The Big Three began building diesel pickups back in the '80s, so now there are literally millions of used diesel trucks to choose from. Save this issue forever, because it's the complete buyer's guide of all the makes and models of diesel pickups-everything Dodge, Ford, and GM had to offer for nearly 30 years. Want to know the power potential of a '97 Dodge? The price range for purchasing an '06 Ford? All the answers are right at your fingertips in the next six pages.
Ford '83 to '94
Models: F-250, F-350
Engine: 6.9L International V-8 ('83 to '87), 7.3L International V-8 ('88 to '92) with Stanadyne DB2 injection pump, and 7.3L International V-8 (turbo optional) ('93 to '94) with Stanadyne DB2 injection pump
Transmission: C6 automatic ('83 to '87), E4OD ('88 to '94), T-19 four-speed manual ('83 to '86), or ZF-5 five-speed manual ('87 to '94)
Pros: Ford's first diesels are dirt cheap to get into, feature simple components and mechanical injection, and were built to work and last. And considering this truck was basically offered with the same body style from '80 to '97, spare or replacement parts are easy to come by. Due to their high torque (at a very low rpm) and wide powerband, these engines make excellent low-speed haulers.
Cons: Although powered by large-bore V-8 diesel engines, their indirect injection and natural aspiration make them quite underpowered when compared to the Dodge Cummins of this era. Even the turbo models lacked power as compared to direct-injection diesels.
Performance Potential: If you're looking for lots of easy horsepower-look elsewhere. The only real way to get more power out of these old trucks is by equipping them with an aftermarket turbocharger system, which oftentimes can cost more than the purchase price of the truck.
Price Range: $500 to $5,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 170 hp (stock 6.9L) to 300 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: An '87 to '92 with the ZF-5 manual transmission for its simplicity, million-mile durability, and better fuel economy. Also, try to avoid buying a rusty truck.
Ford '941/2 to '97
Models: F-250, F-350
Engine: 7.3L Power Stroke V-8 with the HEUI injection system
Transmission: E4OD automatic or ZF-5 five-speed manual
Pros: Often referred to as old-body-style (OBS) Fords, these trucks debuted the direct-injection 7.3L Power Stroke. They are also part of a long production run of trucks ('80 to '97), were refined, and made to last. Their large sales volume makes their replacement parts cheaper, too.
Cons: The four-wheel-drive 3/4-ton models came with the undesirable Dana 50 twin-traction beam (TTB) leaf-sprung front end-and all diesel models lacked a factory intercooler.
Performance Potential: Once again, if you're after dirt cheap, big horsepower, these trucks don't make the cut. However, the 7.3L can be built to make 350 to 400 rwhp affordably.
Price Range: $2,000 to $12,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 210 hp (stock) to 600 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A '96 or '97 with the E4OD, and a non-California model. In order to avoid all the issues associated with twin-traction beam (TTB) Dana 50 frontends, we'd stick with an F-350 standard cab or crew cab.
Ford '99 to '03
Models: F-250, F-350, Excursion
Engine: 7.3L Power Stroke V-8 with the HEUI injection system
Transmission: 4R100 automatic or ZF-6 six-speed manual
Pros: These Super Duty trucks featured the upgraded 101/2-inch rear axle ring gear, did away with the TTB frontend on four-wheel-drive F-250 models, and came with an intercooled version of the durable 7.3L Power Stroke.
Cons: While additional power can be made easier than with the '941/2 to '97 models, stock 4R100 automatic transmissions don't hold up well to higher power levels. The '99 to '03 engines did not come with a fuel system return built into the cylinder heads (like the '941/2 to '97 engines did), which needs to be addressed once higher power levels are sought. The trucks themselves are heavy, which hampers their acceleration.
Performance Potential: Much like their predecessor, adding power isn't the cheapest, but 400 to 500 rwhp can be obtained affordably.
Price Range: $7,500 to $20,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 235 hp (stock '99 to '00) to 700 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: We'd buy a late '991/2 or '00 to ensure it had forged-steel connecting rods. The powdered-metal connecting rods (found in '01 to '03 models) become a major weak link once more than 400 rwhp is produced.
Ford '03 to '07Models: F-250, F-350, Excursion (discontinued for '05)
Engine: 6.0L Power Stroke V-8 with the HEUI injection system
Transmission: 5R110 automatic or ZF-6 six-speed manual
Pros: This version of the Super Duty featured the 32-valve, 6.0L engine with a variable-geometry turbo. Its HEUI fuel system was made to push higher injection pressures than was possible with the 7.3L. Even in stock form, 6.0Ls are snappy with quick throttle response and high rpm power, giving them an almost gas-like feel.
Cons: The engine has an inadequate exhaust gas recirculation system, four torque-to-yield factory head bolts per cylinder that lead to blown head gaskets, and injector stiction issues are common (coking of oil on oil side of HEUI injectors). To make matters worse, the factory oil and EGR coolers are prone to fail.
Performance Potential: Good power can be had with just an intake, exhaust, and tuning (400 to 430 rwhp), but we wouldn't recommend it without adding head studs and deleting the EGR system. For a street-legal option, you can add BulletProofDiesel's engine oil system.
Price Range: $10,000 to $30,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 325 hp (stock) to 700 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: We wouldn't be as concerned with what to look for in an '03 to '07 as we would be about what would need to be done once we bought the truck (delete the EGR and add head studs, or swap out restrictive oil and EGR cooler for a more durable one).
Ford '08 to '10
Models: F-250, F-350
Engine: 6.4L Power Stroke V-8 with Siemens common-rail injection
Transmission: 5R110 automatic or ZF-6 six-speed manual
Pros: This engine features compound turbos and common-rail injection. This is one Power Stroke in which respectable horsepower levels can be achieved very affordably. An intake, free-flowing exhaust (no DPF), and tuning can yield 550 to 600 hp at the wheels. And the best part is, the factory 5R110 TorqShift transmission will handle it-for quite a while. In addition, with its emissions controls removed, 20 mpg or more is possible (not bad for an 8,000-pound truck).
Cons: They came from the factory with exhaust gas recirculation, a DPF system, and regeneration mode-and if you remove these items you will void your factory warranty.
Performance Potential: As stated, with just an intake, exhaust, and tuning, as much as 600 rwhp is possible-which is enough to get a four-door, four-wheel-drive Super Duty into the 12s in the quarter-mile. Beyond that, performance parts aren't the cheapest, but many owners can settle for 600 hp at the wheels for less than $3,000 (intake, exhaust, tuning). We've seen some trucks make more than 1,000 hp on nitrous.
Price Range: $25,000 to $40,000 (depending on condition and dealer)
Power Range: 350 hp (stock) to 700 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A low-mileage used truck, or a '10 leftover on the lot. With the '11 model 6.7L-powered Super Dutys moving in, the right dealer will sell you a 6.4L for a hard-to-beat price.
