1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Jack Threads is the online shopping destination for dudes. Everything 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: on the side is up to eight percent off. All 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: styles are curated, so buyer's remorse just doesn't happen. What's 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: more is if you were brain stuff, you can skip 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: the membership weight list and get instant access at jack 6 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: threads dot com slash stuff. Welcome to brain Stuff from 7 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: house stuff works dot com where smart happens. Hi Am 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: Marshall Brain with today's question. If diesel engines are more efficient, 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: then why do most cars have gasoline engines. Diesel engines 10 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: have never really caught on in passenger cars in the 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: United States. During the late nineties seventies, diesel engines and 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: passenger cars did see a surgeon sales because of the 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,919 Speaker 1: OPEC oil embargo. Over half a million diesel cars were 14 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: sold in the US, but that is the only significant 15 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: penetration that diesel engines have made in the marketplace. Even 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: though they are more efficient, there are historical problems that 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: have held diesel engines back. First, diesel engines have much 18 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: higher compression ratios. The compression ratio of twenty to one 19 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: is typical for a diesel versus eight to one for 20 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: a typical gasoline engine. That compression ratio makes diesel engines 21 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: heavier than an equivalent gasoline engine. Second, diesel engines also 22 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: tend to be more expensive. Third, diesel engines, because of 23 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: the weight and the compression ratio, tend to have lower 24 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: maximum rpm rages than gasoline engines. This makes diesel engines 25 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: high torque rather than high horsepower, and that tends to 26 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: make diesel engines slower in terms of acceleration. Fourth, diesel 27 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: engines tend to produce more smoke, and they tend to 28 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: smell funny. Although modern designs and modern fuels have greatly 29 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: reduced the problem, the perception persists. Fifth diesel engines can 30 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: be harder to start in cold weather, and if they 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: contain globe plugs, diesel engines can require you to wait 32 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: before starting the engines so the globe plugs can heat up. Sixth, 33 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: diesel engines tend to be noisier and tend to vibrate more, 34 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: although modern engine designs are fixing these problems as well. Seventh, 35 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: diesel fuel is less readily available than gasoline, especially in 36 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: urban areas. One or two of these disadvantages might be okay, 37 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: but a group of disadvantages this large is a big 38 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: deterrent for lots of people. The two things working in 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: favor of diesel engines are better fuel economy and longer 40 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: engine life. Both of these advantages mean that over the 41 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: life of the engine, you will tend to save money 42 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: with a diesel. However, you also have to take the 43 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: initial high cost of the engine into account. You have 44 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: to own and operate a diesel engine for a fairly 45 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: long time before the fuel economy overcomes the increased purchase 46 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: price of the engine. The equation works great and a 47 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: big diesel track or trailer rig that's running four hundred 48 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: or five hundred miles every day, but it's not nearly 49 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: so beneficial in a typical passenger car. Many of the 50 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: new diesel engine designs using advanced computer control are eliminating 51 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: many of these disadvantages. Smoke, noise, vibration, and costs are 52 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: all declining. In the future, we're likely to see more 53 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: diesel engines on the road. For more on this and 54 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Because it how stuff works, dot 55 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: com Jack Threads is the online shopping destination for dudes. 56 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: Everything on the side is up to off. All styles 57 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: are curated so buyer's remorse just doesn't happen. What's more 58 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: is if you were brain Stuff, you can skip the 59 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: membership weight list and get instant access at jack threads 60 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: dot com slash stuff