Tips for Optimising Your Car's Diesel Engine Uptime
Diesel engines are typically costlier to manufacture as compared to gas engines due to the greater level of reliability expected of them. Even though diesel engines often require less frequent repair service than their gas-powered counterparts, they cost more to fix when problems finally do occur. Therefore, it is important to provide the best care possible for a diesel engine so that the frequency of repairs can be kept at a minimum.
In light of some commonly encountered issues, here's what you can do to ensure your car's diesel engine stays running reliably for as long as possible:
Oil and fuel filter changes
Car engine oil does the pivotal role of keeping the engine well-lubricated for the entire time it is running. Failure to change engine oil as recommended in the car owner's manual can cause a diesel engine to age prematurely.
Changing fuel filters is equally critical to ensure prolonged engine performance. For that reason, you should also replace dirty fuel filters as required by your car manufacturer to prevent condensation problems that may cause damage to the fuel injectors of your diesel engine.
Make sure the engine oil and fuel filters you use meet the standards recommended by the manufacturer of the car manufacturer.
Cooling system
Due to the high amount of heat produced by a diesel engine, it is essential to maintain a good cooling system. That is why your diesel engine car has a visual warning system (temperature gauge light) on the dash panel to inform you of an overheating engine. To ensure that the temperature gauge in your car is working properly, you will have to find and perform tests on the coolant temperature sensor. You can do this by reading and following instructions provided in your car's service manual.
Any time the light in this device blinks to warn of engine overheating, park your car on the roadside, shut off the engine, and allow it to cool by leaving the bonnet of your car open for a short time. Engine overheating is a problem that can be caused by more complex issues with the cooling system; thus, you should call in a professional mechanic to check out your cooling system to prevent frequent recurrence of the same problem.
Gaskets
Last but not least, inspect the gaskets on your car's diesel engine on a regular basis owing to the extremely harsh conditions that they often work under when the engine is running; gaskets, especially those located in the combustion mountings are more prone to fast wear.
If you spot a damaged gasket, replace the whole set; often, if a single gasket is faulty, the rest aren't very far from needing replacement as well.
For more information, contact L.K. Diesel Service or a similar company.