Diesel Care Tips
Instead of dealing with an unexpected and expensive breakdown, why not prevent a breakdown from happening in the first place? Staying on top of your diesel engine maintenance will help you avoid the need for more costly and complex repairs or replacements down the road.
Our technicians have extensive experience working on diesel engines for a wide variety of makes and models, so we put together these preventative maintenance tips to help keep your engine running smoothly. If you have any questions about diesel maintenance or suspect a problem with your diesel engine, don’t delay in getting your truck looked at by a professional. Procrastinating on regular maintenance or small repairs will only result in more expensive and time-consuming repairs later on.
Following these preventative maintenance tips, in addition to the recommendations in your owner’s manual, will help your Diesel engine reach its maximum potential.
Frequent Oil Changes: Your vehicle owner’s manual will provide frequency recommendations, but changing your oil every 4,000-5,000 miles is a good rule of thumb. However, this can vary depending on how you use your diesel, so it’s important to obtain a professional recommendation from a mechanic that takes your driving habits into consideration.
Follow Filter Recommendations: It’s important to use the OEM filter recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Fuel filters are especially important on diesel engines. The complexity of today’s diesel engines requires lots of good clean fuel to operate properly and prevent damage to fuel system components.
Diesel Treatment: Whenever you fill up the tank, you should add a bottle of diesel treatment, such as Stanadyne. This will improve your engine health by keeping impurities in the fuel from reaching your engine, as well as boosting cetane and lubricating internal fuel system components.
Quality Parts: Your truck is only as strong as its weakest link, so make sure you only invest in quality parts. Find a diesel repair shop gets their parts from a reputable vendor.
Avoid Long Idles: Extended idling can cause a build-up of soot inside the engine and excessive smoke when the engine revs. Extended idle times can also lead to premature failure of emissions control components by plugging them with excess carbon.
Engine Water Separators: The water separator collects water from the fuel and is usually located near the fuel filter. These water separators should be drained of any water at each oil change or sooner if poor quality fuel is being used or suspected. If your Diesel vehicle doesn’t have one, you should consider having one installed, as it can save you money in the long-run. Airdog and FASS are two great manufacturers of Water/Fuel Separators.
Check Gaskets Regularly: You should check your gaskets regularly, and if you find a leaky gasket, it’s best to replace all of them as a set. If one gasket is leaky, it’s a sure sign that the others aren’t far behind.
Diesel Checkups: One of the best ways to stay on top of your diesel engine maintenance is to have regular checkups performed by experienced diesel technicians. This will help you identify small upgrades or repairs early on and avoid more costly and complex repairs or replacements down the road.
If you’re unsure of where to begin with your diesel maintenance, come by our top-rated light/medium duty repair shop in Portland, Oregon for a professional inspection and more specific recommendations. With 27 years in business specializing in light duty diesel repair and 50+ years in combined light duty diesel repair, AG Automotive (formally AG Diesel Repair) is your one-stop shop for all things light duty diesel. We’ll make sure that everything is working as it should be and help maximize the lifespan of your diesel engine. Replacing a diesel engine can be expensive, so it’s best to prolong your current diesel engine as much as possible with periodic maintenance and repairs as needed. We’ll treat your diesel truck as if it were our own and provide quick and convenient services to get you back on the road in no time!
Many auto owners struggle to know if the right work was done the right way on their car. As a courtesy, we provide digital vehicle inspections and photos so you can quickly and easily see what our experienced, professional technicians are seeing. Overall, we go the extra mile to help you make informed decisions on the repair and maintenance plan of your vehicle, so you can drive with confidence every time you get behind the wheel.
