Tag: diesel engine

diesel additives

What Are Diesel Additives & Should I Use It?

Various innovations such as the use of diesel additives have taken place in diesel engine technology, making it more efficient. Such an efficient engine requires high-quality diesel fuel that can withstand the high demands of the latest diesel engines to offer the best performance and fuel economy. Reducing diesel engine emission emissions has led to the production of low-sulfur diesel fuel.

The refining and modifications made to the diesel fuel have made it lose its ability to lubricate your engine naturally. To restore the lubrication nature of diesel fuel, you have to use sophisticated additives to improve the performance of your engine.

Should I Use it?

Many people believe that diesel additives improve your diesel engine’s performance and fuel economy. But, in reality, diesel additives offer a wider range of benefits. When deciding about the benefits of using diesel fuel additives, consider the issues that can result from substandard and the use of untreated diesel. These are the most common issues worth knowing.

Corrosion and Contamination

Diesel fuel degrades when it sits in your fuel tank for a long. When this happens, it leads to the accumulation of excess water in your system—the moisture within your fuel results in the accumulation of contaminants such as dirt particles and bacterial microbes. 

The contaminated fuel interferes with the combustion rate in the cylinders and can also damage your engine. Excess water in the fuel leads to rust and corrosion in your fuel system.

Engine Vibration and Wear

Untreated diesel fuel triggers excess abrasion and wearing of the engine parts. When this happens, the operation cost of your engine goes up as you will need to replace the parts more often.

Starting Issues

The initial ignition of heavier fuel is difficult compared to a lighter one. Although all engines experience starting problems, they become rampant when using untreated diesel. Incomplete or poor combustion in the engine leads to high fuel consumption, low power, emission of much smoke, and deposit formation on various engine parts.

Cleanliness

The excess deposits from untreated diesel can clog the fuel line, interfering with the fuel flow from the tank to the engine. When this happens, your engine will wear out, leading to costly and time-consuming repairs. Fuel additives reduce the accumulation of deposits and prevent diesel fuel from becoming thick when it sits in the tank for longer periods.

Using untreated and substandard diesel fuel has the above drawbacks to your engine. Consider using diesel additives as a preventive method instead of spending time and money repairing damages resulting from untreated diesel fuel. Diesel additives enhance the quality and aid in the following.

  • Additives reduce the cost and time wastage on engine repairs.
  • Keeps your diesel clean and efficient.
  • It improves combustion and prevents problems related to starting your engine.
  • It reduces the wear and tear of the engine components.

Conclusion

Diesel fuel is popular due to several advantages in comparison to petrol fuel. It can generate much energy and also offer protection to the engine. When using diesel fuel, it is essential to use a treated one. Untreated diesel exposes your engine to various risks worth avoiding. 

diesel and petrol engines

Easily Choose Between Diesel and Petrol Trucks

The primary role of an engine is converting chemical energy into mechanical energy. The process involves a chain of small explosions that occurs differently depending on the engine type. Trucks generally have either diesel and petrol engines. 

In a petrol engine, the fuel mixes with the air then the pistons compress the mixture as the spark plugs spark it. On the other hand, in the diesel engine, the air gets in first and heats as compression occurs, then the diesel is introduced into the combustion chamber.

Here is an in-depth comparison between diesel and petrol trucks that will aid you in making a decision on which to buy.

Difference Between Diesel And Petrol Trucks

What really differentiates diesel and petrol engines? You will learn how these two trucks differ in cost, towing, fuel economy, maintenance cost, lifespan, and resale value.

Cost

When shopping, a diesel truck’s price is relatively higher than the petrol counterpart. If you need a truck for basic use, it is better to check the price and go for petrol-powered trucks instead of diesel-powered ones. But, if you put other factors into consideration and have the money, consider buying a diesel-powered truck.

Towing Capability

Diesel trucks produce more torque than petrol trucks. Their higher torque gives them an upper hand when it comes to towing. Consider buying a diesel truck if you want a truck mainly for towing heavy loads.

Fuel Economy

Diesel engines are generally 35% more fuel efficient than petrol engines. Diesel has more energy making it efficient under normal circumstances. When towing, diesel engines suffer a drop in MPGs, but not as petrol engines. 

