1997 Passat biodiesel

Prices jump at the pumps, again Published: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 By Dan McLean Free Press Staff Writer

Ken Oldrid of Ripton has 12 gallons of grease in the trunk of his 1997 Volkswagen Passat.

After warming up the car's engine using diesel fuel, Oldrid flips a toggle switch on his dashboard to shift the fuel supply to used vegetable oil gathered from two Burlington restaurants.

Since he converted his first car four years ago, the 29-year-old environmental science major said he has altered some 50 diesel vehicles to burn leftover Frialator grease.

The converted vehicles use the diesel engine 20 percent of the time, at the beginning and the end of each trip, he said. The rest of the time the car is powered by filtered grease -- and the exhaust smells like french fires, egg rolls, or whatever was cooked in the oil.

Not only is Oldrid saving a fortune at the pump, but the carbon dioxide emissions of used vegetable oil are less than a traditional diesel, he said, adding, "It's not perfect. It's not like the super-fuel of the future."

Conversions like Oldrid's may become more popular as fuel prices continue to rise.

Crude oil settled at a record high Tuesday, topping $71 per barrel. With crude oil costs accounting for 59 percent of every gallon of gas and 54 percent of diesel, according to the Department of Energy, higher prices at the pump can't be far behind.

Gas prices today are already higher than they were a year ago -- in Vermont, $2.72 a gallon for regular unleaded and $2.85 for a gallon of diesel -- up 25 percent and 18 percent, respectively, from a year ago, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.

The used grease, however, is still free.

For Vermonters not driving a diesel or for those not interested in searching for used cooking oil, there are no magic bullets for improving gas mileage.

"The very best gas improver is to reduce your speed," said Brian Greenia, who has worked for Maynard Auto Supply for 39 years. "There is no question about it. It's a marked change from 55 to 65 mph in the amount of additional gas you consume. Your vehicle is not at peak efficiency when you are at high rpms"

Greenia suggested keeping tires properly inflated, changing air filters as often as every 12,000 miles -- depending on how often you drive on dirt roads -- regular oil changes, and using a fuel injector cleaner every 8,000 to 10,000 miles.

The exact amount of gas saved is hard to calculate, he said. "It's hard to throw out a percentage on any of these because there are so many variables."

George Rooney, a performance specialist at Yipes! Auto Accessories in Williston, suggested placing a cover -- or tonneau -- over the bed of a pick-up truck to save up to three miles per gallon. The covers start at $200 and improve the aerodynamics of the truck, he said.

Tim Thompson of Yipes said replacing exhaust pipes with high-flow tailpipes, which are often used to boost performance, can provide better fuel efficiency if the vehicle is driven conservatively.

"The engine is just a big air pump," he said. "The easier you can get the air in and out, the more efficient and powerful it will be."

Ahli Baba's Kabob Shop on Main Street is one of the two local restaurants where Oldrid picks up his grease, information he hesitated to share. "It's like telling someone where my oil well is," he said.

The kabob shop's co-owner, Oliver Oates, said Oldrid is one of about five "greasers" who stop by for used vegetable oil.

He's perfectly happy to hand it over, too. Before the grease became a free fuel source for innovative Vermonters, Oates had to pay $25 a barrel to get rid of it.

Oldrid has four diesels waiting to be converted to accept grease, a 25 -to 30-hour process for which he charges $1,500.

"I started before the gas prices were rising, so it was mostly an environmental thing. But the incentive of free fuel is definitely a good motivator," Oldrid said.
Contact Dan McLean at 651-4877 or dmclean@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com In Vermont The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report reported Tuesday that the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $2.757, based on surveys conducted the previous day. A gallon of unleaded averaged $2.724 on Monday, $2.416 a month earlier, and $2.21 a year ago. The highest recorded average price for Vermont for a gallon of unleaded was $3.216 on Sept. 11, 2005.
Source: AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report
Gas mileage tips
Drive sensibly: Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Fuel Economy Benefit: 5-33 percent; Equivalent Gasoline Savings: 13-88 cents per gallon.
Observe the speed limit: Miles per gallon decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 19 cents per gallon for gas. Fuel Economy Benefit: 7-23 percent; Equivalent Gasoline Savings: 19-62 cents per gallon
Remove excess weight: Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles per gallon by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones. Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2 percent per 100 lbs.; Equivalent Gasoline Savings: 3-5 cents per gallon.
Avoid excessive idling: Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.
Use cruise control: Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.
Use overdrive gears: When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.