The Diesel Thread (Was: What Volvo USA says about diesel...)

[ducatiz]

I think that people are more hooked on the Prius because it is viewed as a "green" solution.  But people don't think about what those batteries do to the environment.

most of hte people who drive those "cars" are doing it for status only or a "lookitme".. same as the "smart" car.

[Slide Panda]

A coworker of mine has done this and thanks to all the friendly restaurants in the city (who are happy to let him siphon used oil) he's driving for free.

IN areas where more people are doing this restaurants aren't giveing the stuff away any more.  They re looking at it as revenue and not cost.  There's a 'rash' of used oil thefts in some areas

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/us/30grease.html

[ZLTFUL]

If I switch jobs to something down the peninsula (i.e. a 30 mile commute each way)  I'm damn tempted to get an old Mercedes Diesel and do the biodiesel tank in the trunk thing.

A coworker of mine has done this and thanks to all the friendly restaurants in the city (who are happy to let him siphon used oil) he's driving for free.

I got stuck behind one of those old Mercedes diesels that had been converted and it really did smell like french fries. Which is great because I have boycotted McDonalds and miss the fries.

On a side note, the last time I filled my truck, it cost me $120. It has been driven once since that day. So what if I get 600 miles out of a tank. The Duc gets over 45 mpg if I ride it like a normal person hehe.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Guess I'm the only one who bought a V-8 recently 

[ptam]

most of hte people who drive those "cars" are doing it for status only or a "lookitme".. same as the "smart" car.

True true ... when I had a Hybrid, I bought the Civic Hybrid because I didn't want to stand out like with the Prius. 

Guess I'm the only one who bought a V-8 recently 

Yeah, prolly... 

[Rev. Millertime]

Same shit happened around 2000.

Ford was developing a diesel for the F150 and the Expedition.

They decided that soccer moms wouldn't buy diesels... Best response to that was from a Chevrolet dealer who pointed out that they have no trouble driving the kids to soccer in a diesel Mercedes wagon.

Demand truly isn't there in the US for more diesel vehicles.

VW has a reputation for diesels... plus VW owners are a different breed.  Definitely not a bad thing.

Read a study stating that the majority of auto buyers are turned off simply by the term diesel.  They associate diesel with black smoke, noisy engines and trucks.  No bull shit.

I would definitely go for a Volvo diesel.   I love my Volvo... granted its a 12 year old 850.  but still drives great and feels better than some newer cars I've driven.

[ADG]

IN areas where more people are doing this restaurants aren't giveing the stuff away any more.  They re looking at it as revenue and not cost.  There's a 'rash' of used oil thefts in some areas

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/us/30grease.html

Time to start rendering down obese Americans for fuel.

Yours truly,

Adolf

[somegirl]

^^ A Modest Proposal for the 21st century? ;-)

[PizzaMonster]

I don't have any experience with Volvo's diesel offerings but I spent three weeks touring Europe in a Mercedes C220 CDI.  It's an awesome machine that totally changed my whole perception of a diesel car.  Gobs of torque, quiet, no smoke at all and a fuel miser to boot.  I wouldn't be the least bit ashamed to have one in my driveway. 

It's funny how we always think we are so damn smart on this side of the Atlantic.  Truth is not much comes out of Detroit that even remotely resembles finesse or refinement.  The Euros have it all over us when it comes to doing things smart.

Now if only we were able to import them.

Good write up on it here:  http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4246024.html

[squidwood]

due to the price of fuel in Europe , diesels there are very common.I read somewhere that the new Landrover 5 cyclinder diesel engine burns so clean that it does not come with any cats on it at all.It apparantly passes the strictest German TUV tests with flying colors.Shame people here don't see the light.I drive a freightliner all day, so for me diesel is a way of life.

[The Architect]

The diesel BMW's might help change peoples minds? 

Yes, the Prius is a "look at me!" statement.   Who designed that car?  That has got to be one of the blandest cars I've ever seen.  tghat car has no soul


I also wish volvo would make a diesel for the US.  I also wish Volvo would get out from under Ford.  We own an 02 xc70.  Recently, a front spring snapped.  The dealer and Volvo told us this was a regular wear and tear item.  I beleive it was a Torus imported to Sweden item.   

[ducatiz]

I also wish volvo would make a diesel for the US.  I also wish Volvo would get out from under Ford.  We own an 02 xc70.  Recently, a front spring snapped.  The dealer and Volvo told us this was a regular wear and tear item.  I beleive it was a Torus imported to Sweden item.   

i wouldn't assume that.  i'm on my 5th volvo and have had 4 850/s70s.  each model has quirks - the 850/s70s ALL suffer from the sway bar rubbers wearing out.  this causes a weird knock that most owners never track down and only a few US dealers seem to know what it is -- solution:  replace the $50 sway bar links.

also, the motor mounts on volvos are soft, so you get weird happenings when they rot or split.  you might think your engine is coming out. 

the cars are well designed from a safety perspective, and usually from a mechanical one (the 850 engine is perfect) but often have quirks in the suspensions and accessories.

what pisses me off is Volvo offers both a D5 (5-cyl) and a 4-cyl diesel in everywhere BUT this hemisphere (north/south america).  their D5 is an awesome CR engine something like 180 hp and 300 ft/lbs of torque.  i wonder what they could do with a DI setup?

[ducatiz]

due to the price of fuel in Europe , diesels there are very common.I read somewhere that the new Landrover 5 cyclinder diesel engine burns so clean that it does not come with any cats on it at all.It apparantly passes the strictest German TUV tests with flying colors.Shame people here don't see the light.I drive a freightliner all day, so for me diesel is a way of life.

i would find it very hard to believe it doesn't have a DOC or a particulate filter.  all of the new engines coming out of Europe which are medium to large capacity have particulate filters (The volvo S40 with the D5 engine for instance)

Maybe they were saying ti has a different kind of catalyst, but if you want no soot out of an oil burner, you gotta have somethign on the tail pipe!

[ducatiz]

Diesels... DRAG RACING:

Some do better than others, but it is funny to watch a diesel blow off a gas burner.

[lethe]

Diesels... DRAG RACING:

Some do better than others, but it is funny to watch a diesel blow off a gas burner.

Then this qualifies as truly amusing. 



And this one is just jaw dropping in terms of performance.
Lil' pony turns out to be a mere mule.