How Fuel efficient is your car?

[can't sit still]

This redefines mileage;
http://alternativeenergyecogreen.blogsp ... -cars.html

[can't sit still]

This is really excellent news for electric cars;
http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/105 ... -6-minutes

[FIGJAM]

Ive got a lead on a 1998 chevy 4x4 6.5 turbo diesel. 118,000 miles.

Im getting mixed reviews on the net.

Can anyone tell me your experience with this motor?

MPG, maintanence problems, quirks, anything.

Thanks.

[can't sit still]

You're getting mixed reviews because some of the 6.5 s were excellent and some were very problematic. The low mileage indicates that it wasn't driven very much. Was that because of problems or lack of demand,, for driving? Ask for service records to find previous problems. Maybe, take it to a mechanic who knows that engine well.

[FIGJAM]

Lack of demand.

I think they improved the injecter pumps after 96 and beefed up some other things, but wanted an op from some one who has some more knowledge.

He hasnt owned it long and thought it was underpowered, but people that dont know diesels have that op.

Thanks Gyre, you always have great info.

[gyre]

What did I say?


Here's a pretty quick pickup truck, from australia of course.
Has been clocked at nearly 170.

[bx1]

The military provided my most used form of transportation in 2008-2009. Guess my gas mileage:

[can't sit still]

Exxon and hydrogen;
http://www.youtube.com/user/Jandre680?f ... 5uR_rdHo8Q

[gyre]

Interview on Charlie Rose today.
Very impressive.

A functional approach to the electric car?
Switched and charged batteries.
More importantly, a different approach to finance.

http://www.betterplace.com/

[Neutrality]

Talk is cheap, what MPG are you getting?

NA (not applicable). I take public transportation, doing so in an area where much of the electricity is produced by ... gasp ... nuclear power. Strangely enough, we haven't ended up glowing in the dark, as some would have expected us to.

[gyre]

Talk is cheap, what MPG are you getting?

NA (not applicable). I take public transportation, doing so in an area where much of the electricity is produced by ... gasp ... nuclear power. Strangely enough, we haven't ended up glowing in the dark, as some would have expected us to.

I, for one, have complete faith in the industry that knowingly built faulty nuclear reactors for years.

I watched them being "plated" at CBI Nuclear.

I would be okay with pay as you go nuclear.
Don't hold your breath.

As for the false safety record, look up what actually is known about the three mile island meltdown now.
Watch the film from chernoblyl.
All of it.

What happened to the first civilian nuclear generator in the usa?
It went supercritical killing all inside.
It was small, and didn't breach the building, they say.
One operator could not be located.
They had quite a mystery for a while.
He was found staked to the very high ceiling by an operation rod.

The record of military accidents is long and spectacular, and mostly classified.

[Neutrality]

Watch the film from chernoblyl.
All of it.

Graphite pile, outdated even in its own era. Apples and oranges comparison with differing technologies elsewhere.

The record of military accidents is long and spectacular, and mostly classified.

Occam's razor. I've dealt with conspiracy theorists before, and know better than to let you waste much of my time, but thank you for outing yourself as such with so little prompting. I'll keep this in mind as I read your posts in the future.

Or don't.

[gyre]

Obsolete or not, the fire burns the same.


Do your own research.
Not all that is classified can be kept secret when people die.
And not everything is classified.

Every journalist can tell you, easy to find out things.
Harder to prove.

The photos from the first civilian supercritical are now widely distributed.
As is the information about the deliberate manufacture of unsafe reactors.
And the industry conspiracy too.

To sweeten the pot, I know, for a provable fact, of the kidnapping and threat to kill the young daughter of an anti-nuclear activist, by the industry.
And no, I won't tell you how I know.
They are still afraid.

And before you spiel any more bullshit about my theories, you may want to read my proposal for a real fuel efficiency plan - the Light Highway Plan.
It might surprise you to find that it includes no new technology and proposes only gas and diesel drive, though others aren't excluded.

[gyre]

And when I say I saw CBI, I mean in person.
I witnessed faulty manufacturing techniques that were obvious to anyone.

Didn't fool the europeans.
They bought 0 from CBI.

[lucky420]

My car is not very fuel efficient at all right now. It is in the shop, I think it has a cracked head or head gasket? Waiting on the diagnostics...maybe this should go in the "fuck" thread

[can't sit still]

"I've dealt with conspiracy theorists before,"
Gyre, take this as a warning before this guy "DEALS" with you too.

[myburningdesire]

I have a 1994 Jeep Cherokee 4X4

I love my crappy Jeep.

Speaking of crappy jeep, anybody familiar with the I6 4.o engine and wants to tell me how easy it is to pull the head? I need to replace a broken stud and I might as well do the gasket if I am in there........

Just asking.

