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Diesel vs. Gasoline - why one preferred over another??



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 23rd 05, 09:44 PM
Mark Levitski
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Default Diesel vs. Gasoline - why one preferred over another??

Know nothing of cars (electrical person) - used public transportation all my
life.

Why is that 95% of passenger cars in the US are gasoline, yet diesel used in
much of Europe? I read somewhere diesel is more efficient, plus unlike gas
engine even UNMODIFIED diesel unit can run on "biofuels" (filtered cooking,
etc. natural oils), so why diesel not dominating the market? I thought it's
even cheaper?

However, my primary question is:
Is it true Diesel engine causes a much worse pollution, especiall;y
carcerogenic (CANCER-causing) exhaust?? If so that would answer questions
above. But again I thought new diesels burn as clean as gasoline?

I wouldn't bother with all this, if it wasn't for the growing interest in
biofuels and several people said "cooking oil", etc. works ONLY in diesel
engines, it will NOT run in gasoline - dont even try.

Thanks for your time, I might answer your electrical questions in the
future, who knows... so it's not a waste of your time.


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  #2  
Old April 23rd 05, 11:12 PM
the fly
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On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 20:44:37 GMT, "Mark Levitski"
> wrote:


>Why is that 95% of passenger cars in the US are gasoline, yet diesel used in
>much of Europe? I read somewhere diesel is more efficient, plus unlike gas
>engine even UNMODIFIED diesel unit can run on "biofuels" (filtered cooking,
>etc. natural oils), so why diesel not dominating the market?


Because General Motors did such a bad job with their
Oldsmobile diesel in the early '80s. They slapped a diesel injection
system into a 5.7 L gasoline engine. It was so miserably unreliable
that it soured the US consumer on "diesel" power.

> I thought it's even cheaper?


Latest prices I've seen posted have diesel about 10-15 cents
more than gasoline, for a US gallon.

>However, my primary question is:
>Is it true Diesel engine causes a much worse pollution, especiall;y
>carcerogenic (CANCER-causing) exhaust?? If so that would answer questions
>above. But again I thought new diesels burn as clean as gasoline?


Even cleaner, in some cases. The idea that diesels are
"smoky," "dirty," etc. is perpetuated by some who continue to operate
engines that are in need of repairs, or those which have been
maladjusted in an attempt to produce more power.
In addition, there's more energy stored in a specific volume
of diesel than in the same volume of gasoline. Treated properly,
diesel-powered vehicles are more efficient and economical to operate.

>I wouldn't bother with all this, if it wasn't for the growing interest in
>biofuels and several people said "cooking oil", etc. works ONLY in diesel
>engines, it will NOT run in gasoline - dont even try.
>
>Thanks for your time, I might answer your electrical questions in the
>future, who knows... so it's not a waste of your time.
>


  #3  
Old April 23rd 05, 11:37 PM
Mark Levitski
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I HOPE TO SEE MORE/ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES TO MY POSTING,
APPRECIATE ALL.

Thanks for input. Your response runs in contradiction to my expectation
(e.g. 100% of all Googled search hits for "diesel pollution" show muich
higher 100 to 200x more pollution than gasoline!! esp. carcirogenic
partciles - whether old/needing repair or new engine, diesel is labeled
"bad" for health everywhere.

But thanks - it shows I needed more "research", I dont know what to make of
it. Maybe buy a used diesel and start playing with biofuels - biofuel is
the only reason I suddenly became interested in diesel.

As of prices, probably a vicious circle: lack of diesel consumers makes it
costly to add diesel service at regular US stations, or I might be wrong -
thought Europeans were using it exactly for that lower prices reason, NOTE:
cost per mile driven, not per gallon.

I HOPE TO SEE MORE/ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES TO MY
POSTING, APPRECIATE ALL.


  #4  
Old April 23rd 05, 11:38 PM
TCS
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On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 22:12:38 GMT, the fly > wrote:
>On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 20:44:37 GMT, "Mark Levitski"
> wrote:



>>Why is that 95% of passenger cars in the US are gasoline, yet diesel used in
>>much of Europe? I read somewhere diesel is more efficient, plus unlike gas
>>engine even UNMODIFIED diesel unit can run on "biofuels" (filtered cooking,
>>etc. natural oils), so why diesel not dominating the market?


