Go ahead...ask those car questions you were always afraid to ask...

[Roadkilled78]

Might have already been answered but..
Why is diesel fuel more expensive at the pump than gasoline? Isn't diesel less refined/processed than gas?

Yes, it is.

In some places it is cheaper. In some places it costs more. Oftentimes there is more tax included in the price of diesel because the assumption is that vehicles using it (large trucks) cause more wear and tear on the roads. Back in the day this was more true than today but I'm pretty sure commercial trucks still outnumber diesel cars by an order of magnitude especially when you consider it by miles traveled.

This is also why there is farm/off-road only diesel sold in rural and farming areas. No state/federal road taxes applied so it costs much less. It's also dyed and you're in big trouble if it is found in your 18-wheeler.

[Fisherson]

Do IS300s have popup nav screens?

[BRealistic]

Everybody wants the newest, latest, greatest, most reliable stuff out there. And generally speaking, I'd rather have a 100k mile car that's 3-4 years old than a 1997 car with 40k on the clock

Yeah- but even on the low end of the spectrum, people get all hot and bothered over newer even if the newer car was crap when new.

For example- I am trying to help a friend find a cheap car (first mistake right there).....
She found somebody selling an auto 2001 Kia Spectra in less than average condition with 250k miles for $1500..
And I found better 90's cars in MUCH better shape for similar coin.. nope, she really wants the two thousand and one! car because 2001.

I have had car dealers play the year thing too when trying to sell me on a trade/sell "You will be trading from a 2001 up to a 2002!" Yeah, but my 2001 has more stuff and has less miles and is in better shape.

[BRealistic]

Yes, it is.

In some places it is cheaper. In some places it costs more. Oftentimes there is more tax included in the price of diesel because the assumption is that vehicles using it (large trucks) cause more wear and tear on the roads. Back in the day this was more true than today but I'm pretty sure commercial trucks still outnumber diesel cars by an order of magnitude especially when you consider it by miles traveled.

This is also why there is farm/off-road only diesel sold in rural and farming areas. No state/federal road taxes applied so it costs much less. It's also dyed and you're in big trouble if it is found in your 18-wheeler.

I read somewhere that the diesel issue in the US is they just don't have the refining capacity to meet anything close to our road diesel fuel demand- add in the diesel fuel refining infrastructures developed in other countries/markets due to their past history of higher diesel use. So the US imports almost all(?) diesel fuel for road use.
And what incentive do the oil companies have to set up more diesel refineries in the US when they can refine gas cheap (due to cheap natural gas)and export it for big profits?

[RennbahnPolizei]

Weird! Diesel is cheaper over here than gas.

Euro95: 1.870 Euro/L
Diesel: 1.522 Euro/L

[71DubBugBug]

why did older dtm cars have the exhaust tips point up?

[ThreadBomber]

why did older dtm cars have the exhaust tips point up?

maximum pollution

[drecian]

I've been trying to get my head around whether having flat/lower pressure tires affects the speedo.

My mindbomb is that a flatter tire makes the rim closer to the ground, so it's like a smaller radius tire. On the flip side, the tire still has the same 'circumference' to travel per wheel/axle rotation.

Anyone?

[VDub2625]

Not the same circumfrence since the tire is no longer a circle. The tire "bunches up" at the front (however slightly), and bows out at the sides. The rolling diameter (from the center point to the ground, an average along the whole turn of the wheel) is what matters.

But the, at max, 1-2" of difference from a flat tire won't affect the speedo greatly.

[drecian]

I think I'm slowly getting it, but in my head there is x amount of tread, and every revolution the axle makes, that x amount of tread must also make the full revolution unless is it slipping on the rim. Obviously the car is lower, so what am I missing here?

O.o

[cockerpunk]

I think I'm slowly getting it, but in my head there is x amount of tread, and every revolution the axle makes, that x amount of tread must also make the full revolution unless is it slipping on the rim. Obviously the car is lower, so what am I missing here?

