Diesel or Gas - Loud Smoking Dragon or Fuel Gulping Rocket

In this article I’m going to discuss the properties of the diesel and gas engines, and compare them to each other. Specifically their usage in automobiles.

Looking at them from a distance both the gas and the diesel engine work in about the same way. Fuel manufactured from refined crude burns in the cylinder forcing the piston to move from the resulting pressure. The movement of the piston is then transferred to the wheels through crankshaft, gearbox and transmission.

It’s when you look closer at the two engines that you start to see the differences. Difference in fuel economy, smell, vibration, expected age and price just to name a few.

The gas engine has an ignition system with high voltages, wiring and spark plugs. This is not needed in a diesel as it compresses the air n the cylinder until it’s hot enough to ignite the fuel when injected. In the gas engine it’s the spark plug that ignites the fuel-air mixture through a high voltage spark at the right time.

Also separating the diesel and gas engines is the fact that gas engines mix the fuel vapor with air in the intake manfold before it’s entering the cylinder. The air/fuel mixture is then sucked into the cylinder and is burned the next time the piston passes the compression stage.

On the other hand the diesel engine sucks fresh air into the cylinder and lets the piston compress it to maximum pressure. Fully compressed the air is hot enough to ignite disesel and at that point high pressure nozzles will start to spray fuel into the cylinder. The high temperature of the cylinder instantly ignites the fuel.

The different fuel injection and combustion lets the diesel work more efficiently than a gasoline burner. That’s why a diesel has a better gas mileage than it’s gas powered counterpart.

This is not to say that a diesel is better. It’s just different, it has it’s drawbacks too. A diesel engine is usually slow to start in cold, and especially in freezing weather. As you may remember it was the hot compressed air that ignited the fuel. When it’s too cold outside the air will never become hot enough to ignite the fuel, and the engine won’t run.

That’s why diesels have glow plugs that are used when starting a cold engine. Electricity from the accumulator heats the glow plugs inside the cylinders before you even try to start the engne. This way the hot glow plugs ignite the fuel when the air is not hot enough to do it. Then when the engine starts it only takes a few seconds for the cylinders to get hot enough to ignite the fuel without help and the glow plugs are not needed again until the next cold start.

This is one of the things that might bother you when having a diesel engine in the car. Glowing can take from a couple of second to half a minute and can be quite a stress if in a hurry. You just have to wait until it’s finished or the car won’t start. On the other hand if the engine is well done the glowing does not take long and you soon get accustomed to it.

Lets look at the practical differences between the gas engine and the diesel engine. The diesel is large and loud, it emits black smoke when accelerating and is generally regarded as bad smelling by those not owning one. In addition it has a more robust construction because of the high compression is must handle and can usually go twice as many miles as the same size gas engine during it’s life. The heavy duty contruction also makes it expensive when bought new.

Features of The Gas Engine

• More quiet that the diesel
• Better acceleration and higher top speed
• Uses an Ignition System with Spark Plugs to Light The Fuel
• Adds fuel to the air before letting it into the cylinder
• Not as sturdy as a diesel. Lower price but breaks down faster
• Gas readily available everywhere
• MPG is low compared to a diesel

Features of The Diesel Engine

• The diesel engine is loud and has the sound of an agricultural machine or an 18 wheeler
• Slow acceleration (get one with turbo charger, that helps)
• Top speed is nothing to brag about but there should be no problem maintaining the speed limit in most places
• Glow plugs helps ignite the fuel when the engine is really cold
• Clean air is sucked into the cylinder, then fuel oil is injected
• Engine is simple and robust. Costs more but will run many miles
• Emits black smoke when loading it (like a quick acceleration)
• Easy to convert for use with Eco fuel oils
• Has a great gas mileage

If I where to give you advice on selecting either a gas or a diesel powered car I would tell you this: Get a diesel if you drive long trips and can live with the small nuisances of more noise and poor acceleration. Get a gas powered car if you drive less than average or if you just want the comfort at any price.

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