> Because General Motors did such a bad job with their
>Oldsmobile diesel in the early '80s. They slapped a diesel injection
>system into a 5.7 L gasoline engine. It was so miserably unreliable
>that it soured the US consumer on "diesel" power.


No, it's because diesels are slow to accelerate, start to start, stink, are
harder to find fuel for, and noisy.

They're great if you want to haul a massive load, but are mediocre at best for
day to day driving.
  #5  
Old April 24th 05, 12:02 AM
Mark Levitski
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"Hard to find fuel for" is not an argument, as I said it's a vicious circle:
no diesel consumers ->no diesel suppliers->no diesel consumers, it's easy to
break. But the rest is somewhat OK inline with my thoughts especially
'stink" part. WHat you call stink is indeed 100-200x more pollution than
gasoline, but the other guy response is also valuable, I appreciate all
because unlike you I am a car nut. I was born in a counry of excellent
public transport and very very expensive cars so until last October NEVER
been behind the wheel, so asking stupid diesel questions...

It seems however US trucks/fleet vehicles, etc. non-personal vehicles are
using diesel extensively, it's that passenger cars normnal people buy are
almost never diesel in the US but very common in Europe and is the reason i
asked this question thinkiong of biofuiels that someone said only work in
DIESEL (so I cant use in my Nissan Sentra).


  #6  
Old April 24th 05, 01:20 AM
Alex the dog
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Diesels of the early '80's were indeed loud, sluggish, and stinky. Add
into this the fact that finding fuel was and still is difficult and you
can see why they are not very popular.

Diesels of recent vintage are whole new monster getting more power and
torque and being smooth and quiet. NOT the same thing most Americans
have pop into mind when they think of diesel powered cars.

I recently watched a TV program where they took a turbo diesel Ford and
had it doing a burnout that would make any muscle car run for cover.

  #7  
Old April 24th 05, 01:44 AM
« Paul »
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Mark Levitski wrote:
>
> Know nothing of cars (electrical person) - used public transportation all my
> life.
>
> Why is that 95% of passenger cars in the US are gasoline, yet diesel used in
> much of Europe? I read somewhere diesel is more efficient, plus unlike gas
> engine even UNMODIFIED diesel unit can run on "biofuels" (filtered cooking,
> etc. natural oils), so why diesel not dominating the market? I thought it's
> even cheaper?
>
> However, my primary question is:
> Is it true Diesel engine causes a much worse pollution, especiall;y
> carcerogenic (CANCER-causing) exhaust?? If so that would answer questions
> above. But again I thought new diesels burn as clean as gasoline?
>
> I wouldn't bother with all this, if it wasn't for the growing interest in
> biofuels and several people said "cooking oil", etc. works ONLY in diesel
> engines, it will NOT run in gasoline - dont even try.
>
> Thanks for your time, I might answer your electrical questions in the
> future, who knows... so it's not a waste of your time.


Been to a European city lately?
Diesel fumes and oil slime cover everything.
  #8  
Old April 24th 05, 02:14 AM
Mark Levitski
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Default

No, heard from others on related Newsgroups.
Born/raised in Europe (Russia) 1972-1992, but never been to Europe since
1992 (and dont want to... liberals, except UK or Italy) and Russia circa
1980's didn't have too many cars anyway, we were all riding trains/busses...
subway (Metro) of St Petersburg and Moscow is world-famous. I started
driving only here in the states, and my thing makes 40+mpg after relieving
it of unnecessary weight (2004 Nissan Sentra, unladen, even one seat & spare
tire removed)


  #9  
Old April 24th 05, 02:16 AM
Mark Levitski
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exactly, what I found on the Web on diesel higher pollution than that of
gasoline, already turned off any desire to experiement with it even if
running on cooking oil could be as clean as gasoline or in fact CLEANER, but
first you need money to experiement with all this, dont think after reading
your responses and 'stinky" part of diesel.


  #10  
Old April 24th 05, 02:42 AM
John S.
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"Been to a European city lately?
Diesel fumes and oil slime cover everything. "

Really???? I've been to numerous european cities including London,
Bath, Canterbury, Vienna, Salzburg, Verona, Rome, Venice, Padova within
the last 5 years and didn't notice omnipresent diesel fumes or oil
slime covering everything.

 




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