Are diesel cars harder to maintain than petrol cars?

A diesel-powered car makes a lot of sense to many Singaporeans. More often than not, they offer better fuel range along with cheaper prices at the pump, as well as better low-end torque that's useful in our start-stop city traffic.

Some are impressed with the benefits of a diesel car, and have found themselves buying them. Still, the uptake of diesels here isn't as high as compared to places like Europe, where diesel passenger cars are very common.

In this article, we dwell deeper to the pros and cons of petrol and diesel cars, which you may find useful when making a decision on buying one.

What are the running costs like?

In general, a diesel may be more expensive to buy, and attract a higher road tax - also known as a Special Road Tax Formula for diesel cars.

The Special Road Tax Formula is based on the diesel car's emissions standards. For vehicles that are of Euro 5 standard and above, the tax is set at 40 cents per cubic centimetres.

This means a Euro 5, 1,600cc diesel passenger car will attract a road tax of $1,284 a year. Comparatively, a petrol driven counterpart will only pay $744 a year in road tax.

Of course, if you're a high mileage driver where the savings you receive at the pump outweigh the price difference in road tax, then choosing a diesel car would make a lot of sense.

What are the mechanical differences?

The principles for both diesel and petrol engines are the same. Fuel is mixed with air in the cylinders and ignited, allowing the engine to produce power.

The main difference lies in igniting the fuel and air mixture.

While petrol engines rely on spark plugs to ignite the fuel mixture, diesel fuel is ignited solely by compression.

Some diesel engines also have glow plugs to bring heat into the cylinders during cold starts.

Some differences can also be seen in the exhaust systems of diesel cars. To bring down emissions, diesels sometimes use particulate filters. A type of diesel exhaust fluid called AdBlue is also sometimes used, which helps to bring down nitrous-oxide emissions.

Any differences in maintenance?

As you can probably tell, diesel cars do not require spark plugs - so that's a routine replacement you don't have to deal with.

Diesels share similar routine maintenance schedules compared to petrol cars. But there is an additional component related to emissions that you should take note of.

Diesel particulate filters exist to remove soot from exhaust emissions, and require soot removal cycles, known as 'regen'. Usually done automatically, it occasionally requires the driver to activate it manually.

As for vehicles with AdBlue, a routine top-up of the fluid should be carried out to ensure your diesel car meets emissions standards. You can easily purchase AdBlue at petrol stations such as SPC, too.

Depending on how much you use, the topping up of fluids can coincide with your service intervals for engine oil, which brings us to our next point.

Can I use the same engine oil?

In general, engine oils should be chosen according to the type of use. It is always recommended to use the correct grade of engine oil as the manufacturer recommends. You can find out the recommended grade in your owner's manual.

Hence, some engine oils are labelled for heavy-duty diesel use. But don't assume these are meant for diesel passenger cars. These oils feature heavier base weights, which are suited for heavy-duty commercial vehicle use.

With that said, the purpose of lubricating the engine works the same for both petrol and diesel engines.

SPC's SYNACE range of engine oils for example, can be used for both diesel and petrol engines.

Manufactured in Singapore, its SYNACE Supreme and Ecostar engine oils also meet the standards for both petrol and diesel engines from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, along with manufacturer accreditations from brands like BMW, Porsche, Renault, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

Can all workshops deal with diesels?

All well-heeled workshops will certainly be able to handle both diesel and petrol cars, including SpeedyCare Auto Service Centres, with all 10 outlets strategically placed within SPC Service Stations in Singapore.

SPC's SYNACE engine oils are readily available at all of

Plus, you'll get rewarded. From now till Dec 31, 2020, customers who purchase SPC lubricants or SpeedyCare servicing packages from participating outlets will receive a Rewards Booklet, with discounts and deals worth up to $200. Find out more

You can purchase SPC SYNACE lubricants and SpeedyCare service packages from SPC's official online stores on Lazada, Shopee and Qoo10.

To find out more on SPC's range of SYNACE lubricants, head on to SPC's website, here.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.