The Diesel Engine’s Odd Past

Heard about the Volkswagen diesel scandal? If not, here’s the short course: Volkswagen recently got involved in a high-profile scandal when it was discovered that they had modified the software in their diesel-powered cars to meet emission requirements. This was an embarrassing event for Volkswagen, but as it turns out, it’s just the latest in the odd history of the diesel engine. Here’s the story.

Read the rest of this entry »

  

You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.

Oops – Accidently Pumping Gasoline into a Diesel Vehicle

Fiat-Panda

Accidents happen. The size of a gasoline pump nozzle is smaller than that of a diesel pump nozzle. As a result, if you are distracted, it’s easy to pump gasoline into a diesel car. So what do you do if this happens to you? Let’s take a look at three different scenarios:

1) You essentially filled your diesel car’s tank with gasoline

If this has occurred, then stop filling the car and arrange to have your car towed to a service station and have the tank drained. Don’t try to start the engine. Diesel engines operate at very high compression and having a volatile fuel like gasoline being pumped into the combustion chambers is probably going to damage the engine.

Read the rest of this entry »

  

Nissan unveils Frontier Diesel Runner at Chicago Auto Show

We were on hand with Nissan today at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show as the company debuted the Frontier Diesel Runner Powered by Cummins at a press conference featuring Fred Diaz, senior vice president of Sales & Marketing. Nissan recently announced a partnership with Cummins Inc. to provide a 5.0-liter turbo diesel V8 in the next-generation Titan full-size pickup, which will arrive in calendar year 2015. The Frontier Diesel Runner is being presented as a “technical study” to guage the reaction of consumers and the market to a Nissan mid-size pickup with a diesel engin. The feedback Nissan receives will help the company plot a potential future direction for the Frontier.

As you can see from the photos and the short video below, Nissan put together a unqie and eye-catching design for this vehicle. The color scheme includes a custom “Arrest Me Red” and Matte Silver paint treatment and a transparent acrylic hood insert that provides as a window to the engine bay, where all powertrain-related elements continue the red theme. It also features an aerodynamic full-bed tonneau cover and tailgate spoiler. The 16-inch wheels, borrowed from a Frontier PRO-4X, were also treated with special two-tone paint, with red and black in the rear wheels and sliver and black in the front. The silver and red exterior design carries over into the interior of the Frontier Diesel Runner with red accents throughout and carbon-trimmed seats and panels. I love the overall design of this truck.

Read the rest of this entry »