Chevy/GMC '82 to '00
Models: Chevy and GMC pickup, Suburban, Blazer, Jimmy, and Hummer H1
Engine: 6.2L naturally aspirated V-8 ('82 to '93) or turbocharged 6.5LV-8 ('92 to '00) with a Stanadyne DB2 ('82 to '93) or DS2 ('93 to '00) injection pump
Transmission: TH400 three-speed, TH700R4 four-speed, 4L80E four-speed, or NV five-speed manual
Pros: They're cheap, there are tons of them, spare body parts are easy to come by, and they get very good fuel economy-especially the earlier models.
Cons: These engines have limited performance potential. Their crankshafts and harmonic balancers are prone to failure, and the PMD on the electronically controlled 6.5L trucks is prone to overheating.
Performance Potential: If you can make 250 to 300 hp at the wheels with this engine, consider yourself a superstar. These trucks need all the help they can get, which includes propane injection, water-methanol injection, and nitrous. If you're looking to buy a truck for around the farm, however, this truck is for you.
Price Range: $500 to $7,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 130 hp (early 6.2L) to 300 hp (highly modified 6.5L)
What To Look For: A newer, low-mileage truck with the 6.5L turbodiesel.
Chevy/GMC '01 to '04
Models: HD,
Engine: 6.6L Duramax LB7 V-8 with Bosch common-rail injection
Transmission: Allison or ZF-6 six-speed manual
Pros: Although these trucks are approaching 10 years old, they're still a very good bang for the buck, and they only have one major issue: injector problems. Once that is fixed, they're very powerful, reliable, quiet, and achieve good fuel mileage.
Cons: The independent front suspension (IFS) is prone to failure during hard off-roading or boosted dragstrip launches. Still, many people are able to make them survive with a few upgrades. Injector leaks tend to contaminate the oil and are expensive to fix.
Performance Potential: Lots of power is available here, but the Allison transmission will need to be upgraded before that power is used. With a built transmission, torque converter, tuner, intake, exhaust, and lift pump, 400 to 500 rwhp is a no-brainer.
Price Range: $9,000 to $20,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 300 hp (stock) to 1,100 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A well-taken-care-of truck that's just had its injectors replaced.
Chevy/GMC '05 to '06
Models: HD,
Engine: 6.6L Duramax LLY ('05), or LBZ ('06) V-8 with Bosch common-rail injection
Transmission: Allison (six-speed with LBZ engine) or ZF-6 six-speed manual
Pros: Both '05 and '06 models were one-year-only trucks. The '05 LLY engines featured a larger variable-geometry turbocharger (which is thought to be superior to the LB7s), while the '06 LBZ engine featured a stronger short-block than previous years.
Cons: The independent front suspension (IFS) is prone to failure during hard off-roading or boosted launches on the dragstrip. The LLY engines had overheating issues when towing hard, but other than that, these were very good model years for the Duramax engine.
Performance Potential: If you're into Duramax performance, LBZ engines are thought to be the year to have. The '06 model (the last year before diesel particulate filters) featured stronger rods that could support up to 650 rwhp, without any extra emissions equipment. Both LLY and LBZ models feature the same plug-in power as the earlier LB7 trucks-they also need the same transmission upgrades.
Price Range: $15,000 to $25,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 300 hp (stock) to 1,100 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A low-mileage '06 LBZ. While we wouldn't shy away from the '05 models, we'd still opt for an '06 if we could find one.
Chevy/GMC '07 to '10
Models: HD,
Engine: 6.6L Duramax diesel LMM V-8 with Bosch common-rail injection
Transmission: Allison six-speed
Pros: They have reliable engines that are also very strong. These trucks feature a plush, comfortable ride and are very quiet.
Cons: The independent front suspension (IFS) is prone to failure during hard off-roading or boosted launches on the dragstrip. These trucks had additional emissions systems that added weight, complexity, and reduced fuel mileage.
Performance Potential: These trucks basically have an upgraded version of the LBZ engine, so its performance potential is very good. The only downside to these trucks is that to hot-rod them to their fullest, you have to remove the DPF, which will make the truck illegal for road use in many states.
Price Range: $30,000 to $40,000 (depending on condition and dealer)
Power Range: 300 hp (stock) to 1,100 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A vehicle that has been well taken care of and has all its emissions equipment intact.
Dodge '89 to '93
Models: D250, D350, W250, W350
Engine: 5.9L Cummins I-6 with a Bosch VE pump
Transmission: TF727 three-speed ('89 to '91), A518 four-speed ('911/2 to '93), or Getrag five-speed manual ('89 to '93)
Pros: They're stone simple, reliable, cheap, and have a lot of performance potential for an earlier-model truck. They also get 20 mpg or more if driven conservatively.
Cons: Everything rattles on these trucks. The doors don't shut right and people think you're driving a '70s model.
Performance Potential: These trucks can make 250 to 300 hp with almost no modifications, and 550 to 650 hp when leaned on. Their performance parts aren't that pricey compared to later models.
Price Range: $2,000 to $10,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 160 hp (stock) to 650 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A '911/2 to '93 model with a four-speed automatic and intercooler.
Dodge '94 to '98
Models:Ram ,
Engine: 5.9L Cummins I-6 with a Bosch P injection pump
Transmission: 47RH four-speed ('94 to '95), 47RE four-speed ('96 to '98), or NV five-speed manual ('94 to '98)
Pros: These trucks may offer more performance potential than any other model and can be modified on a low budget as well. These trucks are very reliable, too. Many over-the-road haulers swear by these pickups when equipped with a manual transmission.
Cons: There was no four-door option, and the truck tends to fall apart around the engine. The factory paint is known to peel over time.
Performance Potential: They may possibly offer more power potential than any other diesel engine. We've seen these trucks used as daily drivers even when making 700 to 900 hp. At high power levels, these 12-valve engines are usually pretty smoky, but if you don't mind the haze, performance potential is virtually unlimited with these rigs.
Price Range: $4,000 to $10,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 160 hp (stock) to 1,200 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: A few extra-cab shortbeds were built for '98 models with the 12-valve engine (where the rear doors opened).These are probably some of the most sought-after versions of '94 to '98 Dodges.
Dodge '981/2 to '02
Models: Ram ,
Engine: 5.9L Cummins I-6 with a Bosch VP44 injection pump
Transmission: 47RE four-speed, NV five-speed manual, or NV six-speed
Pros: These trucks have an updated body style and a rear opening door option as opposed to the earlier '94 to'98 trucks. They also make easy power using basic upgrades. An aftermarket turbo, injectors, and head studs will go a long way on these models.
Cons: The VP44 injection pumps tend to be problematic and usually fail around 150,000 miles. Adding a high-pressure aftermarket lift pump helps address this weakness, but the jury is still out on whether it is a permanent solution or not.
Performance Potential: If you're the type of guy who wants to piece his truck together on a budget without doing a crazy amount of labor, then these trucks are for you. More than 500 hp can be had with an aftermarket turbo, programmer, and big injectors.
Price Range: $7,000 to $15,000 (depending on condition)
Power Range: 215 hp (stock) to 800 hp (highly modified)
What To Look For: We figure you don't know what condition the injection pump is in when you purchase the vehicle, so plan on spending $1,500 to $2,000 somewhere down the line for a new one.
