My first diesel, what do I need to know?

r3nu4l

I recently bought a Diesel car, I've always owned petrol up until now.

There are bound to be a few things in a diesel that are different and a petrol owner might not be aware of. So tell me about them (apart from the fuel difference, I got that one! )

I've heard about oil changes (read the thread on this page)
What about DPF? What is it? How often does it need cleaning/changing?
Timing belt changes?

Anything else?

peasant

As it is a TURBO diesel, learn to drive it with some mechanical sympathy.

Very important ...dont rev up the turbo and then immediatedly switch off the engine, give it a chance to spool down. A turbo can spin at up to 100.000 revs per minute...switching off the engine (and therefore its cooling and lubricating oil supply) at that speed will lead to very high wear and premature turbo death.

If necessary leave the engine ticking over for a few secs before turning it off.

fletch

Well...what car have you bought?

Ferris

Use the recommended oil (prob fully synthetic) and don't rev the car on cold oil and don't turn it off after a hard run. I used to take it pretty handy for the last miles or so of my trip and give the engine 30s or so idling in the drive before I turned it off. In saying that this advice applies to any engine.

Also consider cleaning out the EGR valve at 60k, they can soot up and block the valve with carbon deposits. if one of these deposits break loose then it could damage your turbo. Is a big problem in 2L BMW ddiesels.

kluivert

DFP - Diesel Particle Filter - takes more of the bad stuff out of the air by heating to an extremely high temperature and cooking the bad fumes.

Problem with these, they dont like short journeys at all because they dont heat up to the right temperature, thus blocking the filter, then you have to take the car to dealer to have the DFP re-generated which can cost a good bit, so make sure to take the car for long spins every now and again.

Diesel fuel filter - water to be drained in the first year, changed in the second year etc etc.

Dont start the car straight away, just which on the ignition till the glow plugs light goes out or just wait a couple of seconds and then start it.

Get the car re-mapped if it done more than 1000 miles, means more power more fun and same fuel economy.

Zube

kluivert wrote: »

Dont start the car straight away, just which on the ignition till the glow plugs light goes out or just wait a couple of seconds and then start it.

I don't usually bother with this - the glow plugs don't even come on unless it's freezing out.

Don't bother revving the cr@p out of a turbo diesel, all you get is noise. Changing up earlier is actually quicker as well as more economical.

-Chris-

kluivert wrote: »

DFP - Diesel Particle Filter - takes more of the bad stuff out of the air by heating to an extremely high temperature and cooking the bad fumes.

Problem with these, they dont like short journeys at all because they dont heat up to the right temperature, thus blocking the filter, then you have to take the car to dealer to have the DFP re-generated which can cost a good bit, so make sure to take the car for long spins every now and again.

Have a read of this:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuels-and-environment/diesel-particulate-filters.html

Note in particular that if the light comes on, all you have to do is take it for a run on the dual carriageway or somewhere, that'll clear it right out.
I have one customer who kept driving normally (loads of small journeys) after the light came on and blocked the DPF up entirely. It'll need to be replaced and won't be under warranty because it's driver error.

r3nu4l

fletch, it's an Audi A3 Sport Quattro (Sportback), 2.0 L 170 bhp.
'Sport' is a UK trim that lies just below S-line trim, there are 4 trims in the UK (3 in Ireland I believe?).

peasant, won't the turbo have cooled a bit if I shift to second then first, then stop? The last 2k of my journey is in a 30 mph zone and I always stick to that speed...even if I don't on the dual carriageway.

My daily commute is 35-40 mins each way, 90% of it on dual and triple carriageway, is that enough to keep the DPF clean? If I drive it 300 M to the local shops(:o I know, I know ) will it be okay providing I'm doing my daily commute?

Great answers lads, some stuff I hadn't considered there!!

Rowley Birkin QC

I know when my dad bought a diesel last year he spent the first 2 weeks stalling it at take off. Took him a while to get used to.

Best of luck with it, sounds like a beauty.

peasant

r3nu4l wrote: »

peasant, won't the turbo have cooled a bit if I shift to second then first, then stop? The last 2k of my journey is in a 30 mph zone and I always stick to that speed...even if I don't on the dual carriageway.

It's not so much about heat than actual turbine speed. You could drive like a vicar in slippers all the time and still damage your turbo by simply blipping the gas (shortly) before you switch it off (just avoid high revs immediatedly before switch-off and you'll be fine)

-Chris-

r3nu4l wrote: »

My daily commute is 35-40 mins each way, 90% of it on dual and triple carriageway, is that enough to keep the DPF clean? If I drive it 300 M to the local shops(:o I know, I know ) will it be okay providing I'm doing my daily commute?

Absolutely. The warnings are really only for people who live 5 mins from work and 3 mins from the local shops and do 5,000 miles p.a.
That's perfect mileage, you'll never see the DPF light.

pburns

Moved to diesel car myself lately for the first time. One thing that effects me a little is the (much) longer time it takes for the engine to warm up to optimum temp in the mornings (i.e. I can't open the taps on the straight, smooth roads that constitute the first few miles of my commute*).

