Hi,

Diesel is really not the way to go. It is actually much worse for the environment it turns out. The amount of warming for a tank of diesel is actually 2-3x more than a same mileage gas engine.

This is a fact. Short science lesson. Black heats up more than white. You will not see a black space shuttle ever. The soot from diesel, even clean burning engines such as european produce black soot (just not as quickly); turns snow and the air black with particulates. This black dirty air will absorb heat just like a greenhouse gas. The normally white snow (that would reflect sunlight and heat) will now absorb (trap in) heat, hence the warming effect on this use is much higher, and less environmentally good than a plain old gas engine.
It also adds CO2 on top of things, so put together, it is worse.

Also, diesel uses lower quality fuels in the US, and this may take years or likely decades for US to bother to impliment new Cetane standards (like 89, 87, etc) for diesel fuels. Until then, the fuel here will be of much lower quality and dirtier.

Biofuels are nice in theory, but they use more oil to grow, and our tax dollars are subsidizing this fuel. True you might think, biofuels offset emissions by growing plants to absorb CO2, but it isn't known how much this helps offset warming. It looks like not as much as previously thought.

There really is no reason to go with diesel unless you need low end pulling power and hauling ability of multiton weights. This is the best application.
Europe has diesel out of necessity because gas fuel supplies were never as reliable so diesel became standard.

Hybrids will soon be getting direct cylinder injection fuel delivery systems. This will leap again fuel standards compared to current methods.

Hi JCL73,

I suggest you compare a particulate filter diesel engine with a modern gasoline engine and look at the particulate emissions (=soot). What I've heard, US will get low-sulphur diesel in 2006 and then the particulate filter engines can work.

Can you please point me to an article which states that (old technology) diesel emissions warms 2-3x more than gasoline emissions? I frankly don't believe that for a second.

Johan Erlandsson

See mileage data for my 00 Prius.
See my environmental performance (still in swedish only, feel free to ask).

Hi JCL73,

Can you back up your statements with some facts from a researchable source on modern diesel technology used in cars?

If you disagree with the information from the sources I posted, thats great, lets hear yours.

Everyting I read about modern diesels cars does not fit with your "science lesson"

Interesting opinion from you... but..

I await researchable facts on current production cars.

Cheers,

Innkeeper

One factor that increases maintenance costs of the VW TDI when compared to the Toyota and Honda hybrids is that the TDI engine requires a new timing belt every 42,000 miles versis 90,000 to 100,000 miles for the Toyota or Honda.

Hi Basjoos,

You have a bit of mis-information, or perhaps incomplete information. According to my manual, the timing belt is to be changed every 80,000 miles.

On older VW tdi's it was 40,000 for an automatic and 60,000 for a manual, but on newer TDI's its 80,000 miles for all. Older TDI's have the newer 80,000 mile timing belt installed when they have thier scheduled mantenance done.

Since my car is a 2002, the 80,000 mile timing belts have been on the TDI's since at least since 2002.

The Timing Belt will be my most expensive maintenace item until i have to do it again at 160,000, and 240,000.

I figure on an engine rebuild before the 320,000 mark, which might be time to trade it in insted. but thats 6 years from now, so I'll cross that bridge when i come to it. darn diesels never die.

I didn't include the timing belt in the maintenance items cause I figured across all car types, that item was a wash. same with brakes, fuel filters and the like. even though the timing belt changes are 10-20,00 miles sooner in the TDI. I suspect there are verying times of TB changes in gas too.

On the flipside, I did not include the cost of changing the batteries on hybrids either, which to be fair, i probably shoud have included both. but i would have had to project out costs of the lifespan of the cars. I have no idea how long a hybrids gas engine would last before it needs a rebuild, or the cost of the batteries mantanance etc. I did not research that deep in that area. also are there any long term mantenance on the electric motor. another point i did not research.

If anyone cares to do the research and the math, id love to see it.

Cheers,

Innkeeper

I've heard from several sources that the HCH has a real-live chain, not a belt.

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

Wow, that would be great, my last car had a timing chain, and never had a problem with it.

My information came from a friend who had a 00 TDI Golf and was
putting close to 40,000 miles a year on his car. He used to complain
about the expensive annual timing belt replacements his car
required. I did a quick search on the internet and found that the 02
and up TDI engines have a 80,000 mile timing belt change, which is
much better than it was, but is still a shorter service interval than
with the Toyota or Honda ICE.

The 2004 Prius also has a timing chain.

when does the the battery/electrical require mantenance on a hybrid... and what are the costs involved?