But, can't we be serious for once, at least in this section?

diesel sells for N145! Thats N9860 to till my tank with 68 litres. For Petrol I would spend only N4420. Thats about N5000 difference a week (I fill every week), and about N18000 a month

mastro:

I can just see it,
Husband: Darling here are the keys for a 2008 GL450 CDI, for your 40th birthday, happy birthday to you etc etc
Wife: My one and only, kiss kiss etc etc, calling all my friends to tell them how much you love me

week later

Wife: Darling I need some money to buy fuel.
Husband: No you don't, didn't we eat dodo last night, pour the oil inside my dear, if it's not enough call round your friends and ask for their left over frying oil
Wife: Oti O, see my mother warned me not to marry you, me I should be driving Dodo powered GL, it's a lie O!

Husband: give me the key jo, I will sort it out,
goes to Mr Biggs,
Husband: youngman, bring out all your old frying oil, I will pay you N100 a litre.
Youngman: Ok sir, 1 min
Young man goes round the back, hmm he thinks there is only 5 litres here, adds 15 litres of water, 2 litres of old engine oil, mixes together

Youngman: Oga here you go
Husband: Ok here is N2500, well done, fills tank, on way home engine stalls on 3rd mainland bridge, damm he says where's Siena's number

Hmmm I think with these arguments I would be tempted to change my golf 3 1.8ltr car to a Volvo V40 diesel . Sienna, what say you? Pls advise. I have to do a switch in the next two weeks or so. Or any other options you mite have in that same range?

oblo:

Hmmm I think with these arguments I would be tempted to change my golf 3 1.8ltr car to a Volvo V40 diesel . Sienna, what say you? Pls advise. I have to do a switch in the next two weeks or so. Or any other options you mite have in that same range?

frankfrank:

@Siena pls can I have your email and what area are in London? I need your advice, regarding my Audi. Thanks

info@lpf:
Right, so given the partial removal of the "fuel subsidy" and the imminent complete removal, may I suggest that this thread be restarted? The cost issue is now moot, not only does petrol now carry a retail price of N97 in large cities, it is actually N140 in most parts of Nigeria! In addition, there seems to be an improvement in the power situation, which could logically lead to a reduction in diesel prices from its current N97 (at least at Forte Oil, Falomo)! Also, long petrol lines at gas stations is now a common sight, with constant threats of NUPENG strikes.

Now what do the experts have to say about the original debate? I am really keen on this thread as I am considering a VW Toureg TDI. My only hesitation comes from a niggling concern about travelling long distance with a diesel powered vehicle - how do I guarantee the availability of diesel when needed on a drive from Lagos to Abuja, for instance? Perhaps carry gallons of cooking oil? That is a more appealing thought than gallons of diesel in my trunk...

BTW, who in the world came up with the the stupid nomenclature - PMS, AGO etc? Just plain silly, lazy and non-intuitive. Whatever happened to just simple petrol / gas, kerosene, diesel etc? Those are just as easily abbreviated, if needed.

holydante: Given all the valuable learning curves you all pointed out here, i just want to point out that we bought 33,000 ltrs of diesel last week for our use @ N141, and reliable information has it that its heading to N15o.

obua:  I had  funny experiences when I bought my 200D vboot in 2000.


1.   Washed the engine area and started experiencing  difficulty in stopping the engine after the engine is switched off. Tried a few mechanics  without result. Did a search on the www , then was able to trace the loose  vacuum hose but before then, was using the stop engine lever  on the inlet manifold area. So as I plugged back the hose , my engine  not stopping( dieseling) after putting the ignition stopped.
2. Could not get the write type of oil filter . The MB 200D engine is 601 model, but most dealers  stocked the longer filter for the MB  602/603 engines which are long. For some months I was actually washing the filters in petrol and reusing them.
3.  As I was doing the servicing my self, I would change the diesel filter (primary/secondary) 2monthly/monthly and then change the oil filter  3-5 months interval.  I did not know how to bleed the injectors so once I finish changing the diesel filter,(to avoid gas cutting) I will press down the throttle until the air gap in the diesel line was closed , then I will leave the engine to idle.
One day I had to change both oil/diesel  filters  at once. Because the oil has to circulate I could not fire the stationary car on full throttle, so the gas  cutting thing started and the car refused to start.  I took  batteries from other cars and still no success. I called the first mechanics and he said I had to pay him  8k to loose the injection pump and then another 6 k  to service it.
I was really mad at him cause I had been exposed to diesel generators, so I knew that injector pump loosing was no big job.
I called my petrol car mechanics and he towed the car out and brought it back and he was 5k richer and I was happy. He refused to answer all my questions about what he actually did. That is the attitude of many Nigeria low Schooled Techies
So I went back to old regime  of staggered servicing.
Later I was tempted to try complete service again.
By then I had done more research, so I was able to solve the problem by bleeding the nozzles while someone else tried starting the engine.
4. I was able to manage the fuel crisis of that era by  stocking diesel at home . At a time  I had about 10     20l kegs of diesel  stored  at home.
This was possible because diesel can be safely store at home.
5. Tried the  bio diesel fad, but could not get much of it in good quantity.
6. When the price of diesel went up to N150/l  in 2006-2008 , some bad guys started mixing diesel with gas condensate. lots of diesel engined cars and generators were damaged. Infact my neighbour  had  a major fire incident in his "diesel tank" house.

7. Right now I am thinking of going for a 2003 diesel Toyota corolla ( — 1CD-FTV — 2.0 L (1995 cc) I4 diesel, 16-valve DOHC, turbocharged, D-4D, 114 hp (85 kW) engine) and   2003  Toyota Land Cruiser with the  engine 4.2 L I6 1HD-T diesel turbo