Dodge '03 to '07
Models: Ram ,
Engine: 5.9L Cummins I-6 with Bosch common-rail injection
Transmission: 47RE four-speed ('03), 48RE four-speed ('04 to '07), NV six-speed manual ('03 to '05), or G56 six-speed manual ('051/2 to '07)
Pros: The Mega Cab option offers epic rear seat room. These trucks are quiet, get good fuel economy, and have great plug-in power potential.
Cons: A bad injector or too much timing (stacking boxes) can destroy pistons. The truck's ride is still pretty rough, especially with 1-tons. Also, the fuel filtration from the factory system is thought to be rather poor.
Performance Potential: These trucks can make 450 to 500 hp with just a programmer. As long as owners don't go crazy with fueling or timing, these trucks can be very reliable-even at power levels approaching 700 hp to the wheels.
Price Range: $15,000 to $30,000
Power Range: 305 hp (stock) to 1,100 hp
What To Look For: Try and find one that has not already been hot-rodded.
Dodge '071/2 to '10
Models: Ram ,
Engine: 6.7L Cummins I-6 with Bosch common-rail injection
Transmission: 68RFE six-speed or G56 six-speed manual
Pros: The Mega Cab option offers epic rear seat room. These trucks are quiet, get good fuel economy, and have great plug-in power potential.
Cons: A bad injector or too much timing (stacking boxes) can destroy pistons. The variable-geometry turbo becomes too restrictive once owners seek more power than a programmer can provide (450 hp and more).
Performance Potential: The newest Rams feature a 6.7L version of the Cummins engine, which is saddled with some extra emissions hardware. Still, with or without the DPF, these high-torque engines can make an easy 400 rwhp, and hot-rodded versions with compound turbos can make 600 to 800 hp at the wheels and crazy amounts of torque due to the increased displacement.
Price Range: $30,000 to $40,000
Power Range: 350 hp (stock) to 800 hp
What To Look For: One that has not already been hot-rodded.
What We'd Buy
Daily Driver:'06 GMC or an '00 Ford Excursion
All-Around Play Toy:'06 Dodge Mega Cab, '08 Ford F-250
Car Hauler:'97 Dodge , '01 Ford F-450
Farm Truck:'93 Dodge W350, Ford or GM IDI
The diesel engine has become much more than a lump of smokey, agricultural pig-iron designed to move resources, earth, or simply plough over it.
In many respects, it’s the superior powertrain when it comes to moving you and your family in a smooth and refined manner with plenty of power to perform both work and holiday duties.
But how do you know you’re getting a good diesel engine, and what should you be wary of before dropping your hard-earned cash?
Diesel engines have become a premium option, offering more grunt, increased thermal efficiency and greater fuel economy than their petrol equivalents. But despite diesel technology’s improvements, and many brands trying very hard (seemingly) to trash its reputation, the diesel engine still has many benefits to offer.
Additionally, diesels for some brands are on the way out, being displaced for hybrids in many cases. But is this better for you? Some brands don’t think so and have refused to let the benefits of diesel be lost to the hybrid craze.
The fact is diesel is the second most popular powertrain in Australia. In , diesels made up over 30 per cent of new vehicle sales-by-registration, to the tune of nearly 38,000 units. Diesel-powered vehicles made up half of the top 10 most popular models, including Ranger, Hilux, D-Max, LandCruiser and (to a lesser extent) Hyundai Tucson. And diesel sales are increasing, overall.
If you want to understand the anatomy of a modern diesel, what’s on offer in the Australian market today, and what your ownership experience will probably be like, this is your technical and in-depth guide to getting a good one - and keeping it sweet for years to come.
If you’re in the market for a hard-working dual-cab ute, a large seven-seat SUV or a 4X4 off-road wagon, you should make it your goal to understand the nuances of the modern diesel engine.
Doing this will keep you out of the service department prematurely, and happily driving your family to and from the compulsory social events your kids and spouse have meticulously planned for you over the next five years. The ones you can’t get out of.
Despite all the commercial, media and government hype about electric vehicles and hybrids, the cold hard fact is this: diesel sales are increasing in Australia. And knowing what the diesel market is doing is good for your future resale prospects, lest the market collapses and you’re left with the diesel equivalent of a Holden or a Tesla.
Fortunately, that’s not the case for diesels.
This is in spite of the number of carmakers steering their products away from offering a diesel powertrain, including some of the most popular models in their respective segment, such as Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, Kia Carnival, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mazda CX-5 and CX-8, and Ford Escape - all of which once sold in fairly decent numbers.
Hyundai Australia even acknowledged that roughly 80 per cent of Santa Fe sales between and were diesels (over a petrol V6 alternative).
So exactly how good are diesel sales in ? They’re booming, thanks largely to the popularity of dual-cab utes. As of mid-, according to VFACTS sales data from the FCAI, diesel sales are up 9.5 per cent.
Dual-cab utes are among the most popular vehicles in Australia - and all 208,700 of them are diesels. All of the 20,000+ medium vans sold in were diesel. And of course, all of the 51,772 light, medium and heavy duty trucks sold in were diesel.
The best-selling passenger diesels are utes and off-road 4X4 wagons like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max, and the Toyota LandCruiser and Prado, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, as well as medium SUVs like Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson (until changing to hybrid in ).
Sales of 4X4 Ranger in were up 35 per cent compared with , while Hilux sales were 3.5 per cent higher than , Mazda BT-50 total sales were 33 per cent up on , and Isuzu D-Max managed a 20 per cent increase for over the previous year.
LandCruiser 300 sales finished up 14 per cent higher than , as did Everest achieve a 46 per cent sales eclipse, while MU-X managed a 28 per cent gain, and Hyundai Santa Fe (which sold 80 per cent diesels in ) finished with a 31 per cent sales improvement over ; it’s dizygotic twin the Kia Sorento was 8 per cent up in .
The compression is higher in modern diesels, allowing the expansion to take place over a greater range, which delivers a huge boost in thermal efficiency. Meaning: More power at low revs and with less CO2 for any given driving. Some carmakers don’t want you to think about this because they want you to buy their fancy new hybrids, their ‘mild’ hybrids, or their electric vehicles.
If you remember back about 10 years, small diesel hatchbacks were still available, such as Volkswagen Golf and Hyundai i30, as were some diesel medium sedans and SUVs such as the Mazda 6, Subaru Forester, and until more recently the Hyundai Tucson.
For years these were marketed as the most economical vehicle choices you could make when purchasing a new car. Sure, you paid a price premium for the diesel engine, but that’s because you received a direct fuel-efficiency benefit from having that engine. Some carmaker advertising quoted close to km on a single tank in the same way carmakers switched to tell you about how far their EVs would take you on a single charge.
Only the diesel engine was unfairly demonised as a result of the backlash against Volkswagen for its emissions cheating post-. But imagine being able to get 800km of driving range from a 40-litre fuel tank? These days, a 54-litre tank in a Kia Sportage will get you that kind of range, but it costs about $37,400. That’s $11,000 more than an i30 ‘Active’ diesel in with a combined fuel economy figure of just 4.7 litre per 100km (34 per cent less than the Sportage).
