The rise and rise of diesel

Don't get me wrong- they both smell like DIESEL exhaust, and on that
point I agree with Dan. But there is a sort of "added stench" to Detroit
Diesel 2-stroke exhaust

I agree it will be "less intense." But a modern 24-valve Cummins in a
Dodge Ram is orders of magnitude less intense than the stink of a 1990
Mercedes, but its still instantly recognizable as "diesel" and a lot of
people find that smell unpleasant, no matter how faint.

I disagree that lead compounds in exhaust gasses are odorless. I can
INSTANTLY tell when a car at a racetrack is running either leaded racing
fuel or aviation fuel- its a characteristic "sweet" (for lack of a
better term- its certainly not 'sugary') smell. Or go to an air-show and
smell the exhaust from a B-17 or P-51, its the same smell only even
stronger. And my 60s cars that I drive routinely don't have a strong
exhaust odor on today's unleaded fuel, except for the 440 Magnum when
its cold because the fairly large cam with a rich mixture gives an
unburned fuel smell for a few minutes until its fully warm.

 

As did Mercedes diesels of the same vintage. Actually, the Olds was
probably less smoky when brand new.

Horse apples. I can smell a TDI ahead of me in traffic VERY easily. Its
not a choking fog like an old Mercedes or Oldsmobile or (worst of all)
Isuzu truck, but it is VERY noticeable, and is the very same "diesel
smell" except less concentrated. In fact, its VERY comparable to being
behind a late-model Ram with the 24-valve Cummins.

 

Yes, I can detect and prefer the smell of 100LL over car gas, but any
idea what all components in the exhaust are the main contributors to
odor? I haven't been able to find anything definitive as yet. Whatever
it is, it is definitely affected by the combination of unleaded gas, the
catalytic convertor and modern engine controls.


Matt

 

The sulfur in diesel fuel has to go somewhere. That should be obvious
enough, if anything is ever obvious on Usenet. As they make lower sulfur
fuel, it'll stink less. You can count on it.