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Any Diesel Light Trucks on the Horizon?
I've just about broken in my '98 Jetta TDI, and I'm about 2-3 years from my next vehicle. If I could design the perfect one, it'd be a diesel 5M 4WD extended cab Canyon/Colorado look-alike. Will there be one available by then? Is there anything in the near future in the light truck market? A Dakota? A Tacoma? Please? Anyone? Manufacturers, are you reading this? (tap, tap) Is this thing on???
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1. Chevrolet Colorado w/ the upcoming Turbo diesel DEFINITELY coming for the Hummer H3. Mules of the TRUCK (not SUV) have been spotted with 2.8 and other labels on it.
2. The upcoming Jeep Wrangler and specifically Gladiator type pickup will have a turbo diesel engine option.
Rumor: The fact that Dodge Calibers are getting one (for sure) should bode well for other DC variants. Have seen nothing on the Dakota however. The Nitro shares the Liberty platform, so that's an option for DC.
The other manufacturers have them worldwide, but nothing firm for the US.
They are not worth the trouble.
Millions have been produced. Small diesel PU trucks are the standard over the World except here. Gas is too cheap and the automakers don't want to buck the EPA or the oil companies. After all a PU that gets 40 MPG is only half the petro dollars of a 20 MPG PU.
Mopar is right about trying to keep an old one going. Unless you are a mechanic forget it. Most are rusted out. Engine may still run good. Everything else is falling apart.
....Yes & Yes. '82 Rab diesel here: 289 odo - orig I4D. Big-time non-engine work the last 21 years (local VW dealer loves me)
Moral: never fall in love with a trucklet (even if the little dude is 55 MPG capable at 55 MPH)
best, ez
GLOBAL DIESEL OFFENSIVE.
Separately, the trade publication also reported that GM is planning a global diesel offensive starting in 2008 that would include launching new diesel engines in the United States, where the technology has found few fans compared to Europe.
"We are developing right now two highly modern diesel motors that won't just fulfil the Euro-5 emission standards, but (also) the more stringent Bin-5 regulations in the USA," an unidentified GM manager told Automobilwoche.
It plans to introduce a 2.9 liter V6 and a 4.5 liter V8 that will gradually be used in almost all sport utility vehicles, pick-ups and large sedans in all GM brands and all markets.
Should the biggest U.S.-based carmaker roll out models with diesel engines on a large scale in the United States, then German carmakers that have specialized in the more fuel-efficient powertrain technology may be able to make greater inroads into the local market.
Honda said they will bring out diesels in the light truck market as soon as they can meet EPA standards in all 50 states.
Cummins Press Release, Jul 26 2006
kcram - Pickups Host
4.2-liter V6 that will develop 190 horsepower and a mighty 455 ft-lbs. of torque. The second is a larger 5.6-liter V8 that will generate 260 horsepower and an even mightier 597 ft-lbs. of torque. Both engines will be SOHC with four valves per cylinder and feature Piezoelectric fuel injectors, like the kind Ford is rumored to be using on its next Powerstroke diesel, and variable nozzle turbochargers. If Dodge is indeed the "unnamed automaker," then it's safe to assume the engines will be used in the Ram 1500 and Durango.
I was told that the engines were for Durango and Ram 1500 by a Cummins engineer when the news first hit and I was hoping this was incorrect as I'd like to see Cummins available from manufacturers other than Dodge, however, there is much consensus that Dodge is the "new" client.
kcram - Pickups Host
Welcome to the Forum!!!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Both Ford and GM are working on smaller diesels for their light-duty pickup trucks. But it will be at least a couple years before they get here.
Hmmm... not sure about that. Mercedes is using that now in the E320 Bluetec and that car is $1k more than its gasser counterpart ... just like the R320cdi (nonbluetec) is $1k more than its gasser counterpart. So the bluetec diesel costs the same premium that the nonbluetec does.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
but, yes, it would seem they are calling them bluetec diesels, but the urea injection is a module to be added later. I don't know what the cost of that module is, however.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Marketing. Nothing more, nothing less.
For quite a while, VW was selling all-wheel drives using the name "4Motion." Thing is, it was actually two very different systems -- Torsen in the larger cars and Haldex in the smaller cars.
Honda sells the natural gas Civic only in CA and NY.
Clearly, Honda has ZERO problems refusing to sell a vehicle in 48 other states.
If you are a farmer or a mining company you can get a used 2007 truck with chassis cab or all the same models as offered in North America. Those 2 entities are exempt from emissions if one or 2 trucks are brought into the country at a time. IF you have the cash, and know about letters of credit ( all banks do ) you can get a right hand drive truck which is identical in all respects to the North American sold Chev Colorado. You need to order the service CD'S for your mechanic and a case of air filters to last you at least 2 years. I am also interested in getting one so let me know by posting here a response if you want to get a group of people together to ship at least 6 of these trucks to North America. Contact the moderators of this website and ask if they could act as an agent for a small fee, for each vehicle. This way it is allowing this website to help cover some of the costs for a few people who might actually be ready to pony up with the cash or letter of credit to order one.
