GAS VS DIESEL

[Crazynuff]

>Which one requires the most maintenance? and more easier and
>less expensive to fix? that would make my mind up.
Chevy put the Duramax engine in the vans about a year ago . That would be a good choice for now . Starting in '07 diesel vehicle prices are going to jump considerably for the vehicles to meet strict emissions standards . More than likely they will need a particulate filter that will need periodic servicing and eventual replacement .

 

[dhalltoyo]

Greg,

I believe any diesel can stand some idle time, but the wear factors on the mechanical components and the breakdown of the engine oil are markedly increased with idle time.

I have a freind who has the same van as mine but his is a gasser. We talk all the time and he told me yesterday that he was getting his oil changed because he had about 10,000 miles rolled since his last change. I reminded him about how much he idles his van at night and suggested that he consider changing his oil sooner.

How could anyone who idles their engine actually tell when they need to change the oil if they are relying solely on an odometer for information?

PS. I thought about getting a Kodiak Crew Cab with a rear seat that folds down into a bed. Now I need to get GM to make the GVWR at 10,000 lbs. Ha, ha.

Oh, by the way...here is a way to help keep cool if you like fresh air. I made a set of these myself but I got the idea from these folks. http://www.skreenz.com/

 

[Mileater]

Terryandrene, Do you have a target miles that you sell your vehicles at? Just wondering how many miles you consider it time to replace. I have seen GM vans for sale with 500,000 miles and they say it runs like new and could easily go another couple hundred thousand miles. From what I see on the market there are some that buy new and run them 300,000 miles in 3 years and then replace them.

 

[MDB1]

dhall, I have a '02 GMC Sierra with the Duramax 6.6 engine. If I turn the key to the "On" position (do not start the engine) and press and hold the odometer reset button for about 5-7 seconds it will display the engine operating hours on the odometer. Have you tried that?

 

[terryandrene]

MDB - I just tried that on my '06 chev, gas and it didn't do the engine hours thing. That would be a nice feature, even on a gas model.

Mileater - Naturally, we'd always like to exceed 500,000 miles to ammortize the cost of purchase and repairs, but have never set a specific sell point. Our last van went on sale at 579,000 because it was telling me it was tired and in need of a new owner who might get a few miles of local driving, such as a handyman might want. Shortly after ordering a new van we met a couple who were driving for a non-operator owner. They were saving their money for a down payment on their own van, but at 60% that would take awhile. Much to the dismay of their owner, we offered to sell them our van, fully equipped to sign on with our carrier. Now with that extra 40% in their pocket, they should realize their dream within a year