And if you think a Toyota Corolla hybrid is the poster boy for efficiency, an Ascent Sport hybrid (the base model) is $36,000 driveaway in , and quotes almost the same combined fuel economy figure, 4.2L/100km, as a Hyundai i30 diesel which was 10K cheaper.
Whatever job the engine is doing - climbing a hill at 80, cruising on the flat at 100, taking off from the lights - the powertrain is overcoming a fixed set of resistances and generally, much less than its peak outputs are being demanded of it.
Link to Autolin
Engines in vehicles are rarely called upon to do all they can. Especially so in diesels - how often do you actually see a diesel engine being redlined? But what you’re thinking here is not absurd; smaller engines seem to do more with less. That’s a logical way of thinking about it because they seem to work proportionally harder.
As an example, a 3-litre V6 Ranger towing 3 tonnes seems to be doing the same amount of work with more cylinder capacity than a Triton pulling the same 3 tonnes with just 2.4 litres of capacity from its bi-turbo 4-cylinder engine. No doubt, the Triton is doing whatever work with less engine capacity, for any given set of loads.
When you look at the peak power figures, BT-50 is making 46 kilowatts for every litre of displacement. Triton is making 62. So the specific power output of Triton is about 34 per cent higher. Navara 2.3 is about 61 kilowatts per litre - that’s 32 per cent above BT. Ranger 3.0 V6 diesel makes 184kW, divided by number of cylinders, is roughly 30kW per cylinder - almost identical to Navara in specific power output (slightly higher) but is less than the BT-50. And we all know the Ranger is a grunt factory compared with the rest of these utes.
But when you look at a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento 2.2 diesel, at around 76 kilowatts per litre, that’s 65 per cent higher than the BT-50. And the 2.0-litre HMG turbo-diesel in Sportage and Tucson is roughly the same as Triton and Amarok V6.
The point being: none of these engines - which have all been deployed in the market for such a long time - none of them have developed a reputation for early catastrophic failure, or premature wear, stemming from being too pumped up.
These kinds of failures in small diesel engines are rare. Statistically, it does not happen. What’s more common is ‘weak link’ type failures that have nothing to do with power production - and I’m talking in general here, across the entire ute and SUV market.
Here’s an example: a dodgy EGR valve might dump all the coolant out the exhaust pipe and then fry and seize the engine, or a high-pressure fuel pump might pack up and destroy the injection system. In a Toyota LandCruiser, the air filter might fail and dust might destroy the engine. Or a DPF system may catastrophically shit itself. These failures have nothing to do with power production. They’re far more prolific.
There’s nothing outrageous - engineering, applied-science outrageous - about how tightly any of these engines is wound up. They’re all pretty conservative. I certainly understand the logic behind the nude, bilateral beard-stroking ‘more is less’ hypothesis. It seems plausible. It just also happens to be bullshit.
Because you test hypotheses by experiment, and this experiment has been running - out there on our roads - for years. These engines simply don’t fail because they’re excessively cranked up for their size. They just don’t.
Transmissions, on the other hand, they can fail during heavy towing.
Engine durability has far more to do with how well the engineers in R&D identify premature failure modes - and whether the budget will tolerate the remedy that’s required.
Like, if you know (as an engineer in the skunkworks) that you really should re-engineer that EGR valve, or that air filter, to increase its reliability, you need beancounter approval to spend the big bucks. And sometimes they give you the ‘sex and travel’ response.
These engines do not fail because they can’t handle making enough power to tow your caravan. In fact, transmissions and driveline components generally tend to be weaker links on this.
There’s a thing engineers use called 'Brake Mean Effective Pressure' or BMEP. It's a theoretical concept that's meant to represent the average pressure operating on the pistons during peak power output. It's a means of assessing efficiency: higher numbers mean the engineers did a better job.
An engine benefits from having more hi-tech componentry where it might have variable valve timing and lift, for example., and produces a bit more pressure than an engine that doesn’t.
The Mitsubishi Triton compared with the old Ford Ranger used to have this discrepancy. The Triton’s engine was working harder producing 15.8 kilowatts per litre per revs, versus 15.3 in the Ranger 3.2 V6, which was a difference of about three per cent. So: not that much of a difference, when you think about it.
Another way of looking at this is that the Ford engine made 29.4kW in each cylinder at its peak power output. The Triton's engine was making 33.3 kW per cylinder. So, each cylinder was working about 13 per cent harder. It was also spinning about 17 per cent faster while doing that.
Today, with its bi-turbo 2.4-litre 4-cylinder diesel, Triton makes kilopascals of pressure at peak power. The big 3-litre turbocharged V6 Ford Ranger makes kilopascals - just 4 per cent more efficient.
However, consider that this is a big jump from ‘close on efficiency’ to 'it'll wear out faster'. This depends on many other factors including the calibre of materials used and the underlying R&D. This kind of thing can make more difference to an engine's longevity than simply an analysis of the peak power outputs and the displacements.
There have been cases - plenty of them - where under-done R&D resulted in premature major component failure. If a big-end bearing or a timing chain fails prematurely (for example) the engine is generally a throwaway, regardless of how the wear rates of the rings or valve guides are going.
On ‘this capacity’ versus ‘that capacity’, if a one-litre engine were screwed up so tight is made the same power output as a three-litre engine, then it would be fair to assume it would wear out faster - but only because there are physical limits that often mean wear rates are non-linear. The fact is, however, that today’s current Ranger and Triton model engines are very similar.
Diesel engines can't really be revved much beyond rpm, either - it's a physical limitation - and wear rates are closely related to the operating speed of the parts. (Diesels don't rev higher because they can't: it's a problem relating to the combustion duration, the combustion dynamics, the fuel delivery and injection process and the heavier mass of the reciprocating parts.)
What really kills diesel engines is:
Short Trips:
What's far more likely to determine which engine will wear out first, in the real world, is the way you use it.
Short trips with lots of cold starts (per distance driven) wear engines out quickly. (When the metals are cold the working parts don't fit together very well, and the lubricating oil isn't exactly doing its finest work either - and this greatly accelerates the wear rate.) Lots of cold starts equals accelerated wear - every time. Engines that turn on and do dozens - or even hundreds - of kilometres between cold starts last for many more kilometres that their stop-start cousins in the city.
and; Owner Abuse
If you thrash your engine, it wears out faster. But an even more insidious form of abuse is the failure to service the vehicle.
Lubricating oil has a use-by date and a use-by distance beyond which it fails to form the required tough, thin film that separates the moving metal parts. And, when that occurs, wear rates skyrocket. It's a false economy not to service your car at least by the required time or distance - whichever occurs first.
Except it’s not just one little spurt of fuel. It’s as many as five - two little spurts up front, a big one in the middle, and two little follow-throughs. The first two take out the mechanical knocking sound, main spurt delivers the bulk of mechanical work, and the latter spurts help clean up the emissions. A high-speed Caligula-esque orgy of spurting precision. 100 times a second, on a four-cylinder engine at rpm.
