Within the automotive industry, Mercedes-Benz has always been at the forefront of motoring technology – so it’s no surprise that they were the first manufacturer to develop a series-production diesel passenger car. This model was named the 260D. During the times when cars were first developed, petrol power was all the rage, but it wasn’t until 1933 that drivers and manufacturers began to experiment with diesel and automotive vehicles.
The Mercedes 260D was launched to the world in 1936. At the time, many weren’t sure it would become as successful as it did (what do journalists know anyway?) but the name directly linked with the engines 2.6L capacity and the fact it was diesel. Between 1936 and 1940, almost 2,000 260D’s were produced – and production was only halted as a result of WWII. Back then, speed and power weren’t as important – a vehicle was simply about getting from A to B without spending too much on fuel. This is why diesel had, and still does have, an advantage for everyday motorists.
At slow, regular speeds, a diesel engine was more economical than petrol vehicles and as fuelling stations were rare, running low on fuel wasn’t an option! All of this just affirms why the 260D was so successful as the first diesel engine auto vehicle. In fact, after a model upgrade in 1937, the tank allowed distanced of 500km – meaning you could drive from Dublin to Galway and back on just one tank of diesel!
In 1984, the 190D was introduced, with a newly developed four-cylinder diesel engine and a displacement of 1997 cubic centimetres – something that intrigued people. This engine put the stake in the ground for state-of-the-art diesel technology in Mercedes-Benz cars and thanks to its reduction in engine noise, it was coined the ‘whisper diesel’. Pumping out a respectable power output of 53 kW with a low fuel consumption, the 190D was a huge success with a total of 452,806 units produced over a ten-year period.
1974 saw many celebrations – from Germany becoming World football champions for the second time, ABBA winning the Eurovision Song Contest and President Richard Nixon resigning; but it was also the year that Volkswagen presented its successor to the Beetle – the Golf.
Just two years after the launch of the original Golf MK1, Volkswagen presented their first diesel version, boasting a compact model – the Golf D. The Golf D was powered by a 1.5l, four-cylinder diesel engine that put out 50HP at 5,000 rpm and 80Nm (59 lb-ft) of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.
Our MD, Kieth, can recall working on both the Mercedes-Benz 190D and VW Golf MK1 models. With rotary and in-line fuel pumps and in-direct fuel injectors, both models presented a relatively simple set up for engineers, with injector pressures of 115 bar.
From these humble beginnings, the industry has now progressed to bigger and better options with manufacturers producing diesel engines with common rail diesel and injector pressures of over 2,000 bar.
We have experience of working with a wide range of diesel engine models and can use our extensive knowledge to help identify faults, repair, restore and clean diesel fuel injectors. Additionally, we have the knowledge, skills and equipment to fully restore vehicles back to their shiny glory!
For regular maintenance, we recommend professional cleaning for diesel particulate filters. We provide a professional DPF cleaning service for a wide range of vehicle models to help reduce poor performance and emissions. Poorly maintained filters can build up with excessive volumes of soot, affecting fuel economy and a loss of power. We inspect, test, clean and repair DPF’s and have a 98% success rate with our in-house regeneration process.
Need to ramp up performance further? We also offer turbocharger repair services using industry standard equipment, in addition to being able to test both vacuum and electronic actuators. Learn more about this service or get in touch to discuss your needs.
Experiencing an issue with your vehicle and not seeing an answer with your diagnosis? With our diesel injector repair service, we can test your injectors using the latest technology. We offer a specialist repair service for all types of engines including automotive, commercial, agriculture, plant and marine.
We’re here to get your truck running like new again with our advanced Common Rail Injector Repair Service. We’re committed to using the latest technology, to guarantee OE quality repairs.
Don’t let failing Cat HEUI injectors sideline your vehicle. United Performance offers a fast, cost-effective solution to maximise the performance of your vehicle and ensure its output is optimised.
Diesel pumps are the key to a diesel vehicle’s performance. Following advancements in mechanics, the sophistication and complexity of diesel fuel injection pumps has naturally advanced. Producing fuel pressure and volume, diesel pumps are the catalyst to controlling electrically controlled injectors and fuel delivery, so repair is crucial to performance.
Not all turbochargers need to be replaced when they fail – with the right inspection process, many turbochargers can be repaired back to top performance. Using industry standard processes and technology, we test, repair, and replace turbochargers, completing rigorous inspection, cleaning, and testing.
In addition to diesel injectors, we also have extensive experience in cleaning and flow testing petrol fuel injectors. Our cleaning and repair service is just a fraction of the cost of a new fuel injector, restoring your component. This is available for vehicles used in a wide range of industries, including automotive, motorcycles and marine.
Utilising our market leading technology, we can provide professional cleaning, regeneration, and repair of all exhaust filters for automotives, commercial, plant and agricultural vehicles. Regular cleaning of exhaust filters improves engine performance and reduce future damage and costs.
Want to increase the drivability and performance of your vehicle? We can accelerate your vehicle into overdrive! We specialise in modifying, calibrating, and supplying high-performance diesel and petrol injection components that are designed to meet the varied demands of the racing & performance markets.
Please enter your email address in order to download our brochure
"*" indicates required fields
