Diesel with short trips lately, is it bad for the car and environment?

[Isaac Zachary]

There are advantages a diesel can have over a gasoline engine in short trips. During startup, both diesel and gasoline engines will have more unburned fuel during the combustion and exhaust strokes. In a gasoline engine the extra fuel washes the cylinders of oil and causes premature wear. In a diesel the fuel acts as a lubricant, so less cylinder wear.

But then there's the DPF as others have mentioned. Of course you did mention that you didn't have a DPF, so maybe a diesel car would be the best short trip option.

An engine block heater will help, but a lot only help so much. Most only keep the engine a bit warmer than ambient and are really just there to keep the coolant from freezing in artic conditions. When it's -60⁰F my OEM block heater only keeps the engine at about -30⁰F. A 1,000W or great block heater would be the way to go on either gasoline or diesel, even during the summer.

Diesel emissions equipment also work better if you wrap up the exhaust system with heat tape.

Of course the king of short trips is the BEV, as well as they plugin hybrid. Or a bicycle.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

With the electronic engine management, fuel washing oil from the cylinder walls don't seem to go the same extent as in an older one with full-mechanical injection.

Originally Posted by iikhod

Maybe a little underpowered for trailer towing.

Is is that 75hp version?

[iikhod]

I use the block heater when it's 5°C or below but doesn't seem to make much of a difference. (bad/broken heater?)
I get warm air to the cabin cuick enough though.

Rooster:This is the 65hp version without an intercooler.

[iikhod]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

There are advantages a diesel can have over a gasoline engine in short trips. During startup, both diesel and gasoline engines will have more unburned fuel during the combustion and exhaust strokes. In a gasoline engine the extra fuel washes the cylinders of oil and causes premature wear. In a diesel the fuel acts as a lubricant, so less cylinder wear.

But then there's the DPF as others have mentioned. Of course you did mention that you didn't have a DPF, so maybe a diesel car would be the best short trip option.

An engine block heater will help, but a lot only help so much. Most only keep the engine a bit warmer than ambient and are really just there to keep the coolant from freezing in artic conditions. When it's -60⁰F my OEM block heater only keeps the engine at about -30⁰F. A 1,000W or great block heater would be the way to go on either gasoline or diesel, even during the summer.

Diesel emissions equipment also work better if you wrap up the exhaust system with heat tape.

Of course the king of short trips is the BEV, as well as they plugin hybrid. Or a bicycle.

These are all good points
I would gladly drive an EV or hybrid but they are waaay out of my price range at the moment. We use bikes for short trips as much as possible. Not so much i would like to, though.

[Grant-53]

We use recirculating engine heaters for the snow plow trucks here. I made a fairing for my bike to cover from my shoulders to the knees. For me a short strip is 10 miles. Temperature affects battery output.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by iikhod

I use the block heater when it's 5°C or below but doesn't seem to make much of a difference. (bad/broken heater?)

Do you keep it parked outside overnight?

This is the 65hp version without an intercooler.

I don't remember actually having seen such engine without the intercooler. Not that it was much of a strong seller in the regional export markets supplied from Brazil as its IDI naturally-aspirated predecessor used to be...

[iikhod]

Yes, it's under a roof at home. In the winter sometimes in the warm garage when available.

At work it's not under a roof but i can use the block heater in there.

It's a bit odd IMO that an turbodiesel engine is only 65hp...why add an another part needing maintenance for basicly nothing?
Surely you could get the same amount of power out of a n/a engine.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by iikhod

Yes, it's under a roof at home. In the winter sometimes in the warm garage when available.

At work it's not under a roof but i can use the block heater in there.

It's a bit odd IMO that an turbodiesel engine is only 65hp...why add an another part needing maintenance for basicly nothing?
Surely you could get the same amount of power out of a n/a engine.

I had an N/A 1.6L VW diesel that produced 53hp at sea level. There turbo version would have produced 69hp.

However, at my altitude N/A vehicles lose about 1/3 their horsepower. So my diesel was probably around 35hp. Anyhow, it sure felt like 35hp. I even got pulled over because the officer was concerned I was going so slow and producing so much smoke as I had it wound up in low gear climbing an 8% grade.

[iikhod]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I had an N/A 1.6L VW diesel that produced 53hp at sea level. There turbo version would have produced 69hp.

However, at my altitude N/A vehicles lose about 1/3 their horsepower. So my diesel was probably around 35hp. Anyhow, it sure felt like 35hp. I even got pulled over because they officer was concerned I was going so slow and producing so much smoke as I had it wound up in low gear climbing an 8% grade.

Used to have 3 different 1.6 diesel vw caddys...after two n/a versions the turbodiesel was like warp drive

[Ecky]

I think one thing is being missed here: while shorter trips are more polluting and damaging per mile (or kilometer) traveled, every long trip starts as a short trip and pollutes/wears the same until the engine warms up. Driving less is almost always a net win, even if your tank averages go down.

Admittedly there are some maintenance items associated with the engine not getting as warm, but there are probably equally many (or more) from driving a total greater distance.