Why is the sound of a diesel different?

[Vladimir]

Mastodon2 said:

Yeah, they sound absolutely dreadful! They sound like a jackhammer splitting concrete, but apparently are popular in Ireland though.

With regard to the theory that perhaps we enjoy the sound of petrol more because we are more familiar with it, well I don't put any stock in that. Diesels sound terrible because they are clattery as a result of their engines, whereas petrols on the other hand (generally) produce much a smoother, more rounded tone with more of the frequencies that are pleasing to the ear (bass and low mids with treble accents) instead of piercing higher frequencies overlaid on a white noise of bass you get from a diesel.

Anyone that thinks this sounds bad has hearing trouble:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THlqwMldhsM

Diesels are clattery on start up. That's it. Only the very worst clatter when working.

A thrashy four pot petrol makes very high frequency sound with naff all bass. As does a flat plane crank V8.

[Chris Stott]

Welshbeef said:

When I grew up diesel cars I just never saw any. Had the situation been the other way round only diesels and then only really in the last 15 years petrol Tom off like diesel has in the Uk would we still think petrol sounds good? Would we think heck we don't like this new driving characteristics of the engine ? I don't know

Same here... diesels were for trucks and buses only. And I think you're right... Even a short time ago most diesels were significantly inferior to petrols in all areas except fuel consumption. But the modern diesel is superior to a similar capacity petrol engine in most areas except maybe sound.

If someone invented the petrol engine today it would need to be a large capacity sports car engine, anything smaller and people would just think it's too expensive to run and gutless.

[Jimmy No Hands]

My 3.0 M54 sounds very diesely with the bonnet up. Is this the same reason as the 330i earlier in the thread? Same engine?

[sebhaque]

Mum's 107 sounded lovely, haven't heard it sing since I bought it though. Did sound rather lumpy when I picked it up in the middle of winter. Am I right in assuming it sounds like crap because it kind of is because it fires in a 1-3-2 order and rattles around on its mounts as such?

[simoid]

And a decent thrum from the AygoC107s