Water causes damage to both fuel tanks and engine parts. Rust and corrosion in the tank create hard particulate that is passed along in the fuel, causing engine wear.
Finally, any water that makes its way through to the fuel injectors reduces the lubrication properties of the diesel fuel along the way. This leads to galling, premature wear, damaged injection tips, and further corrosion of sensitive fuel system mechanical components.
Cons of diesel cars
Diesel fuel usually costs more. Servicing can be more expensive, although you don't need to do it as often. Diesel cars produce a lot more NO2. Diesel engines can be slightly noisier.
But an amazing fact is that diesel engines can run for 1,000,000-1,500,000 miles before needing any major diesel repairs. If kept well-maintained, a diesel engine can be driven for about 30 years or more.
So it is advised that drivers regularly give their diesel vehicle a good 30 to 50 minute run at sustained speed on a motorway or A-road to help clear the filter. However, not all drivers do this type of driving regularly – which is why manufacturers have designed an alternative form of regeneration.
Putting even a small amount of petrol in diesel engines can lead to damages to the entire fuel system.
To be clear - avoid diesel cars with over 100,000 miles on the clock.
Allow Time to Warm Up the Engine
In order to start a diesel engine and keep it running in cold weather, you must make sure you allow plenty of time for your engine to warm up. If you do not let your engine warm up before driving, you will make it work harder than necessary, which will lead to problems later on.
Unnecessary idling wastes fuel, causes air pollution and increases engine wear. An idling diesel engine produces much higher emissions than it would while using the same amount of fuel under load. Extended idling causes a build-up of soot inside the engine and results in a puff of black smoke when the engine revs.
The best thing you can do to warm up your diesel engine—after letting it idle for no longer than two minutes—is to start driving it. Heading off at a steady pace will heat up the engine and get the oil circulating.
Whether you're preparing for the wrath of winter or already in the thick of it, the one thing you should never do is turn to a diesel additive that contains alcohol.
You don't want the fuel pump to draw the diesel fuel into your engine, as it will clog up your fuel system and potentially damage the moving parts in your engine block. It's also a bad idea to leave the diesel in the tank for any length of time.
The more cold-starts your diesel is subjected to, the shorter its lifespan will be. Inconsistent metal expansion and poor-flowing (thick) lubricants don't provide protection from moving parts. Another thing to worry about is fuel washing the cylinder walls before compression ignition can occur.
If you live in or frequently drive in an urban or suburban area and most of your journeys are short, there's not much cause for you to buy a diesel — you'd be better off going with a petrol, hybrid or electric model instead, as the fuel savings won't offset the higher purchase price of a diesel car, and diesels aren't ...
Our view is that many drivers, especially those doing long-distance trips and motorway miles (say 20,000+ miles a year), will likely still be financially better off picking a diesel car, on account of its better mpg.
Some of the advantages of diesel vehicles are: Being great for long journeys. If you're in for long car trips, choose diesel over petrol engines since they provide more power at lower engine revs. Featuring better fuel economy.
"You can get up to maybe 250,000 km or 300,000 km before a gas engine starts to make noise, or burn oil because it's wearing out, but a diesel can quite easily do 500,000 km and still be in excellent shape," says one certified mechanic I spoke with.
Putting petrol in a diesel car can result in severe engine damage and should be rectified by a professional service as soon as possible. Adding petrol to diesel fuel creates a solvent that reduces lubrication and can cause critical damage to the fuel pump and associated fuel system.
2.5ltrs on average speed of 55kms per hour.
Over the course of a year, a long-haul truck could idle for about 1,800 hours, using nearly 1,500 gallons of diesel, which is $5.82 per gallon in the US as of June 2022. For one heavy truck, the cost of idle fuel waste averages about $8,730. Idling a heavy-duty truck consumes about 0.8 gallon of fuel per hour.
Pros of buying a diesel car
Due to diesel engines' increased fuel economy, you can get up to double the kilometres out of a tank, meaning less trips to the service station. Diesel fuel is less prone to price fluctuations than petrol. Some diesels are even more economical than hybrids and are cheaper to buy.
If you only ever use your car for quick trips, the DPF may not reach the temperature needed to regenerate, causing a blockage that could lead to a breakdown. So, if you drive a diesel, you should always make sure to take longer journeys every so often to keep your DPF clean and in good working order.