Author Topic: Diesel cars  (Read 41206 times)

Offline awemawson

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #50 on: May 06, 2015, 06:56:02 AM »
Even my oldest tractor (1974) only smokes when pulling VERY hard - and left out in the cold and wet for months it always starts. No petrol engine would do that reliably.

Modern diesel engines - say post 1995 and not just the latest common rail ones - actually perform very well on the road. I think a lot of the prejudice against them is from people who haven't actually driven one recently - diesel cars no longer rattle like a London Taxi !
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline DavidA

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #51 on: May 06, 2015, 07:10:35 AM »
Loply,

...The cost for replacing glow plugs and dual mass flywheels etc on modern diesels is ridiculous...

What's a mass flywheel,  and why would you need to replace them ?

I have found that glow plugs tend to last about five years.  Much longer than spark plugs.

If I could have my choice of car,  at the moment it would be a Jaguar. The one with the twin turbo Ford Diesel engine, Luxury and economy.

But I'd settle for a 1980s Mercedes 300D with the five cylinder Diesel. They run on anything.

Dave.

Offline Arbalist

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #52 on: May 06, 2015, 07:54:08 AM »
David:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_mass_flywheel

As I mentioned earlier a guy on another forum had a quote to replace the clutch on his Diesel Ford Focus of over £1100.

Replacement of soot filter on a VW was quoted at over £1000 some time back.

Diesel engines are heavier so tyres also wear quicker on FWD cars.

Offline Manxmodder

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #53 on: May 06, 2015, 07:58:16 AM »
Arbalist, clutches on petrol engines also wear out and need replacing just the same as diesels,and the cost is going to be pretty much the same.


The claim that they wear tyres out quicker is somewhat doubtful,in my honest opinion......OZ.
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Offline Arbalist

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #54 on: May 06, 2015, 08:15:52 AM »
Arbalist, clutches on petrol engines also wear out and need replacing just the same as diesels,and the cost is going to be pretty much the same.

No it's not. Most petrol engined cars do not have Dual Mass Flywheels because they vibrate less.

Offline edward

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #55 on: May 06, 2015, 08:16:00 AM »
Clutch and DMF for a 2.0T petrol Vectra - £850 fitted. Mechanic recons the TD version would be pretty much the same price.


Offline edward

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #56 on: May 06, 2015, 08:19:23 AM »
I only know about Vauxhalls but the larger petrol engines (2.0T, 2.2 and 3.2) have DMFs. I think the 1.8 might be a solid disk. Of the £850, £250 was labour and the other £600 parts (clutch, DMF, thrust assembly and gearbox oil)

Offline awemawson

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #57 on: May 06, 2015, 11:26:04 AM »
I will concede the dual mass flywheel issue to Arbalist  :thumbup:

My 2001 Discovery TD5 needed a new clutch, and the dmf springs were wonky - local independent fellow suggested an aftermarket non dmf as the price was so high for the L/R part, but it shook all over the place. Ended up getting him to put the proper DMF in  :bugeye:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Arbalist

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #58 on: May 06, 2015, 11:54:53 AM »
I only found out about DMF's a couple of weeks ago. They weren't around when I was a Mechanic. You can buy conversion kits to go back to the old style but they aren't reccomended for some cars. The sad thing is they are also on some petrol cars, mainly German I believe. I think I read that ford are going back to the old style on some models. I'm just glad I don't have one on my car. I'm also wary of Turbo chargers as well as they cost a lot to replace, £4000 I read recently on a Range Rover!

Offline DavidA

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #59 on: May 06, 2015, 01:30:03 PM »
Yes,  things are getting unnecessarily complicated.

I've never come across these flywheels.  Probably never will now.  I do know of Torsional Vibration Dampers as fitted to the front of Diesel crankshaft.

Although my newly acquired 206 has a turbo I share your worries about it failing.  In fact I'm going to get rid of the car as soon as practical,  probably close to the end of the month so I don't lose too much tax.
The engine runs very well. In fact I may take it out of the car and scrap the bodywork.  Put the engine in my BMW.  I can do it that way as I can always revert to either a non turbo Diesel or back to the original 1.8 Petrol engine if the turbo fails.

The main reason for getting rid is that it is a two door.

My daughter (a big lass and a bonny lass as DB might say) hates having to climb in via the front.

Straight non turbo,  non electronic Diesels for me.  i.e. back to my Saxo.

Dave.

Offline Pete49

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #60 on: May 06, 2015, 11:41:21 PM »
Loply,

But I'd settle for a 1980s Mercedes 300D with the five cylinder Diesel. They run on anything.

Dave.

A man with good sense. I have 2 W123 5 cylinder mercs, A 300TD and a 300D both of which still drive like a limo should and average 30mpg at 100kph. Towing my teardrop camper with the 300TD from Brisbane Qld to Pt Augusta recently I averaged 30mpg while sitting on the highway speed of approx. 70mph (110 kph) without a problem and needing the a/c all the way. Try that with your petrol cars of the same size and weight. The best part is the cost of the 2 vehicles was 1 carton of Coopers sparkling ale, a locally brewed drop :D and they will most likely see out my driving days
Pete
oops..........oh no.........blast now I need to redo it

Offline DavidA

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #61 on: May 07, 2015, 07:24:28 AM »
Pete,

..The best part is the cost of the 2 vehicles was 1 carton of Coopers sparkling ale, a locally brewed drop..

