Interesting facts about turbo diesel engines

1. Diesel engines are more efficient than gasoline engines and produce lower emissions in all
but two areas when compared with gasoline engines. Diesel engines produce less HC and
CO than gasoline engines. Diesels produce more NOX (nitrous oxide) than gasoline
engines but have significantly reduced this amount since 2010 by using US Govt-required
USLD: Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel (as of 2007). Plus new diesels also use more effective
emissions technology now bringing diesels down to levels where they meet emission
standards in all 50 states.
2. Diesel fuel has an energy density of 147,000 BTUs. Gasoline has an energy density of
125,000 BTUs, so it takes less diesel fuel to do the same work as a gallon of gasoline.
3. Diesel engines can be modified to use many types of oil including vegetable oil, used
French-fry oil, oil from various vegetation, oil produced by algae in commercial ponds.
4. Todays diesel cars are 30%-35% more efficient than their gasoline-powered competition.
5. Diesel engines have no spark plugs, no ignition system, no distributor; diesel engines work
solely by compressing the fuel so tightly than it spontaneously combusts.
6. Diesel engines turn about half the revolutions of gas engines, that is, at the same road
speed a diesel engine will turn about half the RPMs (revolutions per minute) of a gas
engine. This means the average wear in a diesel engine is about half that of a gas engine.
7. Diesel engines must be built stronger than gas engines to cope with the very high
compression ratios, so engine blocks & parts are more durable = much longer engine life.
8. Diesel engines make greater torque than gasoline engines per comparable engine size.
Torque is the pulling power of an engine (not horsepower). A car with higher torque can
pull a load of people in a car up to speed faster than a gas engine of the same size. A gas
engine can get up to RPM faster than a diesel engine but cant pull the same load (weight)
as fast because most gas engines dont have the same amount of torque as a diesel
engine.
9. HP = horsepower lb. ft. (pound-feet) is a measure of torque
!
2.0 liter VW TDI (turbo diesel injection) engine = 140 HP, 236 lb.ft. torque
!
1.8 liter Toyota Corolla (gas engine) = 132 HP, 128 lb.ft. torque
!
1.8 liter Honda Civic (gas engine) = 140 HP, 128 lb.ft. torque
!
Four-cylinder diesel engines have the torque of a 6-cylinder engine with 4-cyl economy.
10. Diesel torque is also delivered at lower RPM (revolutions per minute). Gas engines
produce maximum torque at high RPM levels. If pulling a trailer and coming to an incline
(hill) you have to push the accelerator pedal down almost to the floor (e.g. 3,500 RPM) to
get enough torque to get up the hill. Modern automobile diesel engines have greatest
torque at about 1,800 RPM, so gas engine must run twice as fast to produce same torque
as a diesel engine. More RPM = more fuel required.
11. New diesel emissions systems have self-cleaning particulate converters. Some models
use a special fluid to reduce emission that is added about every oil change; some models
do not require the fluid.
12. Over 90% of Volkswagen station wagons purchased in the USA come with diesel engines.
13. After about 5 years hybrid cars resale value is about 20-25% of their purchase price. Gaspowered cars retain about 40% of resale value over same period. Diesel cars often exceed
that resale value amount of gas cars .
14. Because of increased torque, many people find diesels are more fun to drive. They have
livelier performance especially during urban driving and when passing on the highway.
15. Chris Mendola recently bought a 2014 VW TDI Sportwagen after giving his 2002 TDI to his
son-in-law (220,000 miles). During his first week of driving, prior to finishing the new-car

Interesting facts about turbo diesel engines

break-in period, Chris averaged 43.9 MPG (miles-per-gallon) in highway driving on
Interstate-75. This was measured not by the cars computer but figuring actual mileage-to# of gallons of fuel to fill-up.
16. Chris pulled a small camping trailer with his VW-TDI and averaged 29.9 MPG on an
18,000-mile camping trip, and received 35 MPG traveling the desert highway between Las
Vegas & Reno, Nevada traveling at 55MPH.
17. For a video explaining clean diesel exhaust treatment go to
!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?

feature=player_detailpage&v=3z0cbfZi3RI&list=UUxBEkpoYgmG0r34_B3mOr4Q
18. The major Internet website for diesel enthusiasts is www.tdiclub.com
19.