Diesel News: POST HERE

[sleeoffroad]

Christo,

This is AMAZING! My friends work for the BioDiesel association in Berkeley - I wonder if they've seen him. Looks like he's already passed SF.

Does he carry his own processing plant in the back??

http://gogo.web6.jp/bio/

Yes, the site has the details, but they have a full processing plant that they use while on the road. We did not get a chance to talk about that aspect a lot, but very cool people with a very cool truck.

 

[mauricio_28]

Nah, thanks. I'd rather take the subway than make my own diesel.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

There are several ways to produce biodiesel, that is one of the more high tech setups I have seen. But I also imagine it is fairly automated and produces very high quality fuel. Very cool regardless

 

[overlander]

Finally! :wings: Someone is taking action! From AP this morning:

Truckers to Strike Over Record Diesel Prices, Some Paying Up to $1,200 to Fill-Up

MEDFORD, Ore. — Independent U.S. truckers are planning to stop hauling freight today in protest of record-high diesel prices that drivers say they can no longer afford.

Independent truckers, who constitute 90 percent of the nation's trucking fleet, are being hit especially hard by soaring diesel prices and compensation lags far behind rising costs, according to the American Trucking Association.

"Diesel used to be 30 to 40 cents cheaper than regular gasoline; now it's 30 to 40 cents more," said independent truck driver Gordon Gravely, of Helena, Mont., who stopped at the Phoenix Petro Truck Stop on his way to Roseburg, Oregon.... :ar15:


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344170,00.html

 

[JackW]

more like 70 cents a gallon more locally.....than regular gas

 

[haven]

VW's diesel plans

According to an article in Motor Trend, Volkswagen's 2.0L turbo diesel will be available for purchase this coming August. The diesel will be legal in all 50 states. We'll see it in the Jetta sedan and Sportswagen first, and later in the Tiguan.

The 2.0L diesel engine will produce about 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque in USA trim. Transmissions include a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic with Tiptronic, and the six-speed DSG with paddle-shift.

No announcement has been made about the cost of the diesel option. Most estimates I've read are around $2000.

I expect we'll see this same engine and transmission package in the Audi A3 and A4 at some point in the 2009 model year.

I'm not sure what VW's plans are for diesel engines in the New Beetle or Rabbit. I think the Passat will get a new 3.0L V6 diesel, also expected in the Touareg in late 2009 or early 2010.

Chip Haven

 

[haven]

Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle plans

Nissan just announced plans to produce a new line of light commercial vehicles in the Texas plant that produces the Titan pickup. Details are very sketchy, but it appears that one of the designs will be a chassis-cab version of the Titan with a new diesel engine from Cummins and transmission from ZF. Cummins has plans to produce 4.2L V-6 and 5.6L V-8 diesels, so the new Nissan will probably use one of these.

Given this news, I think it's likely we'll see a Cummins diesel in a Titan 4x4 pickup in a couple of years.

Chip Haven

 

[pwc]

I get 18mpg with my 2.8 Powerstroke, verus 10mpg with the original 3.9 V8 in my 110. I also have no ECU's or emissions due to the efficiency of this mechanical diesel engine, and I can run biodiesel.

I have no regrets.

p.s. distributors suck..

I'm right there with you. Although I hope to wring out a couple more MPG with some changes. I was down to 9PMG on the gas engine with a couple of missing cylinders. The sheer simplicity of the 2.8 TGV boggles me. When I was still getting everything settled I got a clog in the main fuel line after 3000 miles. I simply ran two hoses through the hole that used to take all the ECU wires into the engine bay, and dropped them in a 5 gallon Scepter can. Drove for over 500 miles that way (not on the same fill up, mind you, but even changing hoses it started right up). Not all my gauges works....doesn't matter, just turn the key and it starts. forgot to hook up one important wire when fiddling with the electronics on the battery...doesn't matter....just made sure the starter and fuel solenoid were hooked up and it started and ran. I love the simplicity. We own three diesels and I wouldn't have it any other way (although we'll be selling the Suburban now that the 110 is working).

 

[mauricio_28]

The only Diesel News that I can share is that I picked up my Common-rail TDI (YD25DDTi) Nissan Navara less than a week ago. Biodiesel here in Jakarta runs for a bit less than US$0.50 per liter. Long gone are the old diesel ills. The engine is vibration-free and quiet.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Can't remember if it has been mentioned but there has been discussion of Subaru producing a diesel lately. According to what I have heard there are good odds it will be here in 2010...

More details on it:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0801_subaru_boxer_turbodiesel_first_drive/

 

[haven]

Mercedes 2.2L turbodiesel

Mercedes has been hard at work developing new versions of diesel engines to meet the Euro 5 emissions standards, due to take effect with the 2010 model year. The latest model is new 4 cylinder turbo diesel design called the 220 CDI that produces about 175 hp and 300 lb-ft. This engine will be available in the Mercedes C Class and E Class in late 2009, so taxis all over Europe will be using it.

It's likely that Chrysler will replace the 2.8L diesel sourced from VM Motori with this new 2.2L model for Chrysler products sold in Europe. These include the Chrysler van, the 300 sedan, and several Jeep models. So there's an outside chance that this new engine will appear as an option in Chrysler products sold in North America.

If it's true that the 3.0L V6 turbo diesel is too wide to fit easily in the Wrangler, then this four cylinder model is the engine we're likely to see in a JK. Hopefully it will be cheaper to buy, too.

Chip Haven

 

[haven]

ford 4.4L diesel V8

Ford showed its new 4.4L V8 turbo diesel to truck dealers at a meeting in Las Vegas recently. The new engine is based on a Ford of Europe design that first appeared in 2004. (Goodbye, Navistar!) Power rating is expected to be around 325 hp and 500 ft-lbs. That's more torque than produced by Ford's supercharged 5.4L V8 gas engine. Fuel economy is expected to be much better than the 5.4L V8, too.

The new diesel V8 will appear first in the F150 and Expedition as an option in 2010. It's also likely to be installed in Ford's full size van at some later date. Anyone interested in a 4.4L turbo diesel camper van?

Chip Haven

 

[mountainpete]

According to an article in Motor Trend, Volkswagen's 2.0L turbo diesel will be available for purchase this coming August.

Chip,

I think I think it might even be sooner that that - VW has started commercials already. Saw one last night.

Pete

 

[boblynch]

Ford showed its new 4.4L V8 turbo diesel to truck dealers at a meeting in Las Vegas recently. The new diesel V8 will appear first in the F150 and Expedition as an option in 2010. It's also likely to be installed in Ford's full size van at some later date. Anyone interested in a 4.4L turbo diesel camper van?

Chip thanks for the update. It looks like it will also be offered as the base engine in the Super Duty lineup. If you don't want to tow 26K at 75mph, the current engine is overkill IMHO. A new, lighter motor should be able to handle respectable payloads and offer better mpg. Based on the attached poster it looks like a 20% bump over the revised F150 5.4L gas engine. If my math's right that's about 20mpg. Figure a lower number for a Super Duty chassis, but a big improvement over the current 6.4L diesel.
View attachment 17945

Bob

 

[haven]

Bob,

Thanks for the photo of the spec sheet. The EPA says the 5.4L V8 in the F150 two wheel drive pickup attains 18 mpg highway. So a 20% improvement with the 4.4L diesel engine would translate to 21.6 mpg, not bad for a heavy vehicle with relatively poor aerodynamics. My Honda minivan gets only 22 mpg in highway driving (around here you have to drive 80 to keep the semi trucks from running you down).

Now we need to know how much Ford will charge for the diesel option in the F150.

Chip Haven