Not even Fosters !  You did well.

Dave :beer:

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #62 on: May 07, 2015, 03:32:51 PM »
I'm converted , we do need something cleaner than the diesel engine.

Maybe this:


I have a few modest talents. Knowing what I'm doing isn't one of them.

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #63 on: May 07, 2015, 05:35:31 PM »
Nah, clean steam engines, not old dirty ones like those (except for the occasional spectacle).

But not in vehicles, either. At least not in our winters here!  :lol: :lol:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
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Offline tom osselton

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #64 on: May 07, 2015, 06:33:15 PM »
I want to try that this year!
http://www.absteamtrain.com/

Of course I'd probably start off with these  :D they are about 1/2 hour from us.
http://www.ironhorsepark.net/index.shtml
« Last Edit: May 07, 2015, 07:22:16 PM by tom osselton »

Offline Pete49

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #65 on: May 08, 2015, 12:37:29 AM »
Pete,

..The best part is the cost of the 2 vehicles was 1 carton of Coopers sparkling ale, a locally brewed drop..

Not even Fosters !  You did well.

Dave :beer:

Fosters is only brewed for export and those that don't know what beer is. Coopers is very popular here and its currency for a lot of stuff here. A fair bit stuff is costed by slabs of beer. saves cash  :ddb:
Pete
oops..........oh no.........blast now I need to redo it

Offline DMIOM

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #66 on: May 08, 2015, 03:35:46 AM »
I'm converted , we do need something cleaner than the diesel engine.

Maybe this:




How the jings do they see to drive safely, especially when they were first pulling off? - they could almost do with guidance like an aircraft pushback!

Offline Arbalist

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #67 on: September 22, 2015, 02:41:10 PM »
Well we know now, "up to 40 times the pollutants advertised"

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/the-wrath-of-volkswagens-drivers.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

But probably only 20 or 30 times here in Europe.  :palm:

Only VW at the moment but I expect pollutant levels are higher than expected from many other makes.

Offline appletree

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #68 on: September 22, 2015, 02:55:34 PM »
Caught with their pants down and until caught they don’t care, it’s all too easy to apologise after the event, I would not be surprised if other brands are in the same boat. After all, all manufacturers analyse each others products and will be aware of what is going on, I bet in the end there is a moratorium  a few wrists are slapped and they pick up where they left off pay a few lesser fines and carry on. The thing is at what point do you buy VW shares?

Offline tom osselton

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #69 on: September 22, 2015, 03:47:34 PM »
I'd wait a bit!

Offline appletree

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #70 on: September 22, 2015, 03:57:40 PM »
Yea I am doing LOL

Offline Arbalist

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #71 on: September 22, 2015, 04:56:45 PM »
Maybe time to invest in spark plug manufacturers.  :D

Offline Swarfing

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #72 on: September 22, 2015, 05:51:29 PM »
Unless you need a MWB van then you are stuck with diesel?
Once in hole stop digging.

Offline Fergus OMore

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #73 on: September 23, 2015, 01:36:26 AM »
You get to 85 and alone and no insurer wants you and one of my diesels, a Skoda Fabia 1.6 Monte Carlo has now a £1000 insurance tag on it. What my other cars , an Audi A4 Avant 2.0S Line( a diesel) and a Mercedes 2.4 SLK ( petrol) is unbelievable. So I am buying a little 'shopping trolley' thing.
OK but the diesels ere surprisingly economical and quiet  but an even newer big Kia is quieter than them.
It's impressive compared to the MGB engine that was made into a diesel and served in London taxis( apart from anything else) Things have changed out of all proportion  since I passed my driving test on a Morris 8  and a blind on the rear window which said 'don't laugh, your daughter may be inside '
What is  causing much of the pollution/exhaust emissions/whatever has little to do with emissions it is that UK traffic  is so dense that it grinds to a halt- and grinds to a halt and smokes and simply pollutes. Again, there these seemingly endless roadworks that go on and on for- years.   Somebody has just said that we should only repair the roads- 2 miles at a time-- and it will be all done-- in 500 years.

I was in London - for 3 sausage and potato mash for £32 .The traffic barely moved,, was slower than in the days of horses and cabs- which were a health hazard then. At least, my return to 'the Smoke' was less than the Pea Soup fogs that corroded buildings-- and lungs.

So until we learn to use our legs, it is not going to get any better whether VW or someone else fiddles the books or not.

I was offered a couple of llamas- my friend was sick of them because they breed and breed( or so he says)

Has anyone used them for transport, please? Answers on a Five Pound note :bow:

 

Offline Swarfing

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Re: Diesel cars
« Reply #74 on: September 23, 2015, 04:45:40 AM »
Stupid thing is VW's software turned off the emission controls which improved the emissions. Maybe the governments need to be fined for enforcing gadgets and gizmo’s that make things worse. If a diesel was left to breath properly your would not need purge of filters etc that throw more crap up into the atmosphere than a coal fire?????
Once in hole stop digging.