Edmunds Answers questions

I have a 2002 dodge 2500 deisel with an automatic trannythat has burned up for the second time, will the newer tra

tinnerguy — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:42:28 GMT

I push snow with my 2002 dodge 2500 deisel with an automatic tranny. the transmission has burned up for the second time in less than 2 yrs.When I push, Ilock out the overdrive. When it burned up the first time about 1 1/2 yrs. ago I had it rebuilt at a dodge dealership to the tune of $2700. Iasked the tech what I could do to avoid this happening again, he told me to "just be careful, take it easy on the truck". to which I responded" it's a 3/4 ton deisel for crying out loud!" I have heard that these newer tranny's are much more durable. Will one of these newer tranny's bolt up to my deisel without any modifications. What can I do to remedy this and make it rock solid

Why does diesel fuel cost more than regular when they have to refine regular from diesel?

fphilli1 — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 11:10:13 GMT

Why does diesel fuel cost more than regular gas fuel. They have to refine regulas more times than regular. Diesel is the backbone of American comsumers due to the truck deliveries. If they want to do something about the economy reducing the cost of diesel will help and the higher prices are directly affecting consumer goods pricing.

Is there a difference in mileage when using 10% ethanol vs. regular gasoline?

josan1 — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:36:30 GMT

we have new cars-- a 2007 toyota camry and a 2008 honda accord

We own a Chinese restaurant and want to buy a vehicle which can run or our used oil or a combo using our oil.

profound2 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:08:38 GMT

6/17/08

We own a Chinese restaurant in GA and want to buy a vehicle which can run or our used oil or a combo using our oil and/or diesel. If the vehicle could also be a hybrid, all the better.

Naturally we would like to buy the least expensive vehicle which performs well, saves maximum fuel and costs, environmental friendly, etc. with no modification necessary or the least amount of modification possible, etc.

What do you or anyone recommend? Where is the best place to buy, modify, etc.

Thanks

profound2

I want to know if it really makes a difference if I put regular, plus, or premium gas in my car.

magnum10 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:49:51 GMT

I want to know if it really makes a difference if I put regular, plus, or premium gas in my car.

Is compression ratio or diesel fuel the principle source of diesel power?

ezim555 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:31:11 GMT

Does a diesel engine compression ratio (perhaps three times the average automobile engine)result in the biggest power boost over auto engines or is diesel fuel the more responsible?

Are there any changes required to run a car on pure ethanol or with 5% water?

sol8 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:22:04 GMT

There is a lot of talk of running cars on ethanol or flex fuels. What changes are required for a fuel injected car that is not designed for Flex fuels? If you run the car on ethanol with some mixture of water say 5% is it harmful to the engine? There are available online converstion kits for all car makes to run flex fuel, pure ethanol or gas interchangeably. Do they really work? Or some other changes are required to the fuel system due to corrosion issues?
I have access to pure ethanol with some mixture of water around 5% and do not know if it is safe enough to use it in a car with simple conversion kit advertised by change2E85.com.

What are the pros and cons of flex fuel vehicles?

broomj — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:13:58 GMT

I am thinking about purchasing a flex fuel vehicle, but I have heard the gas mileage is not that good when you use E-85. If I use regular gas only in a flex fuel vehicle will I get better mpg?

I've been told not to use E85 in my flex-fuel vehicle as it damages the engine. Is this correct?

rowanm — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:01:14 GMT

I've heard that thought the fuel tank has been modified, the engines have not been upgraded to handle the hotter burning ethanol gasoline and it causes too much wear on the engine.

What drives your purchase of gasoline at a service station?

marketeer1 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:55:54 GMT

Are there considerations you use or criteria you have developed when choosing a gas station to purchase gasoline for your vehicle?

Are there diesel cars on the market that will run on biodiesel without modifications?

yooper2u — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:24:08 GMT

I like the idea of biodiesel but could never undertake the task of converting an engine or fuel system.

Will you display alternative fuel cars?

bnae — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:37:05 GMT

Will you display cars that run on hydrogen, water, electricity, and other alternative fuels?

Any recommendations for a conversion company for plug-in charging of hybrids?

feinfolk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:04:58 GMT

Thanks for your other response re plug-ins.

Will adding nitrogycerine tablets to the gas tank improve engine performance? Will it damage the engine?

jazzman44 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:06:42 GMT

In the movie "The World's fastest Indian" the character played by Anthony Hopkins added pharmaceutical nitroglycerine tablets to the gas tank in order to improve the engines performance. Does this actually improve performance? Can it damage an ordinary gasoline engine?

Anything to the mileage claims for hydrogen or HHO generators?

bob185 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:32:48 GMT

There are a lot of people on the internet claiming to have boosted mileage with an onboard hydrogen electrolyzer in their car or truck. Some people making such claims don't appear to be selling anything.

