In Michigan, the current fine is 200.00 dollars if you get pulled over and inspected by motor carrier division, Mi is proposing that the fine go to 1000.00 dollars, Illinois has a significant fine also, its not likely that you would be pulled over and inspected in a pickup truck, but many times the people that are pulled over for this are reported by others in the know about someone using non taxed fuel on highway, so are they looking, probably not unless someone gives them a heads up, not worth the possible trouble. Michigan Senate approves plan to double fuel tax rates

 

Of course it does, we've seen a few cases of misfueling in the 6.7L forum. But that can happen regardless of what you drive, and for many years people have done just fine with diesel cars. They've dealt with the cold weather, water separators, and other things and still choose to buy them.

Yes you have more fuel-related issues to deal with than a gas engine, but it's certainly not rocket science. I find lots of pickup truck owners over-think it and do far more than is necessary. They overdo things like turbo cool down, water separator maintenance, and cold weather additive. I used to be a truck driver, and I've never seen a professional driver fall prey to half the hysteria that I see in diesel pickup forums.

I'm confident use as a daily driver isn't going to adversely affect things for one either. The engines are sized and designed for the job they will be performing, and you can be sure a 3.0L engine will get the workout it needs pushing 5,000 lbs of pickup truck around the block.

 

There are likely lots of parts that will never hit 300,000 miles on those little diesels.
I suspect the following parts will die before 300,000...

Injectors and or fuel pump
DPF
EGR coolers / valve

 

No argument from me at all. I have been around diesel all my life. I bought my Passat TDI for the MPG and was very satisfied. Just not satisfied with being in a car. The difference between actual gas MPG and diesel MPG in the Passat TDI made it logical and covered the cost of diesel and then some.

Based strictly on the MPG benifit argument; Dodge Eco MPG does not cover the cost of diesel vs gas F150. In my calculator's opinion anyway...

 

Those same parts would also fail on a "big" diesel too. It's not like the 6.0 and 6.4 didn't have those issues and I'm sure the 6.7's as they age will too.

 

Perhaps that's why the Golf TDI's had so many CP4.1 fuel pump failures. Gas is not forgiving on these pumps.


BTW... The Eco Diesel has a CP4.2 pump and a single fuel filter.

 

Annnnnnd,all that would be relevant if I was talking about his truck. However
, the poster was talking about his kubota tractor. If fuel purchased is not used on road, you are eligible for road taxes to be refunded come tax time. Or, buy from the off road pump. Gasolin has the same deal as well. When I owned a lawn company, my fuel cost was cut by a third come tax time.

 

No. They won't. Not at a cos per mile comparison.

 

I'm sure that's possible under the right conditions, but that's not always the case. Around here gas is about $1.00/gal less than diesel, and a tank of bad fuel will cost you $10,000+ in a diesel-powered pickup. I could point out more than a few tales of woe from diesel owners facing mega-dollar repair bills.

The most recent one was a new engine at 115,000 miles for nearly $15K. What would you say his cost per mile is?

 

Operator error cannot be figured as a cost per mile. Fleets usually have one pump. A fleet expects x amount of miles over y miles at z per mile. Diesel still wins that equasion. Mores when you buy in bulk fuels. As a fleet does. A small fuel efficient truck with a diesel would keep ford in commercial and .gov contracts alone.

 

A while back, I tried to get a thread going discussing CNG, LNG and Propane (LPG). Didn't get much traction. Maybe because it was in the alternative fuels sub-forum.

Anyway, if anyone wants to chime in over there:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...iscussion.html

I spent some time looking at both CNG and LNG in a bi-fuel setup on diesel engines in drilling rigs, and I think it's a technology that's going to be very widespread relatively soon.

 

If that's true, we'll see the results as fleets switch to Ram EcoDiesel in large numbers. My guess is that they'll be pretty slow to do this.

 

They won't switch because there is no real payload capabilities.

 

I think in trucks it all comes down how much you are going to be hauling. You can't beat the torque of a diesel for hauling heavy loads and still getting decent mileage. However for a daily driver truck i think gas makes more sense in a half ton.

I would also add that diesel cars make a lot more sense than gas cars. My TDI gets 46-50 mpg and doesn't cost hardly anything to maintain. Even with the higher cost of diesel you still come out ahead of most any gas cars.

 

Everyone always praises the VW TDI for fuel economy, but it is the car, not the engine, that is the reason for the fuel mileage it gets.
The guys with the gas VW cars get crazy good MPG too, not as much as the diesel, but really good for the car.