Any other Dieselholics out there?

Judging from the Diesel content in Darell's EV1 thread, it seems like there are at least a few other Diesel aficionados here. I thought I'd start a new thread to cut down on the Diesel pollution in his

How many CPF members own Diesels (or want to) and why?

Well we have had a Jetta TDI on order for 3 months now? I have done a lot of research on them, mostly at Fred's. Here are the reasons in order why we went with the TDI Jetta Wagon over the any of the hybrids.

1. This is the most important reason; my wife like the wagon better, no matter what is "pushing" it.

2. The Jetta Wagon has much more room, both in passenger area and cargo area.

3. The TDI's actually get better fuel mileage on the highway then the hybrid's do, and this is where we do 80% of our driving.

4. The TDI's are proven and have a good track record for lasting a LONG time; while the hybrids are still unknown at this point. I know Darell will scold me for not pushing the envelope, but I can't get a RAV4, or we would have gone that route.

Some other points are; I can burn bio diesel if I want (and probably will) and it has a lot of torque for such a small engine.

VW Jetta tDi makes more power and torque than it's gasoline equivalent, and it has far better fuel economy! Must have car for me.

don't mind me too much for not having a deisel (I would if i bought my own car, driving what dad bought; still manage to get 26.2mpg out of a 3l V6 design that dates 10yrs, so i don't leadfoot ).

part of the problem is, other than VW, there aren't any other TDs out there in a car platform. As much as I like VWs, the current iteration of the TDi is definitely on the anemic side, which would be OK if all I did was long distance commuting where i'd be in the meat of the torque curve, but for cut/thrust city traffic, it doesn't cut it, IMHO.

Originally posted by Brock:
I know Darell will scold me for not pushing the envelope, but I can't get a RAV4, or we would have gone that route.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Oh good - my chance to "electrify" this thread.

Kidding. No scolding here... How hundreds of millions of people do we have in this country now? Closing in on 300,000,000 I see. There are only about 2,000 production BEVs on the road today. There's a very slim chance for any Californian to drive one - much less the rest of the country. You've got a FAR better chance at winning the lottery than in having an EV available to you. Anybody who is thinking energy conservation and pollution reduction is OK in my book. And hey - if you can do it with more power (as is the case with most BEVs and the TDI) then all the more power to you!

Seriously guys - I'm not here to crap on anybody's parade. We're all on the same side here for sure. I just do my part more quietly, with more power and less stink.

I want an EV like you wouldn't believe I mean my commute is what? 4 miles each way? I could go weeks without charging

Darell, what are the chances of not owning 1, but 2 EVs? (Ok lease).

What are the chances of hitchhiking to CA, not getting killed in the process, and driving one of those EVs back?

Darell I was actually thinking about you scolding me for not getting the Prius or civic hybrids vs. a VW diesel.

iddibhai VW does make some powerful TDI's, but they just don't sell them un North America. There is talk of getting the larger ones in the Passat line in 2005 or 2006, but that is a while. I would say the 90hp TDI easily matches our 180hp Mazda sedan or my brothers Toyota in pickup, and I average about 35 mpg in the Mazda, but now I can have the same pickup, and get almost twice the mileage. What you probably want (as most Americans apparently do) is the same mileage, with twice the pickup. Which I really don't understand, but hey that's what makes this country great! I mean I can get there it comfort and quicker then most "economy" cars, yet get great mileage.

My member name gets me into the dieselholics category all by itself.

I hold the distinct honor of selling more diesel Suburbans than anyone in the country. Only problem I have is getting more to sell, I am out at the moment. They made the diesel Suburban from 1983-1991 and again from 1994-1999. I hope to see the new Duramax diesel Sub. in 2004. I have owned 4 diesel Suburbans myself as well as a number of diesel trucks. I love the noise, the smell, the economy, the fact you can leave them running in the summer without overheating and the fact they are manly. We also have the VW franchise here in P-Cola and I am most impressed with the Jetta and Bug but I am a truck guy. My daughter may get a diesel bug in a few years.

I like the EV concept (I want to be on Darells good side) The hybrid idea has real promise for the near future. Hybrid diesel...I would have to give it a try.

Wow! If there was a guy who was made for this thread, it's YOU DieselDave!

Originally posted by DieselDave:
I like the EV concept (I want to be on Darells good side)

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Atta boy. The good news is that with the introduction of the Rav4, you can drive an EV and still be manly... just as long as you forget that the Rav is a sissy SUV.

But seriously, if you like the EV concept, you'll be BLOWN AWAY by the EV reality.

Doh! Here I go dragging the diesel thread into the EV arena... when this thread was started to keep the diesels out of the EV thread. Hmmmm... two great tastes that taste great together? Presto! The diesel/hybrid is invented.

Hey! You got EV in my Diesel!
Hey! You got Diesel in my EV!

Saaby, what you need is a Segway HT!

http://www.bookofseg.com/

Brock, since I haven't driven the TDi, I can't comment directly, but everything I've read about them points to lacklustre performance unless one is under cruise. Heck I want an oilburner fer sure, and the closest I can get to one is pushing an uncle to get the E300CDI (coming to US for MY04) who really wanted a TD benz but they stopped making those in 2000. As far as EVs or hybrids goes, about a dozen Honda EV+ vehicles are owned (?) by the UCR college of engr, and are let out to faculty for local use, and everyone who has driven them LOVE it, ditto the faculty that own Prius', offering to give rides to students if they wish!

Originally posted by iddibhai:
. . . since I haven't driven the TDi, I can't comment directly, but everything I've read about them points to lacklustre performance unless one is under cruise.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Compared to what--a 1.8T or VR6 in the same car?

