New-Tech Diesels Have Not Been Angels

摘要

In spite of their advantages, die-sels-especially those built since 2007-have not been angelic. At meetings of the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations, fleet managers have complained bitterly about plugged and cracked substrates in diesel particulate filters, fouled exhaust-gas recirculation valves, failure-prone electronic sensors, and generally poor reliability. And dealers lack parts and trained technicians, so waiting times for service can be days or weeks. But things are improving, as the builders and dealers work hard to repair and debug the engines, fleet people acknowledge: 2010-spec diesels are much improved over the '07s. They're more reliable, and urea injection delivers higher fuel economy that can help pay for their premium prices.