October 3, 2006 – Increasingly, environmentalists are campaigning to replace polluting fossil fuels with green fuels. One of the latest avenues explored is vehicles powered by vegetable oil, the kind used to make French fries! The solution is both ecological and economical. Converting the diesel engine of a truck so that it runs on vegetable oil can result in savings of more than $100 per week. The only problem is that mistakes are very costly.

Reporter: Julie Vaillancourt
Producer: Roger Archambault
La Facture – Televised on Tuesday September 26, 2006 (Radio-Canada)
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Until recently, Charles used cooking oil filtered by a home-made system for fuel.
“The idea may seem far-fetched, but it’s really great for the environment, so why not?”

Charles lives in the country and is a dedicated environmentalist. When he heard of a technology that could convert diesel powered vehicles so they might use cooking oil, a much cleaner fuel than diesel, he decided to investigate further.  

His research led him to believe that all he had to do was to convert his vehicle.
“It looked simple enough and I never found anyone who had complained about it.”

A company offering to convert vehicles for $2500 caught his eye. The principle is quite simple: a second tank – for vegetable oil – is installed in the vehicle. Once heated, the vegetable oil is supposed to do the same job as diesel fuel.
Obviously the precious liquid is not to be found at the pump. Charles made deals with several snack bars to secure a supply of used cooking oil. He would pick up the oil each week.   

$9000 in repairs
Once the question of supply was settled, Charles decided to convert his vehicle. Trouble started almost immediately.
“I picked up the vehicle, then my wife, and then we got stuck.”

Problems occurred in quick succession. The truck lost speed going down the highway. Filters became blocked. Within two months of the conversion, the engine quit completely. General Motors was merciless in their verdict. The truck would require $9000 in repairs.   

”When the technicians began running their tests, they discovered contaminants throughout the system supplying the fuel injection system,” explained Serge Dubois, Assistant Manager of After-sales Service at General Motors of Canada. “Used cooking oil contains shortening, animal fat and lots of moisture. Water spray damaged the injectors and the pump.”

The warranty on the 2003 vehicle was no longer valid because the truck had been converted. Charles was left to foot the bill. Eight injectors and the pump had to be replaced.

Always a Risk
Charles’ misfortune did not surprise militant ecologist Dylan Maxwell, who has been running on vegetable oil for a long time.
“I know someone with a recent model Ford. In the six months’ time he used vegetable oil, he had to change two electronic controllers and a fuel pump,” he stated.

Although a staunch advocate of the technology, Dylan Maxwell acknowledges that there is no scientific study backing the use of vegetable oil as a fuel. He himself has serious misgivings about attempting the experiment on new vehicles.   
“It works, but there is always a risk. This is why I suggest trying it with old cars.”

Charles would have liked to have known that fact beforehand, because he had purchased his truck expressly for the purpose of converting it after having asked a very specific question to the dealer who was to do the conversion.
“Are there major risks?” I asked. “If such is the case, I’ll buy an old beater, say a Golf with 250,000 kilometres on the odometer and a $3,000 price tag. I’ll convert it and if it breaks, no big deal; or, can I go with a $35,000 vehicle?”' The dealer replied, “There is no problem.”

Bad Filtering?
The dealer who converted Charles’ truck claims that being a recent model vehicle is not the problem.
“There are customers with vehicles more recent than his [Charles] who have had no problems.”

The dealer blames Charles.
“We conclude that the person probably didn’t filter his oil properly or may have used oil that is not recommended, containing either shortening or animal fat. The person probably used the system improperly, failing to purify the oil sufficiently.”
Charles disagrees. He contends that he filtered his oil much more carefully than recommended.
“The dealer recommended filtering to 10 microns. I filtered to 1 micron.”

No Warranty Coverage
Today the dealer can do nothing for Charles. In the contract signed with each customer, the dealer specifies that only the conversion is guaranteed, not the engine of the converted vehicle.
 
According to attorney Daniel Gardner, law professor at Laval University and Consumer Protection Act specialist, this is completely normal. Article 37 on warranties has limitations.

“When it can be shown that the device in question is still operating normally and that there was a problem with the engine that is not linked to the operation of the oil conversion device, the situation changes. The dealer must warrant his product and not the use to which it is put.”
 
So Charles is not covered by any warranty. Not only did he have to pay for repairs to his truck, but he also had to pay to have it reconverted back to diesel fuel. In addition to hefty out-of-pocket expenses, the misadventure took an emotional toll owing to sadness, anger and disappointment experienced.

“It’s too bad, because I believe that the technology has potential. We should be developing it and polluting less.”
 

Conclusion

Those who want to do their part in reducing greenhouse gases can look to another solution: bio-diesel fuel. This gasoline is obtained through factory recycling of used cooking oil and animal fat. However, it can only be used in diesel-powered vehicles and in a proportion not exceeding 20%.  In Québec, it is produced in the city of Sainte-Catherine in Montérégie. In short, there is still a long road ahead.

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