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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
Hmmm....I haven't heard of anyone driving a M-B or VW diesel for anywhere near a million miles. Nor a Cummins or Powerstroke ...
Then there are the "others"... of the 14 operational cars in my drive or farm shop tonight... only 2 have less than 200k (one is a MH I'm selling for a 90 yr old). Most of the rest are Diesel VW's with 231k>500k. (and a Cummins 6BT + a Mack e7). The VW's are all fine and any one of them could head cross country tomorrow. I have had to replace a few $6.95 ball joints and tie rod ends. I usually stick on a pair of used Bilstein Struts @ around 150k, and they last for life.
Suspension and steering issues on a USA car will send you to the poor house in most cases before 500k (even 250k). I took the StealtRabbit into 'Bear Alignment' when she rolled over 350k. They couldn't find any issues and were so impressed the 'rack test' was free I will admit she is pretty sweet with her 'racing class' suspension kit from the 1980's (They don't seem to make them like that anymore )
One of my friends in TX does medical courier service and drives his VW diesel 600 miles / day; 5 days / week. Last I heard he was over 650k with no plans for a replacement. I test drove a 97 Passat last yr with 550k, it was still getting 52 mpg. I have a friend that runs courier service in VW diesels. Neither he nor I even bother with buying stuff under 200k. We can pick up a fine, dependable unit for under $1500 that will keep us for several yrs, if not for life. I bought many of mine for $35 >$100 each at police auctions.
I don't grow 'tired' of driving my 50mpg 'beaters'. They have never left me stranded (more than I can say for some of my 'lower-mileage' rigs).
50mpg since 1976, no Dinosaurs or OPEC required. Bring on the algae fuel
I got my first diesel in 92 , a 84 Audi 4000 got 45 mpg. My last Isuzu(1987) npr 14 ft box truck weighting 12000 got 14 mpg (gasser would have gotten 6-9 mpg) was sent to the grave with 404,000 miles . It needed a head gasket but the body was too rusted to spend the time on.
Why is diesel expensive? In the ninety's the military made a decision to use one fuel for it's fleet , weather a 1kw generator or helicopter and everything in between had to use diesel and we have been at war for the last 10 yrs , they are using all they can get. Historically diesel was cheaper than reg unleaded in the summmer time and more expensive then super unleaded in the winter time, it's the same as number 2 fuel oil.
Diesels burn just about anything. Originally demostrated with vegatable oil. Can also run on used vegatable oil and waste motor oil (#4 fuel oil .)
I know some Audi's, VW's and Benz offer diesel engines in cars here, but why the hell can't we get some Ford, GM or Chrysler cars with diesels? I know the Jeep Patriot is offered overseas in a 2.0 CRD, so what gives? Better MPG's folks.
better mpg and fuel is almost a dollar MORE a gallon.. No thanks
Hmmm....I haven't heard of anyone driving a M-B or VW diesel for anywhere near a million miles. Nor a Cummins or Powerstroke etc. I know people who drove old MB 240D cars for close to 500K miles, but that's it. Sure there may be a few others, but the rest of the vehicle will be long worn out so I think million mile engine durability is irrelevent for consumer vehicles.
We bought a new "company car"1984 MB 300SD turbo diesel. What a POS. absolutely no power and got terrible mileage maybe 20 mpg.
When we bought the car diesel was .75 a gallon cheaper than gas. The next year the govt. added the fuel road use tax to diesel just like it had always been on gasoline. The Fed also decided that any car costing more than $15,000 could not be totally written off for business.
So right off the bat we had purchased a loser. Terrible mileage, no power and no write off and all that for $37,500.
I don't think diesel will ever be cheaper than gas like it used to be because the govt. is not about to do away with the road use tax.
The gov.t has allowed the trucking industry to add a fuel surcharge to all shipping charges so the trucking industry does no care about the fuel tax.
Once my Powerstroke is gone that will be the end of my diesel ownership.
We bought a new "company car"1984 MB 300SD turbo diesel. What a POS. absolutely no power and got terrible mileage maybe 20 mpg.
When we bought the car diesel was .75 a gallon cheaper than gas. The next year the govt. added the fuel road use tax to diesel just like it had always been on gasoline. The Fed also decided that any car costing more than $15,000 could not be totally written off for business.
