Fuel additive - paraffin

[MikeT]

I usually run my car on veg oil and a splash of diesel to thin it out. Now winter is here, I read that kerosine can be used to defer waxing if unwinterised diesel cannot be found. Kerosine is the american name for paraffin and being cheaper than diesel, can anyone think of any reason I can't use it in place of diesel for thinning out me veg? I do understand it has a lower cetane rating but that's ok with me.

[CitroXim]

Technically, no reason at all Mike. Diesel, kerosene and paraffin are very similar hydrocarbons and come from much the same base-stock.

Legally though, you're on dodgy ground as paraffin has not had duty paid on it for road use.

It's easy to detect in quite small quantities as it has a very distinctive and pungent exhaust smell and a sensitive law enforcement nose may query it. Think Tilley Lamps, paraffin blowlamps and Primus stoves and you'll know the smell.

Paraffin does have a lowish Cetane rating due to it having a fair Octane rating. A low-compression petrol engine will run on paraffin quite happily when hot and indeed farmers years ago used to run their tractors on TVO (Tractor Vapourising Oil) which was, in fact, kerosene and very similar to Jet-A1 aeroplane fuel. They'd start on petrol and then, once the engine was warm, switch over to TVO.

When we were kids, we'd run old mopeds on paraffin as it was easier to get hold of than petrol!! Smoked a bit though..

Personally, I'd either stick to cutting veg with diesel or petrol. It keeps you legal Mike! In fact I believe petrol was once recommended by Citroen for keeping diesel free of wax in the winter.

Experiment in your fridge and freezer to get the optimum ratios...

[MikeT]

Do you think we're tax-dodgers adding injector cleaner then?

I seem to recall paraffin being the main ingredient in some products and I'm all for keeping my injectors clean

I'm in the reserve of my tank now just waiting for it to empty completely so I can get a full-tank mileage count then I'll refill it and try a "bit of paraffin just because I can Yes, I will check my fuel filter as I've never run the tank dry before. If I can find the tank filter I may check that too.

p.s. I don't have a fridge or a freezer. I don't even have a home yet

[CitroXim]

That's a moot point Mike I wonder if duty is in fact paid on injector cleaner

paraffin is wonderful stuff. It's a great degreaser and a tremendously good solvent, de-ruster and freeer-off of rusty nuts. It is, legend has it, the main ingredient of Plus-Gas. Paraffin is a universal exilier to cure all sorts of automotive ills

Although I use white spirit for cleaning purposes these days, paraffin is much better but up in this high-tech place, not that readily available White spirit is apparantly the main ingredient of WD-40.

If you want some in quantity, there is a lovely old-fashioned ironmongers down in Brockenhurst who has a traditional old Pink Paraffin pump in the middle of the shop, next to the counter, just like the ones you used to see on garage forecourts donkeys years ago when many people used paraffin for cooking and heating I still have fond memories of the old Aladdin paraffin heater in the kitchen when I was a kid, the great heat it put out and the smell. Somehow, when it was replaced with a new-fangled Calor Gas powered Super Ser, something was irretrievably lost. No character

That ironmonger in Brockenhurst was the only vendor of Bakers Soldering fluid I could find and I had his last tin. Something else that is magically effective but almost impossible to get hold of these days...

[Xantiaman]

I can get some kerosene at work no problems but i've read it is not ideal.

I am using 90% mix veg 10% diesel with no starting issues, and we have had some sub zero starting conditions recently.

I have just purchased some veggi-boost which is basically a cetane booster, combining this with 5% petrol, because petrol lowers the cetane rating.

Petrol thins the oil far more than adding diesel apparantly, so it should work out a a bit cheaper and more effective than using just diesel alone, of course it is a few pence a litre per cheaper!

Gareth

[MikeT]

Trips down memory lane, eh Jim?

I found a hardware store in Christchurch, but was disappointed when I found a 4 litre bottle priced £4.80 - but I thought I'd ask if they had a cheaper alternative and was pleased to discover that if I bring my own container, they sell 4 litres for £3.10 - I always carry a can. I don't know if that's a good deal for paraffin but it's cheaper than diesel or petrol.

[DavidRutherford]

The alternative place to get hold of Kerosine is someone who has Oil fired central heating. HHO (Home Heating Oil) is all-but identical to Kerosine, as a 28-second oil. Significantly thinner than Diesel (35-second) it does work well, and doesn't have that same distinctive smell that paraffin does.

I've successfully used small percentages of Kerosine (actually HHO) to thin larger volumes of SVO in the past, and resolve rather smokey startups.

There's also the benefit of having a larger variety of weights of oil as a blend in your tank. The theory is that having a blend of lighter fractions and heavy fractions, the overall burn duration is lengthened, thus giving reduced peak cylinder pressures, but increased overall pressure. Not ideal as far as emissions (things like NOx and SOx) go, and not great for peak power figures, but excellent for mid-range torque and fuel efficiency.

Certainly I've found that using a blend seems to make mid-range (2k-4k) pull stronger and increases my economy by a few MPG.

[MikeT]

Things are looking up! I was asked if I wanted to buy any HHO but turned it down as I didn't know it could be safely used in diesels. Then again, where would I store 250litres anyway?

[Xantiaman]

Kerosene doesnt have any lubricant properties, and its use in cars as a fuel is very illegal in the same way as using red diesel.

I cant see it being a problem mixed with veg in terms of lubrication, but obviously being illegal is a bigger problem

My car continues to start and run well in sub-zero conditions with only very minimal amounts of diesel, about 5%.

Gareth

[MikeT]

Is it illegal to use paraffin as an additive?

[DavidRutherford]

Kerosene ... its use in cars as a fuel is very illegal in the same way as using red diesel.

.. or paraffin, no?

As far as I'm aware, the only fuels you can legally use without paying fuel duty on are ones that are classified as Bio fuels, as such are based on a grown oil of some form or another. Usually vegetable, but it could be linseed oil, nut oil or any other form of non-mineral oil.

Paraffin, Kerosine, Diesel, white spirit etc. are all mineral oil derived and as such are subject to fuel duty if used in a road engine.

[DavidRutherford]

Things are looking up! I was asked if I wanted to buy any HHO but turned it down as I didn't know it could be safely used in diesels. Then again, where would I store 250litres anyway?

How much were you offered that for? Its market value is a bit under £100.

[MikeT]

Paraffin, Kerosine, Diesel, white spirit etc. are all mineral oil derived and as such are subject to fuel duty if used in a road engine.

Does that include Redex, Wynns etc?

[admiral51]

Does that include Redex, Wynns etc?

i would assume that as they are manufactured as fuel additives they would have the vat/tax added into the purchase price as per diesel and petrol

colin

[Way2go]

Does that include Redex, Wynns etc?

i would assume that as they are manufactured as fuel additives they would have the vat/tax added into the purchase price as per diesel and petrol

colin

These are classed as upper cylinder lubricants NOT fuel so presumably only attract VAT and not fuel duty.