Car Diesel Engine Maintenance Tips

By | October 31, 2013

Today, people buying diesel cars for the first time have a lot of fears and doubts about diesel engines. Most common apprehension for them is the diesel engines have caused higher maintenance. But it is a myth today. The advancement in diesel engine technology made diesel vehicle compete with gasoline ones.

If the car is maintained according to the recommendations of manufacturer, it will run thousands of miles without any problem. Diesel engines run under high compression ratio and high pressure, because these engines are tougher than the gasoline engines.

Diesel engines last longer than gasoline engines. Diesel engines run at higher torque, it will provide at least 20% more fuel efficiency and can pull better than a gasoline engine. To get the benefits of a diesel car must do some regular maintenance.

  • Drive with optimum throttle: In modern diesel engines, flooring throttle will waste more fuel. Find the maximum torque getting spot using your car owner’s manual and within the torque band keep it shifting. In small diesels it is generally around 1800 to 2200 rpm. In this range, you can get both mileage and power.
  • Do not let the tank dry: If you drive your diesel car until the last drop, in the fuel lines it will get an airlock. It will be a tough time to you. To start the fuel flow smoothly again into the engine, you need to manually prime the diesel pump. It can be a little messy. It is therefore sensible to fill the fuel before it completely dries.
  • Keep clean the injectors: The modern diesel injectors are electrically controlled. These will spurt precise amounts of fuel in the cylinder. Sometimes this goes within a fraction of seconds, multiple times per combustion cycle. A slightest bit of sludge or soot can clog the injectors. This results in black smoke from the exhaust and loss of power. Keep the injectors in prime condition by cleaning them for every four tankfuls or every month. The additives in the premium diesel improve combustion and keep the injectors clean.
  • Engine oil: The greater heat tolerances and larger number of moving parts in diesel engines make engine oil more important. Always change the engine oil according to the manufacturer recommendations. In diesel engines, within a few hundreds of miles tends to get blackened. You need not worry about it. You need to check for change in the viscosity or sludge under the oil cap. If you find any, it implies that oil needs to be changed.
  • Keep the air filter clean because diesel engines rely for efficient combustion on high volumes of air.

While you are starting the engine first time in the day, do not use the accelerator immediately. Wait for a minute or little more. It gives the ample time to the engine for oil circulation and to cylinders to build up heat.

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