Why do many drivers pour olive oil into their car's fuel tank? What happens? What are the risks for the car's engine? Let's find out.
With the price of gasoline skyrocketing, many Italians are unable to afford to deal with the high cost of fuel. The scenario encourages more and more Italians to look for alternatives to save fuel costs. Some drivers have not hesitated to replace fuel with olive oil. Is this practice legal in Italy? Here's what happens.
Driving with extra virgin olive oil: what are the risks for your car's engine?
Since vegetable oils are chemically close to diesel, Some diesel drivers prefer to save money. These oils are much thicker than diesel, and using them can change the way the fuel injectors push the diesel through the combustion chamber. These mechanical devices are essential for the proper combustion of fuel inside the cylinders. In this case, the injectors will inject vegetable oil into the cylinder, but the spray will be thicker.
As a result, the amount of partially burned fuel will be much greater, resulting in fewer kilometers traveled and increased gas emissions. It will also lead to a significant accumulation of deposits in all parts of the engine associated with combustion, both in the injectors and in the combustion chamber. Consequently, this leads to increased wear on the injectors and the fuel pump, which will have to double their efforts to inject the thicker fluid.
Pouring oil into the tank: what does the law say?
I Diesel engine vehicles can technically run on non-approved alternative fuels, such as extra virgin olive oil. The law is very clear on the matter: it is strictly forbidden to use vegetable oils as fuel for your vehicle. Violators face heavy penalties: up to 3 years in prison, confiscation of the vehicle, as well as a fine for fuel fraud.
Vegetable Oil as Fuel: Does Insurance Cover Repair Costs?
In view of the risks that may arise from the use of vegetable oil as fuel, the insurance companies they do not cover the repair costs. It is best to avoid using cooking oil to avoid damaging the car engine and exposing it to heavy fines provided by law.
Car engine oil: when to change it?
Car engine oil it wears out and degrades. Petrol engine oil should normally be changed between 10.000 and 20.000 km, the mileage indicated in the manual. For the oil of a diesel engine, these figures reach up to 35 thousand km, even if on the latest generation engines the service interval has been reduced. The characteristics of the engine oil are indicated in the user manual and must always be respected.
It is essential not to mix oils with different characterization acronyms. Another good tip is not to use brands that are too cheap, which could damage the engine. It is better to focus on famous brands that can be quality assurance (Mobil1, Petronas, Castrol). Each manufacturer suggests a specific brand of engine oil. In any case, it is always better to opt for a quality product.
