All posts tagged diesel engine maintenance

Car Facts 101: 5 Tips to Better Understanding and Managing Your Diesel Engine

managing diesel engine

There are benefits to diesel worth noting, like getting more miles per gallon or that diesel vehicles generally having a better resale value. These benefits are probably why you decided to get this type of car, but you are probably in the dark about a few things regarding these engines such as after treatment services like Cantune. The following tips will help you understand and manage your vehicle.

Check on the Coolant

The engine’s coolant is important for your vehicle. Neglected coolant could turn acidic, which can begin to deteriorate a number of parts of your vehicle like the radiator. You do not want this to happen, so just have your acidity levels checked, and have your coolant replaced when needed.

Cleanliness Matters

Making sure your engine is clean is vital for the overall preservation of your vehicle. Grime and other foreign particles can end up hurting your engine given enough time. You do not want to overlook this step because it ensures that your engine continues to burn clean fuel and oil. All of those who care about the environment probably want the cleanest burn, so it makes sense to worry about cleanliness.

Cleaning Emissions

The next thing you want to do is make sure you control emissions. Of course, petrol’ emissions are always bad and diesels’ are cleaner, but that doesn’t mean you do not need to make sure this is happening. What you want to do is take your car in for an after system treatment by spraying Urea/DEF into the SCR unit. Taking these steps improves performance, increases fuel economy, and reduces the risk of developing toxins akin to gasoline vehicles, which could occur if this step is not taken periodically.

Change Those Filters

Be sure to change the air filter and fuel filters when instructed. As mentioned earlier, cleanliness is vital for a diesel engine, and these filters promote cleanliness. Keep in mind that most diesel engines come with two fuel filters instead of one, so you have to replace both when the time comes. You can ask your mechanic if you are not entirely sure when the vehicle had the filters changed.

Oil Change

Just like any other car, the diesel engine does use oil. After some time, this oil can pick up grime and other foreign particles that could end up hurting parts of the engine instead of simply lubricating everything as it should. At this point, the engine’s oil needs to be replaced. