Diesel cars

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Diesel cars

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Arbalist:
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2013/11/diesel-lung-cancer-deaths/

There are other reports that say modern Die sel cars are safer but you'd have to be stupid not to realise that thick black smoke that comes out of the back of Diesel cars isn't extremely toxic.

What's more important, slightly cheaper motoring or preventing hundreds of thousands of needless deaths each year?

Bluechip:
My diesel is Euro6 and there is no black smoke from it, in fact there is no discernible smell at idling.

Why pick on cars?

Diesel engines power trucks, buses, trains, agricultural vehicles, ships and loads of other stuff.
Assuming the diesel car was banned, and we went electric, just where do you think the replacement electrical energy would come from? Bearing in mind the UK power generation is pretty much on the edge with insufficient reserve even now.
Next door has a wood-burner stove, now that does stink. Maybe they should be required by law to be fitted with a cat. and a PF ??

EOR

Dave

DavidA:
Arbalist,

... but you'd have to be stupid not to realise that thick black smoke that comes out of the back of Diesel cars isn't extremely toxic...

I'm a bit puzzled by this. Non of my Diesel cars ever give out noticeable smoke, let alone smoke of the thick black variety. The only exception is if one boots the accelerator down on the turbo Diesel. Then it will smoke as it is running very rich because the turbo hasn't been allowed to catch up with the engine. But you don't do this in normal operation.

Any diesel will smoke if the injectors are knackered (or the fuel pump), but otherwise they are no more smokey than petrol engines.

I also have my doubts about electric cars. The figures quoted by manufacturers seem to apply to flat roads. Not the kind of roads we have in West Yorkshire.
And what about heating and de-frosting, lights etc. Are they used during the tests?

You never see the sort of performance figures that are useful to people of an inquiring nature. And how do you manage if you have to park your car outside your home ?

Green power generation is another subject, but it certainly ties in with the push for green cars.

Dave.

DavidA:
Thought I'd throw in this precautionary tale.

I bought my 206 in the middle of April (this year) and before I did so I ran a check on it to see if it was tested as quoted. It was. This check also informed me that it was taxed until September.

The more knowledgeable amongst you will know what's coming.

The car came from a relation. I remember saying to my wife 'Debbie has slipped up. There is still half a years tax on the car.'.

Then, I found out about the latest government rip off.
In case anyone doesn't know, when you transfer ownership of a car the tax ceases to be in effect and you are reimbursed for part of the outstanding balance. The new owner has to re tax it.

So where is the rip off ?

well, they only work in whole months So if I bought the car on, say, the 2nd of the month I would lose the rest of the month. The seller also loses that period. The new owner would have to re tax it starting at the beginning of the month (as usual) so the Government gets paid twice for that month.

I'm wiser and poorer now.

Dave.

Arbalist:
I never said you guys had to like it. You will have to get used to it though. Every day I end up behind one car or van that's pumping out black smoke so I guess there must be thousands of vehicles out there with knackered injectors? I fail to see how anyone that drives a car or other vehicle "knows" what's coming out on a daily basis, a quick look in the rear view mirror doesn't really cut it. For the time being petrol is cleaner until something better replaces it.
As for silly comments like boats etc, they don't drive through town centres do they? :lol:

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