Archive for the ‘fuel economy’ tag
Diesel or Gas – Who wins The Comparison?
In this article I’m comparing the diesel and the gas engine and discuss their differences. Specifically their usage in automobiles.
Looking at them from a distance both the gas and the diesel engine work in about the same way. A fuel made from refined crude oil is burned inside a cylinder and the hot expanding gasses forces the piston to move. The movement of the piston is then transferred to the wheels through crankshaft, gearbox and transmission.
It’s when we look at the engines a little closer that we start to notice that there are differences. Differences in gas mileage, smell, vibrations, price and expected age to name a few.
With a gas engine there is an ignition system that uses high voltage electricity with wiring and spark plugs. This is not needed in a diesel as it compresses the air n the cylinder until it's hot enough to ignite the fuel when injected. In a gas engine the spark plug ignites the fuel/air mixture by sending a high voltage spark into it at the right time.
Another thing that separates the diesel from the gas engine is that gas engines adds the fuel vapor to the air in the intake manifold either through a carburetor or through fuel injection nozzles. The air/fuel mixture is then sucked into the cylinder to be burnt the next time the piston strikes.
On the other hand the diesel engine sucks fresh air into the cylinder and lets the piston compress it to maximum pressure. Fully compressed the air is hot enough to ignite disesel and at that point high pressure nozzles will start to spray fuel into the cylinder. The fuel ignites instantly due to the high temperature in the cylinder.
The differences is fuel injection and ignition results in the diesel burning the fuel more efficiently than the gas engine. That's why a diesel has a better gas mileage than it's gas powered counterpart.
This is not to say that a diesel is better. It's just different, it has it's drawbacks too. A diesel engine is usually harder to start in cold, and especially in freezing weather. As you may remember it was the hot compressed air that ignited the fuel. When it's too cold outside the air will never become hot enough to ignite the fuel, and the engine won't run.
To handle this diesels have something called glow plugs for handling cold start situations. Electrical power from the accumulator is used to preheat the glow plugs inside the cylinders before the engine is started. That way the fuel is ignited by the hot glow plugs while the cylinder and air is still too cold to do it. Then when the engine starts it only takes a few seconds for the cylinders to get hot enough to ignite the fuel without help and the glow plugs are not needed again until the next cold start.
This is one of the things that might bother you when having a diesel engine in the car. The glowing takes from a couple of second to half a minute and can easily lead to stress when in a hurry. You just have to wait until it's completed or the car won't start. On the other hand if the engine is well done the glowing does not take long and you soon get accustomed to it.
Lets look at the practical differences between the gas engine and the diesel engine. The diesel engine is large and loud and it produces clouds of black strinking smoke when accelerating. In addition it has a more robust construction because of the high compression is must handle and can usually go twice as many miles as the same size gas engine during it's life. The sturdier construction also makes it more expensive when first bought.
Features of The Gas Engine
- More quiet that the diesel
- Better acceleration and higher top speed
- Uses an Ignition System with Spark Plugs to Light The Fuel
- Adds fuel to the air before letting it into the cylinder
- Not as sturdy as a diesel. Lower price but breaks down faster
- Gas readily available everywhere
- MPG is low compared to a diesel
Features of The Diesel Engine
- Loud noise, sounds like a truck or agricultural machine
- Slow acceleration (get one with turbo charger, that helps)
- Lower top speeds but can easily reach the legal speed limit in most places
- Uses glow plugs to help the fuel ignite when the engine is cold
- Lets clean air into the cylinder and injects the fuel later
- Engine is simple and robust. Higher price but runs many miles
- Emits black smoke when loading it (like a quick acceleration)
- Easy to convert to using Eco fuel oils
- Has a great gas mileage
If I where to give you advice on selecting either a gas or a diesel powered car I would probably tell you this: Get a diesel if you drive long trips and can live with the small nuisances of more noise and poor acceleration, get a gas powered car if you drive less than average or if you just want the comfort at any price.
used honda cars & car fuel economy
Now why don’t we consider the topic of used car sales. Should you buy used cars or new ones? New cars begin depreciating the second you sign the papers. That makes the question a lot simpler to answer. Buy the car after it has taken the biggest value hit. That of course combines with the concern over the state when a car needs less maintenance. Those are most balanced in the late model used car. The big hit to car value has already occurred. Someone else got robbed by that decrease. The auto is likely still under warranty and isn’t in a state of needing constant work.
