Poll for Americans: What about Diesel engines?

[ConnClark]

Originally Posted by tasdrouille

Overall they surely are, but not just because of back pressure. Every now and then the DPF goes into a regeneration cycle to burn the trapped soot. This uses extra fuel.

Regarding back pressure, on previous generations TDIs, people gutting out everything back of the turbo and replacing it with a straight pipe have not reported increased FE. Probably because the turbo is the biggest restriction in the exhaust system to start with.

The Californian Emissions model of my car ( which I unfortunately have ) emits about 1 ton more of CO2 a year than the federal emissions model. The only real difference is the californian emissions model has a DPF and gets much worse mileage. This is a year that did not have the equipment to do regen cycle. Also its filtration requirements were much lower than todays filters.

The TDI is not a good example for showing what removing a restriction in the exhaust can do. Its not that the TDI isn't a great car, its that the stock intercoolers on these cars suck. I think it was you that mentioned you measured a 3 psi drop across the intercooler in another thread. I questioned your method of measuring this because it was so unusually high. After doing some research and talking with a TDI guy I know I found out that this is actually true. On a TDI a reduction in exhaust back pressure after the turbo pales in comparison to the restriction caused by the intercooler in the intake. Note the guy I know replaced his stock intercooler with an aftermarket one and his pressure drop is now about 0.7 psi and he gets about 30% better cooling.

I replaced my muffler on my mercedes with a cherry bomb muffler ( essentially a straight pipe)and got about a 0.5mpg improvement ( around 2.5%). This isn't all due to the drop in back pressure its also due to better combustion caused by more fresh air in the cylinder. The better combustion not only means I'm burning more fuel that wasn't but it also doesn't plug my DPF as much.

[Frank Lee]

I like diesel. I intend to run one on veggie oil someday.

[instarx]

Originally Posted by guudasitgets

So what your saying is you "believe them" when the "say" they recycle them? Do we know where this recycling facility is? I put that up there because Toyota says a lot of things and there are time they don't have systems in place.

You may want to consider that you may be a bit too insistent on being right about everything. You were given the name of a company that recycles NiMH batteries and your answer is,"Oh yeah, show me a recycling plant" as proof that you were right and no company recycles NiMH batteries. You were simply wrong.

But just in case Toyota still isn't an acceptable name for you, Metal Conversion Technologies, LLC, a Georgia company, is a large US recycler of NiCd and NiMH batteries. I don't have a picture of their plant.

[instarx]

Originally Posted by hal9999

This trick was widely used in Europe, in older days, when diesel wasn't as good as today.

Usually 10 - 15 % of gasoline will do it.

But remember never fill-up your diesel with gasoline !

A friend of mine destroyed his new engine, by mistake, this way. I suppose it was his most costly refilling.

Gasoline engines are less allergic to diesel.

Never put gasoline into your diesel tank. Gas has entirely different combustion characteristics than diesel fuel and can cause the cylinder to fire on the compression stroke of the cylinder - a very bad thing. It is irresponsible to recommend that people ad gasoline to their diesel fuel.

Winterized Diesel fuel is winterized with kerosene (#1 fuel oil). You can add your own but it comes already in winterized fuel.

[guudasitgets]

It is irresponsible to recommend that people ad gasoline to their diesel fuel

Who recomended that?

[bgd73]

Merry joyful xmas.

like an 87 subaru, diesel has stereotypes. I have learned "american" does opposite things for reasons of low self esteem or whatever...reality diasappearing is the number one result. I won't fight it to death or claim a mental illness of my own in my opinion of facts, I just babble about it when I can. Stone cold sober of course. This seems a good time for that...

I believe in mastering fuel, that ousts all fuel injection, even singular point ones.Gas can be mastered, all countries have at least one pride filled automobile of darn near perfection: all extinct now.

To speak on behalf of my freaky frigid locale, diesel is supposed to be hard starting in the cold. Once again, my successful reality proves that wrong too. In fact, when it is -23 degrees F wind howling, and your in a 550hp diesel rig that can't even acknowledge snow swept mini-tornados nor the temperature as you sit there in a t-shirt warm inside and wonder: Why aren't there more diesels?

Speaking of fahrenheit, why not all go metric? why not do away with leap year and ride the nuclear precision of an actual years length to the 256 bit digit and stop more nonsense....Why? is a damn good question. Why have front wheel drive and assymetry, why even have an inline engine, why have rpms over 3500 when we damn well know torque exists even in proper gas engines (87 subaru) . Why have less than 15 inch tires while 13 inch is getting thrown in the trash well used just months versus years after brand new purchase? Why have four injectors? why have injectors at all? why have such a low resolution ECU running it all? why let countries take over after proven facts, and let it bombard people with marketing so full of sh** my dead grandpa is frothing with the spirit of hell...

I am pro diesel, I am pro real engineering. It exists, and we do not have it enough. I am very very curious about the little boxer diesel as far as cars go, and I assumed usa was going to get it...the v8 diesel ought to be quite a success story now. And america does have that, just not in a mack superliner anymore... Time and relaity, maybe this recession will oust a few tards from leaderships making ridiculous decisions about vehicles for the last 35 years

[guudasitgets]

Well said, well spoken, anybody wanna chime in?

[ConnClark]

Originally Posted by instarx

Never put gasoline into your diesel tank. Gas has entirely different combustion characteristics than diesel fuel and can cause the cylinder to fire on the compression stroke of the cylinder - a very bad thing. It is irresponsible to recommend that people ad gasoline to their diesel fuel.

Winterized Diesel fuel is winterized with kerosene (#1 fuel oil). You can add your own but it comes already in winterized fuel.

Diesel's inject fuel very close to top dead center so no fuel combusts on the compression stroke. They are designed to withstand fuel burning at this time. Some diesels will run off gasoline just fine. Regular gas will do the same thing as adding kerosene, It will just do it with far less volume. Since gasoline burns far easier than diesel it will have the same effect as a cetane booster as far as burn characteristics. The problem with gasoline is it doesn't have the lubricity of diesel fuel and may end up wearing out your injection system(most notably your injector pump if you have one).

If your in a place with snow on the ground odds are the local pump is selling winterized #2 diesel. It has been cut with thinners that reduce the viscosity and the gelling point of the fuel. These lower the btu content of the fuel and eat into your mileage. Adding kerosene or gasoline will just reduce it more.

[Big Dave]

"Winter blend" diesel is nothing more than a mix of No. 2 with No.1 middle distillate (kerosene). The more kerosene, the lower the cloud point and the lower the heat content.

Lousy MPG in winter sucks but less than a truck with clouded fuel.

[instarx]

Originally Posted by guudasitgets

Who recomended that?

HAL9999 did when he said that 10 - 15% gas "should do it" to help start diesels in cold weather.

Originally Posted by ConnClark

Diesel's inject fuel very close to top dead center so no fuel combusts on the compression stroke.

You're right, I was not thinking. They inject into the compressed air at the top of the stroke. However, there are lots of potential problems caused by adding gas to diesel fuel and I still think it is irresponsible to say it is an acceptable winter additive.