Sam.

You've hit a nerve

:ROTFL: Just last weekend I helped my son replace the passenger side power window regulator in his 99 XJ. The passenger side on my wife's 00 XJ is ticking when going up and down so it won't be long.

I think we almost got the TDI eurovan here because it's included in the Bently service manuals I have

I also owned a 1985 Vanagon. Less refined then the Euro but much more space.
While camping last year, actually year before last now, I met a fellow in NC at the Outter Banks with a always up Vanagon diesel powered syncro from Canada. ALL STOCK He bought it from the original owner in Germany. So he was in NC with French only speaking lady friend and was from Canada and while driving down the road he felt a jolt and it then started pulling left. We looked underneath but nothing obvious. He had just had extensive front end done by VW before leaving Canada. On the way down his vicious clutch started acting up so he didn't even think about taking it on the beach
Last June at the campground at Hatterus there was a fellow from Germany who had the meanest, biggest,t baddest 4X4 camper you could imagine. The chassis was Iveco the tires were at least 4 feet tall and it had adjustable air bag suspension on each wheel He had it to Africa amoung other countries. He was going to Oklahoma when he left Hatterus then to Texas to pick up his daughter's boy friend then putting the camper in storage here and going back to Germany. On his return he was going down through Mexico and points south. My wife wonders what he ownes to be able to do that. Here's his web site with pictures. There's a "click here for English" but the German language has more pictures of his past campers. English tells how he had it specially built and a u-tube video of it in the Sahara Desert http://www.sandfloh.net

On my Vanagon I replaced those two long steel pipes that go from the engine to radiator and back. the head gaskets were a ton of fun too. The hardest thing to track down was the it would be running fine then all of a sudden run like crap. Turns out the wire from the ECM plug to the o2 sensor was coax and the insulation between the inner conductor and outter shield was deterioting and ocassionally shorting out at the o2 end. I sold it when I got the EV. I also owned a 1962 type II pickup truck for a while. Recently there's been a few Vanagon diesels in craig's list that came from out west. I thought about inquiring but only for a second

The problem with the WK CRD is that it was $43K new! Nobody is going to spend that kind of money on a midsize SUV. Build the diesel, sell it here for under $30K, and you'll have a hard time keeping up with demand.

That's why they sold the KJ CRD here. To find out "if it will sell". And guess what? Every single one of them was sold as soon as they hit the lots. I heard that the average CRD sat on the lot for less than 30 days, which was 3X less than the average gasoline vehicle. PEOPLE WANT DIESEL.

Hit the nail on the head. How much $ does it take to install a us compliant emission system on a current euro diesel. I would guess at least $10,000 per vehicle. Add that to a basic suv or truck costing $25,000 and your at $35,000 real quick.

Chrysler gave up on the Mercedes engine families in their latest products. The VM Motori 3.0L is currently being developed for the Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300...only for Export markets at this time. The VM engine is stronger than the Merc with a 250hp rating and a cast iron block.

We would be very happy if Chrysler/Fiat started bringing diesels to the US. Since they have the worst fleet average fuel economy...they must do something huge before the 2016 fuel economy standard are in full effect, otherwise they will have to sell 2 Fiat 500s for every SUV or truck!

I think you are over exaggerating the cost of emissions...

No not really in the big picture that includes the payroll for all involved and testing.

compared to all the current testing and safety testing and engineering and everything else that is more complicated?

I guess then I would like to know how VW is able to do it and not charge a 10k premium for the diesel, or the 1 ton trucks.. I mean, not only does the change in price include the diesel engine itself, it also includes the associated emissions along with it.

3/4-1 tons pickups are not tested the same way as smaller vehicles,they don't even rate them for EPA mileage either

and yes most of those diesel option are over $6000-$7800 depending on make.

VW has a huge markup on there diesels,or I should say no rebates or special offers and you will pay full MSRP,well everywhere I've looked the VW dealers will not budge 1 cent below MSRP on VW diesels and in most cases they are a few thousand above MSRP and suckers still buy them.

starting in 2010, the diesel emissions are more stringent and will get more stringent in 2012 as well, yes the testing isn't the same, but light duty trucks 3/4 -1 tons are not given a bypass of emissions like their medium duty counterparts.

.

There not given a free ride but there standards are not the same for a VW car with a diesel in it.

The places that still have emission testing done here no diesel get's bypassed but 3 gas vehicles do and can never be tested in my state,the Ford Rapture,H2,and the newer Dodge Power Wagon's so they will always get a free pass.