In 2000, I test drove a 2 liter gas Golf, the Corolla and it's GM clone, the Civic, the Focus Wagon with the peppier engine and the Protege before I bought my TDI. I thought the TDI (running on cheap Diesel and not Premium Gasoline like the 1.8T or VR6) was more fun to drive than all of them, except maybe the Focus. The Focus with the higher-performance engine was punchier, but it only came with an automatic at the time. The Prius was too expensive.

TDIs are really quick from zero to 35 mph (even quicker than a 1.8T, if I recall correctly). That makes them really fun to drive in and around the city. TDIs are also really fun on hills. My TDI can fly over 3000' Snoqualmie pass East of Seattle with the whole family and luggage.

You can also chip a TDI and get 1.8T zero to 60 performance and still get over 40 mpg when you keep your foot out of it. There are a number of performance enhancements over at www.tdiclub.com (chip, turbo tweak, larger injectors, enhanced intake and exhaust) that will get you MUCH more horsepower and over 200 lb./ft. or torque. I've got a buddy who's done it all and his Jetta is scary. My only modifications are enhanced air and lube-oil filtration and a metal belly pan.

As to diesel availability in the US, that is about to change:

EPA: Opening The Door Further For Auto Diesels?

Are recent actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opening the door even further to automotive dieselization? EPA is issuing amendments to clarify the Tier 2 light-duty vehicle exhaust emission standards. These amendments will provide additional options for light-duty automobile manufacturers to meet the Tier 2 standards in the early years of the program, until low-sulfur diesel fuel becomes widely available. The Tier 2/Gasoline Sulfur program will significantly reduce the emissions from new passenger cars and light trucks. These reductions will provide for cleaner air and greater public health protection, primarily by reducing ozone and particulate matter pollution. The program, which begins in 2004, treats vehicles and fuels as a system, combining requirements for much lower emitting vehicles with requirements for much lower levels of sulfur in gasoline. Several automobile manufacturers have requested EPA to make these changes, which will enable them to certify light-duty diesels meeting the Tier 2 interim standards in 2004. The amendments issued will result in the introduction of cleaner diesel vehicles sooner.
Source, "Diesel Progress" Business Wire, 12/6/02.

ULSD is coming and Jeep has already announced it will sell a diesel version of the Liberty in the USA . . .

My name is 2dogs and I'm a dieselholic. 2 Dodge TDs, 1 6.2 Suburban, and 1 Kubota M5950 (tractor).

I stopped lusting after diesels when the VW dealer told me the reason my Jetta was running crappy was because I had a living organism in my diesel's gas tank. That was years ago.

Has the technology changed much since then?

Marty

Bad diesel is more common then bad gas because some stations carry diesel and don't sell enough to get a good turnover. So some of the smaller stations could have old diesel in their tanks. The best thing to do is buy diesel wherever the trucks are. This works for 2 reasons. Trucks use a lot of fuel so they go through a lot; thus it is usually fresh. Secondly, if a station has bad fuel, truckers won't go there.

A Diesel's fuel tank can grow algea but it is not common. I sterilise my fuel tank once a year at the end ofthe warm season. The additive is very toxic so use with care.

All good points.
Another one is to remember: If the Dealership determines the failure was due to fuel contamination then it becomes a non-warranty repair. The high dollar part of the diesel motor that is subject to failure from contaminated fuel is the injection pump. On the GM's it runs about $1,500-$1,700 installed. If you had an intermittent problem, hesitation and/or stalling it is a good idea to have your fuel tanked drained and cleaned plus replace your fuel filter prior to taking it in for service. Get the hint? I also recommend an additional fuel water separator with every diesel I sell. It is installed in-line just back from the main filter and has a petcock on the bottom so you can drain it.

I just found this amazing little piece about the VW 1 liter concept car on the NY Times site (reg. required, so I'm quoting it here).

The Hybrid That Gets 239 M.P.G.
By STEPHEN MIHM

You have to hand it to those hyperefficient Germans. While American auto manufacturers keep wailing about how devastating it would be if the government raised fuel-economy standards by one mile per gallon, the clever engineers at Volkswagen went ahead and unveiled a car this year that gets 239 m.p.g.

Think how a car that gets 239 m.p.g. would stack up against our much-beloved gas guzzlers in a hypothetical ''race'' between the VW and an S.U.V. that gets 15 m.p.g. Starting in New York City, each vehicle is given -- let's be generous here -- 50 gallons of fuel to make a cross-country trip. While the S.U.V. would grind to a stop outside not-so-beautiful Gary, Ind., the 239 m.p.g. car could go all the way to Los Angeles and then have enough to go back to New York, back to L.A. once more, back to New York yet again and still have enough left over to make it to Chicago.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Is that not freaking amazing!?!?

dilettante, thanks for the heads up, that tdi website is a blast! i spent a whole night reading up on stuff, and yes, very happy to hear new oilburners headed this way! whoowhoo! Gen3 CDI chipped, great mileage, great torque! Have you read about the MB C30 AMG? tire shredding ~400 lbft torque, availbe in coupe, sedan or wagon, but not in USA

I've been reading diesel truck websites.

Dodge and Ford guys are talking 800-900 REAR WHEEL TORQUE!!! with mods. Yikes!

My poor old F-350 7.3 non turbo is just a wee bit more efficient today! A new Throttle Position Sensor calibrated to .96v at idle has restored my transmission to A-1 operation including SOLID Torque Converter Lockup. As much as 300 rpm less at 70mph. Yeah!

It's almost certainly too late to save my tranny, but for at least a little while it acts great!