Is there anything to this or is it all a scam?

Any risks to car's engine?

Thank you

Do you have any knowledge of the site waterforgas? It sounds good, but I would like to know if anybody has tried it.

trini58 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:03:48 GMT

Waterforgas will sell you a book for you to make a device to attaches to your air filter (i think) and is supposed to give you more mileage. They have a lot of testimonials but I would like to hear from someone outside their website. Everything they say makes sense but the fact the they are not making the device and selling it (they can make $$$)and selling you the instructions raised a flag for me. Can anybody tell me more about this? thanks.

I'm interested in an electric motor to convert my car to battery power.

dwteacher — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:49:22 GMT

I would like to have a dc motor to install in a small car

How does the mpg for compressed natural gas compare to gasoline for the same vehicle?

jfred1 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:57:20 GMT

how does auto mileage(MPG) compare for a vehicle using compressed natural to a vehicle using gasoline?

What is the typical gas mileage for a car that runs on propane?

patrick51 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:33:21 GMT

I have the opportunity to buy a van that runs on propane, and was wondering what the typical gas mileage on these vehicles are?

Does anybody knows anything about PICC for fuel economy?

trini58 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:50:09 GMT

The PICC, Pre-ignition Catalytic Converter is supposely designed to increase mileage to over 100 miles per gallon?????? "The idea is that if we cracked the gas and broke it down into smaller particles before it went into the engine-not after the engine had wasted it, everything you would otherwise be throwing away would now be burned in your engine, providing additional mileage and power?????. Using a magnetic and electrical reaction to break down the fuel molecules into their elemental state, the PICC creates a plasma, which burns super efficiently and cleanly."

Do all 2008 diesel pickups require use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel? If so, which ones?

fmelone — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:10:07 GMT

I want to be able to travel in Mexico and do not want to purchase a pickup that will have problems with Mexican diesel fuel.

What luxury sedans run on E85?

tapgypsy — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:34:52 GMT

I am looking for a luxury sedan which would run on a flex fuel (Ethanol 85). Which sedans fall into this category?

Are diesel cars allowed in California?

hyundaidriver — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:36:04 GMT

Is it true you that in California you can't buy new diesel cars? If I move to California with a diesel vehicle will I be allowed to register it?

fuel pump troubleshooting where do i begin? car will not start, was running and just stopped, have a .5 tank of fu

ibezubu — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:59:35 GMT

while driving i heard a winy noise shortly b4 the car stopped running, sounded like a power antennae high pitched the car turns over but will not start. this is a 1991 ford explorer eb edition.

Do you have to use high octane fuels for all Mitsubishi Endeavors?

js3 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:06:43 GMT

I am looking at model years 2004-2007.

MINI gas requirements, Regular or Premium? Please help.

1chai — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:38:33 GMT

The salesman at a MINI dealer told me all 2007 and up incl. the S model can run on regular gas. Does anyone know this for sure or any MINI owners out there using Reg gas on both the S and non-S. I love the car but saving on $for fuel goes along w/ increase MPG. Help!

I've put contaminated diesel in my Hyundai and now the engine is alway on high revs. What should I do?

magasman — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:14:21 GMT

I have drain contaminated deisel and now expiriencing 4000 rpm and it doesn't get any better.

1999 Chevrolet 4WD front drive shaft does not disengage. 4 hi and 4 low works properly. In 2 hi front drive shaft doesn't disengage.

jamescabe — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:09:54 GMT

xxxx front drive shaft does not disengage what is possible problems?

Will using higher sulphur diesel hurt an 08 GMC Duramax?

dirtpoor — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:21:00 GMT

What fuels will hurt, which won't and what will it hurt?

Will offroad fuel hurt my 08 Duramax?

dirtpoor — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:18:35 GMT

08 Duramax

Just purchased a 2000 Jaguar, 4.0 V8. Must I use Premium gas?

emcgregor — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:13:02 GMT

I just purchased a 2000 Jaguar, 4.0 V8. MUST I use premium gas?

What to do if diesel is pumped into a gasoline fed engine?

martini2383 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:19:31 GMT

Diesel was fed into my 1500 gasoline fed engine. About 4 gallons approx. and was notified to top off with gas and additives as well as fuel injector cleaner and a tank and a half of gas has been fed through so far. It sounds as if a valve is knocking and power is lost when accelleration is needed to climb a hill, etc. What else should be done to rid the diesel completely?

Is there a way to test gasoline to determine if it is E85 vs ethanol vs regular?

rjhawk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:37:15 GMT

Have some fuel from a vehicle that is not an e85 compatible vehicle. Fuel pump failed. Need to determine if the fuel is e85 or not.