So right off the bat we had purchased a loser. Terrible mileage, no power and no write off and all that for $37,500.
I don't think diesel will ever be cheaper than gas like it used to be because the govt. is not about to do away with the road use tax.
The gov.t has allowed the trucking industry to add a fuel surcharge to all shipping charges so the trucking industry does no care about the fuel tax.
Once my Powerstroke is gone that will be the end of my diesel ownership.
Diesel are highly overrated.
If you base your opinions on diesel powered cars on an 84 Mercedes, I can see why you think that.
How would you feel about a 60 mpg car with the torque of a sportscar? Diesel technology in smaller engines and personal vehicle application has had a revolution the last decade, due to the popularity in Europe. My best friend has a 1 hour commute and he ended up saving around $500 on fuel each month, by switching to a diesel.
If you base your opinions on diesel powered cars on an 84 Mercedes, I can see why you think that.
Unfortunately for the manufacturers, a lot of people base their opinions on diesel cars of that era. And if you had experienced any of the GM diesel car offerings of that time, you'd know why diesels are on the fringes here in the US. Even the best selling diesel car (the VW Jetta) is a minor player in the overall car market.
And while a previous poster's 2010 VW TDi is "quiet" and not smelly, my buddy's '04 VW Tdi is a smoky, noisy, stinky drive on par with my '94 Chevy 6.5 turbodiesel pickup.
Converted gasoline engines that were horribly unreliable overall (a few good ones got out, though)
I don't think diesel will ever be cheaper than gas like it used to be because the govt. is not about to do away with the road use tax.
The gov.t has allowed the trucking industry to add a fuel surcharge to all shipping charges so the trucking industry does no care about the fuel tax.
Once my Powerstroke is gone that will be the end of my diesel ownership.
Diesel are highly overrated.
Diesel was cheaper than regular gas just a few years ago....
As to being highly overrated,well seems the diesels work out quite well everywhere else on earth....except the USA.
But it can't be THIS country that is the problem it must be diesel vehicles.
I run a snow removal business we have both gas and diesel powered trucks.
Same make, and model the only difference is the engines.
Hands down, the diesels will do more work using less fuel.
Our gassers gets 3-4 plowing the diesels get 9-10mpg. on the highway the gasser gets 9-11mpg the diesels get 16-21mpg while doing twice the work.
jaszzlover, did a good job explaining why diesel costs so much and the emissions.
As for the smell. the ULSD does not smell like the 500-700ppm fuel did and the exhaust gasses coming out of a new diesel has very little smell and no smoke. The air coming out is almost cleaner than when it whent in.
The tail pipe is clean as mentioned before.
lastly, "The gov.t has allowed the trucking industry to add a fuel surcharge to all shipping charges so the trucking industry does no care about the fuel tax."
What a bunch of bs.
The govt did not give permission for the fuel surcharge and not everyone added one.
Of course they care about the cost of fuel.
A few years a go when fuel went up I added a fuel surcharge to our invoices as we bid the price for a job when fuel was cheep.
I didn't need no stinking permission to do so.
Think about it for a sec.
What powers all of the big trucks from dump trucks to a 18wheelers, all of the heavy equipment, industry to farming all use diesel fuel.
If your statement was true then why was diesel fuel so cheep 6-7 years ago. Were more of it being sold compared to gas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ganto_2010
its the fisrts thing to break down when they make fuel. the reason its so expensive is because not to many people buy it. .
Diesel was cheaper than regular gas just a few years ago....
As to being highly overrated,well seems the diesels work out quite well everywhere else on earth....except the USA.
But it can't be THIS country that is the problem it must be diesel vehicles.
This topic is about economy diesels not the trucking industry.
I have no idea why Diesel fuel costs more, but when I bought my first Diesel it was about 1/2 the price of gas.
My Powerstroke cost $5,000 more than the same gas pickup and I have had it since 1995. I doubt I have saved $5,000 in fuel since then.
I bought it for towing not fuel mileage.
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). I took the StealtRabbit into 'Bear Alignment' when she rolled over 350k. They couldn't find any issues and were so impressed the 'rack test' was free 
I will admit she is pretty sweet with her 'racing class' suspension kit from the 1980's (They don't seem to make them like that anymore 
)
