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Diesel Engine Maintenance Basics
Diesel engine maintenance done on a regular basis is vital for the continued well-being of your vehicle. Giving your diesel engine a good tune up once in a while will help the health of your diesel engine. However, there are also some jobs that you really should get a mechanic to do. They are best done by professionals who know what they are doing.
Oil and Fluids
It is always a good idea to set up your own diesel maintenance schedule. Have a calendar which marks off when certain tasks should be addressed. It is quite safe to check your own fluid levels on a diesel car. Checking the fluid levels is very straight forward. You will see that under the hood of your car there are various reservoirs which have markings on the caps. These markings will identify what fluid is inside the reservoirs using a method of writing coupled with a small pictorial icon to denote the use. Check your dip stick level and wipe the stick before putting it back in and pulling it out again. This will give you an accurate reading of how much oil is in your car. Other reservoirs include water levels, coolant levels, screen wash levels, transmission fluid levels (where appropriate) and other fluids which are associated with diesel engines. Make sure that all fluids are up to the maximum level.
The Cooling System
Owing to the amount of heat generated by diesel engines in comparison to petrol/gasoline engines, diesel cooling systems become a high maintenance factor. Don’t allow your diesel car to stand and over heat. This puts too much pressure on the engine and if the cooling system doesn’t have the back up of enough water and coolant fluids this can cause unnecessary damage to your diesel engine.
Gaskets
The gaskets on diesel engine should have regular monitoring. You might need to re-torque the mounting bolts at regular intervals. This will stop the possibility of leaks springing in the combustion mountings. If you notice signs that a gasket is leaking you should replace it straight away. Once the gasket starts to go, it becomes weaker and liable to create further leaks and reduce over all vehicle performance.
Fuel Maintenance
Owing to the difference in the fuel systems between diesel and petrol/gasoline cars diesel engines require far more care and maintenance. The lack of electrical systems and ignition, spark plugs and other petrol associated starting devices means the diesel engine relies on glow plugs. These must be maintained correctly. It is also strongly advised that you always keep your fuel tank at the full level. Condensation has a tendency to build up in diesel chambers and this can end up clogging the fuel injectors and causing running problems. Diesel engines don’t produce CO at the same rate as other petrol/gasoline cars but the trade off with that is that a diesel engine will exhaust soot instead. This is caused by incomplete combustion, which, in turn is caused by dirt in the fuel injectors. Again, this refers back to the glow plugs which must be maintained to prevent this occurring. All the above suggestions are vitally important in diesel car and diesel truck maintenance. It will also reduce your diesel maintenance costs when you use preventative measures and care for your car or truck.
