Valkie
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Australian Politics
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Central Coast
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The problem with modern diesels isnt the engine, its the DPF (Diesel particulate filter)
This ticking time bomb has taken an incredibly reliable engine and made it virtually unsuitable for use in most environments other than freeway driving.
You see, this wonderful little DPF clogs up unless you burn it off with lots of highway driving. City dwellers will see their cars going into limp mode at 30000 or 40000 k from being clogged in the sacred name of pollution elimination.
Diesels also have an EGR (Exhaust Gas Re-circulation) system that takes some of the exhaust gasses and funnels it back through the intake, the intent is to reduce the temperature of the gasses in the exhaust by introducing already spent gas into the cylinder meaning less combustibles to burn. This reduces the NOX (a nasty carcinogen). By itself, not a great problem, but when combined with the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation which is a mixture of gasses and vaporized oil and fuel) mixing the fumes, oil and carbon deposits, the carbon builds up in the engine intake and strangles the engine slowly.
The PCV can be fixed, to a degree, with a catch can that removes much of the oil from the fumes. The EGR cannot be legally touched, although many do block it off (both electronically and physically). And the good old DPF is illegal to touch at all and huge fines can be the result.
The final nail in the coffin is the diesel we have in Australia, known to be the dirtyiest IN THE WORLD. Although it does "Supposedly" meet minimum standards for diesel, it is so dirty that many countries will not send some of their more modern engines to Australia because the fuel will clog the engines in short order. This is more evident in petrol cars, but diesels are also in there. The fuel is so dirty that modern injectors fail due to contamination regularly.
The DPF issue in Toyota is so bad that there is a class action being fought about it. People driving to the onerous conditions required still have them clogging at an alarming rate Imagine being told that you have to drive a very special way at a special speed for a specific time every month or your warranty is void...really good stuff eh? But Toyota isnt the only problematic manufacturer. Mitsubishi, Ford, Mazda all have DPF issues.
So we have the mighty diesel, an engine known for long life and hard work for more than 500000klm now being less reliable and prone to failing at less than 40000 klm.
But petrol engines are not really any better than diesel, its just not as obvious because they dont blow carbon as they wear out like diesels. the carcinogenic particulates are just as prevalent in petrol cars as diesel, and in larger quantities because petrol cars use more fuel, on average 20% more. They are planning DPF for cars, that will be the end of ICE engines and force people to use electric vehicles.
The sad part is that Australia has none of the problems that Europe does with diesel engine emissions. Our cities are windblown all the time and less populated, so the fumes don't hang around. Additionally, we have large distances to travel, unlike Europe.
But thanks to the greenie city dwellers and sycophantic politicians, we have to follow the world like sheep and stuff our engines.
If my new 4x4 has any issues, I will be purchasing a pre-DPF vehicle and have it rebuilt from the ground up and get the 500000klm plus life I should get.
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