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6 Diesel Maintenance Tips to Prolong the Life of your Engine

6 Diesel Maintenance Tips to Prolong the Life of your Engine

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Purchasing a motor vehicle is one thing, but maintaining its diesel engine is an entirely different story. Specialized care is needed no matter the type of motor vehicle you buy, be it a truck or a car, you name it – it needs maintenance. One thing to keep in mind is that gasoline and diesel engines have different cleaning and maintenance requirements. While some may be the same, others are not, and these maintenance needs also depend on how you usually use your motor vehicle.

Diesel engine vehicles often handle more rough work because they have high torque power. For this reason, diesel-powered engine vehicles perform various challenging tasks such as pushing, carrying, digging, and pulling. But if your diesel-powered vehicle is a car that you use to commute around your town or city, then its maintenance would be similar to that of a petrol or gasoline-powered engine.

Professional engine maintenance done once every year is beneficial, but day-to-day engine care and maintenance are equally important. These daily activities make diesel engines work perfectly and prolong the longevity and sustainability of the engine. Here are the five diesel engine maintenance tips you should know.

1. Keep the air filter functional

A dirty air filter can choke your diesel engine, causing it to use more fuel to generate the power needed to accelerate. In most diesel-powered engines, you will find the air filter right under the hood in the cold air collector box (rectangular) located towards the front of your vehicle's engine compartment. Note that a clean air filter can help heavy diesel engines save fuel.

It is recommended to get this air filter changed once every 12,000 miles. Additionally, suppose you ever notice a drop in your engine power, poor acceleration, or increase in the wear on your diesel engine. In that case, it may be because the air filter needs to be replaced immediately. Be sure to get a professional handle the entire process of cleaning or replacing the air filter.

2. Keep your engine clean

When you are driving your vehicle around, your diesel engine is likely to get covered in all kinds of grease and grime. As a result, you will find it dirty from the road, as well as soot and oil. There will be so much dirt on there that sometimes you can barely see the engine itself. For this reason, keeping your diesel engine clean is a crucial step when it comes to diesel engine maintenance. It also makes it easier to identify any potential oil leaks.

Additionally, if you live in a region with harsh weather elements, the diesel engine is likely to take a lot of road salt. This could result in premature rust of your engine. Keeping it clean could help prevent premature rust.

3. Replace fuel filters whenever necessary

It is recommended to replace your fuel filter as part of a diesel engine's routine maintenance schedule. This must be done at around every 10,000 to 15,000 miles. The most recent diesel engines have two fuel filters. If your engine fits this description, you should make sure that both of these fuel filters are replaced at the same time to ensure optimal performance and cleanliness.

4. Take care of the engine's radiator

An engine to radiator keeps the entire engine cool by sending coolant throughout the engine to pick up its heat. The moment a diesel engine gets hot, it is cooled down in the radiator from the cold air blowing into the grill. This freshly cold air then goes back to the engine parts, and the cycle continues.

Diesel engines run hotter compared to gas engines, which means that the radiator in diesel engines is subjected to higher temperatures and is prone to overheating. If not addressed on time, this can lead to warped engine components and avenger engine failure. This isn't something any owner of a diesel-powered engine vehicle wants.

Taking care of the entire cooling system or radiator is vital. This may require you to use a cleaning fluid throughout the cooling system and radiator and filling up the system with high-quality antifreeze. This should be done every 40,000 to 60,000 miles. The moment you notice green or orange fluid leaking from your vehicle's diesel engine, get the radiator checked out immediately.

5. Check the engine's coolant

As previously mentioned, your engine's coolant keeps it from overheating. That means checking the coolant in your engine is an important part of diesel engine maintenance. It is essential to mention that coolant is prone to become acidic over time. If this happens, it can result in the rotting of the rest of the cooling system, including your engine's radiator.

So, in addition to making sure that your engine coolant is always topped up, ensure that it is flushed out and replaced every 60,000 miles. The moment you notice green or orange fluid leaking from your vehicle's engine, it may be the time to get the radiator checked out or the coolant replaced.

6. Diesel engine tuning

One way to get more from the entire diesel engine maintenance process is diesel engine tuning. In case you're not sure how to carry out diesel engine tuning, it is important to get a specialist to tune your engine. So, book your diesel-powered engine vehicle with a local garage and have a mechanic fine-tune the engine for you. This will ensure that you get the best performance from your vehicle as this process improves speed, fuel consumption, and overall power.

Summary

Diesel engine maintenance is a good habit you must get into. Begin with routine weekly checks to ensure that your vehicle's fuel levels are correct while keeping an eye on the mileage for the less frequent checks. Keep in mind that taking care of your diesel engine means it will last for a long time.

Having a clean air filter and other functional components of a diesel engine can help maximize fuel economy and allow you to make significant savings on your fuel budget. In addition, you can trust our Filter Blaster products to optimize the overall performance of your diesel engine.