found an cherokee with a diesel

[jeepdreamer]

Again the "option" alternative...

I've said this before so I will try not to repeat myself to much but I think this is a fairly blatent issue.
Petroleum based diesel is taxed excessively, still relys on a fossil fuel for its creation, and is fairly singular in its use.
Biodiesel on the other hand offers SO MANY better options. And since everyone is all about screaming that we gotta be "Green"...how easy IS this?
The trend is to creat hybrid or alternative fuel new vehicles that eveyone can run out (or soon be forced to) and purchase. But I beg the question why? Why make people all trade in the vehicle they may already own to buy a new one that may proove more expensive to buy, costly to maintain (if it can even BE maintained=disposable car?), and have limited ability to fill all requirements. Why not stick with something many already own, modify it if needed (not much needed really, if anything) and put some engineers to work to hammer out the small issues?
Imagine a solar farm...generating essentually free (and clean) electricity via solar tubes. Now imagine these solar tubes, due to their nature, grow/generate large sums of a specific alage. Now suppose that on a scale of energy per required mass, this alage is one of the best sources for the raw material to manufacture biodiesel? Burns cleaner than dino-diesel, adds mpgs and power (minor but still) and leaves far less (if any) deposites in the engine which results in an even longer lifespan of the motor!?! Now you are driving around in your old diesel truck, doing the same things you always do, essentually for almost nothing. Perfect? No...Bio still has "issues" that restrain it from really cold weather use as it will gel. But seriously...how hard can that be to fix? We know how to process it. We know that based on its caustic nature that it doesn't react well with certain fuel lines and seals...to easy. But unlike other bios..it doesn't rely on foodstuffs to be created. It also has as a by product one of the major ingredeants used in animal feed and some other things...So I just don't get it. The "technology is right there staring us in the face but we ignore it. Free electricity and free fuel for our vehicles...how much easier could it get?

 

[Black Dog]

"At the end of the long term test, the mileage per gallon saving didn't overcome the initial price with the blue tech diesel. One would have to own the Jeep for 8 years to break even."

But that is with the additional diesel taxes. The real answer is to remove the extra tax on diesel fuel.

I've had my XJ for almost 6 years now so it mostly just depends on whether or not you go through cars quickly or not.

If you are bold and daring and don't mind risking getting caught, you could always bend the law and use the red dyed offroad diesel that is sold for tractors and stuff that never sees a highway. Just don't get busted.....

 

[COLOFIREMAN]

If you are bold and daring and don't mind risking getting caught, you could always bend the law and use the red dyed offroad diesel that is sold for tractors and stuff that never sees a highway. Just don't get busted.....

State Police are normally the one that will do that and only after received complaints that you others in the area are using red dye diesel.

Here in Colorado it's a very big fine the first time and could be an even larger fine the second time up to 10K plus your vehicle gets impounded. Don't risk it please.

 

[winkosmosis]

How do people know you're using red diesel? Is the exhaust smoke red?

 

[getlost4x4]

exhaust smell, engine noise.

 

[Black Dog]

How do people know you're using red diesel? Is the exhaust smoke red?

They just put a little bit of red die in the fuel if U am thinking straight (early morning). Then when you hear about guys saying that state inspectors "dipped their tank" they are seeing if you have the red diesel in there illegally or not.

 

[COLOFIREMAN]

Then when you hear about guys saying that state inspectors "dipped their tank" they are seeing if you have the red diesel in there illegally or not.

Your right, thats the only way to confirm the use of red dye on the roadways.

 

[K2ZJ]

As far as diesels using the same or more crude oil....

Once crude oil is extracted, it is sent to oil refineries for separation of the different components. The process of making diesel fuel can be categorized in three basic steps, namely, separation, conversion and purification. Separation of diesel fuel is done by performing fractional distillation of the crude oil mixture. In this method, crude oil is filled in a fractional distillation column, which is then subjected to a specific temperature.

The components of the crude oil mixture are separated according to their boiling temperatures. The compounds with low boiling points are present at the top of the column and those with higher boiling points are settled below. For example, propane gas and gasoline are distilled first, after which diesel fuel and lubricating oil are separated one after the other.

Diesel fuel is only one part of crude oil process and of that part it is only one fifth. It takes far more crude oil to make a gallon of standard gasoline then diesel.

Just to clarify further, these amounts change with the crude itself and is not adjusted by man. You get what you get from the crude not by a process change.

Most petroleum we use is made into plastic, not burned for fuel.

 

[Metcalf]

Why don't we see more diesels in the USA? They get 30-40% more miles per gallon than there gas counterparts. You CAN also make the choice to make your own fuel rather easily in a number of different ways. Also, they tend to last about twice as long. I can't think for the life of me why big business would want to sell less fuel or make fewer vehicles....

Diesel fuel is much easier to make. Oil out of the ground rarely contains 'gasoline' as we know it in its 86-93 octane form. Most chemicals in that range do not exist in quality with oil that comes out the ground. 'Diesel' fuel on the other hand just needs separated and cleaned. It generally doesn't need any post processing.

The list of technology to make your own diesel fuel is LONG, and to be fair so is the technology to make your own gasoline substitutes. The technology to make synthetic non-oil based liquid transportation fuels has been around since before WWII. The people that have most of the money are invested heavily in the production and sale of oil. Its a simple as that.

 

[K2ZJ]

Why don't we see more diesels in the USA?

Also, in a truly counter productive and contradictory manner, the Gov't, as ussual, is fighting diesel particulates as a "cause" (largely unsupported) of widespread illness, especially in children. That diesel engines use so much less hydrocarbon fuel seems lost on the Fed beuraucrats. How 'bout the new "piss bottles" (urea resevoirs) required in US diesels? What a crock!

PM 2.5 (particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller) are to blame. Strict US emissions standards cause Jeep to pull both of their diesel offerings. That's why big diesels added filters and scrubbers to their exhaust.