Top 5 Warning Signs Your Heavy Equipment Diesel Engine Is in Trouble

Are you squeezing every ounce of performance and lifespan out of your heavy equipment diesel engines? Whether you’re running excavators in dusty construction zones, towing implements over your farm’s fields or keeping a fleet of loaders humming in the most aggressive mining operation around, your engines power your business.

If your diesel engine fails, everything else grinds to a halt. Not only do unplanned repairs stall productivity and hold up projects, but they also eat into your bottom line. Industry statistics show preventive maintenance focused businesses experience far less unexpected downtime and save thousands in catastrophic repair expenses.

What about your business? Preventative maintenance should stop catastrophic failures before they happen. By recognizing these 5 key signs your heavy equipment diesel engine is telling you something is wrong, you can protect your investment and keep your fleet running strong.

1. Too Much Exhaust Smoke or Discolored Exhaust Smoke

If your heavy equipment diesels start billowing thick clouds of black smoke every time you hit the throttle, it’s practically screaming at you to do something. But did you know that other colors can also signal distress?

• Black Smoke: This is by far the most common symptom we see and is caused by too much fuel being burned with not enough air to combust it (commonly referred to as an engine running rich). More often than not, black smoke is caused by a severely dirty air filter.
• Blue Smoke: Blue smoke means your engine is burning oil. This can be due to worn piston rings, valve guides or cylinder heads/seats.
• White Smoke: White smoke coming from your diesel could mean unburned fuel is passing through the exhaust, or that coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber.

2. Noticeable Loss of Power

Heavy equipment is built for a reason. To move large objects and handle a large value of those objects. Like big piles of dirt. So when your operators come to you saying your bulldozer can’t seem to push dirt like it used to or your tractor is laboring up hills that normally seem like coasting, your engine has a problem.

Diesel engines on heavy equipment lose power for many reasons, but most can be traced back to fuel delivery issues. Clogged fuel filters, dirty fuel injectors and broken fuel pumps are common trouble spots. Loss of power can also occur when an engine is starved of air. Without a sufficient amount of clean air to mix with diesel fuel and combust, your engine won’t produce the force needed to move heavy loads.

3. Increased Fuel Consumption

Diesel fuel prices aren’t going down anytime soon. If you find yourself spending more money on fuel than normal, tracking your fleet’s MPG is a great way to monitor your engine’s health.

If MPG takes a sudden nose dive, your engine is exerting more effort than it should. A dirty fuel injector or spark plug, improper timing or a clogged air filter can all cause reduced efficiency. An engine that is deprived of oxygen due to lack of airflow will compensate by burning more fuel in an attempt to reach the desired horsepower.

Clean your air filter and you’ll see immediate savings on your daily fuel costs.

4. Strange Engine Noises

Diesel engines aren’t silent, but your operator should know how a healthy engine sounds while it’s running. If you notice new noises that stick out from your machine's normal rhythm, take it out of service and troubleshoot.

Knocking? Ticking? Rattling? Does your engine make a deep knocking noise when you first start it? If so, you’re likely suffering from worn main bearings or pistons. Does it tick? Valve train issues or a fuel injector that isn’t firing properly could be the culprit. Learn to recognize these sounds and react. Chances are they will only lead to bigger, more expensive problems.

5. Hard Starting or Difficulty Starting

A strong, healthy diesel engine will usually fire right up. Even in cold weather. But if your equipment suddenly takes longer to crank, requires multiple tries to start, or just won’t start at all, then don’t ignore it.

Weak batteries and broken starters are the obvious issues that cause hard starting. However, glow plugs, fuel lift pumps and low compression can also cause your diesel engine to be difficult to crank up.

How to Keep Your Engine from Ever Displaying These Symptoms Again

Let’s sum it up. Black smoke, loss of power, and decreased fuel efficiency can all be symptoms of your diesel engine not getting enough air due to a dirty air filter.

Did you notice how many of the above symptoms are directly related to dirty air filters? Heavy equipment diesel engines require a lot of air to generate power. When you’re working indoors or in low dust environments like logging operations or gravel pits, air filters can last a long time. But when you’re out in the dust on construction sites, farms and quarries, air filters fill up fast.

Lots of operators solve this problem by buying expensive filter replacements every few weeks. Some of you are even trying to “clean” your filters by banging them against a tire. That knocks the dirt off, right? Wrong. All that does is damage the filter media and create small holes that allow big-ticket, engine destroying dust particles to get into your engine.

What if there was a better way? What if you could safely clean and reuse your heavy duty air filters, saving money and keeping your engine clean?

Meet the Filter Blaster

The Filter Blaster is a game-changing, patented tool designed with heavy equipment operators in mind. The Filter Blaster’s proprietary centrifugal action distributes compressed air evenly throughout the filter and blasts the dirt out the sides, all without damaging the filter.

By incorporating Filter Blasters into your preventative maintenance schedule you will:

• Save Money on Filter Replacement: Extend the life of your expensive air filters by safely cleaning and reusing them.
• Improve MPG: A clean air filter means your engine will always have enough air for the perfect combustion ratio.
• Extend Engine Life: Prevent black smoke, power loss, and overheating problems caused by restricted airflow.

Really, the only thing left for you to do is start saving money. Give your maintenance crew the Filter Blaster and watch your fleet’s uptime and profitability soar.

Heavy Equipment Diesel FAQs

Q: Why is my heavy equipment diesel engine blowing black smoke?

A: Black smoke means your engine is burning too much fuel, and not getting enough air. This is commonly caused by a clogged air filter restricting airflow into the engine. Faulty fuel injectors can also cause your engine to blow black smoke.

Q: Why is my heavy equipment diesel losing power when under load?

A: There can be many different reasons, but most are attributed to fuel delivery issues or air starvation. Restricting the airflow into the engine by running with a dirty air filter will cause your engine to lose power. Fuel filters, fuel injectors and fuel pumps can also cause loss of power.

Q: How can I improve MPG in my heavy equipment?

A: The best thing you can do is practice preventative maintenance. Keep your fuel injectors clean, keep your tires or tracks properly inflated, and most importantly…keep your air filters clean. Using a Filter Blaster will allow you to keep your engines inhaling with ease, preventing it from guzzling fuel to compensate.

Q: Is it really safe to clean and reuse my heavy equipment air filters?

A: Absolutely, as long as you’re using the proper tool. Banging your filters on the ground or with a tire and hose-punching them with concentrated air are surefire ways to destroy your filters. The Filter Blaster is designed to safely clean your filter media without tearing the paper. Our unique centrifugal design evenly distributes air throughout the filter and blasts the dirt out the sides safely.