NO
This subject doesn't seem to have any fence sitters.
I suppose i'm against any sort of amateur messing about with fuelling systems etc, i'm referring to cooking oil, but the only stuff i want going into my vehicle is the fuel the thing was designed to run on.
Interesting to see how this goes.
ttfn
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im sitting on the fence
ive heard many bad reports
ive seen plenty of non runners
ive spoken to technicians that are snowed under with work
i appreciate there are tens of thousands of cars that are reliable
its down to driver and attitude overall i presume
ie dont buy an ex hire car or anything off a snip
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 14/11/2007 at 22:52
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It is something of a moot point as shortly the alternatives will begin to run out anyway.
For some reason there does seem to be some obsession with cambelts (one of the easiest and cheapest things to replace on a car these days) and common rail diesels.
Yes, common rail diesels have their problems but no more so than endless other parts of a modern car. If you want to worry about diesel cars worry about EU4 compliant models which are now all hitting 3-4 years old and 100k and frequently suffering stuck EGR valves, failed differential valves, fuel additives which need topping up and the computer reset and numerous other things resulting in the frequent lighting of the engine management light and limp home mode.
A cambelt is cheaper to replace than a window regulator or central locking solenoid on most cars and chain cam engines also fail and cost a fortune when they do so I have no idea why the issue. If you buy a used car and want peace of mind just replace the belt - for most cars the parts are under £100 and any competent mechnic can do most cars (even most VAG) for £100 or less labour. That's only 4 tank fills these days.
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NO!
Not even as a gift! [It has been tried...]
I have to work on these hideously over-complicated things; I have enough trouble constantly explaining to desolate owners why their savings have just evaporated without driving one myself worrying about every hiccup.
A fellow trader, who felt the same, very reluctantly bought a DCi Trafic that he had serviced from new, as he needed an LWB van. We said "the risk is statistically very low, you shouldn't worry." It lasted three weeks before the HP pump failed at 42,000 miles....
I'll stick to my old-tech diesels; the big V8 one runs very nicely on all sorts of stuff; mixed fuel from misfuellings, ATF, surplus kerosene, heating oils - all sorts.
I draw the line at chip fat though - it curdles the lube oil.
Edited by Screwloose on 14/11/2007 at 23:00
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It's fine to recommend an old tech diesel but that only does if, and only if, you want an older car. If you want something 3-4 years old (which is what most used buyers want) then only the VAG TDI engine is left and the higher powered versions of those were mostly dropped 3 years ago.
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pd
You've hit the nail on the head. Only the 1.9 PD was worth buying [except the ARL of course] and now they've ruined it with the awful 2.0 litre unit that can't keep it's head together for 60K.
I got laughed at five years ago when I said that diesel was over - not many current diesel owners will want another after they've tried 3 years with a DPF!
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Would certainly recommend the 1.9 TDI if you want a reliable engine. Unfortunately, it was dropped from most models in favour of the inferior 2.0 over 3 years ago. On top of that most people do not buy the TDI for popping to the shops so clean low mileage examples of cars using it are very expensive.
At the moment it hits the spot but in a year or so's time it will begin to fall out of the main used car focus as the last examples begin to de-fleet and the options will begin to narrow.
Another example is the 2.0 Ford/PSA unit as used in Volvo's. A 2.0d Volvo is slower, uses more fuel, has loads of EGR and particle filter problems, is less refined and has nothing like the power band of Volvo's older 2.4 litre D5 engine. In short, it is utterly pointless in the range yet there are loads about.
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But to a petrol head the PD is all that is bad about diesel, it is a rattly rumbly old nail, this thread is about CR, technology that enabled diesel to appeal to petrol heads, refined diesels, 'PD' and 'refined' are mutually exclusive terms.
Yes CRs are expensive to repair so there is a risk though mine has saved me £4-5k over 5 years and 123k miles over a petrol AND, being chain cam, perhaps £1k in cambelt changes over a VAG diesel.
Also compare the cost of a CR HP pump and a cambelt failure on say a 24v 4 cam V6, people will still buy 90k Vectra 3.2s without a concern as to whether the belt job was done properly.
Also re the point about Volvo diesels, the D5 is great though the 2.0D is more economical and just as gutsy below 2000 rpm and is also extremely refined.
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Sorry, I can't agree with the Volvo diesels. I can usually get about 46-48 out of a S60 D5 and about 42-43 out of a V70 D5. In a S40 or V50 2.0d on average it seems to work out about 40 ish and maybe 45 on a longer run. It is no where near as powerful so what is the real point in it?
The same 2.0d engine is much better installed in the Peugeot 407 and feels a lot more refined - but they struggle to do high 30's.
As for the PD engines, yes they are a bit noisy, but to be honest I've never found the difference between them and CR as marked as you make out.
I certainly agree, that with current fuel prices, people are not going to stop buying economical diesels new or used.
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Yes, My threads about getting a `snapshot` YES/NO at this moment in time, regarding common rail only.
If you *had* to choose, which you would for example if your current car was totally destroyed by theft or a burn out, which would it be?
Regards
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If you *had* to choose (which you would for example if your current car was totally destroyed by theft or a burn out) which would it be?
You're changing the question, oilrag :-)
But that is no bad thing, since the original question was a bit vague, hence my waffly, sitting-on-the-fence answer.
But, if I had to replace my current car now, I would NOT be buying a used common rail.
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Yes, I would buy one, or the VW PD, on my third CR/PD engined diesel car now.....
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If you *had* to choose which you would for example if your current car was totally destroyed by theft or a burn out which would it be?
YES
We bought an EU3 S60 D5 two years ago which was two years old.
No problems with the engine so far. Would only replace with another EU3 D5, possibly V70. I would not buy an EU4 with DPF and can't see the point of the 2.0D engine Volvo uses. As mentioned somewhere in the thread above it's thirster in a V50 than an EU3 D5 engine is in a V70.
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NO But then I wouldn't buy any sort of diesel anyway. They're all horrid.
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Ah, recognised you now: practising Phillistine! See you've managed to get to grips with one of those new fangled computer things. What about screw top wine bottles?? Seriously though, if we'd all grown up on Diesel engines, and then new fangled Petrol engines came about, would we like them? I bet not: no torque at reasonable revs (where it's most needed and used) and naff economy. Petrol for the track and motorcycles (torque unimportant) Diesel for real world roads. Pleeese reply, I'll even try a pint of that 'Real Ale' I'm sure you're fond of! (tongue in cheek.....)
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