Diesel Car Engines
Diesel engines in cars are becoming more and more popular
in our society. A recent study showed that diesel's account
for more than 50-percent of car sales in some European countries,
an interesting statistic if you ask me.
Clean Diesel Car Engine
As for the American market, car diesel engines are also making
a comeback as they are cleaner, deliver more power, are more
efficient and deliver higher MPG's than their gasoline engine
counterparts. Diesel engines have long been the foundation
behind our public buses, most trucks, and boats.
Gasoline vs. Diesel
Gasoline operates on a simple principle: gas is drawn in,
compressed, and ignited by a spark. This will result in an
explosion which moves the pistons up and down ultimately,
making the car "go". This common set-up is used
for gasoline powered vehicles.
Diesel engines, on the other hand, operate differently. The
engine draws in air, compresses it to increase pressure and
temperature, and then sprays in the fuel. Instead of an "explosion",
the diesel fuel burns and expands to produce power. As you
can see, the order in which the systems operate are backwards
and they have to be for it to work.
Advantages of Diesel Engines in
Diesel cars have some impressive advantages:
- Torque: They have a huge amount of towing power (torque)
which makes them great for hauling, pushing, or pulling.
- Lifespan: In general, diesel engines tend to last longer
than gasoline engines. This is because there is less "wear
and tear" happening under the hood. For example, diesels
can easily reach 250,000 miles and still have life left in
- Fuel economy: Diesel engines in cars are known for having
generally better gas mileage than their gasoline counterparts.
For instance, some of the 2012 Volkswagen diesel cars on the
market get 30 mpg city and 42 mpg highway according to the
EPA. In addition, because of how cars are tested by the EPA,
diesel cars general get higher MPG's than the EPA gives credit.
- Safety: Since diesel fuel doesn't explode like gasoline,
it automatically makes it a much safer than regular cars.
In the case of an accident (knock on wood), the rider wouldn't
have to worry about the car blowing up.
- Alternate: Diesel engines can run bio-diesel (non-petroleum
based fuel) making them more versatile than gasoline powered
engines. To make the switch, no "huge" modifications
are generally needed, but always be sure to check with your
local mechanic or automaker before making any big decisions.
Disadvantages of Diesel Engines
Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. For every good thing you
find, there is bound to be a couple of bad things too.
- Noise: Some older diesel engines are louder than their
gasoline counterparts. On newer models, however, many drivers
will be hard pressed to tell the difference between the noise
on a car's diesel engine and a gasoline internal combustion
- Messy: if you've ever handled diesel fuel then you know
how greasy and smelly it can be. Not to mention it can be
difficult to get it off of your hands and clothes. You see,
unlike gasoline (which evaporates), diesel fuel remains thick
and consistent (like syrup).
As you can see the advantages of newer model diesel and especially
turbo diesel engines in cars far outweigh the disadvantages.
Diesel fuel is much cleaner than it was 3 years ago (in fact
all diesel sold in the U. S. is now ultra-low sulfur diesel
fuel) and diesel engines, in general, are more efficient and
get better MPG's than standard gasoline engines.