Diesel engines have it all: power, torque, and reliability. But they require regular upkeep and careful driving to ensure they continue to deliver all the pleasures of the road and handle any workloads you throw at them.
Here are four tips for maintaining your diesel engine. Keep them in mind and practice them religiously to keep your vehicle happy, healthy, and rolling down the highway.
Change the Oil
The biggest responsibility you have to your vehicle is ensuring it gets regular oil and oil filter changes. Without oil, the only where it’ll get you is nowhere.
Diesel engines run hot and need clean oil to operate at peak efficiency without breaking down. Change the oil every 3,000 to 6,000 miles—whatever the manual or your mechanic recommends.
Make a note to get that oil changed on your calendar. You’ll not only keep the engine happy, but you’ll spend less on fuel and extend its life.
Replace the Air Filter
Another way to keep your engine up to snuff is to let it “breathe.” Air filters ensure the engine isn’t taking in grit, grime, and other debris that can enter it and gradually tear up its inner workings.
When you leave an air filter in too long, it becomes obstructed and chokes off the oxygen supply your engine needs to work. That means diminished horsepower, more fuel burned, and a hotter and hotter engine, all of which can lead to engine failure. Fix the filters whenever it’s time to do so.
Keep the Vehicle Cool
Once again, you must expect your engine to run hot when it’s operating. But too hot means a quick route to engine failure.
Check the coolant level and top it off as needed, especially before it gets too hot outside. Look over the radiator and assorted hoses as well, watching for cracks and leaks that lead to excessive heating.
Periodically flush the radiator and replace the coolant as required. Again, your mechanic and the vehicle’s manual should offer specific insights on the proper amount of coolness your vehicle requires.
Inspect the Car Regularly
As part of your maintenance schedule, ensure your vehicle receives a multipoint check by your mechanic. Ask them to look out for little things that can turn into big things. They’ll make a point of looking for leaks, tears, worn parts, loose and ready-to-snap belts, and more.
Repair them now, or you’ll pay dearly for them in the future. And here’s another tip before you buy a new or used diesel truck: bring a mechanic friend to look it over for any issues, if possible.
Those are four tips for maintaining your diesel engine. Good luck, and enjoy the view from behind the wheel!
