"akheel" wrote in message
...

In 1985 I acquired a Volvo Turbo Diesel 780 sedan.

Well, within two years, it was smoking so bad that cars behind me would
slow down to get out of the cloud. By 30,000 miles I took it to the
dealer to figure out the problem. By now it was out of warranty (much
shorter warranties in thoses days). Compression was bad, but they didn't
know why. Pulled the heads and reported to me that the cylinders had
"enlarged." Enlarged? I've worked on cars since high school (all gas) and
had never seen that one. Bad rings, valves, but enlarged cylinders? I
asked them how that happened after 30,000 miles and they couldn't answer
me. I answered them: since the car had always been serviced at the
dealer, the car was either poorly serviced or poorly built, but either
way I ought not to pay. After weeks of threatening letters and promised
lawsuits directed to Volvo North America in New Jersey, they capitulated
and rebuilt the engine at Volvo's expense. They made me pay for the new
belts and hoses. I traded it on a Ford Tarus wagon within a week and
never looked back.

The point is, that we drove the car like we drive our gas cars, and not
with a light foot. We revved it high going up the onramps, drove it to
the ski lodge up the mountain at full speed and even took it on a car
rally or two. With the turbo, it had plenty of power and high revs to do
these things. But stamina it didn't have. The thing was toast after
30,000 miles. I will never own another diesel in a car as long as I live,
unless that's the only thing going. As lots of the other posters have
said, they are NOT made for high revving.


Turbo diesels have improved immensely since 1985. Hours between rebuilds
may have decreased from the old, low RPM, non-turbo diesels, but they still
provide a very decent service life, usually 3 or 4 times that of a gasoline
engine. I've had somewhat newer Volvo turbo diesels in a boat (1999), a
Ford truck (that engine had some issues, but when it was fixed, it ran it
great) , a John Deere tractor and in a Dodge (Mercedes) Sprinter. You can
stand beside the Sprinter while it's running and not realize it's a diesel.

I really like modern diesels. I traded the '05 F-350 diesel truck in for
an '07 gas powered Ford Ranger.
I regret that now. The F-350 had twice the pep, got better fuel mileage and
hauled or towed anything.

Eisboch