Apart from that it's hard to say, my engine is changing A LOT as it loosens up and as a Scooby flat-four I'm not sure it's entirely representative of the diesel breed.

*ducks to avoid PC anti-speedists*.

nhughes100

As others have said oil is a key part of the Diesel setup much more so then petrol. You might also notice the the clutch generally isn't as responsive as a petrol however this may be different on yours as it's fairly well powered. Make you sure you get off the gas pedel when changing gears completely, over revving can be a problem. Keep up the regular servicing and it will well reward you. Also stop it in third gear, it will get the revs down faster rather down in a lower gear if possible. I always stop the car, go to nuetral, put on the handbreak and take my seatbelt off before stopping the engine to avoid the high rev cut out.

Aside from that enjoy much better mpg's.

Repolho

I've also recently moved over to diesel. I have noticed that sometimes the car can sometimes be very slugish when pulling taking offout of a junction? This is usually when the car has just been started. Is this something I am doing wrong?

voxpop

This may not be true - maybe someone can clarify, but I think I read that its bad for a diesel to have it idling from cold, i.e. start the car in the morning and let it sit for a few minutes

Biro

Repolho wrote: »

I've also recently moved over to diesel. I have noticed that sometimes the car can sometimes be very slugish when pulling taking offout of a junction? This is usually when the car has just been started. Is this something I am doing wrong?

No, on cold mornings it's like someone has super-glued the turbine! Normal-ish. Shouldn't really be all that chronic on a warm morning.

Neilw

voxpop wrote: »

This may not be true - maybe someone can clarify, but I think I read that its bad for a diesel to have it idling from cold, i.e. start the car in the morning and let it sit for a few minutes

Same for any car, the best way to warm up an engine is to drive it easily from startup, no high rpm's until the oil has reached the proper temp. This can take about 10 mins, the coolant temp gauge will rise far quicker but your oil will still be fairly cold.

snowman707

peasant wrote: »

As it is a TURBO diesel, learn to drive it with some mechanical sympathy.

Very important ...dont rev up the turbo and then immediatedly switch off the engine, give it a chance to spool down. A turbo can spin at up to 100.000 revs per minute...switching off the engine (and therefore its cooling and lubricating oil supply) at that speed will lead to very high wear and premature turbo death.

If necessary leave the engine ticking over for a few secs before turning it off.

++++++++ 1

30 seconds tickover on start up & switch off will greatly extend ur turbo life , i have never blown 1 & i literally drive the sh*t outa diesel engines

regular oil change with oil /fuel & air filters

do not labour the engine by driving too low a gear

Happy & safe Motoring

rabbitinlights

r3nu4l wrote: »

fletch, it's an Audi A3 Sport Quattro (Sportback), 2.0 L 170 bhp.

Nice Choice, im heading to the UK to get an A3 in the next couple of weeks, Im looking at the 04/05 2.0 TDI S-line DSG models, you just cant find them over here and if you do the money is just silly. How do you find it? I have been looking at the 140bhp with a mind to remapping it to 170, thus avoiding the DPF.

E92

Ferris wrote: »

Use the recommended oil (prob fully synthetic) and don't rev the car on cold oil and don't turn it off after a hard run. I used to take it pretty handy for the last miles or so of my trip and give the engine 30s or so idling in the drive before I turned it off. In saying that this advice applies to any engine.

Completely agree. In fairness this advice should be followed regardless of whether it's petrol or diesel.

kluivert wrote: »

DFP - Diesel Particle Filter - takes more of the bad stuff out of the air by heating to an extremely high temperature and cooking the bad fumes.

Problem with these, they dont like short journeys at all because they dont heat up to the right temperature, thus blocking the filter, then you have to take the car to dealer to have the DFP re-generated which can cost a good bit, so make sure to take the car for long spins every now and again.

Diesel fuel filter - water to be drained in the first year, changed in the second year etc etc.

Dont start the car straight away, just which on the ignition till the glow plugs light goes out or just wait a couple of seconds and then start it.

Between this, the noise, lack of refinement, clatter, unwillingness to rev beyond 3,500 rpm at best, the EU allowing them to produce 3 times the NOx limit that petrols produce, the other ill affects on our health(diesel fumes are as bad as smoking) not to mention the extra weight over the front wheels one really begins to wonder are there a lot of people in this forum who work in the marketing departments of car companies trying to promote us all into buying compromise vehicles?

pburns wrote: »

Apart from that it's hard to say, my engine is changing A LOT as it loosens up and as a Scooby flat-four I'm not sure it's entirely representative of the diesel breed.

