Share Post:
Whether you’re purchasing a truck for personal use or for your trucking company, take the time to understand their mechanisms. This information will help you figure out which is more likely to have mechanical issues over time.
A good starting point is to cover their downsides so you can identify the potential dealbreakers when making the right choice. Let’s get started.
Understanding How Diesel vs. Gas Engines Deliver Power
The key difference diesel vs. gas trucks is their engine designs, which use different types of fuel to run distinct mechanisms. These mechanisms ignite the fuel and cause tiny explosions to create energy by combining it with hot air.
The energy thus generated moves the pistons in the engine up and down and runs the vehicle. While this is the basic idea behind diesel and gas engines, the similarity ends there.
As the folks at Point Spring will explain, gasoline-driven engines create a blend of air and gas within their combustion chamber. The piston compresses this mix until it becomes highly combustible.
Next, the spark plug ignites the gas and air to generate an explosion in the chamber. These explosions drive the pistons and force them up and down to run the vehicle.
On the other hand, diesel engines eliminate spark plugs entirely. Instead, they heat the air by using high compression levels and then force the fuel into the hot air, causing the fuel to combust and generate explosions.
While both engines use combustion technology, diesel engines have typical compression ratios of 15:1 and 25:1. This ratio is much higher than in gas engines, which is 10:1.
You can also expect better fuel efficiency from diesel engines than gas engines. That’s because of the difference in the maximum cold and hot temperatures in their cycles.
Mechanical Issues With Diesel vs. Gas Trucks
As with any piece of machinery, both diesel and gas engines will have mechanical issues during their lifecycle.
However, note that the issues depend on several factors such as the vehicle model, make, the conditions under which it is used, and the maintenance conducted on them.
A key issue that is typical of gas engines is faulty spark plugs that diesel engines don’t use. Here are some of the other top issues you can expect.
Engine Overheating
Both gas and diesel engines can overheat when their operating temperature goes above the safe range. If not fixed, these issues can lead to poor performance, lower fuel efficiency, and expensive repair costs.
The main causes of overheating include insufficient coolant, malfunctioning thermostat that fails to detect high temperatures, and broken fan belts.
A clogged radiator, failing water pump, or restricted air flows can be other problems.
Overheating can lead to severe damage if left unchecked. Cracked or warped cylinder heads and damaged pistons, crankshafts, bearings, and cylinder head gaskets are some of the issues that will need costly repairs.
Problems With the Battery
As a rule, diesel engines are heavy-duty machines and ideal for clocking thousands of miles and hauling heavy loads. These engines also last longer since they can withstand higher compression ratios.
However, similar to gasoline engines, their batteries can have issues when exposed to extremely high or low temperatures. Although batteries are designed to last for several years, regular inspections are necessary to ensure top performance.
Typical issues with batteries–diesel or gas–include aging and depreciation. Natural wear and tear and internal components degrading can lead to their failure.
Corrosion of the battery terminals prevents electrical connections and drains battery power quickly which results in starting problems. If the alternator does not charge the battery efficiently and up to optimum levels, that can also reduce its lifespan.
The battery plates get damaged leading to reduced capacity. Sulfation or the buildup of lead sulfate crystals on the plates can also impact battery power.
This issue can impact diesel engines more since they need a strong battery to start the motor effectively. Gas engines also have battery issues since they frequently navigate short trips that don’t allow the battery to charge fully.
Fuel System Issues
Diesel vs. gas engines–both can have issues with their fuel systems over time which can impact their performance. Contaminated fuel that contains dirt, water, and algae is the most common problem.
However, diesel is more prone to contaminants because of its higher viscosity. Water and other particles can easily enter through broken tank caps and damaged seals.
Further, cold weather tends to solidify the wax content in diesel which results in the fuel turning into gel and blocking the fuel system.
Other issues both engines face include clogged fuel filters, leaking fuel lines, and faulty fuel pumps, hoses, and injectors.
Inspecting the fuel tank for a buildup of bacteria, sediment, dirt, or rust is also crucial to ensure fuel efficiency, peak engine performance, and preventing engine misfires.
Transmission Problems
View this post on Instagram
Diesel engines are heavy-duty vehicles and rely on their transmission systems to enable smooth gear shifting and handling heavy loads.
However, over time, as the engines continue navigating long distances and heavy loads, certain transmission issues start to occur.
Some of them include difficulty in shifting, slipping gears, delayed shifting, and leaking fuel. Gasoline-powered engines can also experience similar problems.
Transmission problems typically manifest in the form of burning smells and happens because the transmission is unable to receive adequate power. Low transmission fluid and worn-out clutch plates can also be causes.
In Conclusion
Diesel vs. gas engine trucks–both vehicles may have mechanical issues over time after prolonged use. They may also have unique issues that are typical to their engine makeup and fuel-burning mechanisms.
Basing your purchase decision on engine efficiency may not be the way to go. You’ll pick the right vehicle depending on its intended usage. For instance, the distances you need to cover and the tonnage you expect to haul.
