balfanz@ihlpg.UUCP (Balfanz) (01/13/86)
I've heard a lot of discussion and complaints about diesel-powered
cars, well, here's my dollars worth:
We own a 1981 Oldsmobile 98 diesel-powered car. My husband and I
have both been brought up around diesel-powered construction and farm
equipment, but this is our first diesel car. Below is some history
of the car:
- We are the second owners (it was previous ownered by a salesman
friend of ours)
- The car now has about 125,000 miles on it
- The car got a new transmission at about 75,000 miles (the
original transmission was the same as my brother-in-law had in
his Pontiac Astre; why they stuck it in a full-sized car behind a
diesel, I'll never understand; maybe they thought the engine
wouldn't last longer than the transmission)
- At 100,000 miles, it was given a valve job (which it did need and
really wasn't that unusual)
- The car has one new injection pump, one new set of injectors and
three new glow plugs
We haven't had any serious problems like I've heard from other
Oldsmobile or Cadillac diesel owners!
Some of the people I've talked with don't realized that diesel-powered
engines are different from gasoline-powered engines. And I don't mean
their operation, but their maintenance and the level of "abuse" they
take.
- Our Owner's Manual recommends that the oil be changed every
7,000 miles (by the way it says the same if the engine is
gasoline), but a diesel engine gets dirtier internally and should
be changed more often than a gasoline engine!
- You have to be fussier about fuel! If you get water in your fuel
or if you don't get a good winter-blended fuel, you're going to
have problems! Diesel engines can't handle "junky" fuel like a
gasoline engine.
Also, I'd like to add that diesel fuel is an oil. Don't try to
thin your diesel fuel with gasoline in the winter! The first
choice should be No. 1 diesel fuel. If that isn't available, there
are some good anti-gel agents on the market that can be added to
your tank. And, as a last resort you could use a little kerosene.
But, don't use gasoline unless it's a very, very last resort, and
even then, be careful to not use too much!
- A diesel engine doesn't handle the "abuse" of short-trip driving as
well as gasoline engine does. A diesel engine needs long trips
that heat up the engine and burn out impurities more than gasoline
engines do.
- Because of how a diesel engine operates, it gets "hot spots". So,
if the engine has been working hard (e.g., you've been doing 55 MPH
down the highway for the past hour), then you should let the engine
idle for a few minutes when you stop (before you turn it off) to
let the engine temperature even out.rjb@akgua.UUCP (rjb) (01/15/86)
Why buy a Diesel at all ??
Pro:
1) Good Gas Mileage
2) You get to eat at Truck Stops (?)
Con:
1) You pay a premium to get the D (is this still true ?)
2) Savings at the pump are almost zero on a per gallon basis
3) Terrible Acceleration
4) Excessive Engine Noise (admittedly subjective)
5) Below average resale
6) Design problems caused by bastardization of gas/diesel engines
Conclusion:
You are left with the gas mileage savings to amortize the premium
over the car life while you pray the sucker holds together.
Unless you are an over the road sales person who really racks up
the miles, why buy one ??
Bob Brown {...ihnp4!akgua!rjb}smh@mhuxl.UUCP (henning) (01/16/86)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA mhuxl!smh > Why buy a Diesel at all ?? > Pro: > 1) Good Gas Mileage > Con: > 1) You pay a premium to get the D (is this still true ?) > 2) Savings at the pump are almost zero on a per gallon basis > > You are left with the gas mileage savings to amortize the premium > over the car life while you pray the sucker holds together. I considered paying a $2000 premium to get a Volvo diesel. Considering I drive a car 120,000 miles and would get 25 mpg of gas versus 40 mpg of diesel, a diesel would save me 1,800 gallons or about $1,800. Thus a net loss of $200. Needless to say I didn't go the diesel route.
