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Geneva 2009: Top ten diesels you can't get in America!

Mar05
2009 Written by admin

One of the first things you notice when you start wandering around the Geneva Motor Show is that virtually every major automaker offers diesel engines. Lots of them. Many of them are even in cars that we can get in the U.S. market but only with gasoline engines. As our regular readers know, I’m a fan of modern diesel engines. Being in Geneva gives me a chance to present, in no particular order, 10 examples of cars available in the U.S. (or available soon) that could really benefit from having a diesel option. All the mileage figures have been converted to U.S. mpg. No need to use glowplugs, let’s just get started.

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Geneva 2009: Top ten diesels you can’t get in America! originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Advantages Of Diesel Engines

Dec07
2008 Written by admin

Advantages Of Diesel Engines

If you’ve owned a diesel powered vehicle in the past or if you own one now, you no doubt appreciate the qualities this engine provides you with. More torque, better fuel economy, and easier maintenance are but a few of the attributes of owning diesel powered vehicles.

However, there are some motorists that still complain about the engine’s weak power, especially when accelerating from a full stop. What you may not be aware of is the fact that a diesel engine can be tweaked to give more power without harming the fuel economy.

Diesel engines use air compression to create combustion versus the fuel/air mixture that is required by petrol engines. This attribute means that diesel engines don’t require spark plugs and therefore don’t need to be tuned up.

Diesel fuel has a much higher fuel density than gas, which results in fuel economy increases of 20 – 30% over petrol powered vehicles.

Diesel engines are also cheaper to maintain as they have less parts than that of a petrol powered engine. The life span of a diesel engine is also much longer.

If you’re looking for torque, for pulling a boat or other equipment, then the diesel engine has the supreme advantage. Diesel engines are surely slower, especially when starting from a dead stop, although when you climb hills or go over bridges, the diesel engine is surely up to the task.

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Diesel Engines Forgotten Treasures

Dec07
2008 Written by admin

There are very few engine configurations that promise increased fuel economy and power. There are few engines that offer this in addition to reliability. Today, those across the ocean are enjoying the fruits of diesel technology revolution.

Diesels have experienced a great history here in the United States. In 1980, General Motors modified their 350ci gas V8 to run on diesel fuel. The result however, wasn’t that god. These engines offered better fuel economy but little else. They were very slow, and not very reliable.

Mercedes Benz on the other hand, had better luck in the 1980s with an array of vehicles available with diesel engines. These great vehicles offered amazing durability although they were rough, noisy, and smoked quite a bit. Volkswagon offered diesel as well, although they had a habit for spewing blue smoke from the tail pipe.

Throughout the 90s, Benz and Volkwagon offered diesel vehicles in the United States, with each generation becoming cleaner, smoother, and more powerful than the last. Overall, they were a tough sell as they still lacked the horsepower that many were seeking.

Today, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Volkswagon, Ford, and many other manufacturers are offering diesels to many markets throughout the world. To put it simple, forget everything you know or think you know about diesel engines in the United States.

These newer engines benefit from hundreds of technical innovations. There are several diesels in Europe that offer better acceleration than their gasoline counter parts. BMW’s 120d has 163bhp, goes 0 – 60 in under 8 seconds, and achieves 49.6 miles per gallon.

Benz offers the C320 CDI SE that has 224bhp, and over 360 lb foot of torque. This car gets just under 48 mpg on the highway, with an acceleration of 0 – 60 in under 7 seconds. Throughout North America, you won’t find a gasoline engine that offers this unique blend of fuel economy and excellent performance.

The reason why diesels haven’t caught on in North America comes down to one word – sulfur. We have too much sulfur in the diesel here in the United States. This cheap grade of diesel fuel will run havoc on the more sophisticated diesels offered overseas and cause an increase in emissions.

There is hope however, as refiners will soon be producing what is known as ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. This will help to reduce the sulfur content from 500ppm to 15ppm.

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Diesel Fuel Quality

Dec07
2008 Written by admin

The designs of diesel engines striving to increase performance have made a lot of advancements in engine fuel delivery to the combustion chamber. The diesel engines of today are much quieter, smoother, and also more powerful. The quality of diesel fuel on the other hand has not advanced at the same rate as the improvements of engines.