These injector events have very precise delivery schedules and volumes. And the windows of opportunity are millisecond-critical. It’s a beautifully synchronised ballet - like Swan Lake on crack - and it adapts in real time to all kinds of external influences - load, throttle position, speed changes, auto gearshifts - it’s friggin’ precise and a brain bender of complexity.
Injectors have these tiny holes - five to 20 holes per injector; about 150 microns each in diameter. And they open and shut manically and precisely thanks to the miracle of piezoelectric control. To make them work, you need a reservoir of fuel at super-high pressure. Literally busting at the seams to get in there.
You can think of the injector as a floodgate and the fuel rail as a dam with a pressure on the bottom of the dam wall at atmospheres. Or 200 megapascals. If you want to build a dam like that, with pressures like that, out here, the wall would have to be 20 kilometres high. (Like it would be if you were able to dive 20 kilometres deep into the ocean.)
So good luck with that.
The pressure in a direct injection fuel rail is magic - which is a good name for technology generally if you don’t understand how it works.
Purchasing a diesel vehicle is relatively easy enough, but finding the right one is a more nuanced.
The best place to start is asking yourself a bunch of questions, with truly honest answers, regarding exactly how you intend to use the vehicle, in order to figure out what it needs to do for you.
If you have a big family, consider a large SUV or, if you’ve had multiple-births or your kids are about the become teenagers, consider a people mover for legroom, headroom and luggage loadspace. Sorento or Carnival are supreme options.
Perhaps you need a dual-cab ute that will double as the work truck during the week and will see plenty of regional touring holidays, possibly with some towing, but you need it to be as comfortable and luxurious on the inside as possible for your dearly beloved. If it needs to do everything, Triton, Ranger or BT-50 are going to be your best choices.
If you’re going to drive long distances to run a small or medium business to visit clients, or perhaps to see relatives, a medium SUV like Sportage diesel will eat up those kilometres with ease, but can also happily slot back into regular weekly running-around: shopping, school drop-off, morning commuting.
So when it comes to choosing the right diesel engine, if you want efficiency - the most work done for the least amount of energy input (fuel burned) - depending on the task, you’re inevitably going to find yourself comparing engines and models.
But remember to find the right type of vehicle first, and then compare those similar models based on how you need them to perform.
For example: you might want a Troopy, but a Prado might be the more suitable vehicle based on fuel economy, comfort and capability - a Troopy might be the king off-road, but are you going to spend 80 per cent of its life off-road, or will a cheaper, more frugal Prado do all the same tasks for less cost?
Try to separate the fantasy of your automotive dreams from the reality of what it might cost.
Available in the Kia Sorento 7-seat SUV, the Kia Carnival and Hyundai Staria people movers, the Hyundai Palisade full-size 8-seater, and soon to be powering the Kia Tasman dual-cab ute, the 2.2L makes 148kW peak power at rpm and 440Nm from -RPM.
Sorento GT-Line offers this engine with a power-to-weight ratio of 77.6 - not as much outright as the petrol-only Toyota Kluger, but it has to rev to rpm to reach peak power.
This is one of the best diesels on the market right now. It makes more power than the new Isuzu MU-x (albeit 200 revs higher), but importantly, it’s also impressively light thanks to an aluminium block. Delivers hybrid-like fuel economy - 6.1 litres per 100km on the official combined cycle lab test, and 5.3 on the highway.
Coupled to the slick eight-speed dual-clutch where, slowly accelerating from standstill, I can’t actually pick the point at which the automated clutch engages, it’s a great powertrain with great reliability.
A diesel Santa Fe is not longer available now that the all-new hybrid Santa Fe has arrived. But the facelifted Sorento retains the diesel engine for the next couple of years before it is fully replaced by the new SF platform (because Santa Fe and Sorento share the same fundamental design).
If you absolutely need a seven-seat large SUV, then it probably ought to be a diesel due to its superior fuel economy and load lugging performance due to the nature of diesel offering more power per litre than petrol - which is ideal when you have teenagers and sports equipment to move.
Both Sorento and Carnival have respectable light to (occasional) medium duty towing capacity, backed up by the reliable, grunty 140kW 2.2-litre diesel engine and the robust, smooth 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (torture tested here >>) which is quite capable of reversing a trailer uphill >>. Carnival gets a conventional 8-speed epicyclic auto.
You also get a full-size spare wheel and tyre package on every model grade of Sorento and Palisade which is excellent for regional holiday travel, backed up by a very clever and active all-wheel drive system that is always paying attention, so there’s that. If you can’t get a Sorento or Santa Fe, consider an Elite version of Palisade if you’re in a bind.
Don’t miss out on nabbing yourself one of these brilliant vehicles before they’re gone.
This engine is in the new Triton ute and, presumably in the all-new version of Pajero Sport when it arrives in .
An aluminium block with its 150kW of outright power output, Triton’s engine isn’t quite as macho as the V6 Ranger or Everest, but makes up for that having arguably the best off-road transmission - which can be driven in 4-wheel drive on sealed roads on slippery conditions.
Peak power is 150kW at RPM and 440Nm of peak torque from just RPM. In GLS spec, Triton has a power to weight ratio of 71kW/t, which isn’t as macho as say a Ranger Wildtrak 3.2, but the Triton gets particularly good support from Mitsubishi, while also being significantly more affordable - to the tune of about $15,000.
Pajero Sport offers the same power figures as the old MV Triton but still gets Mitsubishi’s eight-speed Super Select II transmission which is ideal for heavy towing up to 3.1 tonnes (although you’re advised against pushing that limit in a 2.2-tonne vehicle).
Triton and Pajero Sport also get independent transmission oil coolers for improved ventilation of the transfer case, which Ranger and Hilux don’t.
The hallowed V8 diesel 200 Series engine is now a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 in the LandCruiser 300. If you want a more in-depth LandCruiser 300 review and buyer’s guide, click here >>
The TTV6 makes 13 per cent more peak power, 7 per cent more peak torque and returns 6 per cent better fuel economy - despite only reducing the kerb mass (in the case of Sahara) by 110kg (a reduction of 4 per cent).
The power-to-weight ratio of 89kW/tonne in the $130,000 Sahara, combined with that 2.6-tonne kerb mass, makes it iedal for heavy towing assignments - occasionally. If you want to understand more on the complexity of extreme towing, check out the AutoExpert Ultimate Towing Guide >>
Put simply, LC300 is better than the Triton/Pajero Sport on dynamic heavy-trailer stability and outright grunt - that’s a fact. But it is significantly more expensive, to the tune of 96 per cent more expensive for a Sahara than a GSR Triton. So how frequent are these big towing jobs going to be?
You have to wonder if you’re ever likely to use any of the fancy off-roading suspension they’ve packed into LandCruiser. Sure, the crawl control and ‘Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System’ (e-KDSS) stabiliser bar control system are clever, and no doubt they work. Just ask yourself how hardcore you’re prepared to be with your $160,000 LandCruiser - because that KDSS feature isn’t available on the hero Sahara, it’s on the ‘ZX’ which has a worse approach angle anyway. Click here for the AutoExpert Ultimate Off-Road Guide >>
If you tow moderately heavy loads fairly regularly, like a caravan or horse float, the 300 Series is decent, but overkill. Maybe that’s a good thing - it’s better to have more safety margin than less. Even a Nissan Patrol makes an economically rational argument considering the $30,000 saving - which does buy a lot of premium petrol for that snarling V8 (which isn’t long for this world).
