Whenever we go to choose a new vehicle, we always look to what features it has that we like over other vehicles, and one thing that we are concerned about nowadays is fuel efficiency. Although diesel engines are looked down upon by the general public, they are a good choice because they are reliable, have good fuel efficiency, and are powerful. Diesel engines should never be forgotten when choosing your next vehicle, even though the old models have had bad smoke problems, been loud, and smell funky. These problems should not discourage people from getting one since the modern diesel engine has overcome these obstacles.
Diesel engines are more reliable than a gasoline engine and some hybrids because their service intervals are longer. Most gasoline engines recommend changing the oil and oil filter about every three thousand miles; whereas most diesel engines recommend changing the oil and oil filter about every ten-thousand miles. What this means, is less time in the shop and therefore less money you will be spending on maintenance. Diesel engines also have a history of lasting more than three hundred-thousand miles, whereas most gasoline engines only last around two hundred and fifty thousand miles. The reason that diesels go so long on oil changes and other maintenance items is because they run at a lower rpm(revolutions per minute) and also at a lower operating temperature. Most misconceptions about diesel reliability are the maintenance costs, while yes maintenance can be costly, it can be costly for all other engines as well. So in all fairness, maintenance is costly for all vehicles, it just depends on the shop you to your car too or if you do it yourself.
Fuel efficiency is another big concern especially with rising fuel costs and diesel engines do get better fuel efficiency than gasoline engines. The main reason a diesel engine gets better fuel economy that a gasoline engine is because it does not need to burn as much fuel as a gasoline engine to create the same amount of power, this allows them to burn less fuel and still achieve the same amount of power, and thus better fuel economy. Another reason that a diesel gets better fuel efficiency is because they run at a lower rpm, and thus less gas is burned. Another misconception about a diesel engine is the smell from the exhaust. Though the older engines where smellier, the newer ones are not as smelly due to the catalytic converters that are being installed on them which cuts down on the emissions from a diesel. The catalytic converters have also cut back on the so called “smoke” problems as well.
If it’s pulling power you want, then a diesel is the way to go. Not only do diesels create more power than a gasoline engine, but they also achieve better fuel economy while pulling a heavy load than their gasoline counterparts. Diesel engines create more torque while in lower RPMs than other engines because of the efficiency of the engine and its ability to burn more of the fuel. Torque is the force an object is rotated around an axis, or in other words, the force in which the engine spins your axel. Diesel engines are able to create more force, and thus more torque than other engines and it is this force that allows for the power to pull heavier loads while at the same time at least matching a gasoline engine’s fuel efficiency at normal operating. The key to a diesel engine creating more torque, getting better fuel efficiency, and being reliable is that they do not use a spark plug to ignite to fuel to burn, but rather they use a glow plug that helps heat the fuel under great pressure so that it ignites with a so called spontaneous combustion due to the high pressure. It is because the diesel fuel is burned at such high pressure that it is able to burn more fuel, and also create more power from the combustion than a gasoline engine which must use a spark plug to ignite the vapors of unleaded fuel.
After looking at the plus side to diesel engines, it is clear that they are not as bad as they are made out to be and are a good alternative for choosing you next vehicle, even if it isn’t a truck. They are just as reliable, if not more, than a gasoline engine, can achieve better fuel economy than gasoline engines, and can provide more torque for pulling than gasoline. All around they are just as good, if not better, than gasoline engines.
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