Maintenance Cost

The cost of maintaining a diesel engine is relatively high compared to a petrol engine. Although if properly maintained, diesel engines last longer. The cost of maintaining an item of a diesel engine might be twice more than that of a petrol engine. 

Modern diesel trucks have a complex exhaust system that ensures their emissions are environmentally friendly. If the diesel exhaust fuel malfunctions, the owners usually part with thousands of dollars to fix the faulty DEF.

Life Span

The building of diesel engines gives them an extended lifespan. Diesel engines are heavier and sturdier to get the work done. It does not matter which type of engine you choose. Performing regular maintenance gives your truck the longer lifespan you deserve.

Resale Value

As soon as you start driving your brand-new truck from the dealership, it depreciates. Trucks are not the best investment scheme because they depreciate very fast. But, a diesel truck’s resale value is relatively high compared to the petrol counterpart.

Conclusion

Choosing the best truck solely depends on your needs. If you need a truck for towing, a diesel engine will give you power and reliability and serve you for many years. But if you do little towing and want to own your truck for many years, depreciation will not bother you. In this case, buying a petrol-powered truck is the best deal.

No truck can fit all your needs because truck owners use them differently. It is necessary to know why you want a truck and make the right decision when buying a truck. 

Pros and Cons of Diesel Engine Truck

Pros and Cons of Diesel Engine Truck

The automotive world is moving from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The electric migration might kill the internal combustion vehicles. In the current electric inversion, anybody buying a diesel-powered truck seems to be headed south as everyone goes north. Many large, medium, and small trucks have been running on diesel-powered engines to give them more power to tow heavy loads. Do you consider buying a diesel-powered truck? Let’s examine some pros and cons of diesel engine truck.

Pros and Cons of Diesel Engine Truck

PRO: Increased Mileage

The diesel-powered engines offer more mileage compared to gasoline-powered engines. The diesel engine will cover a long distance on a single full fuel tank, making it more economical than gasoline-hybrid trucks.

CON: Increasing Diesel Cost

The price of diesel is on the rise. Initially, diesel used to be cheap compared to gasoline, but now their prices are almost the same. The gradual increase in the price of diesel is due to the higher demand and increase in the number of diesel vehicles worldwide.

PRO: Diesel fuel is Economical

The diesel-powered trucks are fuel efficient as compared to those using gasoline. Diesel fuel is more energetic and dense. Diesel trucks use direct fuel injection because of the high density of diesel; this makes them use less fuel than gasoline-powered trucks with a direct injection system.

Yet another reason diesel fuel is economical on trucks is that the heat that comes out when it is burning is not sent to the tailpipe; instead, it is converted into energy.

CON: Diesel-powered Trucks are Slower

The conversion of heat from the combustion chamber into energy makes diesel-powered trucks perform slowly in terms of speed. However, in gasoline engines, the heat from the combustion chamber is directly sent to the tailpipe, making gasoline engines very fast in speed. In contrast, diesel-powered engines are powerful and slow, making them the best option for tedious hard work.

PRO: Diesel-powered engines do not have spark plugs

Spark plugs produce sparks in the cylinder to burn the mixture of air and gasoline. Diesel engines do not have spark plugs since the compression stroke generates high temperature while compressing air. But this high temperature is what ignites diesel fuel. Using a diesel truck, you will forget about replacing worn-out spark plugs.

CON: Diesel-powered trucks require regular servicing and maintenance

Once you own a diesel-powered truck, you will have to keep changing oil, air, and fuel filters; this will help keep your engine power for a more extended period. However, modern diesel trucks have water separators that you must empty manually, unlike when you have excess bleed water from the system.

Conclusion

Diesel technology is dynamic and undergoing many improvements because the government advocates less emission diesel engines for trucks, buses, and other farm machines like tractors. However, diesel trucks have more torque and durable engines than petrol engine trucks. Government demands have led to the production of low sulphur diesel fuel and the invention of special catalytic converters with more advanced filters to reduce the release of toxic emissions into the environment.