There is also a bunch of buyers out there with zero intention of taking their LandCruiser anywhere near the open road or, heaven forbid, a dirt road. And that’s fine, it is a very civilised urban-assault vehicle.
Thanks to Toyota Australia installing a manual DPF regeneration switch to its Prado, Fortuner and Hilux 2.8-litre models, this particular diesel engine has proven relatively reliable. Who would’ve thought, the Hilux wasn’t “unbreakable” after all.
The turbo V8 diesel in the LandCruiser 70 Series ute and Troopcarrier range has also been replaced by the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine which is not the most powerful, but not the least, either. But having one just means handing over a bit more money.
For the 70 Series, you get 150kW peak power from RPM and 500Nm peak torque at -RPM, which is in fact more torque in the driving revs you’re most commonly going to be driving in.
The Hilux Rugged X has been dropped in favour of the GR Sport trophy truck, and just the Rogue if you want some garnish with your SR5. But you have to question the cost effectiveness of this. Do you actually need all that stuff, or would an SR5 suffice? And at $62,100 (approx. driveaway), you could have an almost top-spec Triton GLS for exactly the same price.
While the Toyota 2.8 DPF problem did take Toyota Australia far too long to actually fix (but not before plenty of denial), buying a Hilux is something of a religious thing in Australia - and that’s allowed. It’s a decent vehicle in many respects, without being the best value, but it is quite expensive and sells as popularly as it does because of the badge.
Toyota has a strong dealer network and are generally good at customer support. People trust Toyota, however mediocre the vehicles are on the product development front. Hilux also enjoys the best resale value in the event you decide to go for another one in five years’ time.
Underneath, the Mazda BT-50 is an Isuzu D-Max, which also makes up the MU-X. They’re essentially the same vehicle, except Mazda’s designed an interior for civilised adults.
The 3-litre turbo-diesel 4-cylinder engine is certainly not new, not even from the modern era, like the motoring media might have you believe. It’s essentially related to the same diesel engine introduced 20 years ago in the Holden Rodeo (remember that?). Don’t buy into the ‘legendary truck’ marketing, because the 4JJ-whatever engine is an outdated boat anchor. Use-by date: expired. Reliable: Sure. Out-classed by most competitors: Definitely.
Although, this time around it’s had some semi-serious changes to keep you from noticing the reality. Apparently they’ve used a new engine block, cylinder-head, crankshaft and lighter aluminium pistons, and a new air intake system (which now faces forward - how original).
It also uses a new electronic variable geometry turbo, and a new DPF which is apparently lighter and more efficient. As far as we’re aware, Isuzu hasn’t had any significant in-service issues with its DPF which does a pretty good job of burning-off on its own. They claim a new dual-mass flywheel also helps reduce the appalling unrefined vibrations the previous model’s drivetrain was infamous for.
Power is adequate. Like, barely: 140kW of peak power at rpm, and 450Nm peak torque from -rpm. So it’s basically the same as a Toyota Prado 2.8-litre diesel. Congratulations. It’s a pity because Mazda’s SKYACTIV 2.2 diesel in CX-5 and CX-8 also offers 140kW (peak power) and 450Nm (peak torque). With 26 per cent less capacity, that means it’s more efficient.
This means ensuring that at least once a fortnight you get out on the freeway and drive at about 80-100km/h for a sustained period, about 20-30 minutes. This ensures the DPF gets hot enough to sustain a critical burn process of the carbon nanoparticles which build-up in the exhaust’s filter system.
Don’t ever let anybody tell you deleting your DPF or the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, because not only is it illegal, it’ll also kill your warranty, and will probably cause even more problems down the track. EGR makes engines more efficient and it reduces emissions. So don’t tamper with them.
When or if your DPF warning light comes on, it’s unsettling. So you need to understand what to do in that heart-palpitating moment. If ever your DPF warning light illuminates in your new diesel vehicle.
But it’s important to understand the DPF warning light and any problems of this nature can often be the symptom of you not doing enough highway driving to allow the system to perform its burn-off regeneration process.
If you do regularly get out on the highway and allow the DPF to do that regeneration, then you can be pretty confident there’s a problem further upstream of the exhaust system. One common cause is a tiny air leak in the silicone hose at the MAF sensor tricks the computer into thinking it needs to inject more fuel into the cylinder and therefore runs rich and ramps up the blockage problem.
Use a qualified technician who knows what they’re doing to service your DPF: Don’t be scared to ask you local mechanic, and if he/she isn’t confident, ask if they know any reputable, qualified diesel technicians. Ensure they use the correct low-ash oil as required by the manufacturer during servicing: Again, ask, check in the manual, write it down. And confirm they have reset all the appropriate computer settings including the oil dilution reset.
And also remember the owner abuse factor. Owner abuse is how manufacturers dodge warranty claims because DPF abuse is very much part of that. If you have a serious DPF regeneration problem, they will likely fight you by exploiting a case for inadequate driving conditions, forcing you to foot the four or five-figure bill.
If you’re a Monday-to-Friday tradesperson who is on the road by 6am and knocking off in the early to mid-afternoon in order to ‘beat the traffic’ (along with every single other tradie, delivery driver, courier and truck), then you’re going to get the best use out of a diesel.
You’ll easily satisfy the DPF’s highway requirements, and you’ll get to take advantage of the pliable powertrain and smooth throttle response, especially with equipment in the back of the ute and a trailer full of tools. Same goes for vans, which are essentially never free of any load from the moment they leave the dealership.
However, the diesel SUV market has been something of a misnomer over the last decade. Some brands have refused to go diesel or dropped theirs entirely, either as a result of the epic work Volkswagen did to ruin the diesel’s reputation.
When parking your shiny new diesel, which probably has a turbo, you need to be conscious of the turbo too.
If you get to a destination after working hard, putting lots of power down to the ground, climbing hills or towing something heavy, when you get to your destination and you park, give the car about 90 seconds to 2 minutes of idle, in park.
The turbo has been working really hard, turbochargers get really hot because they are powered by hot energetic exhaust flow (about 600-800 degrees) quite close to the exhaust manifold.
If you just turn the engine off it’ll cook the oil inside the turbocharger housing. Doing this idle for a couple of minutes will allow water flowing through the water jacket to cool it down, or the oil will continue to circulate and gradually cool down to an acceptable level.
Highway driving generally is pretty low-load for a turbo-diesel, with light throttle inputs and mostly cruising. But if you stop the car, select Park, put on the park brake, get you and the kids ready with the engine on, by the time you’re ready, if you then shut down the engine, you’ll give it a cooling off period.
Lots of straight shutdowns with a hot turbo-diesel over time, with no cooling-off, all those incremental turbo-cooks will gum-up the oil pathways and eventually you’ll be driving, the oil pathway will lock-up and you’ll be up for a multi-thousand dollar repair job.
