Diesel Engine Problems

What we know as diesel is actually only one form of diesel called petrodiesel. It is a derivative of petroleum. Petrodiesel is made by fractionally distilling petroleum at temperatures between 200° C and 350° C. Thus diesel is an unrefined fuel. The diesel engine was in fact so flexible, that Rudolf Diesel tried out various vegetable oils to fuel the engine and they actually worked! The new form of diesel - biodiesel, is a continuation of the same idea that did not quite take off the last time. Other substances used to power a diesel engine include BTL and GTL.

A diesel engine enjoys a very high compression ratio and low fuel consumption per horsepower as compared to the gasoline powered engines. It also has better torque ratios. They don't have spark plugs for ignition and can ignite themselves. Moreover, diesel engines are quite accommodating and allows the use of bio-diesel.

Some Diesel Engine Problems

Diesel engines, while advantageous in several ways, can often cause problems. Here are some problems faced by diesel engine users.

Price
Well for starters, a diesel engine is much higher priced as compared to its gasoline counterpart. This is because the diesel engine's design is inherently more complicated. It also involves a higher cost of maintenance. There are also a lot of associated costs that come with a diesel engine. Diesel itself is more expensive than gasoline.

Emissions
Diesel releases a lot of pollution as it is a crude, fractionally-distilled form of petroleum. Although research is being done on Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel, emissions from diesel engines are still quite high.

Maintenance
The design of a diesel engine itself is such that it entails high maintenance costs. Diesel engines need to be warmed up. They are warmed by using oxygen for oxidation, hence a diesel engine needs to have an air tank attached to constantly supply oxygen to the engine. It also needs an oil tank. An oil tank is very crucial to the working of a diesel engine as diesel is not a refined fuel. Hence, these will need to be changed regularly. Moreover, it is also going to need an intercooler that will reduce the temperature when the heat becomes too much for the engine. Also, the air filters and fuel filters will need to be changed regularly as they are extensively used to curb the emissions from the diesel engine. Glow plugs are also best changed after 2 years.

Low Temperatures
While a diesel engine is not troubled by a spark plug failure, it is going to be troublesome in the cold winter months. In cold temperatures, diesel changes into a gel, which is immobile. Immobile diesel will not enter the combustion area and causes the heat that gets the engine going. Thus, in winter most people face diesel engine starting problems.

Microbial Growth
Yes!! Hard to believe as this may be, diesel also fuels growth of microbes. Bacteria, fungus, yeast and mold are happily residing in your engine. This bio-degrade gets stuck in the fuel filters, plugging them. Hence, they need to be changed often.

Thus diesel engines have their own share of problems alright. Diesel engine starting, maintenance, price etc., are some of the diesel engine problems you need to consider while making a decision regarding whether to buy a diesel-powered engine or a petrol-powered one.