What Maintenance Does Your Diesel Truck Need?

What is a Diesel Truck?

A diesel-powered truck takes air, compresses the air, and then injects fuel into the compressed air. The heat of the air initiates the fuel to create the vehicle start-up process.

Since diesel engines start ignition in such a unique way, it requires special maintenance compared to gas-powered trucks, where there are fewer filters and fluids. Maintaining all vehicles, whether gas or diesel, is essential for their health and longevity.

Although diesel trucks go longer between maintenance visits, each visit is much more complex and requires specialized technicians and attention.

In addition to coolant, air filter, and oil, diesel trucks require:

• Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF): A mixture of urea and water that lessens the production of harmful emissions that spew from the exhaust muffler of a diesel truck.
• Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF): A filter that traps damaging particulates before they place themselves into the atmosphere.

These two components make up some of the most significant differences between diesel-powered and gas-powered trucks and the complexity of diesel truck maintenance.

What is Diesel Truck Maintenance?

The purpose of maintenance is to decrease the likelihood of part failure by staying on top of wear and tear before it turns into the destruction that will require outright replacement.

Expert technicians highly recommend routine maintenance on all fluids, filters, and parts because they can get under the hood and see premature faults before they create a domino effect of failures.

Preventative maintenance on diesel trucks is much more intricate and timelier than on gas-powered trucks because there are more things to monitor.

Key Elements Monitored During Diesel Truck Maintenance

Diesel truck maintenance consists of monitoring fluids and filters similar to those of a gas-powered vehicle and parts only involved in diesel trucks. Here is a list of what technicians monitor during routine servicing:

• Regular oil and oil filter changes
• Glow plug inspection
• Monitoring gaskets
• Use of diesel treatment fluid
• Monitoring coolant
• Air filter change
• Fuel filter change

This list consists of the most critical elements of a maintenance procedure that technicians must monitor thoroughly during every visit.

Why These Elements Matter

• Oil changes: Vital for a diesel engine because, without on-time changes, diesel engines are easily destroyed.
• Glow plugs: Unique to diesel trucks, located in the combustion chamber, producing the heat necessary to start, run, and maintain the diesel engine.
• Gaskets: Must be regularly inspected for leaks; if one fails, it’s likely others will follow.
• Diesel treatment fluid: Keeps impurities from attacking the engine.
• Coolant: If not monitored and flushed, can become acidic and destroy the radiator.
• Air filter: Prevents dust and particles that lead to engine failure.
• Fuel filter: Includes a primary and secondary filter that must be changed every maintenance visit to protect from extremely small damaging particles.

Conclusion

Diesel truck maintenance has similarities to gas-powered truck maintenance, but the differences involved are some of the most extremely important components that can negatively affect the diesel engine.

Diesel trucks only benefit the driver in terms of fuel economy, the ability to haul heavy loads with limited to no wasteful force, and their reliability on the road long-term—only possible with vital upkeep.

With a diesel truck, routine visits to the shop are much less, but every visit counts towards its health.