Future Of Diesel Engines.

[Shaun Witts]

I was adamant that I wanted a 4motion as I like to drive to the Alps (or Highlands) for skiing. But then concerns regarding diesel emissions and access to certain places being potentially restricted (both here and in the EU) meant that I opted for petrol despite VW not selling a petrol 4motion in UK.

Like @Irvine101 I’ve had mine converted to LPG (I may have been the first - at least on this Forum), which is an even cleaner fuel I believe. Prices vary. LPG was 50p/l for a while during last year, but is generally about 65p in my experience, and over 70p at motorway service stations.

Oh, and a simple remap releases over 300bhp from the petrol motor - and not far off that when running LPG.

Whats not to like?

 

[DaveD]

My van needs to last FOREVER (imagine a threatening face) .. I don't want to get 3 years in and have to think about changing it....
Any thoughts?

Although you want to keep your van forever, when petrol and diesel are taxed to cost £5 per litre, (or much more) it will simply become uneconomical to drive a fossil fuelled vehicle at some point after 2030.

 

[Loz]

In my experience this is an urban myth. The regen takes place whenever DPF soot levels reach a certain level regardless of how the van is being driven.
I've completed the majority of my regens in urban areas taking 15 minutes ish doing 20-30mph in 2nd gear to keep the revs up.

They don't start for 15 minutes to allow the engine to get up to temperature. If you force the conditions by driving in a low gear it of course will. But the system is designed to suit the majority of commuters who would be out and away in 15 minutes.

 

[huw169]

They don't start for 15 minutes to allow the engine to get up to temperature. If you force the conditions by driving in a low gear it of course will. But the system is designed to suit the majority of commuters who would be out and away in 15 minutes.

This is not my experience with the latest software update. When it needs to do it, it just heats up fast and does it. Starts before it gets to full temp and this 1/4 tank issue is gone. No idea what the lower limit parameters are now.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

They don't start for 15 minutes to allow the engine to get up to temperature. If you force the conditions by driving in a low gear it of course will. But the system is designed to suit the majority of commuters who would be out and away in 15 minutes.

Mine will start regen within 5 minutes of setting off - positive about this as it will start during an 8 minute journey to take the dogs to their exercise area. Engine temperature does not appear to have any relevance on my van ( 2018 204 ) as it is the same summer or winter.

 

[Salty Spuds]

They may well try and ban older pre euro 6 cars …However they have not yet got a clean LGV/HGV with decent range…I think the big HGV‘s will go Hydrogen as can’t see a battery pulling 40t….Anyway us Nomads only drive camp site to coast and back…Steering clear of those high conurbations….let’s face it Diesel engines where never designed for town driving..

Cant burn Wood…Demonised Coal….

Yet the wind dropped last week..Not enough to turn the wind generators…What happened…Oh..let’s restart the Coal Power Station
So we import more coal.. Lots of Sea miles…but will not allow a new cleanish pit to restart ..Save on sea miles ..and not be dependent on Foreign states….Better stop it could be a very long story

Preaching to the converted, brother.

 

[JOG]

From what I’ve seen so far most of the ULEZ and LEZ‘s are inner cities that I wouldn’t visit without being led there handcuffed with a pistol at my head.

Any preference for which inner city I can lead you to?!!!

 

[Howzat]

Mine seems to work like this.....

Soot levels are too high, so fuel to air ratio is increased to get the engine to running temperature as fast as possible. I can see this is happening because my MPG reading drops dramatically (20-30%). I can hear it happening too. Engine sounds like a tractor between 1k and 1.4k revs. When idle (say at traffic lights) the revs also stay higher than normal.
Once up to temperature (halfway on the temp gauge, 90?) the regen process starts. During the regen the engine stays in what I call tractor mode (noisier and a bit rougher at low revs). I can also smell the soot burning off if I get out and go to the back of the van. Towards the end on the regen the fan will kick in probably because I'm not getting enough air across the radiator at low speed.
I know when the regen is completed because the revs drop to normal when idling and the van runs smoother and quieter.
If I don't complete this process then it will continue the next time I start the van by getting the engine up to temperature like above until the soot levels are down to a prescribed amount.

I hate it. I feel obliged to complete the regen in one go. So once it starts, even if I'm just nipping somewhere local, I then drive around aimlessly until it completes because a) the alternative is the possibility of a clogged up DPF and b) I despise the way the van runs and sounds during regen so I just wanna get it done and dusted so the next time I use the van it just runs and sounds normal.

I think this van will be my last diesel vehicle. Not knocking VW or the T6. It's just the way modern diesels are these days.

 

[Loz]

This is not my experience with the latest software update. When it needs to do it, it just heats up fast and does it. Starts before it gets to full temp and this 1/4 tank issue is gone. No idea what the lower limit parameters are now.

We had some measuring graph data plotted in another another thread showing this.

 

[Loz]

Mine seems to work like this.....

Soot levels are too high, so fuel to air ratio is increased to get the engine to running temperature as fast as possible. I can see this is happening because my MPG reading drops dramatically (20-30%). I can hear it happening too. Engine sounds like a tractor between 1k and 1.4k revs. When idle (say at traffic lights) the revs also stay higher than normal.
Once up to temperature (halfway on the temp gauge, 90?) the regen process starts. During the regen the engine stays in what I call tractor mode (noisier and a bit rougher at low revs). I can also smell the soot burning off if I get out and go to the back of the van. Towards the end on the regen the fan will kick in probably because I'm not getting enough air across the radiator at low speed.
I know when the regen is completed because the revs drop to normal when idling and the van runs smoother and quieter.
If I don't complete this process then it will continue the next time I start the van by getting the engine up to temperature like above until the soot levels are down to a prescribed amount.

