Brief comparison: Diesel engine vs gasoline engine in the Philippines

Updated Sep 22, 2021

If you're considering between diesel engine & gasoline engine, this article finds you well.

In our previous article on Pros & cons of buying diesel vs gasoline cars in the Philippines, we have discussed upsides and downsides of diesel and gasoline vehicles which depend mostly on the purpose of use with comparisons of maintenance cost, or filling fee, etc.

Our today's article on Philkotse.com will dig deeper into the working principle and the functional parts of each engine to give you a clearer idea of what has been claimed in the article above.

The differences between the diesel engine and gasoline engine

Diesel engines use diesel to operate. This engine doesn’t have a spark plug and produces work by the process of pressurizing a mixture of fuel and air in the cylinder. Meanwhile, gasoline engine uses gas as fuel. It produces work by burning the fuel with air in the cylinder.

Diesel engine saves you more money on fuel

Petrol (Gasoline) Engine vs Diesel Engine

You can take a look at our list of the top diesel car in Philippines.

Compare the working principle of diesel and gasoline engines:

Working principle of diesel and gasoline engines
Stroke   Diesel  Gasoline
Intake Suck the air into the cylinder Suck the mixture of air and gasoline into the cylinder
Compression

Compress air under high pressure and temperature:

P = (30-35) Kg/cm2

T = (500-600)°C

At the end of the compression stroke, diesel is injected prematurely into the combustion chamber.

Compress fuel-air mixture under lower pressure and temperature:

P = (8-10) Kg/cm2

T = (200-300)°C

At the end of the compression stroke, the spark ignites the fuel-air mixture.

Combustion Injected fuel is mixed with air and self-ignite under high pressure and temperature. The burning mixture expands and produces work for the engine. The spark plug ignites the fuel-air mixture inside the cylinder. The burning mixture expands and produces work for the engine.
Exhaust Burnt gas expelled through the exhaust valve. Burnt gas expelled through the exhaust valve.

Gasoline engine provides faster speed

Pros and cons of the diesel engine in comparison with the gasoline engine:

Pros and cons of diesel engine (compared with gasoline engine)
Pros  Cons 
  • Higher efficiency. The efficiency of the diesel engine is 1.5 times higher than that of the gasoline engine.
  • Diesel is cheaper to fill up.
  • The diesel engine saves more fuel.
  • The diesel engine is safer than the gasoline engine. At the normal temperature, diesel doesn’t combust, so it is not dangerous.
  • The diesel engine requires less focus to small details like carburetor and spark plug.
  • The diesel engine is better at handling overloading circumstances. 
  • The diesel engine weighs more than the gasoline engine.
  • The diesel engine costs more to produce. Because its compression ratio is higher, The parts are required to be stronger.
  • The details in fuel system like the high-pressure pump and fuel injector have a significantly high precision, therefore require better production and maintenance.
  • Maintenance requires specific tools as well as skilled workers.
  • Diesel delivers slower speed.
  • In conclusion, each engine has its own pros and cons. The gasoline engine gives smooth rides, while the diesel engine is powerful and economic. The decision on what engine to use should be, again, based on the purpose and preference of the user.

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