Articles on diesel engines, automotive technology, car design, engines, transmissions, drive trains, chassis, tires, wheels, exhaust, air conditioning, suspension and brakes. The diesel engine, named for its German inventor Dr. Rudolph Diesel, is an internal combustion engine that is similar to a gasoline engine in construction and operation, but differs in the type of fuel that it burns and the method by which it burns it. Diesel fuel, which will only burn under intense heat and pressure, is sprayed into the cylinder and the heat of the compressed air causes the fuel to ignite. Here in North America, diesels are most commonly found in trucks and buses. Compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, diesels are more fuel efficient , and they can travel significantly farther on a tank of fuel than their gasoline counterparts.
Diesel engines produce more torque , and they tend to be more durable.
They don't need an electric ignition system , which reduces their complexity. However, they also create more noise , they can be difficult to start in extremely cold weather and they sometimes require more frequent routine maintenance than gasoline engines. Diesel vs. Gasoline More fuel efficient The key to fuel efficiency is to squeeze as much energy as possible out of a given amount of fuel by burning it as completely as possible. Diesel fuel itself has the potential to produce more power than a like quantity of gasoline. Furthermore, high compression ratios help diesels to burn their fuel more completely than gasoline engines.