OK, I know how diesel engines work, but I’m not quite sure why it takes longer for them to warm up – both for starting and for putting into gear – than gasoline engines.
In: Technology
Diesel engines need to combust their fuel upon compression of the piston.
Cold temperatures means this doesn’t happen, or at least not as efficiently.
Gasoline engines don’t do this. Instead, they fire the spark plugs every single time to ignite the fuel.
If gasoline engines get too hot, or use unadulterated fuel, they will start dieseling (combusting on compression) which causes engine knock in gasoline engines.
Leaded gasoline was invented to fix this. Adding tetra-ethyl lead prevents the gasoline from igniting on compression. 10% ethanol does the same thing.
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