Many drivers are unaware of the intricacies of a diesel truck or the fundamental differences between fuel types. There are many reasons diesel-powered vehicles are preferred over gas-powered ones, including improved fuel efficiency and lower pollutants. However, this does not mean you should skip out on those maintenance checks. Check out this advice on diesel truck maintenance if you want to keep your diesel truck running at a higher performance for a longer time. It’s essential to keep up with your maintenance at your local diesel truck repair shop. Here is why!
What makes diesel truck maintenance different
Diesel and gasoline trucks primarily differ in how their fuel is lit: gasoline is ignited by a spark, whereas diesel fuel is ignited by compression. However, the fuel itself is also different, which is significant. Diesel is much more likely than gasoline to leave a buildup of combustion byproducts in the engine. Diesel trucks also contain different components, such as glow plugs instead of spark plugs. Your diesel truck requires regular maintenance to ensure its peak performance, just like a gas-powered vehicle. These differences do not alleviate the attention needed to continue to operate your diesel truck. Regularly scheduled maintenance is still recommended to catch issues while they are minor before the problems grow and ensure your truck is in peak condition.
What needs to be maintained
Your diesel truck has a variety of components that need to be regularly checked and maintained by a diesel truck repair shop. These maintenance points include:
- Regular oil changes
- Diesel fuel treatment
- Coolant
- Air filter
- Fuel filter
- Glow plugs
- Diesel engine gaskets
A diesel truck repair shop should regularly check on and maintain all these aspects. This will ensure that your diesel truck operates appropriately, effectively, and efficiently.
Signs you need diesel truck maintenance.
You should watch out for several specific signals in addition to miles and time, which are valuable indicators of when to get vehicle maintenance performed. These indicators of repair are:
- Lower power output
- Stalling or sputtering
- Loud vibrations within the cab.
- Decreased reactivity to acceleration
- Strange noises
- An odd odor coming from the engine.
- Excessive exhaust emissions or fluid leaks
- Steam emanating from the engine
The time to perform truck maintenance is now if you observe any of these symptoms. You risk experiencing a much more severe buildup of debris in the engine or broken parts (such as fuel injectors) if you disregard these warning indications for even a short period. Avoiding diesel truck maintenance will eventually shorten the truck's lifespan.