Sure you can, but it won't last. Also I've read these types of articles before and they seem to focus on using some vegetable based oil for the engine while not realizing that oils are used in several components of a car to keep them running. Brakes, power steering, transmission, differentials, bearings, etc...<p>The engine is the place least friendly to oil, that includes dino oil or even synthetics, which is why it's the commonly known oil in a car. Because it's constantly changed. Plant based oils probably wouldn't work well in a automatic transmission as those generally have friction modifiers added . Using something like olive oil in the power steering system or in hydraulic brakes would probably fare a bit better but again heat death would take its toll.<p>While any oil is usually better than no oil for the short term, the big problem with these plant-based oils is the oxidation breakdown under higher temperatures. Many of these oils will go rancid over time and gum up into a polymer and that time gets shorter when they are exposed to heat.