Biodiesel: Converting a 2006 Suzuki Aerio SX?

[CW]

I'm seriously considering converting my car to biodiesel. I've heard it can usually be done with only a few hundred dollars in parts. I have a few questions, though.*Should I expect the value of my car to increase, decrease, or stay the same from this operation?*Does anyone know where I can find a guide for converting this particular car?*Can any of you give insight as to how easy/difficult it is to refuel with biodiesel in Kansas, and the approximate cost?Thanks in advance.

[DavidCross]

In order to convert a car to run on biodiesel it has to be a diesel engine to start with. I dont know too much about Suzukis but i dont recall them making a diesel engine.

[sweet_trixie_1977]

Forgetaboutit.First - your car has to already be a diesel car. Otherwise you need all new engine, etc.Second - most people running biodiesel are actually making their own from waste cooking oil from restaurant. You will need 50 gal drums installed in your car for collection. Then you have to take the oil to your barn and "process it". Not a difficult process but it is still not as simple as pulling up and filling it.It is currently NOT a good option.Good Luck.

[justpatagn]

You don't convert a car to biodiesel. You just pour it in and go. Any diesel will run on it. You might have to go through a few fuel filters at first. Bio tends to clean a lot of crud out of fuel systems at first.

[mrvadeboncoeur5982]

http://grist.org/advice/ask/2005/03/17/umbra-svoschool/Converting an engine to run on straight vegetable oil (SVO), then, means tinkering with the fuel-delivery system to warm the SVO before it passes through the tubes and, in some cases, heating it again before it enters the combustion phase. For the mechanically minded this is a thrilling challenge, and if you want to design your own conversion system, go for it. The rest of us will have to rely on commercially available systems.These systems almost all entail installing what is basically a second fuel system: separate SVO tanks and hoses, a heating system in said tank and/or on the way to the engine, a device for routing radiator heat to said systems, and a way to switch between diesel and SVO. With these systems, the car initially starts using diesel (or biodiesel) from the original fuel tank. When the engine and the SVO have both been heated for a sufficient amount of time, the driver flips a switch and the fuel delivery system changes over to the SVO tank. At the end of the drive, the driver must reverse the process so that when the engine comes to a stop there is diesel in the tank and the fuel lines, rather than soon-to-be-gooey SVO.SVO conversion kits are readily available and range from about $650 to $1,500 without installation. They can be found at Frybrid, Greasel, Greasecar, Neoteric, and Elsbett. (The Frybrid folks live in my area, although not quite in my basement, and I spent some time visiting with them a few weeks back. Fun.) The world of SVO conversion is filled with lively debate over which system is best, so before you proceed with your dream, spend a chunk of time on these and other websites developing your own opinion. Running biodiesel can be a passive act of consumption at this point in certain areas of the country, but the SVO-conversion technology is new enough that you need to be informed before you make the leap. You also need to have a good mechanic and the willingness to be actively involved with your car. That's my advice.My other advice is to spend time learning what it takes to obtain and process used restaurant oil. My Frybrid friend takes all the oil produced by a nearby Japanese restaurant, heats it for six hours in an old water heater, removes the resultant water, and then filters the oil until no particles remain that are larger than five microns. He's a particular kind of fellow, and some will insist that you don't need to go that far, but again, this is something you should decide for yourself.Viscously,UmbraI do know that if you convert you will void your warranty.I'd think the value would decrease because it's not stock any more.I'd think the difficulty of refueling would be on how many restaurants would be willing to give you the grease.Would you smell like a french fry all the time? Would your car get that old grease rancid smell? In the cold months will the grease gel and not work as fuel any more?

[PierreJ]

"only a few hundred dollars in parts". - no my friend think complete engine and trani transplant along with ecu. You will also have to upgrade the suspension due to the heavier diesel engine.

[Santana]

Yon can't convert your car because the engine work on gaz. On 4 strokes engine on the explosion stroke the gaz engine use a spark provide by the spark plug, and on diesel engine the explosion stroke provide by diesel provide by the injector.It's imposible. The only solution is put a VW engine on your car who work on diesel.