As soon as it is produced, diesel fuel begins to deteriorate. Less than 30 days of refining, all diesel fuel, regardless of the brand, goes through a natural process called oxidation. This process forms varnishes and gums in the fuel by causing the molecules of the fuel to lengthen and start bonding together.

Now, these components will drop to the bottom of the fuel tank and form diesel sludge. The fuel will begin to turn very dark in color, smell bad, and cause the engine to smoke. The engine starts to smoke as some of these clusters are small enough to pass through the engine filtration and on to the combustion chamber.

As the clusters begin to increase in size, only a small amount of the molecules will get burned, as the rest will go out the exhaust as unburned fuel and smoke.

Its estimated that eight out of every ten diesel engine failures are directly related to poor quality and contaminated fuel. The build up of contamination in the fuel systems and storage tanks can clog filters, thereby causing the engine to shut down, and damage to the engine to occur.

The number one reason for bad fuel is due to the increasing popularity of diesel power and the accompanying increased demand for more diesel fuel. Long ago, diesel fuel remained in the refinery storage tanks long enough to naturally seperate and begin to settle, allowing the clean fuel to be drawn apart. Now, with the demand getting higher than ever, the fuel is never stationary long enough to settle, and the suspended water and solids are passed on to the person buying the fuel – you.

The changes in refinery techniques is also a problem. In order to get more products, diesel fuel is being refined for more marginal portions of the crude barrel. This results in a lower grade product that is thicker and also contains a lot more contamination.

As time continues to pass and technology gets better and better, one can only hope that the quality of diesel fuel improves. As it stands now, the quality isn’t good at all. If you run diesel fuel, all you can basically hope for is that the fuel you are getting isn’t contaminated.

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Diesel Or Not

Dec07
2008 Written by admin

Diesel is often looked at as being smelly, noisy, and many think the only place for it is in a tractor. The truth to diesel vehicles is that they are slow, noisy, smelly, although they are cheaper to run than gas.

Diesel engines aren’t as powerful as gas engines, as gas engines produce more horsepower than that of a diesel engine. Diesel vehicles however, offer more torque than gas. Therefore, it is a very thin line as to which one is better.

When it comes to power, diesel is the more expensive of the two. Diesel powered vehicles are normally more expensive to buy than gas, and the parts are a lot more expensive than gas vehicles. The diesel however, is more reliable due to it being less complicated internally and heavier to build, therefore it normally lasts longer than gas engines.

Economy is always a factor as well, as will fuel prices being what they are. Now days, it costs a small fortune to fill up a gasoline vehicle, especially the bigger engines. When it comes to fuel, diesel is generally less expensive. You can fill up a diesel vehicle for less of a price, and the fuel will normally go longer than gas will.

Appearance is also important. Diesel is generally loud, with the exhaust emitting black smoke when the vehicle is throttled. You can normally tell when a diesel pulls off by the black smoke it leaves behind. Keep in mind, this isn’t a problem with the engine, just means that the fuel is dirtier.

Tuning is also important. Gas engines are more tunable than diesel, as you can get better power increases from gas than you can with diesel. The major thing diesel owners tend to go for is turbo, as it is one sure way to match gasoline in terms of power.

A turbo charged diesel can and will match a standard gasoline engine for power, if not slightly better it a bit. This is why most diesel cars come turbo charged, as its a way to keep up with the modern diesel engines of today.

When it comes to making the choice, you really have to choose what is best for you and your needs. If you want power with plenty of tuning options, then gasoline engines are what you want. On the other hand, if you want power and torque, then a diesel vehicle is what you want.

The choices are entirely up to you, as there are certainly plenty to choose from. Always check out the vehicle you are interested in, and find out if it will match your needs. Before you know it, you’ll have a diesel or gas vehicle that will perform well beyond your expectations.

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Diesel Vehicles

Dec05
2008 Written by admin

As you probably already know, diesel engines get better fuel economy than petrol, simply because they don’t need to burn as much fuel as petrol engines to get the same amount of power. Diesel engines are built heavier than petrol engines, to help sustain the added stress of the much higher compression ratios.

Diesel engines don’t have an ignition system either, so you’ll never have to tune them up. The exhaust systems will last longer as well, as the exhaust on a diesel isn’t as corrosive as an exhaust on a petrol engine.

With diesel engines, it isn’t unusual to see them with 400,000 or even 500,000 miles. There are some out there that have even went beyond 600,000 miles!