Scooby petrols are noted for the exact same thing. Must be just a Subaru thing.

peasant

E92 wrote: »

Between this, the noise, lack of refinement, clatter, unwillingness to rev beyond 3,500 rpm at best, the EU allowing them to produce 3 times the NOx limit that petrols produce, the other ill affects on our health(diesel fumes are as bad as smoking) not to mention the extra weight over the front wheels one really begins to wonder are there a lot of people in this forum who work in the marketing departments of car companies trying to promote us all into buying compromise vehicles?

I've had it with your anti-diesel ranting. This thread is about giving advice to a new diesel owner/driver how to treat his machine properly ...you couldn't keep your fingers off the keyboard just the once and keep shtumm, could you?

You've had several warnings before ...this is the straw that broke the camel's back ... 3 day ban

DublinWriter

Repolho wrote: »

I've also recently moved over to diesel. I have noticed that sometimes the car can sometimes be very slugish when pulling taking offout of a junction? This is usually when the car has just been started. Is this something I am doing wrong?

It really depends on the make and tech of the engine.

I test drove a diesel Primera a few years back and it drove like a tractor for the first 10 minutes until the engine warmed up.

My current BMW 320D goes like the brown stuff off a shovel first thing in the morning, lots of poke and torque available straight away, although that's probably not the most life-enhancing thing for the engine.

I was converted to diesel after being a petrol-head most of my life, even with the recent diesel price hikes, I'm still happy in the knowledge that I'm getting 50-55 mph on a straight run and performance to boot.

Cionád

DublinWriter wrote: »

It really depends on the make and tech of the engine.

I test drove a diesel Primera a few years back and it drove like a tractor for the first 10 minutes until the engine warmed up.

Yeah, very true. I drive a diesel Almera myself and the engine does take a long time to warm up, it's the old model too, and its not a turbo. Even the 110 bhp VAG TDI is far superior to my yoke.

Above advice is good, the regular oil changes are the key to reliability in my opinion.

DublinWriter wrote: »

I'm getting 50-55 mph on a straight run

I think you mean mpg

cashmni1

snowman707 wrote: »

++++++++ 1

30 seconds tickover on start up & switch off will greatly extend ur turbo life , i have never blown 1 & i literally drive the sh*t outa diesel engines

regular oil change with oil /fuel & air filters

do not labour the engine by driving too low a gear

Happy & safe Motoring

I agree with the running of the engine to help spool/cool down the turbo, but most (if not all) new diesels have a turbo cooler that runs after the engine is stopped, for this purpose alone. You can hear (very faint) a pumping noise after the engine stops. This is the pump circulating coolant around the turbo.

Ferris

cashmni1 wrote: »

I agree with the running of the engine to help spool/cool down the turbo, but most (if not all) new diesels have a turbo cooler that runs after the engine is stopped, for this purpose alone. You can hear (very faint) a pumping noise after the engine stops. This is the pump circulating coolant around the turbo.

The only car I know of that does this is the 1.4 Tsi VAG engine and it cools the turbo all the time. What other cars have it?

pburns

peasant wrote: »

I've had it with your anti-diesel ranting. This thread is about giving advice to a new diesel owner/driver how to treat his machine properly ...you couldn't keep your fingers off the keyboard just the once and keep shtumm, could you?

You've had several warnings before ...this is the straw that broke the camel's back ... 3 day ban

PM sent...

I think this is waaaay OTT for such an infringement.

Do we have to watch every word we say now or try second-guess which side of the bed you got up on?

Zube

pburns wrote: »

I think this is waaaay OTT for such an infringement.

I'm not on Motors that long, but I could recite E92s anti-diesel rant from memory. He does it all the time, and not just in the jokey rant threads, he does in threads like this where real info is being swapped.

nhughes100

Fyi Subaru have launched their first diesel engine called the Legacy. The nonsense about noise is a joke, if you don't look after your car it will rattle and creak no matter what it's fuel source is. Do you have a reference source on the NOx limits? It just seems odd that every environmentalist I've heard from is advocating diesel as the green fuel of choice given it's low co2 emissions. Whats the rev's got to do with anything btw?

-Chris-

pburns wrote: »

I think this is waaaay OTT for such an infringement.

+1

E92 doesn't like diesel. He was off topic. Fine...
He's also one of the best contributors to this forum and a loos to the community for the next 3 days.


...and now I'm off topic too. Back to r3nu4l's kick-ass new (diesel) car!!!

Stevie Dakota

pburns wrote: »

PM sent...

I think this is waaaay OTT for such an infringement.

+1

I think if that was a banning offense we should all watch our backs...is that really the mood we want around here? Pity.

voxpop

I gotta say that something needs to be done about the ranting that goes on in this forum.

A thread about a VW quickly attracts a flock of moaners that go completely off topic and begin complaining about VWs and how crap they are.

A diesel thread degenerates into a slagging match between those who prefer diesel and those who prefer petrol, while completely ignoring what the thread is about. This thread is a prime example -

Poster -"what do i need to know about diesel"
Nark - "diesels are sh1te and pollute and are noisy - buy a petrol car"