Manufacturers make engines much greener
REDUCING CO2: Design, installation of advanced electronic controls, lighter lubes mean more cash for drivers
One of the thrills of ordering a new vehicle is choosing the power unit. Cars, and even pickups have lots of choices. It’s not that much different for rigs, but now, the pencil pushers have stepped in, and the smoke pouring out of the stacks is a thing of the past.
The 2017 Greenhouse Gas emission regulations — also known as Phase 1 of the grand carbon dioxide reduction plan — are now in force. The engine builders don’t have time to pat themselves on the back, as the next phase, which is due to hit the pavement in 2021, will see even more restrictive improvements in the name of fuel efficiency and cutting emissions.
I’m not going to bore you with what the 2017 restrictions mean, because it will put you to sleep as fast as it does us drivers. Suffice to say, the fuel economy must be up seven to 20 per cent over the 2010 model engine, and the reliability must also be noticeably better.
What the five biggest engine builders did to meet these goals was to design and install more advanced electronic controls with the addition of new injection systems, new piston design, some new low friction components, lighter lubes, and even higher compression ratios. A lot of hidden factors that simply mean more bucks into the driver’s jeans.
This is all fine and dandy, but the onus has now shifted, very noticeably to the shoulders of the driver, and/or rig owner.
What Detroit Diesel and Daimler Trucks of North America have done is insist oil drain intervals be extended to 80,000 kilometres for normal on highway rigs. Not only that, they have installed a new connect portal and mobile app so the driver and/ or company will have access to full diagnostic information provided by the engine builders. This eliminates waiting for email notification of updates, or needed changes. It also allows the rig to keep moving, but be updated without having to pull into a service centre, and have the hardware upgraded. Translation: no downtime.
Paccar’s MX-11 and -13 engines designed two new and different turbochargers for engines above or below 485 horsepower. These two engines also feature a single cylinder air compressor and an electronical- ly controlled, variable displacement oil pump, based on oil pressure and temperature. If that isn’t high-tech enough for the driver, they’ve thrown in a variable speed coolant pump, based on heat rejection needs.
Cummins rolled out two versions of its X15 engine last fall, and company officials are happy with the efficiency to date. They admit they will have to upgrade the engine when it hits the 1.2-million kilometre mark, which is about when the second owner takes over. A newer type turbo and a revamped exhaust gas recirculation cooler are under design for a year or two down the road.
Navistar, fondly known by us older rig drivers as International, has not shared too many of it’s changes, other than to have a single stage turbocharger and allowing the use of lighter viscosity 10W-30 and 5W-30 engine oils.
Volvo & Mack Trucks have a number of different/new hardware changes, especially the use of common rail fuel injection, which allows a more complete burn. They have also said to have eliminated 90 per cent of the soot we see coming out of the stacks. Both companies are also saying drivers can expect fuel savings from two to three per cent in the small block engines, and up to 6.5 per cent or better in mid-range engines.
They are all trying. Results are already on the roads and highways. Now, all we have to do is convince the senior citizens along Knight Street in Vancouver that when they see a rig climbing the hill, they don’t have to get their face mask out and cover their nose just to breath.
It’s the new breed of smokeless. cleaner, but still noisy, rigs.
I could fill a newspaper with stories about road life on the road, but why not share yours? Send them to Driving editor Andrew McCredie at amccredie@postmedia.com.