Continuing the discussion about mercedes used cars : There are many places to look for late model used cars. People who buy or lease new cars trade in their old ones to the dealer. Those cars than have to be sold. eBay has a whole division dedicated to used cars, while specialty companies such as Carmax list thousands of them. Speaking of auctions, most cities have a lot of auctions taking place every day. Auctions include cars from the police, taken from criminals, or used rental vehicles.
When dealing with used cars one will also want to consider fuel economy cars and Kelly Blue Book is the place to look for used car prices. Categories include make, model, year and condition from poor to excellent. It also breaks down the prices between dealer sales and private sales. Dealers have overhead private sellers don’t have so that is important.
What about financing a used car? The better idea is to save money to make a cash purchase. No matter how low of an interest rate or how low the monthly payments, nothing helps the monthly budget like not having to make any car payment. Yes, cars are status symbols. But consider something a little simpler with a few less bells and whistles. That not only helps your bottom line, but your blood pressure. Theft, wear and accidents are bigger worries for people with fancy cars. A scratch doesn’t mean as much on a less expensive car.
Wealth isn’t made by spending, even on a car. Net worth comes from saving. There are people living hand to mouth even though they earn a lot of money. Good used cars are a way to save.
The New Prius – 50 MPG!
Hybrids have a new pinnacle of technology in the 2010 Prius. Great gas mileage is what has sold over 1 million Prius Hybrids.The little Toyota is fitted with a 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, which is up from the past 1.5L.The new Prius has a larger engine, increased torque, and lower gearing that improve fuel economy.Past models had 110 horspower, the new model has 160-hp.
Teh new Prius will get better fuel economy by about 4 MPG.Simple gas saving habits can help the Prius to get over 75 MPG! Nevertheless the improved fuel economy is due to the redesigned lighter stiffer body and powertrain, which has been reconfigured for less weight. Engine noise is toned down thanks to a stiffer chassis.
Steering imput has been improved for the 2010 model year. The 2010 Prius is a great value considereing the features that come stack for this model year. Some accessories available on the new Prius are a back-up camera, HID headlamps, gauge controls, and a nav system.
The regenerative braking system that captures heat from braking and turns it into electricity to recharge the batteries has also been improved. The new Toyota Prius graduated at the highest of its class in safety standards. Many options avaialble are the air bag for the driver knee, a safety connect system similar to on-star, and traction control.
See the new Prius and a nice inventory of other hybrids at the Riverside County Toyota Dealer. Or view an article at at Best New Autos on the Prius winning some awards. The Prius has been named top green car for the past few years. And why shouldn’t it. The Prius gets great gas mileage which saves gas, in turn putting less strain on the environment. Not to mention is is a low emissions vehicle. The PRius is an honored car that does a great job of keeping its resale value. So if you cannot afford to buy a brand new 2010 Prius, go ahead and look for a nice used model. You will pay less, get a capable car, and even get a used car warranty if you buy a certified Toyota hybrid.
Careful driving and how to save on fuel
Most of us have to keep an eye on our outgoings nowadays and one fairly major expense is running our cars. The price of petrol seems to be forever going up and so there are a few rules we can all follow to help save on fuel.
One thing a lot of us are guilty of at times is putting our foot down when we accelerate. If you drive an automatic it is best to accelerate at a fairly moderate speed in order to give the transmission enough time to shift to the higher gears. If you accelerate away and brake right away this is a big waste of fuel.
A great way to save petrol is simply reduce your speed. As speed increases fuel decreases!
Tyres which are under inflated are very often overlooked. If they are not at the correct pressure they will need to use more petrol to keep the car moving. Get yourself a good tyre gauge and check the tyres at least once a month. One tip is to check them when they are cold because driving the car will warm up the tyres and the air inside which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading.
Check your air filter because a dirty one restricts the flow of air to the engine which will affect performance and also economy.
New wheels and tyres may look good and they can improve the way that a car handles, but if they are wider they could create more resistance and increase petrol consumption. So it is worth considering keeping the old tyres for long road journeys which will give you a far smoother ride and far better economy.
If you are thinking of changing your vehicle then maybe this will be the ideal time to downsize a little. Nissan and Toyota are two of the leading manufacturers who have developed highly fuel efficient cars.
This may not seem obvious, but take a look inside your car and give it a spring clean. We are all often guilty of hoarding rubbish in our cars and its surprising how these extra things mount up in the terms of weight. The more weight in the car the more fuel there is burnt.
Finally, more than likely not a very popular thing to say, but whenever possible why not simply walk?!!