If you do lots of heavy towing or lots of cold starts, service the engine early, from 12 months to six months, for good measure.
When your DPF warning light comes on, remember this: Orange warning lights are sub-critical events. You need to act, but it’s not life and death for your engine.
Red warning lights, on the other hand, are reserved for engine life and death.
So, vehicles are subtly different, and the DPF light activation scheme varies. Consult the owner’s manual, and do what it says.
A flashing orange DPF light (or whatever the primary activation mode is) just tells you that the filter is getting loaded up, and a burn or regeneration is necessary and/or overdue.
The car knows this because it measures the pressure drop across the DPF. More pressure drop = more clogging, which = need to regenerate now. Regeneration is usually seamless and automatic, in the background, but for some reason this has fallen over on your vehicle.
So as soon as you can, get out on the highway and go for a free-flowing cruise. Make it a priority because not addressing this will get expensive. Aim for about an hour of cruising - 50 kays one way, and return (ish). So, 100 all up.
Don’t shift to second and rev the crap out of the engine on some quiet suburban street, or try any other hack to regenerate - specific conditions need to be met before a filter regenerates.
Highway cruising is the easiest way to meet those conditions. If the light goes out, it worked. Excellent. If not, you need to visit a workshop. It can be a dealership or an independent workshop, but if it’s an independent make sure they’re familiar with this problem.
They can plug in to the diagnostic port and force the vehicle to do an aggressive regen in the service bay. And that might turn the car’s DPF frown upside-down. If that doesn’t work, you can look at getting the DPF cleaned. They can inject special solvent and attempt breaking up the blockage. It’s worth a shot - because this is much cheaper than a replacement DPF.
The vital ownership requirement of a modern diesel is routine servicing. This is the case for any petrol engine too, but it’s important to make sure you strictly adhere to the scheduled servicing outlined by the manufacturer for your diesel because not only has it been working very hard, but also the nature of the diesel’s internals are more sensitive.
Those servicing intervals are based on time or kilometres driven - whichever occurs first. You cannot push the time just because you haven’t driven much (like over Christmas holidays or whatever), because sitting stagnate is also hell on earth for engine oil, which increases water dilution.
The worst thing you can do to a car - one of them at least, is a series of never-ending short trips combined with long service intervals (or simply not getting it serviced at all).
Lots of blow-by, sub-optimal expansion of the parts. Low temperature of the oil. Lots of oil dilution and major contamination.
Then, let’s say you go a month or three over on the servicing, and you might rationalise this to yourself by saying: The schedule says 12 months and 15,000km. OK - It’s 12 months but I’ve only done 10,000 - I’ll wait.
People do this all the time.
You’re creating hell on earth for your engine oil. There are no symptoms, but that doesn’t mean this is not a very bad idea. If you do predominately short trips, you are exactly the person the time-based service interval was invented for.
Certainly it probably sounds counter-intuitive to be pumping yucky exhaust back into a perfectly serviceable engine; it sounds bad. But in fact, doing this actually improves fuel economy and also reduces toxic emissions, because: physics.
Just to further your understanding of these systems, diesels do this more enthusiastically than petrol engines, but they both do it. It’s also becoming more popular in the car industry as emissions regulations tighten over time.
The EGR system is capturing hot, highly energetic exhaust gas from between the manifold, and sending it back to the inlet side of the engine, and that heat is a gross disadvantage to engine operation.
Therefore, water from the engine’s cooling system is pumped through the EGR unit, in a mini heat exchanger, whence it captures some of this heat before it gets to the EGR valve. That heat is ultimately rejected in the vehicle’s radiator, which is designed to stop things going automotive-Chernobyl.
Watch the video below for the full details, and use the diagram above to identify each piece of the EGR system.
So, just roughly, if you’ve got about 10 litres per minute circulating through the EGR heat exchanger and it goes in at 50 degrees C and comes out at 100 (it’s okay, it’s unlikely to boil because the system is pressurised) it’s removing about two million joules of heat energy every minute from the EGR system.
That’s, like, 35 kilowatts of heat rejection. That’s a lot. A 35-kilowatt radiator would warm up a somewhat large room, even if it’s snowing outside. The point is a small amount of water can carry away a great deal of heat energy, because water is properly miraculous stuff.
If the EGR cooling system develops a leak, water can escape into the recirculating exhaust gas, and pass through the engine, and disappear out the exhaust pipe, with virtually no symptoms, except of course for gradual coolant loss, the cause of which can be hard to diagnose.
The loss is easy to identify. Where it’s being lost is not so easy. If that happens, the whole EGR body, which is typically one big stainless steel bolt-on component, needs to be changed out. Fortunately, that’s a relatively simple job, generally speaking.
the dealership will attempt to take you to the ankle-grabbing room over it, but it’s really just a new EGR body out of a box, three or four bolts, a gasket and a couple of water hoses. Of course, some disassembly might be required to gain physical access to that area in the engine bay.
Repair bills are never uplifting. The advice there: accept it or get a quote elsewhere.
Pro Tip: Whatever you do, do not be one of those muppets who deletes, disables or modifies their EGR system like some do with their DPF. Not only is it illegal, it voids any statutory warranty or consumer rights you might have with that vehicle (regardless of the manufacturer’s warranty), and it only makes matters worse. Aftermarket modification is a minefield - don’t walk that line.
One viable solution is installation of a catch can. Keep scrolling for more on this…
But not all modern diesel engines are equal and not all brands offer you the same level of customer care and support - yeah, looking at you, Land Rover, among others.
If you are strictly an urban dweller, who drives ten minutes in built up traffic just to do the return shopping trip, then I’d suggest you need to be careful about which car you buy. Sitting in commuter traffic four out of five days per week, with little or no highway driving, is a good recipe for a shit sandwich if you buy the wrong vehicle.
But if you buy your diesel and treat it with the due care it requires, you’ll reap the benefits of both an efficient and effective powertrain that is good on fuel, but also one that has a wide variety of applications.
Diesels are better for towing due to their tendency to be more predictable and linear in their power delivery, as opposed to petrols which are more prone to spiking revs and having to be worked harder to achieve similar acceleration and power delivery as the smoother diesel.
When you’re off-roading, the gradual power delivery of a diesel engine means you can modulate the throttle better in soft sand or slippery terrain when you need to be gentle. A petrol engine, like a shitbox Jeep Wrangler or something would spin its wheels.
If you’re in the market for a new vehicle and a diesel is on your list, I urge you to think about what the vast majority of your driving is going to consist of. Ask yourself what you want the vehicle to do and asses, honestly, if you can respect the needs of a DPF.
You also need to be regimented with your servicing if you’re going to be a regular heavy tower, or if you plan to take your diesel off-road frequently. You might even want to consider long-term intermittent servicing if you have extreme use in mind.
Modern diesels are far from the noisy, dirty shitboxes which were only ever used by old Land Rovers and tractors. They’re full of brilliant engineering, are very precise and economical.
The weakest link in the diesel’s ownership chain is the human who buys it. Love your diesel and it’ll love you back - in an entirely plutonic way, of course.