O.o

circumference of a circle = pi * diameter

only changing the diameter will change the circumference, and thus the speedo reading.

[VDub2625]

I think I'm slowly getting it, but in my head there is x amount of tread, and every revolution the axle makes, that x amount of tread must also make the full revolution unless is it slipping on the rim. Obviously the car is lower, so what am I missing here?

O.o

The tire is doing all kinds of bad rubing when it turns and is flat. Also the center section usually bows up and doesn't even touch the ground. It's flexible remember

[drecian]

The tire is doing all kinds of bad rubing when it turns and is flat. Also the center section usually bows up and doesn't even touch the ground. It's flexible remember

Ah I getcha now.
Cheers!

[tall tex]

I read somewhere that the diesel issue in the US is they just don't have the refining capacity to meet anything close to our road diesel fuel demand- add in the diesel fuel refining infrastructures developed in other countries/markets due to their past history of higher diesel use. So the US imports almost all(?) diesel fuel for road use.
And what incentive do the oil companies have to set up more diesel refineries in the US when they can refine gas cheap (due to cheap natural gas)and export it for big profits?

It is not necessarily a factor of the refining capacity. It is not extremely difficult ot have the refinery change the balance of gas vs. diesel that they produce. The US does not import a majority of the diesel, we produce enough that we are actually an exporter of diesel.

Yes, it is.

In some places it is cheaper. In some places it costs more. Oftentimes there is more tax included in the price of diesel because the assumption is that vehicles using it (large trucks) cause more wear and tear on the roads. Back in the day this was more true than today but I'm pretty sure commercial trucks still outnumber diesel cars by an order of magnitude especially when you consider it by miles traveled.

This is also why there is farm/off-road only diesel sold in rural and farming areas. No state/federal road taxes applied so it costs much less. It's also dyed and you're in big trouble if it is found in your 18-wheeler.

Diesel is often typically taxed higher as well due to the older mentality of the 80's diesel cars, stinky, slow, polluters. The higher tax was to provide an incentive to stick with the "cleaner" gasoline powered vehicles.

As for the offroad diesel, there is/was a difference in the sulfur content in the US. For the on-road diesel application we have the current ULSD standard (15ppm or less). Off-road diesel on the other hand is 500 ppm but required to move towards the ULSD standard.

[VDub2625]

The US does not import a majority of the diesel, we produce enough that we are actually an exporter of diesel.

Is it possible you're both right? i remember reading somewhere that the US exports and imports gas at high rates, maybe even at parity, but why, I have no clue (maybe that can be a question to answer here?).

[drecian]

Do seals around rotating parts leak more when the part is spinning? Examples being axle seals, rear main seals etc

[barry2952]

Do seals around rotating parts leak more when the part is spinning? Examples being axle seals, rear main seals etc

No, because parts expand with heat making the seal tighter.

[StormChaser]

Disagree. Based on experience, I've seen them, time and time again, leak while loaded up bit the leak stops when not. For example the shaft seal on my boat. It is SUPPOSED to leak (drip) while the shaft is spinning, and even a slow drip while not spinning is fine...but in my case there is only a drip while the shaft is spinning.

[barry2952]

Disagree. Based on experience, I've seen them, time and time again, leak while loaded up bit the leak stops when not. For example the shaft seal on my boat. It is SUPPOSED to leak (drip) while the shaft is spinning, and even a slow drip while not spinning is fine...but in my case there is only a drip while the shaft is spinning.

[StormChaser]

Really? Why that reaction? Fluid dynamics is fluid dynamics. Seals under pressure/stress will leak more.

[barry2952]

Really? Why that reaction? Fluid dynamics is fluid dynamics. Seals under pressure/stress will leak more.

In case you hadn't noticed he was specifically asking about automotive seals in a car question thread. Please show me where there is any "pressure" on wheel bearing seals. How about tail shaft seals? Even the rear main he mentions has no "pressure" acting against it except crankcase gases.

