The rising price of fuel isn't bothering one local father-son team.

Frank and Andrew Villasenor aren't concerned about the costs because their car doesn't require fuel from the pump.

“My car is vegetarian,” explained Frank Villasenor, co-owner of Diesel Oil Conversions, and former owner of Frank's Auto Repair in Santa Maria.

Diesel Oil Conversions, a Nipomo-based business run by Villasenor and his son Andrew, is devoted to turning diesel-powered automobiles into machines that run on vegetable oil.

“For three years I haven't gone to the pump,” said Villasenor.

He does draw curiosity when he pulls into a gas station parking lot to pour vegetable oil from a five-gallon jug through a funnel and into his gas tank.

“People say, what are you doing?” he laughed.

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But the idea of running a diesel engine with vegetable oil isn't new, according to Villasenor.

Diesel engines, he said, are capable of running on any kind of oil, while gasoline engines were meant to run on alcohol which has a lower firing point than oil.

In fact, Rudolph Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine first ran his car - intended for use by farmers - on peanut oil that the farmers could make themselves. Later, it was replaced with diesel fuel, itself a waste product created when petroleum is distilled.

“It's not a secret anymore,” said Villasenor.

Biodiesel, which has been in the news as an alternative energy source, is also derived from vegetable oil, but requires a more complicated chemical process than simply using straight vegetable oil as the Villasenors do.

The Villasenors' business was born when Andrew bought a diesel car and learned it could run on vegetable oil. He converted his car and then started working on conversions for family and friends, iincluding one that drives his veggie-oil car 200 miles a day on a commute to Ventura for work.

To date, the Villasenors estimate they've done about 300 conversions.

Their conversions actually make the cars diesel/vegetable oil hybrids because most diesel-powered cars are unable to start from cold on vegetable oil and need some diesel to ignite the engine.

For that reason, Villasenor adds a second smaller tank to hold diesel that will be used only to cool down and start up the engine.

For a typical Volkswagen Jetta, for example, Villasenor adds a tank for diesel next to the spare tire and then uses the original tank for the vegetable oil. He also adds a switch on the dash that would allow the driver to switch between diesel and vegetable oil.

“It's a hybrid really,” said Villasenor.

The dual tank conversion, which includes a heat exchanger, an upgraded fuel filter, a second 6.5-gallon fuel tank for diesel, switching valves and a toggle for the dash, costs $2,000.

Certain cars, namely older Mercedes Benz models, are able to start from cold on vegetable oil alone. Conversions are simpler then, and cheaper on those cars because a second tank doesn't have to be added. A single tank conversion, which includes a heat exchanger and a larger, upgraded fuel filter costs $750.

The Villasenors also sell various equipment, like fuel tanks and filtration systems, to help customers keep their vegetable-oil cars running.

Nate Iven, an Air Force Captain stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, drives a converted 1996 Volkswagen Passat.

Iven purchased a kit online to convert the car himself and enlisted Villasenor's help when he found him in the area.

“I like his solution,” said Iven. “It's simple and it works well, especially for California climates.”

Iven originally intended to convert his car in Colorado, and his kit came with an electric heater, which may have been necessary for the colder climate there.

Iven also owns the equipment needed to filter vegetable oil. He accumulated each part, including a pump, a filter head and 50 gallon drums for storage, from various sources.

In addition to the kit he bought for his original conversion, he estimates he's spent around $1,500 on the set up so far. According to Iven, kits were cheaper a few years ago when he bought his. Popularity has caused prices to rise.

“There are more believers now,” agreed Villasenor.

Perhaps that's due in part to the skyrocketing price of diesel at the pump - typically about the same per gallon as regular gasoline.

Vegetable oil, on the other hand, can be had for free.

Indeed, those in the know, like Villasenor, visit local restaurants to collect their used oil. Many local restaurants will give it away for free because they are otherwise required to pay a service to come pick it up.

One of Villasenor's restaurant contacts, for example, leaves him a five gallon container once a week. “They are very happy that I take it,” said Villasenor.

The collected vegetable oil must then be filtered.

Villasenor first lets his containers sit in the sun, which makes the oil more viscous and allows any debris to sink to the bottom. He then pours the oil, which according to Villasenor should be transparent (milkiness would indicate water or animal fat), through a filter into a tall 55-gallon tank. Once in the tank, Villasenor said he considers the oil “semi-clean.” When the oil is pumped out of the tank it goes through another filter and then into containers for storage or directly into the car or truck it will power.

Veggie oil collectors do have to pay attention to federal and state laws that regulate the collection of used vegetable oil and how much fuel a person can carry with them.

Iven, for example, has been reluctant to collect veggie oil for his car in California because the state has stringent laws regarding collection.

There are ways to comply with the laws, however, and Villasenor makes sure he does. “It has to be done right,” he said.

And for those not interested in collecting or filtering their own oil, there are options.

Drivers could simply purchase vats of vegetable oil at warehouse retailers like Costco or Smart & Final for around $2.50 a gallon.

Iven did just that when it became cheaper than purchasing diesel at the pump. It saved him time because he didn't have to filter the oil and it avoided any potential legal ramifications regarding collection.

Also, Santa Barbara is home to Oil Recyclers of Santa Barbara, a business that sells filtered vegetable oil specifically to power cars for $1.25 a gallon.

One reason veggie-oil powered cars are relatively uncommon in the United States is because actually finding a diesel car to convert isn't easy. Volkswagen, Jeep and Mercedes are among the few automakers offering diesel-powered passenger vehicles here.

Stringent federal emissions standards, and five states (California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont) that don't sell diesel-powered passenger vehicles, have led automakers to stay out of the U.S. diesel market. Diesel-powered trucks, made by Chevy, Dodge and Ford, fall under different emissions standards.

But that might change as new, cleaner diesel fuel (that contains 97 percent less sulfur than today's diesel) is expected to become available nationwide later this year to meet government requirements.

Plus, demand for diesel-powered cars is gowing. J.D. Power and Associates recently predicted that by 2015 diesel sales will account for more than 10 percent of U.S. vehicle sales, up from 3.6 percent in 2005. In comparison, approximately one-third of European passenger cars run on diesel.

The increased demand is likely due to the cars' better fuel economy. The gasoline-powered Volkswagen Jetta, for example, is listed as averaging 25 miles per gallon while the diesel model of the same car averages 38 miles per gallon.

According to Villasenor, the vegetable oil makes no difference in that fuel economy and also hasn't caused mechanical problems in any engine he's worked on.

The smell from the car's exhaust is the only difference Villasenor can think of. “It smells like French fries,” he said, and started up an old Mercedes to prove his point.

“I prefer to smell the French fry than the nasty smell of diesel,” he said smiling.

Emily Welly can be reached at 739-2220 or ewelly@santamariatimes.com.

May 22, 2006