Thread: Diesel vs Gas

Emissions standards are higher but mileage standards are lower. It's pretty much all California's fault. For a company to bring a new diesel to market is insane over here which is why the powerstroke and cummins haven't changed all that much. I've got a 94 4runner (hilux) with 230,000 miles on it. Headgasket just blew so I'm trying to get rid of it now. Before the Headgasket started to go it got 16mpg around town and 20ish on interstate. On the upside it never got stuck.
My S60 (awd turbo) is fun though. 30mpg on the interstate, 26ish around town. If I drove it nicely it would do better.

I bought a '96 Doge 2500 back in '03, it had 123k miles on it(it was just getting broke in), it now has almost twice that at 224k miles. I have NEVER had an engine issue, Everything else has been or needs repaired/replaced. A diesel engine will pay for itself, especially if you go WVO or some of the other alternative fuels. Diesels were designed to run on peanut oil originally and if you find the right one with the right injection system(mechanical) they will run on almost anything. The two primary rules of a diesel engine are 1) keep a spare fuel filter and wrench handy, a clogged filter means the engine is starving for fuel and is hurting. 2) NEVER let ir run low on oil.
There are a lot of diesel forums on the net, be sure to check them out.

A lot of Europe uses diesel engines, why America doesnt I have no logical explanation (black smoke, OMG!). I cant back it up because I cant remember where I got the info, but here goes, it takes 3 gallons of crude to produce 1 gallon of diesel, it takes 9 gallons of crude to produce 1 gallon of gasoline. A gallon of diesel will give 50% more energy than a gallon of gas. Diesel exhaust is far more natural and simple than the exhaust of gasoline and breaks down in the environment far easier.

Originally Posted by JDCAL29

Does anyone have an opinion about driving a diesel in regards to it being more cost effective in the long run? ie the engines typically last longer? Or...since the price of diesel can be higher and it holds way more oil, are you better off driving a gas engine? What about towing? How do diesels ride on the road when they aren't towing anything?

Opinions... you bet

A lot depends on your mechanic and driving habits.

A smooth driver (egg under the foot type of driver)
will tip toward the diesel.

A good diesel mechanic is hard to find. The
good ones work on fleets not for small shops.
Exceptions exist.

Minnesota winter starting tips toward gasoline.

I've got a good friend who is a retired mechanic and the key to your answer of "gas vs diesel" is how will you use it. If you are planning on really working the truck like towing large gooseneck trailers loaded, etc., then you need a diesel. Diesel pickups are made to work. If you are just going to tow a trailer once a month or so, go with gas. Why? Unless you just have big bucks to throw around, when (not often) a diesel breaks you had better have at least a grand in hand...to start with. You can buy a new gas shortblock for that. When it comes to GM trucks, the 6.0 is a great engine. Watch the gear ratio in your vehicle though, no need for the high rpm's...which means lower fuel mileage.

Unfortunately, a fair amount of my work time is spent diagnosing and repairing passenger car diesels. The older ones weren't too bad, anything manufactured before say 2003 or thereabouts. The latest generation of them in Europe are very expensive to repair when they go wrong and very complex. The actual injection systems are reasonably OK, either common rail or in VWs 'Pumpe Duse' (unit injectors) . The problems are usually caused by the add-ons used to meet the European low particulate emission regulations, namely the exhaust gas re-circulation requirement and now in the latest generation, particulate traps. EGR seems spectacularly stupid, they design a brilliant injection system and then fill the intake system with a heavy layer of soot. Likewise particulate traps, in an ideal world they would work, in practice they are mostly c**p. If you have the system that needs a refill of Urea based fluid every 40,000 miles, it works out at about £100 per litre and the PCM needs to be reset.