Question for truck people

Clover29 · ‎03-09-2010

I'm from England, where there aren't a lot of trucks, so this isn't my field of expertise.

Our neighbors have a older Dodge truck, and it's incredibly noisy. It's as loud as the garbage truck (DH agrees with me on that). I was out walking the dog this morning, and several other trucks passed us almost silently. Mazda, Toyota, Chevy, two Fords: all as quiet as regular sedans.

Why is our neighbor's truck so loud? I presume it's diesel, but that wouldn't make it so loud, would it? It's not about backfiring or needing a new exhaust or muffler; the whole engine sounds like it was made by Boeing. And the owner spends every spare minute working on his vehicles, so I don't think he'd be driving a truck with parts that needed replacing.

This isn't a big issue or anything. I'm just curious about why his truck is fifty times louder than anyone else's, and I don't think he'd appreciate me asking him. He loves that truck.

traveler · ‎03-09-2010

Diesel pickups can be much louder than traditional gas powered. I can definitely tell when a neighbor starts his diesel.

Qwackertoo · ‎03-11-2010

maybe a Dodge Ram with a Hemi Diesel engine? Maybe the bigger model, like Chevrolet uses C1500 and C2500 and C3500 and Ford with 150 and 250 and 350.

So perhaps it is a bigger model and the louder engine. Hemi's might be louder than regular diesel engines.

You might can take a look next time you see it for the chrome logo identifying numbers and the word Hemi on it to help identify why it is so loud.

I don't know a lot about how people "rig" their trucks with extra performance type (ie noise) accessories.

spud188 · ‎09-23-2010

It is a diesel engine.

Clover29 · ‎03-09-2010

I didn't think it was a diesel thing because I remember having a diesel courtesy car in the 1990s, when my own car was in the shop, and everyone said "Diesel? Whoah, that's going to be loud", but it wasn't at all. No louder than a regular gas car.

But I don't know if cars and trucks are somehow very different when it comes to being that noisy.

rarejan · ‎05-14-2011

It most likely loud because he's added accessories to it to make it that loud. I have a Toyota Tundra and can make it sound like a Boeing 747 taking off if I wanted to. Some exhaust systems are performance enhancing and some are just for show and loudness. A diesel truck has a rattle to it but it's not loud off the assembly line. He's been playing with his truck.

Western New York
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Clover29 · ‎03-09-2010

Well, if he did it deliberately, I may ask him about it after all Smile I didn't want him to think I was hatin' on his beloved truck, but if he actually wants it to make that horrendous noise, he must be proud of it and wouldn't be offended if I asked what it is.

I'm still worried that it's just a cronky old diesel truck though, and they all sound like that. I need to hear another Dodge for comparison. No one else round here seems to have one. Perhaps for obvious reasons ${#emotions_dlg.biggrin}$

Luv2Decorate · ‎03-12-2010

Hemi's are usually a big V8 gas engine, if he has a diesel in a Dodge it's probably a Cummins engine. Not all diesels are loud, they can modify them to be loud and some do that because they like the sound.

We have Volvo diesel engines in our boat and they are quiet and clean diesel.

My husband had an Audi diesel car and it purred like a kitten and sipped fuel. 42mpg too.

Qwackertoo · ‎03-11-2010

On 12/12/2014 Luv2Decorate said:
Hemi's are usually a big V8 gas engine, if he has a diesel in a Dodge it's probably a Cummins engine. Not all diesels are loud, they can modify them to be loud and some do that because they like the sound.

We have Volvo diesel engines in our boat and they are quiet and clean diesel.

My husband had an Audi diesel car and it purred like a kitten and sipped fuel. 42mpg too.

Luv2Decorate, Thanks for the explanation on Hemi's and Cummins. My nephew, who has a few horses, and he just turned 17 last month . . . bugged his parents until they caved and bought the kid a Dodge with the Cummins engine . . .spoiled kid . . . . not new but still they have bought him like 3 or 4 trucks since he turned 16 in Nov. of 2013. I get he is the "baby" but geeze . . . my poor 17 yr. old is driving his sister's hand-me-down from when she left for college that she drove all during high school and now he's doing the same.

My poor kids are deprived compared to him!!!

That said . . . I wouldn't own a Dodge Truck. It would have to be a Ford or a Toyota.