[unjonharley]

How fuel efficient is one of those Am Trak.. How many horse power to hual how much fat ass..

[can't sit still]

Harley, I believe that steel wheels need 1/7 the torque as rubber wheels to carry a given load.
Ismael will help you to get good mileage;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSvCuYZx ... playnext=1

[can't sit still]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... l-sunlight
Good article

[gyre]

Some exploration of the enhancement of efficiency by engine pre-heating.

http://www.metrompg.com/posts/block-heater.htm

http://www.metrompg.com/posts/warm-up-idling.htm


A unique Norwegian system
http://www.defa.com/heating.php3?lang=3


USA block heaters
http://www.zerostart.com/coldStart/engi ... eaters.asp

[skibear]

My 2004 Prius hardly visits gas stations.

If I forked over $10,000 I could convert it to a plug-in EV
like the Chevy Volt (a123systems.com) but the web site says
it would take 12 years to get payback on their larger Li-On Battery
pack.

This would still be about $10,000 cheaper than the Volt!
This American company did batteries for the Volt prototypes
and was hoping to get the order.

GM went cheap and outsourced their batteries to Korea.

ciao

[gyre]

As noted in the article, the Prius uses heat storage as part of its system.

It does appear that even with high utility costs, that pre-heating an engine is a big fuel saver, by shortcutting the warm up cycle.
The warmup by idling is stunningly inefficient in cold weather.

Anyone from colder climates have anything to add about engine pre-heating?

I remember once seeing a propane powered engine heater.
That could be quite useful off the grid.

[unjonharley]

As noted in the article, the Prius uses heat storage as part of its system.

It does appear that even with high utility costs, that pre-heating an engine is a big fuel saver, by shortcutting the warm up cycle.
The warmup by idling is stunningly inefficient in cold weather.

Anyone from colder climates have anything to add about engine pre-heating?

I remember once seeing a propane powered engine heater.
That could be quite useful off the grid.

A large pan of corn cob fire under the crank case of the tractor worked great In north Wisc. 1940s-50s.. Good for the Model A (work car). It was used to push start the newer car and hual feed. The Desoto had a slip and slide tranny. Would have to spin it around 40mph for a mile..

Some fleet trucks hook up to a hot system at night..

Our 41 Ford had an after factory heater that driped gas on a hot plate..
The Model A had a trap door in the cowling to warm your feet from the manifold..
My 69 VW was manifold heat and defrosted..
In the 60s I left a new Scout in gear over night.. Temperture droped and I walked for two weeks.. I could start the engine but it would'nt move.. Worked nights so would take the battery into the shop..At home I could plug in a warming plate under the battery and a heat stick in the dipstick hole..

You got any idea why I live in Or????

[montanaprometheus]

Fully electric. Moot point. Ha! Ha ha!

Awww, that's cute.
Now playing devil's advocate for a bit....
How many tons of coal did it take to provide power for that electric car? How much mercury was released into the environment by those coal fired plants to generate the electricty pushed into those batteries? How many gallons of diesel fuel did it take either BNSF or the UP to haul that coal in to the local powerplant? Oh, the local powerplant is nuclear? Are they properly storing those spent fuel rods or do they have a silent problem with tritium leaking into the groundwater like ComEd does outside Chicago? And back to those lead batteries, how many children suffer with lead poisoning from the smelters that are required to make the internal plates for those batteries?

Rob, all of the above is NOT an attack on you, it's the whole electric car thing in general. I'm shooting at the idea, not the messenger.

I produce ~30KWH/day electricity on my self-sufficient homestead. Don't assume that everyone buys electricity. When I have the cash I'm buying an electric side-by-side ATV. Polaris makes one that runs 48VDC which I can plug directly into my battery bank, and not even have to lose efficiency by transforming voltages.

[gyre]

Interesting techniques, Unjon, especially the gas on a plate approach.


Skibear, what do you think about the 'betterplace' approach to electrics?
It's the first one to impreass me.

[can't sit still]

Interesting article on a synthetic fuel;
http://www.gizmag.com/breakthrough-prom ... ons/17687/

[can't sit still]

For those of you who are aware of the work of Stan Meyers, this car seems to be the next generation. For those of you who have no knowledge of his work, best keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBm8ogwnpG0

[gyre]

A battery source
http://www.a123systems.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A123

A quick electric bike
http://www.killacycle.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killacycle

[dr.placebo]

Running a car using water as a fuel, and only water, is not bloody likely from an energy standpoint.

It could be made to appear to be working, though. For example, reacting the water with sodium would be energetically favorable, but would use up the sodium (forming NaOH and H and heat), and most likely would not be safe. The side effects of a collision could be rather nasty.

I advise an extra dose of skepticism, with a course in thermodynamics as a chaser.