When it comes to maintenance, 3,000 mile oil changes are a must. Diesel fuel isn’t as refined as petrol, so the oil will get dirtier faster. You should also replace the air and fuel filters at least once a year.

If you live in a colder climate, you’ll need to switch to a winter blend of fuel to prevent fuel gelling. There are several additives that you can put in the fuel as well, to help prevent your fuel from getting gel.

It’s also recommended that you replace the glow plugs every two years. If the temperature drops below 10 degrees, a block heater is something you should have. This will ensure starting in cold weather, especially with the heavy grade of oil that a diesel engine requires.

If you take care of your diesel vehicle, you can count on it to be around for years to come. Unlike petrol vehicles, diesel engines are built for the long haul, and will last you for miles and miles if you take care of them.

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Hydrogen Booster Petrol Engines

Dec01
2008 Written by admin

With the ever increasing cost of petrol, car makers are having to work overtime to cost effectively improve fuel economy, while still meeting the strict emission requirements of today with petrol engines.

One ideal and promising way to boost the fuel economy of petrol engines is to add hydrogen to the fuel/air mixture in the engine. Since hydrogen isn’t available at the local petrol station, selling a hydrogen boosted petrol engine wasn’t on the list of engines – until now.

Lack of emission
A major cost and environmental advantage to hydrogen boosted petrol engines are low amounts of NOx emission petrol, which will completely eliminate the need for external NOx emissions control. Currently, NOx emissions control is a major cost problem for diesel engines which use expensive traps to meet the emission standards. Diesel engines particulate emissions that must be collected by a filter that should be changed periodically.

Hydrogen boosted engines on the other hand require neither NOx or particulate control and require only a low cost oxidation catalyst to control very small amounts of exhaust which is formed mostly during the engine starting up and warming up. Additional cuts in emissions control requirements stem from the engine’s ability to use only the clean hydrogen enriched charge during the cold start phase when 90% of emissions are generated in the emission test.

Cost
The hydrogen boost system is effectively a bolt on technology that can be added to an existing vehicle’s engine compartment. According to those developing the system, the cost of the system is less than half of the added cost for diesel.

The future
Prototype hydrogen boosted engines are now be installed in test SUV vehicles that have sufficient space for the reformer and it’s related system. The start of long term road testing for performance, reliability, and durability information is planned for later on in the year before the system goes further into development.

Four cylinder petrol engines will likely be the prime candidates for the technology as high petrol prices continue to generate competition among the higher fuel economy models that seek MPG leadership.

With petrol prices getting higher and higher, hydrogen boosted petrol engines offer you the chance to get more miles per gallon and not have to worry about burning up all of your fuel. Instead of having to go out and buy a diesel to conserve fuel, hydrogen boosted units will help you preserve petrol.

Even though they aren’t available to buy right now, they will be very soon. Many manufacturers are looking into them, as they offer petrol engines something like never before. If you own a petrol powered vehicle and have thought of giving it up to go diesel, you might want to think again – as hydrogen boost units may change the world of petrol engines forever.

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Why People Use Diesel

Dec01
2008 Written by admin

With diesel engines, the compression ratio is higher and there is more power. From a technical point, the compression ratio of an engine is the comparison of the total volume of the cylinder at the bottom of the piston’s stroke divided by the volume of the cylinder remaining at the top of the stroke.

Petrol Ratios

Serious damage to petrol engines can occur if you attempt to run a high compression ratio with a low octane type of fuel. Detonation is the ignition of the fuel due to the high temperature caused by a high compression ratio that is developed by design. The fuel is ignited prior to the spark of the plugs that result in a rapid, yet uncontrolled burning.

Diesel Ratios

Keep in mind, the diesel is a heat engine, using heat developed from the compression of air. High compression ratios are possible since the air is compressed. The hot compressed air is sufficient to ignite the diesel fuel when it’s finally injected near the top of the compression stroke.

Diesel Engines

Fuel and air in the design of diesel engines are not premixed outside of the cylinder. Air is taken into the cylinder through the intake valve and then compressed to make heat. The diesel fuel is injected near the top of the piston’s stroke in an amount or ratio that corresponds to the load on the engine.

