Your Comprehensive Guide to Diesel Engine Maintenance

Diesel engines are staunch and sturdy and of course, known to be a perfect pick for off-highway applications.?MVDE engines?are deemed perfect for off-highway applications and when taken care of properly, they turn out to be highly durable and economical. Diesel engine maintenance just cannot be overlooked and if you are wondering about the best maintenance tips, this comprehensive guide is for you.

Before we get down to the step-by-step guide to diesel engine maintenance, let’s first understand why it is so important in the first place.

Importance of periodic diesel engine maintenance

Maintaining your diesel engine and carrying out assessments from time to time can be truly rewarding in the long run. It ensures optimum performance and helps cut down on maintenance expenses. Paying attention to regular diesel engine repair becomes critically important before small problems snowball into big ones resulting in a breakdown.

Whether it is cleaning, winterizing, replacing parts, or servicing, you got to have a schedule and stick to it.

There are myriads of benefits of routine maintenance of your engine which are listed below.

Enhanced efficiency

Diesel engines are designed to serve you for the long run and when you maintain your diesel engine properly, you can achieve higher fuel efficiency on a somewhat consistent basis.

Noise and pollution control

Emission norms across the globe have become more stringent than ever before. Modern diesel engines are more sophisticated, sustainable, and innovative enough; however, with periodic preventive care and maintenance, you can reduce the emission.

Easy to start

Well-maintained diesel engines do not take forever to start. You have to pay attention that the engine is taken care of as per the manufacturer’s recommendation- lube oil, coolant & fuel is used and the cold start ad is intact.

How to know your diesel engine requires maintenance?

So, how do you know whether or not your engine needs maintenance? There are some tell-tale signs indicating that your engine requires attention.

Let’s take a look at all of them.

Sign #1: Coloured exhaust

If you see blue, white, or black colour exhaust, it is likely an indication that there is less fuel left in the tank. Faulty injectors, turbo, or even pump problems could be a reason behind this, so you need to check the system and find out exactly what it is.

Sign #2: Difficult start-ups

Difficult start-ups are annoying and troublesome. It could be due to cold weather or a serious underlying issue. Have your machine diagnosed by an expert to find out if it is because of a choked fuel filter or air entrapped in the fuel system. Also, do not forget the lubrication of the diesel engine.

Sign #3- Slow accelerating responses

If your heavy-duty diesel engine is not accelerating the way it once used to, it could be due to chocked fuel filters, bad catalytic convertors, or the engine’s temperature irregularities. Again, an expert will be able to establish the right reason by taking note of temperature fluctuations and other readings.

Sign #4- Damaged fuel injectors

Contemporary diesel engines are not only heavy-duty but are also equipped with sophisticated fuel-injector systems. They require exceptional knowledge and experience in the event of a breakdown. Imbalanced backflow and snagged lines indicate that there might be something wrong with the fuel injector system.

So, how do you maintain your diesel engine’s performance by preventing potential failures?

Sure-fire tips for diesel engine maintenance

Like any other machinery, robust and tenacious diesel engines require timely maintenance. Below are listed a few diesel engine maintenance tips, you would like to follow.

• Fuel Injection System Maintenance

It is extremely important to keep the filters and other parts intact to prevent any unexpected breakdowns. In the process, you have to ensure that the fuel caps are functioning perfectly and do not allow moisture to enter the parts it’s not meant to.

Numerous problems are caused due to malfunctioning fuel-injection systems. It could be due to a tainted injector or compromised injector parts. Here the age of the diesel engine and operating conditions also determine the extent of diesel engine repair work needed.

Never put fuel in the tank when the engine is on. Doing so would cause the air to enter the fuel system. Besides, the fuel systems of common rail fuel systems shall remain pressurized if the engine has been shut down for a short period. As a rule of thumb, you can allow approximately a minute for the pressure in the system to decay before starting any maintenance work.

• Frequent servicing

Follow the user manual provided by diesel engine manufacturers for periodic servicing. The best way is to hire a professional who would run a series of tests to find out the underlying problems. A professional would replace the worn-out filters so that your engine’s performance is at its peak at all times.

If your engine functions in a dusty environment quite too often, then you need to decrease the interval between the maintenance schedules. Also, the filters and oil must be replaced more frequently. The condition of O-rings and rubber seals must also be checked & replaced every time plugs and filters are removed.

• Regular oil

Let’s face it! Your diesel engine cannot do well without periodic oil and filter replacement. Diesel engine manufacturers highly recommend doing so to prevent your?diesel engine?from getting lethargic and breaking down. It also saves the internal parts and prolongs their lifespan.

Summing it up

Keeping things simple with your machine will not only help you increase their lifespan but will also help get rid of undesired downtimes. As a rule of thumb, you must stick to the user manual provided by your diesel engine manufacturer to ensure more savings.