why don't people like the noise diesel engines make?

[300bhp/ton]

This one has me a little confused. I know most of PH will jump up and moan and scream how they hate the noise of a diesel.


-But why??


What exactly is it you don't like about the noise they make?


The most I've seen so far are stupid claims of "they sound like a tractor".

Which while not usually true and usually highlights these people have not ever heard a tractor. Why would sounding like one be reason enough to hate the noise they make?


-If this is your answer, then why do you hate the noise a tractor makes??


If this is indeed you do hate the noise because they sound like a 'tractor', logic would seem to suggest that the noise itself has no bearing on your opinion, but more an association with a different object that seems to insight hate or resentful opinions.


Personally I love the sound of a diesel, not all of them. But most of them. I also love the noise petrol engines can make. Again not all of them, as some usually mass produced 4 cylinder ones with standard exhausts sound truly dreadful.

I also really love the sound steam engines make, yet these are powered by coal. So I guess most of PH also hates these


But this gets no closer to understanding the illogical fanatical hate some people seem to have to diesel engines

[TameRacingDriver]

For me, it's because most sound like a van at idle, and once you get past that, they are kind of characterless. However, the same can be said of most 4-pot petrols. I've not tried a 6-pot diesel, but I can imagine it being better.

[Johnnytheboy]

300bhp/ton said:

...some usually mass produced 4 cylinder ones with standard exhausts sound truly dreadful.

Funnily enough I feel the same about diesels - it's the bog standard clattery straight fours I don't like the noise of. On a subconscious level I guess they remind me of either vans, or the cars of people that don't care about cars.

6 cylinder diesels sound much better to me.

[300bhp/ton]

TameRacingDriver said:

For me, it's because most sound like a van at idle

So if you lived in the USA would you hate the sound of V6 and V8 petrol engines? Seeing as most vans over there tended to be that engine configuration.

Again this seems to be association with something else you don't like, rather than actually having a valid opinion on the 'thing' in question.

[the_lone_wolf]

Funny, just posted this in another thread...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB_uwP-bIOE

[northwest monkey]

I think when they're cold they sound dreadful, but on the move they can have quite a nice 'grunty' sound. I used to have a diesel Cherokee & I quite liked the sound once it was moving - it suited the car. Dreadful in a small hatchback though!

I've driven BMW's 6-banger in 330d and 530d flavours & that sounds very nice once moving. Still sounds like a taxi when idling though!

No problems here with the noise they make.

[Baryonyx]

The noisy, clonking, rattling, knocking noise they make at idle, with the gruff drone they produce at motorway speeds? By the time they are starting to rev and produce a bit more of an appreciable tone, they are at the redline and sinking back to low revs again with a wheezy turbo spinning up?


I don't like all petrol cars, but petrols do have the ability to sound so much better. I've never gotten into a diesel (even a 6 or 8 cylinder) and thought 'this sounds great'. At best, I've gotten into a diesel and been so cosseted by sound proofing that I've barely been able to hear the grumbling engine at the front. But the mushy throttle and low redline will give the game away anyway.

I accept that different people like different things. For example, some of the travelling folk near where I worked loved straight though exhausts on their cars and vans. Not for me, but they seemed to enjoy it.

[LocoCoco]

Why don't people like the sound of babies crying? The taste of vomit? The smell of dog sh*t? It's just evolution telling us that something is bad.

[TameRacingDriver]

300bhp/ton said:

So if you lived in the USA would you hate the sound of V6 and V8 petrol engines? Seeing as most vans over there tended to be that engine configuration.

Again this seems to be association with something else you don't like, rather than actually having a valid opinion on the 'thing' in question.

No not really, as a V6 or V8 petrol clearly sound far better (to me anyway) than a 4-pot diesel transit van! I'm sure most people (including Americans) would agree with that, otherwise a Transit might be some kind of highly desirable van over there.

The sound is just an unrefined, rough, unpleasant sound to my ears. Ultimately though I can't say it bothers me as much as some people.

Some diesels can sound alright, like the ones in trucks and the like are suitably big and brawny enough to sound reasonably good IMO.

[vrooom]

I cant hear them, im deaf.. but i hate diesel because of thier smell. they can be horrible smelling. reminded me of knackered ford transit....

[300bhp/ton]

Baryonyx said:

The noisy, clonking, rattling

Not really heard any that make a rattling sound tbh. Do you have an example?

Clonking I'm not sure on either. Certainly nothing that goes 'clonk clonk clonk' like metal impacting metal. But I think I know what you are saying, although that mostly in my experience would be a cold engine on cold start up. Once warm they make a different noise.

[MrDecadent]

I like the sound of a diesel – I preferred the old 1.9 pd tdi over the 1600 16v unit in the Golf. I now have a 2.0 CR Tdi and it’s nice enough to me.

Where they lack is induction roar/exhaust noise.

I also like the sound of a petrol motor, even prefer it in certain circumstances – i.e. in a weekend toy.

I’ve never understood how people can “hate” it. It’s just an engine noise, I personally prefer the sound of my Tdi over a 1.0 polo. I don’t think the 2.0 TFSi unit sounds that much better than the 2.0 CR Tdi unit really (apart from the “pop” on DSG gear changes of course).

[jmorgan]

I think there is a bit of the mentality that live on the terraces. The club following, you hate it because the others do and you do not want to be seen out of place. Not all people, but probably quite a few.

Personally I do not care if the tool is up to the job. Be that shopping trip or a mile muncher.

[Triumph Man]

I like the sound of a diesel engine, especially the ones with 5 cylinders upwards. For me half the attraction is that they sound agricultural

[Tonsko]

It might be historical - as in what they *used* to sound like. Kind of like a old petrol engine with a bad pinking issue, or the cough-rattle that you got when you turned a knackered one off.

[Baryonyx]

300bhp/ton said:

Not really heard any that make a rattling sound tbh. Do you have an example?

Many diesels do it, my word for it may be different for your word to it though I'm sure we're hearing the same thing. Stand next to an Astra 1.3CDTi at idle and you'll hear it. Mash the laggy throttle in effort to hide the rattle and in a couple of weeks it will lethargically roar into life.

[JollyGrnMonster]

V6 diesel I have here sounds nice tbh

[SuperHangOn]

The old 5 and 6 cylinder MB diesels sounded great and had a super marine like gurgle when you booted them.

TDV8 is a nice one too.

[y2blade]

TameRacingDriver said:

For me, it's because most sound like a van at idle, and once you get past that, they are kind of characterless. However, the same can be said of most 4-pot petrols. I've not tried a 6-pot diesel, but I can imagine it being better.

The V6 and IL5 diesels I've driven/owned sounded pretty good.

[Horse Pop]

I've read them described as sounding like "a skeleton masturbating in a biscuit tin" which sounds fair to me.