What diesel cars/wagons are for sale in the US?

curler448 — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:18:11 GMT

What diesel cars or wagons (not trucks or cargo vans) are available in the US? I hear diesels are cleaner now than they used to be.

What do I have to do to convert my Chevy 327 to burn E85?

bluemule1 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:50:12 GMT

with the price of gas,i just wanted to know if i could and what it takes to do it?thanks for helping!marvin aka bluemule1

I have 94 Dodge Stealth with a six in i,t that's all. 190,000 miles. Can I safely use regular gas instead of super?

gtbjl — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:30:07 GMT

I have 94 Dodge Stealth w/a six in it that's all. no extra's It's got 190,000 miles on it and runs well. Can I safely use regular gas instead of super? With the cost of gas its getting harder and harder. Looking for ways to cut costs.

If 91 octane is required, what happens to the engine if you use 87 octane in the long run?

ecomo — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:47:10 GMT

when engine requires 91 octane what happen internal to the engine if you use 87 octane in the long run

US citizen living in Panama (the country). Want to buy an SUV. Should I buy diesel or gasoline?

danielaisa — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:39:22 GMT

I`m debating between a diesel engine or gasoline engine, I have read some of your articles, but in Panama is no trouble finding diesel .
Thanks

Can a Ford Escape Hybrid be set up to run on natural gas?

ascjv — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:36:39 GMT

Can a Ford Escape Hybrid be setup to run on natural gas?

Does anyone have a Ford F-250 SD with the V10 6.8 engine?

rleeman — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:26:59 GMT

I would like to buy a new F250 SD Crew Cab, but I am not sure what engine to get. I would like to be able to tow the 12k ibs if I need to. However all the info I can find is either on the Diesel or the 5.4 gas engine. I use my truck for working around the house, hauling the camper to campgrounds and running the kids around town, so I would perfer not to stop every few miles to fill it up. I have heard that the new Ford Superduty is not getting good mph. If anyone has any info on what I should get please let me know.

Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 owner's manual calls for Premium Fuel 91 and above only. Can you use Regular or Mid Grade fuel?

ram13 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:32:43 GMT

I purchased a 2008 FJ Cruiser I have been using Mid grade and Regular Fuel will it hurt the engine in the long run.

Is premium fuel required for the Pontiac 2005 Grand Prix GTP?

burly1 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:56:11 GMT

I am considering to purchase a 2005 Grand Prix GTP and the owner says he does not use premium or higher octane fuel

I own a 2008 Mercedes CLK 350. Can I run 87 or 89 octane fuel in it and what are the downsides to doing this?

dons5 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:44:44 GMT

I am now running 89 octane fuel in my 2008 Mercedes CLK 350. Can I run lower octane gas?

Is a 2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty flex-fuel compatible?

hbxcores_2009 — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:00:18 GMT

Can I run flex-fuel like E85 in my 2000 Ford F250 Super Duty?

If someone were to put E-85 fuel in a gas engine, what harm could it do? Can it be reversed?

sthomas1 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:45:34 GMT

If someone were to put E-85 fuel in a gas engine, what harm could it do? Can it be reversed?

Can regular gas be used in a 2008 Mercedes C 300?

linguist98 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:03:28 GMT

Can regular gas be used in a 2008 Mercedes C 300 or is premium gas ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED?

Can a 1998 Dodge Dakota v6 Magnum use flex fuel?

mikedeerfish — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:28:28 GMT

I just bought a very nice 1998 Dodge Dakota with a v6 Magnum motor. I want to know if this vehicle can run on flex fuel?

Switching from e85 to regular gas one time. Flex fuel Chevy Silverado.

countrylivin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:44:33 GMT

Flex fuel Chevy Silverado presently running on e85. What if I can't find an e85 station and fill the tank with "regular" gas? Any problems with that?

I'm buying a 34-ft. fifth wheel and want to purchase a diesel pickup to tow it. What's my best choice?

dougsdeck — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:54:29 GMT

I will be buying a diesel pickup to tow a 34-ft. fifth wheel and some say that all I'll need is a 3/4-ton; others recommend a full-ton. I have absolutely no knowledge of diesels or their towing capacity. I need help as I'm just beginning my research. Has anybody written a book on this? I have no dealer-loyalty, I just want the best pickup.

1999 Dodge 24v Cummins 135,000 miles. Built 1-99, code P1688.

rufusd — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:41:59 GMT

I bought a 1999 dodge 24v cummins no history. truck looks clean and ran great.easy to start and ran smooth, 18 to 22mpg. now runs rough, hard to start. go to auto zone code is P1688, "internal fuel inj. controller, module failure. i replaced the fuel filter. the old one was very, very dirty. what do i need to replaced...fuel inj. pump?...drain and clean fuel tank?...can someone help...rufusd....thanks