If you have any specific questions relating to your diesel purchase, or you want advice on which one to buy, you can me directly and I’ll give it to you straight.
petrol is more of a commuter fuel, meaning commuter behaviour determines the demand for petrol, which is why petrol prices go up every school holidays - because people tend to do more long distance driving, particularly around Christmas.
However, diesel tends to be more linked to economic activity and logistics demand. So when there's an increase in logistics-type activity with trucks and big infrastructure etc - remembering that everything you see on the shelf at the supermarket or in the shopping centre was brought there by a diesel truck - every shipping container, every pallet, every tradie ute, every courier van and every light truck is all reliant on diesel and pushes up demand.
That kind of logistics operation happens by truck which is why the price of diesel is directly linked to inflation, because when diesel goes up, the price of everything goes up. It’s the logistics component to the price of everything.
Australians need to stop complaining about the price of fuel - it's nauseating. Fuel, in general, is cheap in Australia.
Australia has the fourth cheapest fuel in the OECD. The reason it's so cheap in Australia is because we have low taxation on fuel. Yes, there is tax, and yes, it is a significant component of the price. But it’s still low on the world stage.
In fact, you break down the price of petrol all around the developed world, the difference in price per litre is essentially the difference in the tax. Thank your local Federal member of parliament for the low taxation we enjoy in Australia on fuel.
Compared to our mates in Italy, the UK, France or even just next-door in New Zealand, Australia is fortunate to have fuel as cheap as we do. Buy a couple of litres of diesel in New Zealand and see how freaking expensive it is.
If the vehicle you’re running in is about kilos empty, the total payload of that vehicle out the back (in the boot or in the tray etc) is actually pretty light in the context of operational capability. So don’t stress too much about carrying some cargo in your new diesel vehicle during the running in period.
What matters is variation of the driving conditions.
There are two prevailing myths about running-in engines and they are both emphatically wrong. First is: engines are already run in at the factory, so you don't need to worry about it. WRONG. The second myth is usually from the guy who's going to tell you that running-in is very complex. But frankly, to get this right you don’t need to be an engine engineering Yoda.
It is actually very simple to run-in a brand new engine. You can get this right, because the environment that most people drive in is absolutely perfect, as long as you play by just a few caveats. Watch the video below for what they are.
The latent impression of running-in an engineering is steeped in history - which makes it 40 or 50 years out-of-date - because a lot has happened in that time in terms of lubrication, in terms of metallurgy, and in terms of the tech and components in a modern engine.
Watch the full video to understand exactly how to run your new diesel engine in and how not to run it in.
You can also get the the technical deep-dive on anti-friction piston coatings and cylinder bores honed to virtually a mirror finish, and pre-ground multi-angle valve seats and camshafts directly on a tap, or roller rockers, variable valve timing, modern high-tech lubricants and all kinds of stuff that was very exotic in the 70s but is mundane now.
Once you hit that magic km run-in milestone, if you want to go the extra mile to ensure perfect engine conditioning here’s what you do: change the engine oil.
Fitting a catch can is, of course, up to you. But note that a lot of the people doing the recommending of catch cans are generally the ones selling them. Watch out for these commercial conflicts of interest (the worst-case scenario) or at the very least it’s an example of extreme bias.
If you decide to fit a catch can, or if you’re simply doing your research, get a reputable one from reputable brands. A high-quality catch can is one with baffles and a proper oil separating system inside - not just an empty box - and get it fitted by a qualified, reputable professional with appropriate product liability insurance. Why all this fuss?
Because you’re bolting this thing to the most expensive component of your car - the engine - the replacement cost of which will be horrendous if there’s a problem. Someone has to carry the liability for that modification, and it might as well not be you.
If you want to understand the full gambit of fitting a catch can to your diesel vehicle, watch the full video above.
When your engine blows up, an aftermarket engine control ECU is a great deal for the carmaker - because it essentially allows them to sidestep any accountability for engine or powertrain failures.
Aftermarket chip retailers do not have a test-track and a couple of engine dynos running flat-out, doing extreme accelerated life component testing on all the makes and models they re-flash.
Do you think they bother to establish emissions compliance? Do they have a budget to compensate you for a catastrophic engine failure? Unlikely.
Think about this a little bit harder than the vague claims on their website.
These malignant keyboard jockeys can certainly over-fuel an engine at wide-open throttle get power, or lean it out at part-throttle thereby pushing the NOx through the roof, while saving a tiny bit of fuel. But there’s no free lunch here.
You cannot do this without compromising reliability and/or emissions. It’s easy to pump up the power and shred sixth gear pulling a heavy trailer up a shallow incline at 80 kays an hour on the freeway. That’s going to be a memorable day out with the boat.
The manufacturer has every right to decline your warranty claim in these circumstances.
Buy a vehicle that performs as you require in its standard configuration. Engine, handling - whatever - do not step across the line and open Pandora’s box by re-mapping the engine control ECU. Unless you want to wave goodbye to essentially all consumer safeguards.
Shopping for a dual-cab ute like the Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50 or Ford Ranger, a 4x4 wagon like Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Toyota LandCruiser or in the large seven-seat SUV segment for a Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander - or possibly even a people mover like the Kia Carnival - then you’re going to have to live with diesel.
Which means you need to know if the petrol alternative is a better option for the majority of your driving situations.
Does 90 per cent of your driving occur in stop-start commuting traffic in one of Australia’s capital cities? Are you based in the outer suburbs or a regional city or town where freeways or rural B-roads are the staple? Perhaps you work alternative hours and frequently use major arterial roads when they’re mostly free-flowing, and you don’t encounter stop-start traffic all that much.
This needs to be part of your thought process before deciding between diesel and petrol.
Most modern diesels, especially from the brands routinely recommend at AutoExpert, are pretty reliable. Complaints are rare from the likes of Hyundai and Kia, Mitsubishi or Mazda - generally, and even Toyota seems to have bounced back from its DPF dramas in .
But they come with a caveat to ownership. You have to be prepared to give the diesel particle filter (DPF) the sufficient amount of sustained highway driving in order to do its mad regeneration voodoo. This shouldn’t be an inhibitor to you buying one, because the benefits of modern diesel ownership are significant. Don’t be put-off by a DPF and the diesel engine it’s attached to, just keep this in mind as one of your ownership routines.
It’s like owning a dog. You have to feed it, water it, talk to it, and exercise it. Your modern diesel needs to be taken for a reasonable walk every now and then, so it stays healthy and doesn’t leave you with a repair bill with three zeros on the end.
That’s not to say it’ll go poop in its DPF trousers, this is simply about keeping it in tip-top shape and extend its long-term viability, like any mechanical thing, including petrol engines.
When you take your potential next diesel for a test drive, propose taking it through a range of different driving situations where possible. Try it in traffic, on the freeway, try low-speed manoeuvres and do plenty of tasks which require a variety of throttle positions to see if you can deal with the nuances of throttle management.
You can always come back to this cheat sheet of what AutoExpert regards as the best diesel engines on the market, for their reliability, their performance, and the overall vehicle they’re packaged with.
For more information, please visit diesel emission parts manufacturer.