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jeff56
04-27-2006, 03:53 AM
http://www.nbc5i.com/news/9016494/detail.html


PLANO, Texas -- From riding public transportation to walking, many North Texas residents are looking for alternative ways to ease the pain at the pump. But how about running your car on cooking oil?

When Brian Maupin starts up his vehicle, it sounds like a pickup truck but smells like french fries.

Maupin's truck no longer runs on diesel fuel, but on the used cooking oil from the restaurant Curly's Hamburgers.

"Diesel and sulphur, it stinks, you know. And at least when it goes in my windows, I'm enjoying the smell now."


"That's the sound of saving money," employee Luan Vraniqi said while pouring out canola-corn oil.

Employees save the used oil for Maupin to pick up every week.

"I thought it would be nice to give back to one of my good customers," employee Luan Vraniqi said.

Maupin said he is saving $200 a month, and will use that savings to pay for the $3,500 top of the line converter kit and 100 gallon fuel tank that he installed himself in December.

The converter filters and heats the oil to the consistency of diesel fuel.

Brian still has to buy diesel fuel to start and stop the engine, but a tank now lasts 2,200 miles.
Copyright 2006 by nbc5i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wht95Lightning
04-27-2006, 05:13 AM
I guess running on corn oil beats being corn***** by the oil companies. :nono:

Moonshine
04-27-2006, 09:18 AM
Yeah, I saw this story, but I'm still a bit confused. Do they mean he's running on straight corn oil? At first, I thought they were talking about making bio-diesel, but then he wouldn't need to do the start/stop thing on straight diesel. Either way, I don't understand why he'd need straight diesel to stop the engine. Like most news stories, it actually raises more questions than it answers.

wesman
04-28-2006, 04:44 PM
And how long will it take to break even ona $3500 investment? That's a whole lotta driving, not to mention he likely has to buy the used oil for something.

--wes

microsuck
05-02-2006, 04:59 PM
I know a bunch of guys that run SVO. Straight vegetable oil.

L8 APEX
05-03-2006, 01:23 AM
The stopping on diesel is probably to set it up for the next start up. The diesel combusts a lot easier than the oil. The engine has to be hot enough to burn the oil with additive he runs. Also when you are out of town or cross country you are still having to buy diesel.