires only that the oil is collected, filtered and dewatered.

Many diesel engines must be modified in order to use biodiesel without causing damage. The fuel lines may need to be changed to those tolerant of biodiesel, and some fuel injection systems have seals in the injection pump which must also be changed or damage will occur.

Will burning SVO damage my engine?

Based upon our testing and research in the literature, if the oil is heated to at least 160°F before injection into a combustion chamber that is at operating temperature, burning SVO will not cause long term damage to your engine. Other companies sell systems that do not meet these conditions and customers have seen coking of the injectors and rings, and contamination of the engine oil. While there are customers with over 100,000 miles on SVO, there is a lack of peer-reviewed studies investigating the long term effects of burning SVO within a two-tank system design, a system that only delivers adequately heated oil into a combustion chamber that is at operating temperature.

Will the SoyCar system work in a cold climate?

With the two tank installation, yes.

How do the power and fuel economy compare?

On average, pure vegetable oil has about 90-95% of the heat energy by volume when compared to diesel. Everything else being equal this means that you will see a slight reduction in miles-per-gallon compared to diesel.

How do emissions compare?

Sulfur Oxides (Acid Rain source): Completely Eliminated

CO2 (Greenhouse Gas Emission): Completely Eliminated
(due to implied reabsorbtion by vegetable oil crop)

Carbon Monoxide (Highly Toxic): 30-50% Lower

Diesel Particulate Mater (DPM) / Soot: 50-70% Lower

Where do I get my oil?

New food grade oil can be used (Costco or Smart and Final), however most people prefer to collect and process waste oil from restaurants.

To use waste oil you should develop relationships with local restaurants. Currently most restaurants either have to pay to have a rendering company pick up their waste oil or they get paid pennies on the gallon. The restaurant may be happy to cancel their contract with the rendering company and put their oil in a container you supply.

Once the oil is in the rendering company's dumpster it belongs to the rendering company, and pumping from this dumpster is theft, even if the restaurant gives you permission. Theft of waste oil is a growing concern in the rendering industry. Removing waste oil from a dumpster belonging to a rendering company is stealing, it is illegal just as shoplifting is and will be treated as such by the police.

Waste oil MUST be filtered and dewatered before being put in the vehicles fuel tank, if anyone tells you that you can simply pump waste oil from a dumpster, through a filter and into your tank, they are either very ignorant or simply lying in order to sell you something. Simply pumping oil through a filter will damage the injectors, injection pump, fuel pump eventually. Doing so is a form of mechanical "Russian Roulette" and just as with "Russian Roulette" catastrophic failure will occur, it is not a matter if "IF", but of "When".

We strongly encourage the formation of vegetable oil co-ops to spread the time and expense of collecting and processing oil.

What kind of vegetable oil can I use?

Any kind of vegetable oil that you can collect, filter, dewater, and pump into your tank. The SoyCar system can handle hydrogenated oil and even animal fats, however you may find it difficult to collect and process these types of fat.

What if you can't find vegetable oil?

This is a dual-fuel system; the existing diesel fuel line is left in place. In either the single or dual tank scenario, diesel can be used either exclusively or mixed with the vegetable oil with no modification.

If using waste oil, do I need to prefilter it?

SoyCar recommends you filter your oil to at least two microns and remove any water in the oil down to 500ppm (until a drop of oil on a hot plate of 350 degrees does not sputter and only forms small bubbles).

Can stored vegetable oil go bad?

Just as regular petroleum should not sit for an extended period, either in your tank or in a storage container, the same applies to SVO/WVO. Vegetable oil should be filtered to at least 5 microns (2 microns is preferred) and dewatered to 500ppm or less (checked using the crackle test). The oil should then be placed in a container with minimal air space in it and sealed. Oil to be stored for some time should be kept as cold as is easily possible, in a basement or cellar should be adequate, and protected from sunlight. If bacterial growth is present commercial biocides designed for diesel fuel should be used. If stored oil develops a smell like paint and/or has lightened in color (indicating a raise in peroxides) it is highly oxidized and should be discarded.

When the oil is to be used, it should be pumped from the storage container, through a filter and into the vehicle. Leave a small amount in the bottom of the container and never draw fuel from the bottom, this oil can be poured into the next batch of oil being prepared and reused.

All storage vessels should be thoroughly cleaned after filling and stored in a secure area to prevent the attraction of pests and the possible rupture of the storage containers by pests. The smell of VO will attract insects, rodents and large carnivores like Coyote or Bear. Keeping the stored oil containers and area clean is essential.

How does the SoyCar system work?

SoyCar has both a single-tank and a dual-tank fuel system. The single-tank system uses electricity provdied by the alternator to heat the oil before it is injected to the engine. A supplemental booster pump also aids to move the fuel through the system. In the dual-tank setup, the vehicle's original diesel fuel system functions just as it always has. Once the vehicle is started as normal, the engine produces heat which is transferred away form the engine by the coolant. The SoyCar system taps into the engines coolant and uses this energy to heat the vegetable oil to a temperature where it will combust with similar characteristics to diesel fuel. Click here to see the dual-tank system in action.

Can Biodiesel be Integrated with the SoyCar System?

Absolutely! Biodiesel can be freely used in any proportion with diesel fuel in the stock tank, including 100% biodiesel in the startup tank.

Will this void my warranty?

It depends. Contact your dealer and ask. Some manufacturers will honor the warranty except if the dealer determines the damage was caused by an alternative fuel.

How easy is it to install a kit?

With the detailed instructions provided by SoyCar, a competent mechanic can install single-tank kit in about three to five hours and the two-tank kit in about six hours. For the customers that want to do it themselves and are not professional mechanics, expect one to two weekends.

Will SoyCar convert my car on site?
For the single-tank conversion, yes.

How long will it take?
The single-tank system takes three to four hours. The dual tank depends on the particular application, but typically takes a weekend.