Nobody was talking about boat shaft seals.

[VDub2625]

My Passat's front crack seal has a massive leak only when running, but that's because it's only bathed in oil when the pump is pumping. I suspect that's true for most seals in a car, since the oil otherwise just sits in the pan (except when cooling down and dropping down to it, and some areas where oil is hung up).

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[drecian]

My ...since the oil otherwise just sits in the pan (except when cooling down and dropping down to it, and some areas where oil is hung up).

I totally overlooked that (not so) little fact...

[VDub2625]

How come more manufacturers don't make FWD cars FMF? basically, take the standard layout for FWD, with the engine and transmission side by side, and move the differential to the front, instead of the rear, so the wheels can be pushed further forward?

[IJM]

Packaging and cost.

[VDub2625]

Doesn't seem like it would cost much, and packaging stays mostly the same except the front wheels are further forward...

[MAG58]

Doesn't seem like it would cost much, and packaging stays mostly the same except the front wheels are further forward...

If you flip the engine around, you've pretty much got the engine stuffed right up against the firewall which is a hassle for either intake or exhaust, depending on the engine. You can only tilt the engine so far forward because you'll now have a halfshaft in the way and it's against the angle of the hoodline. Also, you've now got to figure out where to put the rack since the diff will now probably be pretty close to where the radiator is and the engine and transaxle now sit where it used to be. Once you've got that figured out where are you going to put the steering shaft and make it work for R/L hand drive cars. Also, now that you've stuffed the engine against the firewall you've now got to figure out where you're going to put your brake master/booster and clutch master, if it's going to have one, since they're usually on the firewall, and remember it has to work in Right and Left hand drive markets as well. Also, many radiators and condensers are wider than the narrowest part of the wheel house so you've got to consider total wheel movement in this as well as moving the wheel house forward that much will most likely impinge on the radiator core support.

There is a lot that goes into that kind of packaging, even if it sounds straight forward (and at the outset, it does).

[adrew]

How come more manufacturers don't make FWD cars FMF? basically, take the standard layout for FWD, with the engine and transmission side by side, and move the differential to the front, instead of the rear, so the wheels can be pushed further forward?

Old Saabs are sort of like that, with the engine mounted longitudinally "backwards" (accessories like alternator, A/C compressor face the firewall) with the clutch at the front of the engine compartment and the transmission under the engine.

[MAG58]

Technically though that's still FF as the axle centerline still appears to be behind the front of the engine. In his question, the front axle centerline would have to be all the way up there by the radiator.

[Biff Beltsander]

Is this accurate? I'm thinking it would have to be a traditional non gel type of toothpaste.

[VDub2625]

I don't think it would be that stupid a redesign. I use Volkswagen as my frame of reference. No redesign of the engine at all, nor of the firewall (except that you can move it closer if you wish). Just flip the diff to the front (basically flip the trans over on itself). Basically the diff and axle takes up the gap between the engine and radiator, and leaves a big gap behind it.

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[justinhannoldVW]

Does anyone have a picture of 1985-1992 vw jetta driver side front frame rail with electrical connections, beside radiator near front bumper?? I Cleaned up battery tray area and didn't label connecting wires.
Part numbers on Plugs-171-919-379A....161-971-989A..171-919-141...171-971-934A....191-951-195 Not sure which plugs connects to which?
Thanks in advance!

[VDub2625]

I can help but that isn't an "afraid to ask" question.

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[drecian]

Is this accurate? I'm thinking it would have to be a traditional non gel type of toothpaste.

Possibly.

I use toothpaste to polish out fine scratches on my watches (leaves them smelling minty fresh too!), so I'd say the concept would work. Might have better luck with something more abrasive like cutting compound though.
And yes, I use the traditional non gel stuff on my watches.

[Surf Green]

Possibly.

Toothpaste is just a really gentle polish, so it sounds plausible. I've also heard it's great for removing shotgun spores from vinyl siding.