wcs@ho95e.UUCP (#Bill.Stewart.2G202.x0705) (01/16/86)
In article <2052@akgua.UUCP> rjb@akgua.UUCP (rjb) writes: >Why buy a Diesel at all ?? I was talking with the airport-limo driver on my last trip; his company drives big station wagons equipped with Buick small-truck diesel engines. >Pro: >1) Good Gas Mileage He said they get about 35-40 mpg, instead of the 8 mpg such things usually get. That's about 700 miles / tank of fuel. >Con: >3) Terrible Acceleration Wasn't too bad, and it did OK on the Jersey Turnpike. >4) Excessive Engine Noise (admittedly subjective) Well, a bit. >5) Below average resale But the suckers often last 300K miles, though they're driven in a much different environment than I normally encounter. >Conclusion: >You are left with the gas mileage savings to amortize the premium >over the car life while you pray the sucker holds together. >Unless you are an over the road sales person who really racks up >the miles, why buy one ?? -- # Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G-202, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs
cuda@ihuxf.UUCP (Mike Nelson) (01/16/86)
I think that all diesels should be required by law to have exhaust stacks at least 6 feet above the roof of the vehicle or say a minimum of 10 or 12 feet in the air. Most semis already do this. The problem with diesel cars are not in the car but in having to sit behind one at a stop light. They step on the accelerator and you can't see or breath for the next block or two. In a car at least you can roll up the windows but motorcycles put you right where the action is. If the exhaust exited up high it would at least have time to diffuse a little before being inhaled. Mike Nelson ihuxf!cuda
tjsmedley@watmum.UUCP (Trevor J. Smedley) (01/16/86)
>From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA mhuxl!smh > >[...] > >I considered paying a $2000 premium to get a Volvo diesel. Considering >I drive a car 120,000 miles and would get 25 mpg of gas versus 40 mpg of >diesel, a diesel would save me 1,800 gallons or about $1,800. Thus a net >loss of $200. Needless to say I didn't go the diesel route. Do you really think that gas will cost $1.00 a gallon for the entire 120,000 miles? I'd guess at an average price of $2-$4 or even more for that period of time. Gas already costs at least $2/gal in most of the world. And *very* much more in some places. Trevor J. Smedley University of Waterloo {decvax,allegra,ihnp4,clyde,utzoo}!watmum!tjsmedley
warren@ihwpt.UUCP (warren montgomery) (01/17/86)
> I think that all diesels should be required by law to have exhaust stacks > at least 6 feet above the roof of the vehicle or say a minimum of 10 or > 12 feet in the air. Most semis already do this. The problem with > diesel cars are not in the car but in having to sit behind one at a stop > light. They step on the accelerator and you can't see or breath for > the next block or two. Diesel fumes smell like roses compared to the toxic waste that I have inhaled from large new looking cars on very cold days. I don't know whether it's poor design, poor maintenance, or poor gas, but something makes these things emit fumes that smell like something that died a week ago, burn your eyes, and send you into a coughing fit. Maybe the exhaust should exit in front of the car -:) . That way the owners would either maintain them better or get something less offensive! -- Warren Montgomery, ihesa!warren
dbrichards@watnot.UUCP (the vegit man) (01/19/86)
>I think that all diesels should be required by law to have exhaust stacks >at least 6 feet above the roof of the vehicle or say a minimum of 10 or >12 feet in the air. Most semis already do this. The problem with >diesel cars are not in the car but in having to sit behind one at a stop >light. They step on the accelerator and you can't see or breath for >the next block or two... > Mike Nelson Gosh, Mike, I think you MUST be talking about those American diesels:-). My dad's 300D puffs smoke only when you REALLY step on it (usu. highway passing), and even then, the volume of the smoke is small (a cloud about the size of ... a portable 12" [30cm] TV set). Smell? Well, it DOES smell (doesn't everything?) but it smells a LOT nicer than the exhaust from our 81-model European (non- Diesel) sedan, whose emission-controlled exhaust consistently makes me gag. - Dennis -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dennis Richards R:"Batman, there's a Polaris-type missile headed Faculty of Mathematics straight at us!" University of Waterloo B:"Hang on, Robin, this might be tricky." UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utzoo,clyde}!watmath!watnot!dbrichards CSNET: dbrichards%watnot@waterloo.CSNET ARPA: dbrichards%watnot%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA
hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) (01/20/86)
In article <11398@watnot.UUCP> dbrichards@watnot.UUCP (the vegit man) writes: > >Gosh, Mike, I think you MUST be talking about those American diesels:-). My >dad's 300D puffs smoke only when you REALLY step on it (usu. highway passing), >and even then, the volume of the smoke is small (a cloud about the size of ... >a portable 12" [30cm] TV set). Smell? Well, it DOES smell (doesn't everything?) >but it smells a LOT nicer than the exhaust from our 81-model European (non- >Diesel) sedan, whose emission-controlled exhaust consistently makes me gag. > > - Dennis Gee, Dennis, who at home gets to wash the circular scum marks off the left-rear of the Benz? :-) Batman: "Robin, I think it's because our hearts are pure..." -dave -- David Hsu Communication & Signal Processing Lab, EE Department <disclaimer> University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 hsu@eneevax.umd.edu {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu CF522@UMDD.BITNET "Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern, you've done it now, buddy..." -Ernest P. Worrell
dbrichards@watnot.UUCP (the vegit man) (01/24/86)
In article <494@eneevax.UUCP> hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) writes: >In article <11398@watnot.UUCP> dbrichards@watnot.UUCP (the vegit man) writes: >> >>Gosh, Mike, I think you MUST be talking about those American diesels:-). My >>dad's 300D puffs smoke only when you REALLY step on it (usu. highway passing), >>and even then, the volume of the smoke is small (a cloud about the size of ... >>a portable 12" [30cm] TV set). Smell? Well, it DOES smell (doesn't everything?) >>but it smells a LOT nicer than the exhaust from our 81-model European (non- >>Diesel) sedan, whose emission-controlled exhaust consistently makes me gag. >> >> - Dennis > >Gee, Dennis, who at home gets to wash the circular scum marks off the >left-rear of the Benz? :-) > >Batman: "Robin, I think it's because our hearts are pure..." > >-dave Well, Dave, it's like this: 1) The fuel port is on the RIGHT rear of the car. :-) 2) One DOESN'T spill Diesel on a Benz. Period. 3) When the unthinkable DOES happen, one wipes it off. Promptly. I can't remember there ever being any serious (or more than minor) problems with regard to fuel spillage. - Dennis -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dennis Richards R:"Batman, there's a Polaris-type missile headed Faculty of Mathematics straight at us!" University of Waterloo B:"Hang on, Robin, this might be tricky." UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utzoo,clyde}!watmath!watnot!dbrichards CSNET: dbrichards%watnot@waterloo.CSNET ARPA: dbrichards%watnot%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA
goudreau@dg_rtp.UUCP (01/28/86)
In article <11407@watnot.UUCP> dbrichards@watnot.UUCP (the vegit man) writes: >In article <494@eneevax.UUCP> hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) writes: >>In article <11398@watnot.UUCP> dbrichards@watnot.UUCP (the vegit man) writes: >>> >>>Gosh, Mike, I think you MUST be talking about those American diesels:-). My >>>dad's 300D puffs smoke only when you REALLY step on it (usu. highway passing), >>>and even then, the volume of the smoke is small (a cloud about the size of ... >>>a portable 12" [30cm] TV set). Smell? Well, it DOES smell (doesn't everything?) >>>but it smells a LOT nicer than the exhaust from our 81-model European (non- >>>Diesel) sedan, whose emission-controlled exhaust consistently makes me gag. >>> >>> - Dennis >> >>Gee, Dennis, who at home gets to wash the circular scum marks off the >>left-rear of the Benz? :-) >> >>-dave > >Well, Dave, it's like this: > 1) The fuel port is on the RIGHT rear of the car. :-) > 2) One DOESN'T spill Diesel on a Benz. Period. > 3) When the unthinkable DOES happen, one wipes it off. Promptly. >I can't remember there ever being any serious (or more than minor) problems >with regard to fuel spillage. > > - Dennis Sorry Dennis, but I don't think Dave was talking about fuel spillage; he probably meant exhaust residue. My family had one of the infamous GM late-70s diesels, and the crap that build up below and behind the exhaust pipe was tremendous. It doesn't wash off that easily either. Bob Goudreau