If you are serious, your local Isuzu heavy truck dealer will be able to service the diesel engine for you so make sure there is one within a reasonable driving distance to your home or job. If you want to buy one, lets get a group together here as it only pays to ship if you have an order for at least 6 trucks. You can get brand new left hand drive units but they will have to have Mexican licence plates on them and you will have to pay Mexican insurance with a rider allowing you to drive in the USA.
It is not a problem to do this if we get a group together and your insurance may end up being cheaper this way than having your insurance only in the USA.
In truth, diesel or biodiesel is really not the best way to go. You are better off ordering a Chev Colorado or GMC Canyon or Isuzu pickup new at your local dealer with the inline 5 cylinder engine of 3.7 liters. It has 242 HP and the same torque coming in at a low 2,800 RPM. It has been boosted up for 2007 with even higher compression ratio of 10.3 to one. Post a message here before you order the truck and i can refer you to conversion shops around North America to have propane port fuel injection installed. There is 2 types of propane injection, one that uses liquid propane and the other much more advanced system that uses a fuel injector at each cylinder to inject propane gas vapours. The later way is better because the propane is heated up ( in a small section of the tank ) before it reaches the injectors. Injecting liquid propane cools the engine too much as propane is very, very cold when it turns from a liquid to a gas vapour. It has such a cooling effect that you can burn your hands if they touch the propane nozzle when adding fuel to the tank.
All the gasoline system is left in place so it will be a dual fuel truck. It automatically starts on gasoline and after 3 or 4 minutes it switches to propane. If you then end up running out of propane. it switches back to gasoline automatically. Even your mom could drive that without having to manually switch. In fact, all the Manuals are being run out of the country by INS agents anyway...lol
Propane is 105 octane ( R+M ) and costs 2/3 the price of diesel or gasoline at the pump in the USA and about half the price of gasoline or diesel in Canada. Propane burns so clean that your engine will last 2 or 3 times longer than running on gasoline. This compares to the same life of a diesel engine but with maintenance costs and fuel costs much lower.
Many taxi cabs and limos and smaller cargo trucks in this area have used propane for the past 25 years as i have in commercial vehicles. I have driven over 1 million miles on propane and about another 500,000 miles in diesel cars and commercial trucks. In the colder areas of North America, below 5 degrees F above or minus 20 celcius, any diesel is very hard to start and takes way too long to warm up. Why warm up an engine for 15 minutes when diesel cost $3 to $4 a gallon or more?? By the way, you get a federal tax credit of $3,000 for converting your car or trucks to use propane. So why would you want to use diesel? Thats for a truck with a gross weight of no more than 5,000 pounds. The tax credit jumps to $5,000 if the truck is over 10,000 gross weight rating. Not to be ignored in the whole scheme of things. Don't forget that a diesel engine costs about $8,000 more than the base gas engine in the 3 major pickup trucks available in North America. You end up paying sales taxes and finance charges on that amount as well so the real cost is closer to $11,000 or $12,000 over 48 months. So, does anyone want to change their thinking??
Thanks...
The LPG fuel injection system will save at least 15 percent on fuel costs, but do the math.
Here is a link to follow and when that website opens, there are more links. Send an email to them and they will recommend a conversion shop that does smaller cars such as yours that is close to you. Make sure that the engine is in perfect shape. If it is not, do not bother. If the Camry has high miles on it, do a valve and ring job first. Use the best parts only. Trust me, if you have blowby in your engine, it will not run properly on propane as the LPG burns twice as fast as gasoline and at a hotter temperature. Add an engine oil cooler and a auto trans cooler. Those 2 items are a must. Add coil over shocks in the rear for a level load whn the tanks are full. An rear air shock system with remote air valve is even better. Put in the biggest tank that you can, Remember you want to run dual fuel but good is a 15 gallon tank?
tell the conversion shop that you promise to run premium gasoline when you are on gasoline so they can set up the engine to get the best mileage on propane. Remeber, LPG is 105 octane ( R + M ) and the only way to get good mileage is to set it up to run with maximum timing.
OK, here is a link but they go after the V8 market so they can refer your to another company. Impco has the biggest number of applications so contact them as well. My first car in 1981 used an Impco carb system. It was dual fuel in a Crown Vic with a 351. What a pig it was on gasoline. We used it as a taxi cab. LPG was great on it.
Here is the link.
http://www.cleanfuelusa.com
You basically can't import vehicles to the US. They don't meet EPA and NHTSA regulations. The cost to bring the pollution, crash safety, and other systems in compliance would be excessive.
If you go back and read all my posts, you will see how to solve all those problems for the average joe. Just have them registered in Mexico and get insurance from there. There are other exemptions but if any one wants to know, i would be happy to help them nut not in this forum as it is a business matter an i am not allowed to solicit business in here.
If you read my blogs properly, you will see that i recommend propane as the best fuel because in the USA it cost 2/3 the price of gasoline or diesel. Propane has 18% hyrdogen content and burns very, very clean so the engine lasts 2 or 3 times longer than a gasoline engine. Independant tests show a power increase of 2 percent when useing a propane fuel injection system and leaving the stock gasoline system in place in case you run out of propane.