Heavy Duty

The higher compression ratio causes engineers to design, and test the block, heads, head bolts, crackshaft, connecting rods, rod bolts, pistons, piston pins, etc, with a greater range of structural capacity. To put it in other terms, diesels are heavier than petrol engines.

Petrol

Deciding on petrol or diesel can be tough, although there are several reasons why you should use diesel.

1. Diesel engines produce twice the power per gallon of fuel than petrol.

2. A gallon of diesel is normally cheaper than a gallon of petrol.

3. Diesel fuel doesn’t blow up. The fact is, its hard to get diesel to burn at all.

4. Diesel engines will last four times longer than petrol engines.

5. Diesel fuel that is untreated will last longer in storage than untreated petrol.

6. Treated diesel fuel will last longer in storage than treated petrol.

7. Diesel fuel treatment will cost less than petrol treatment.

8. Spoiled diesel can be reconditioned to refinery specifications, as spoiled petrol can’t.

9. Unmodified diesel engines can be ran on vegetable oil.

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Why You Should Choose Diesel

Dec01
2008 Written by admin

The major distinction between diesel and petrol lies in the type of ignition. While petrol engines operate on spark ignition, diesel engines employ compression ignition for igniting the fuel. With compression, the air is drawn into the engine and subjected to high compression that heats it up. The result is a very high temperature in the engine, much high than that of petrol engines.

In diesel engines, air and fuel are both infused into the engine at different stages, as opposed to petrol where a mixture of air and petrol are introduced. The fuel is injected into the diesel using an injector where in a petrol engine, a carburetor is used for this very purpose.

With petrol engines, fuel and air are sent into the engine at the same time, then compressed. The air and fuel mixture will limit fuel compression, and thereby hence the overall efficiency. Diesel engines only compress air, and the resulting ratio can be much higher.

Advantages

Diesel engines are much more efficient and preferable as compared to petrol engines due to the following reasons:

1. Diesel engines have overcome the several disadvantages of earlier models that featured higher noise and maintenance costs. Now, they are quiet and require less regular maintenance when compared with petrol engines of a similar size.

2. Diesel engines are more rugged and reliable.

3. There is no sparking at all as the fuel ignites. The absence of spark plubs or spark wires also helps to lower maintenance cost.

4. The fuel cost produced is 30 – 50 percent lower than petrol engine fuel prices.

5. Petrol burns hotter than diesel, and therefore they have a shorter life span when they are compared with diesel engines.

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General Information On Diesel Engines

Nov30
2008 Written by admin

Diesel engines offer the lowest specific fuel usage of any other large internal combustion engine. The fact remains, two-stroke diesels with high pressure forced induction, particularly turbo charging, make up a large percentage of the largest diesel engines.

Throughout North America, diesel engines are generally used in larger trucks, where the low stress, high efficiency cycle will lead to a much longer engine life and lower costs to operate.  These advantages also help to make the diesel engine ideal for use in the heavy haul industry.

Cars however, continue to use petrol, primarily due to the consumer desire for a wider range of RPM. In Europe, the use of diesel engines with cars is far more common.

Even though diesel engines are more efficient when throttled down, they aren’t suitable for most types of aircraft. The higher compression ratios of the diesel cycle demand a much stronger block, head, and almost all moving parts in general. These stronger parts add a lot of weight, or a lot of expense, especially if lighter alloys are being used.

The Otto cycle engines are much cheaper to build for these reasons, although they have long been overtaken by the turbine engines. For the same displacement of the engine, Otto cycles will produce more actual power than a Diesel cycle can, because the fuel will burn at a much faster rate, allowing more power strokes per minute than a standard diesel can offer.

What this means, is that less fuel has to be carried.  Additionally, commercial aircraft is normally run at preset limits, so that Otto cycle engines used in aircraft don’t suffer anywhere near the efficiency penalties that land vehicles do. Heavy equipment, such as those used in mining and construction, almost always uses diesel engines.

Diesel engines are also used with submarines. In these types of submarines, the diesel engine is run when the submarine is on the surface, which charges the batteries that power the submarine once it is submerged.

All across the world, diesel engines serve many different purposes. They are used with almost all types of heavy machinery, and other vehicles. Petrol isn’t the way to go with heavy machinery, as the engines simply can’t withstand the beating.

Diesel has been popular for many years with machinery and submarines, simply because the engines can last for years and years. Although they won’t offer as much speed as Petrol, the torque and power is still there.

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