->Petrol Engines fire with the help of a spark plug (produces a spark to ignite petrol) while Diesel engines

do not need a spark plug to ignite. Diesel engines have a self ignition property. As the air compresses inside, the diesel which is injected gets burnt due to the high compression and temperature. So the next time you see a spark plug ad from MICO, remember that these are only used for petrol engines. ->Petrol Engines are less fuel efficient than Diesel Engines as a matter of fact. Although we find that a Maruti 800 has a very high fuel efficiency of around 17-20kmpl,in reality Diesel produces more energy per given unit of fuel .This means Diesel engines are more efficient than petrol Engines for a given power rating. Thats one reason why Diesel is the most common fuel used for higher rated engines, such as trucks and buses. Diesels thermal efficiency makes it better suited for heavier vehicles than petrol. -> Another important point of difference between the Diesel and petrol Engines is their reaction to the accelerator pedal. While modern petrol engines usually inject fuel proportional to the accelerator pedal. That means, the more you accelerate, the throttle directly releases more percentage of petrol and air to burn for the power. While in Modern Diesel engine, the accelerator pedal and other pressure conditions are also taken into picture to release the diesel for burning. This is one main reason why we see that petrol cars virtually listen to your accelerator demand , while Diesel cars (without a turbo) do have a slight lag. However, with the improved Common rail diesel Engine and turbo chargers, Diesel cars are almost neck to neck with the petrol cars. -> Diesel cars have a higher torque (turning power) when compared to petrol cars. So when you are driving uphill on a lower gear, you might be surprised that a Diesel car will take lesser effort to drive up because of the Diesels higher thermal efficiency and higher generation of torque. Thats another reason why heavy vehicles tend towards Diesel engines because they need higher torque to even get the vehicle moving.
======================================================================== Compare the differences between Petrol engine and Diesel engines.Diesel engine as found in production cars are four stroke engines (two strokes do exist). Stroke Petrol engine Diesel engine ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1.Inlet Air / fuel mixture is drawn in by falling piston Air alone is drawn in by falling piston 2.Compression Air / fuel is compressed to about 1/10th of its origin size Air is compressed to about 1/22nd of its origin size 3.Expansion Air /fuel is ignited by a spark and burns, forcing piston down Fuel is injected at high pressure into the hot, compressed air in cylinder, which causes it to burn. No spark is required 4.Exhaust Burnt fuel / air is pushed out of cylinder by rising piston Burnt fuel / air is pushed out of cylinder by rising piston =============================================================================== ==========================

Consequences are: 1. No spark plug, because the air is so hot, and so compressed at the top of the compression stroke that when the fuel is injected it burns straight away. Hence diesels can be correctly termed as compression ignition engines. A petrol engine is a spark ignition engine. 2. This means no breakers, coil or HT leads to go wrong. This makes diesels immune to cold and damp that can affect petrol engines. 3. No throttle, power is controlled by the amount of fuel which is injected. Most of the time a diesel is ultra-lean burn, except when the drivers? foot is flat to the floor. 4. Electronic engine management not necessary. Some modern diesel engines are gaining electronically controlled injection pumps, but the vast majority of them out there have purely mechanical pumps. If youre into DIY and dont trust the electronics found in most cars, then a diesel will be a relief. In fact no electricity is required to make a diesel engine run, except for a simple fuel cut off solenoid so that you can switch the thing off! If your alternator stops working, then you will safely reach home in a diesel. 5. Easy turbo charging. Turbo charging a diesel is easier than turbo charging a petrol engine. One problem for a petrol engine is that if the compression ratio is too high, and the pressure in the cylinder gets too high during the inlet stroke, then the fuel/air mixture can start to burn too soon, while the piston is still on the way up. A turbo increases the pressure in the cylinder making this problem worse. With a diesel engine, there is no fuel in the cylinder during the compression stroke, so a turbo can be used to pack as much air in there as desired without causing problems. 6. The process is less affected by temperature. When a petrol engine is started from cold it needs loads of fuel to make it run properly. If you do short journeys all the time then youll never get anywhere near the manufacturers stated fuel economy, and as emissions are proportional to fuel used, youll be producing loads of pollution too. Diesel cars are great for short journeys because their efficiency is almost as high cold as hot. The downside is that in the winter youll find than the heater is pretty useless, this is because the car is using so much less fuel that it takes ages to warm up. 7. Engine lasts longer, because petrol destroys lubrication and diesel doesnt. Cold start-ups are a real killer for petrol engines cos of all that excess petrol floating about. 8. That compression ratio of 22:1 gives brilliant engine braking, but the engine is hard to start. Youll need a good battery and starter motor. 9. Glow plugs are needed. These are electric heaters which are switched on for typically 5 or 6 seconds to make the engine easier to start. They take maybe 15 amps each (one per cylinder) and so give the battery an even harder job to do. 10. Less power. A 1.9 litre diesel engine will produce only about 70bhp, instead of the 110bhp from a 1.9 litre petrol engine. However my 1.9 litre diesel car produces about the same power as a 1.4 litre petrol engine, but is still more economical, I still win! Alternatively a 1.9 turbo diesel will give that 110bhp, and still give better fuel economy than the 1.9 litre petrol engine, especially if its a DI diesel. 11. Different torque characteristics. A diesel wont rev much above 5000rpm (petrol engines will do 7000 or even 8000rpm), but its torque is all produced at low revs. Brilliant for towing, not so good for flat out 0-60mph times. Heavy engine. A diesel engine is heavy. In can make a car seam more stable, but can spoil the cornering/handling. It makes the steering heavy too. I wouldnt recommend buying a diesel car without power steering.