I hate it. I feel obliged to complete the regen in one go. So once it starts, even if I'm just nipping somewhere local, I then drive around aimlessly until it completes because a) the alternative is the possibility of a clogged up DPF and b) I despise the way the van runs and sounds during regen so I just wanna get it done and dusted so the next time I use the van it just runs and sounds normal.

I think this van will be my last diesel vehicle. Not knocking VW or the T6. It's just the way modern diesels are these days.

I have completed mine sat outside with the revs at 2k you can hear immediately when it completes

 

[DaveD]

Mine seems to work like this.....

Soot levels are too high, so fuel to air ratio is increased to get the engine to running temperature as fast as possible. I can see this is happening because my MPG reading drops dramatically (20-30%). I can hear it happening too. Engine sounds like a tractor between 1k and 1.4k revs. When idle (say at traffic lights) the revs also stay higher than normal.
Once up to temperature (halfway on the temp gauge, 90?) the regen process starts. During the regen the engine stays in what I call tractor mode (noisier and a bit rougher at low revs). I can also smell the soot burning off if I get out and go to the back of the van. Towards the end on the regen the fan will kick in probably because I'm not getting enough air across the radiator at low speed.
I know when the regen is completed because the revs drop to normal when idling and the van runs smoother and quieter.
If I don't complete this process then it will continue the next time I start the van by getting the engine up to temperature like above until the soot levels are down to a prescribed amount.

I hate it. I feel obliged to complete the regen in one go. So once it starts, even if I'm just nipping somewhere local, I then drive around aimlessly until it completes because a) the alternative is the possibility of a clogged up DPF and b) I despise the way the van runs and sounds during regen so I just wanna get it done and dusted so the next time I use the van it just runs and sounds normal.

I think this van will be my last diesel vehicle. Not knocking VW or the T6. It's just the way modern diesels are these days.

Mine's a Euro 5 and although it has a DPF it doesn't have Adblue and I've never known it to regen, I suppose it passively regens as I drive. I couldn't be arsed with continuing my journey or sitting outside my house holding the revs up to complete a regen, I won't have a Euro 6 T6.
My wife has a Euro 6 Volvo, it's smoother than any other diesel engine I've ever driven and has bags of torque and we've never noticed it regen, although we just had to refill the Adblue for the first time at 20K miles, so I don't believe that modern diesels have to be so crap.

 

[huw169]

Mine's a Euro 5 and although it has a DPF it doesn't have Adblue and I've never known it to regen, I suppose it passively regens as I drive. I couldn't be arsed with continuing my journey or sitting outside my house holding the revs up to complete a regen, I won't have a Euro 6 T6.
My wife has a Euro 6 Volvo, it's smoother than any other diesel engine I've ever driven and has bags of torque and we've never noticed it regen, although we just had to refill the Adblue for the first time at 20K miles, so I don't believe that modern diesels have to be so crap.

Lol. You don’t have to let it complete as it will just do it next time you drive. Just people choose to.
But you do have to complete the regen at some point before the thing clogs up, which is no different to your E5 engine.

 

[DaveD]

Lol. You don’t have to let it complete as it will just do it next time you drive. Just people choose to.
But you do have to complete the regen at some point before the thing clogs up, which is no different to your E5 engine.

I never give it a thought, I don't need to.

 

[huw169]

I never give it a thought, I don't need to.

That’s my point, you wouldn’t have to with the E6 engine either.

 

[DaveD]

That’s my point, you wouldn’t have to with the E6 engine either.

Plenty of others do though!

 

[huw169]

Plenty of others do though!

If your driving style and typical journey type does not give you any concern with your E5 engine, then it wouldn’t change with an E6. I monitor mine, but in monitoring I have realised that I really don’t need to, but will continue to do so cos I like it and want to be sure because I do mainly short journeys in town and occasional longer ones. It just does it.
I have the latest software, and that may be the difference to some of the early E6’s.

 

[Qnapper]

Who knows whats around the corner between now and then, so 2030 is to far away to worry about. There will be changes as millions of veh´s HGV etc will not just stop running in 2031. I have better things to do than think about ¨what if ?"

 

[Mayo]

Agreed, it’s unbelievable how cars have grown. Last week i saw one of those huge Yank cars from the 50’s / 60s on the motorway. All the cars around it dwarfed it now.
the polo now is bigger than my mk2 golf. :/

I wondered if smaller cars were now bigger than older 'bigger' cars.. I remember the old fiestas from the 80s/90s, there were like a mini!

 

[Mayo]

I was adamant that I wanted a 4motion as I like to drive to the Alps (or Highlands) for skiing. But then concerns regarding diesel emissions and access to certain places being potentially restricted (both here and in the EU) meant that I opted for petrol despite VW not selling a petrol 4motion in UK.

Like @Irvine101 I’ve had mine converted to LPG (I may have been the first - at least on this Forum), which is an even cleaner fuel I believe. Prices vary. LPG was 50p/l for a while during last year, but is generally about 65p in my experience, and over 70p at motorway service stations.

Oh, and a simple remap releases over 300bhp from the petrol motor - and not far off that when running LPG.

Whats not to like?

So this is what I'm thinking about doing.. do you how much you're paying in comparison to a diesel van? Its the cost that worries me about going for a petrol!

 

[Loopdreams]

I wondered if smaller cars were now bigger than older 'bigger' cars.. I remember the old fiestas from the 80s/90s, there were like a mini!

They're definitely bigger but to be honest I'll take it over having a steering wheel in my sternum and an engine in my lap in the event of a crash. I just wish they wouldn't still draw parking spaces as though we're all driving Hillman Imps.