You see trucks with diesel engines all over the place but what about a car. While United Auto Care works on both diesel and gasoline engines, diesel engines do offer some benefits over gasoline engines. We don’t recommend one over the other; that’s a personal choice. But for the sake of argument, here are some benefits diesel engines have over gasoline engines in a car.
Fuel Economy
Diesel engines can generate more power using less fuel which makes them more fuel-efficient. It used to be that diesel fuel was priced much higher at the pump but these days, it’s cost is comparable to gasoline. Today’s diesel engine uses a fuel-injection system that works under high pressure, which saves drivers even more fuel, especially a diesel engine. The bottom line is you won’t fill your tank as often with a diesel engine because you’ll get more miles out of each gallon.
Power
Diesel engines are designed to produce high compression using a slower fuel burn which is why they are so fuel-efficient. Another benefit of this design is they produce more torque. Torque is equally important to horsepower, and you’ll start from a dead stop and gain speed more quickly with a diesel engine than you will a gasoline engine. This is why big rigs use diesel engines. The engine produces the power the heavily-loaded rig needs to get going from a stop quickly.
Fire Hazard
We hope you never have to worry about this but diesel engines are less likely to catch on fire than gasoline engines are. Diesel fuel has a flashpoint that is higher than gasoline does, which in basic terms means the fuel must get much hotter before it ignites. Diesel fuel can catch on fire, but it’ll take much more than a spark, whereas gasoline will ignite with a quick spark. If you were to get into a serious accident, your diesel is less likely to ignite should the fuel come in contact with sparks.
Fewer Costs
In some cases, you’ll pay less to register your diesel car than your gasoline car because registration fees are based on CO2 emissions of which diesel engines produce fewer. In fact, today’s diesel engine can be as efficient as hybrid engines. Diesel engines also require less preventative maintenance and repair than gasoline engines do, which will save you money at the auto mechanics. Some repairs might be more costly, but won’t be bringing your diesel into the shop as often.
It has to be your choice whether a diesel engine is right for you, but these are some of the advantage of driving diesel. As mentioned above, United Auto Care in Flowery Branch, GA, services both diesel and gas engines. Call us for your preventative maintenance and repair needs.
