You're too stupid to... own a diesel small truck

[DarkMonster620]

Yeah esp the part about VM half owned by Fiat and GM each.  That explains why the Cruze has a VM diesel.

Fiat bought VM from Finn Meccanica in the 90s.  Good deal.

then that diesel is a good diesel . .  CRI system . . .

[MendoDave]

Looks like they are making it ready to work on JP8 which had a few problems running in regular diesels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JP-8


When used in highly supercharged diesel engines with the corresponding low compression ratio of about only 14:1 or below, JP-8 causes troubles during cold start and idling due to low compression temperatures and subsequent ignition delay because the cetane index is not specified in MIL-DTL-83133G to 40 or higher. Because lubricity to the BOCLE method is not specified in MIL-DTL-83133G, modern common-rail diesel engines can experience wear problems in high-pressure fuel pumps and injectors. Another problem in diesel engines can be the increased wear in outlet valve seats in the cylinder heads, because a minimum content of sulfur is not specified in MIL-DTL-83133G. Sulfur in fuels normally contributes to a build-up of damping soot layers in these valve seats. According to the notes in this standard, it is intended to include a cetane index value in one of the next releases.

Alternative Fuel Technologies, Redford, Michigan, is currently working, through an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant (Phase 2), on mitigation of the valve-wear issue persuant to using JP-8 fuel in common rail diesel engines, and recently received an award granted by The National Science Foundation, (http://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/193600).

Workers have complained of smelling and tasting JP-8 for hours after exposure. As JP-8 is less volatile than standard diesel fuel, it remains on the contaminated surfaces for longer time, increasing the risk of exposure.[3]

[muskrat]

Diesel is roughly 25-30% more efficient, contains more usable energy than gasoline and a lot of diesel cars sold in Europe deliver better mileage than so-called hybrids. Too bad most Americans have sticker shock at the pump.  Unless you drive 30k miles a year a 30-50 cent difference isn't going to impact most people adversely.  I rented a VW Polo in Spain and got 62 mpg.

[the_Journeyman]

Part of the decision to go diesel with C's Jetta was that despite the more expensive per gallon price, the higher MPG more or less offset the cost.  She went from around 32MPG to 38MPG in mixed driving.  It does even better on the highway.  It also has plenty of power where the Mazda2 took a significant MPG hit if you maintained more than about 60-65 on the highway.

Isuzu has had a large presence with GM.  My 1994 Cavalier had Isuzu stamped on a lot of drive train.

JM

[ducatiz]

diesel is higher price but a lot of states are trying to deal with that. For instance here in Virginia the state will refund the tax on diesel fuel for personal use. I think that's about 25 cents per gallon which makes with mid grade Gas

[duc_fan]

I'm part of a team that's been jerking around with trying to get jet fuels to run in reciprocating engines.  The problem, as you stated, is that cetane and sulfer content (amongst others) are not specified.  Of course, for a turbojet or turbofan engine, it doesn't matter.  But when you're injecting that fuel at specified intervals into a cylinder with a reciprocating piston... well, certain physical properties of the fuel become important.  Making an engine that can handle wide variations in fuel properties is a challenge, to put it mildly.

Since the services are trying to move to a "one fuel" model (everything running JP-5 or JP-8, depending on whether you're land- or ship-based), it would make sense for them to revise the jet fuel specifications and include allowable cetane, sulfur content, and lubricity indices (amongst other properties that are currently uncontrolled).

I'll sound dissent on GM making crap.  My family has use GM trucks (full-size, pickups and Suburbans) for years without trouble.  My 2011 2500HD is great.  Yeah, so some of the interior plastics rattle when I go blasting down the washboard road.  That's a minor annoyance.  Now, if I had dropped over $60k for a Denali, and it rattled like that, I'd be a little more annoyed.  All the important drivetrain stuff, however, is great.  Can't say the same for extended family that has been driving Ford and Dodge HDs.  To many blown transmissions to count.  Also, look under the hood of *any* new HD truck.  None of them is user-friendly for servicing.  The biggest problem is all the mandatory emissions plumbing.  Now all the dealerships have a bunch of services that call for the cab to be lifted.

Now, as for GM cars... that's another story.  Really hit-or-miss depending on model.  The Sky is great, except for the cheapness of the interior plastics.  Otherwise the 2.4L Ecotec is bulletproof, the suspension is sublime, and the body & paint are excellent.  Other GM cars, you really gotta do the research.  Some are good, others are total crap.  In this, GM is not alone.

[duccarlos]

Sadly the VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI is waaaaaaaaaaay out of our[wife+me] purchasing league, so, she is sorta locked into this one, http://pa.chevroletcentroamerica.com/suvs/trax.html . . . sadly no diesel . . .

If theNissan Juke had a diesel available

or if this Mitsubishi where also imported as a diesel . . .

Why, because since diesel here has a high sulfur content, Asian manufacturers, execpt for the commercial vehicles, are not importing diesels . ..   :'(

<edit>
If my wife liked this one, http://www.nissan.com.pa/vehiculo/x-trail . . .

If you lived in Chile and didn't need a 4x4, then you would be looking at one of these:

http://www.chevrolet.cl/orlando-auto-familia.html

BTW, I'm selling mine now that I'm moving back.

[DarkMonster620]

actually don't need a 4x4, and that one is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too big for wife to drive and way too many seats . . .

[duccarlos]

It's not that big. From the front it looks massive.

[mitt]

Wait till 2015, and we might not be too stupid anymore

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/11/20/chevrolet-colorado-mid-size-pickup-los-angles-auto-show/3600611/

2 gas engines in 2014, 1 diesel in 2015.

[ducatiz]

Wait till 2015, and we might not be too stupid anymore

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/11/20/chevrolet-colorado-mid-size-pickup-los-angles-auto-show/3600611/

2 gas engines in 2014, 1 diesel in 2015.

IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME

But....

We've heard this story before.....

[Speedbag]

And it's still a Chevy Colorado. 

[zooom]

how are the sales of the Cruze diesel?

[ducatiz]

how are the sales of the Cruze diesel?

no figures released yet by engine, but the Cruze has sold 159,000 units for Jan- July 2013, versus 128,000 units Jan-July 2012.

from what I've heard, they are selling.  I called a dealer a while back to go check one out and he said he had sold all the ones he had, and was waiting for more.

[ducatiz]

And it's still a Chevy Colorado. 

ISUZU!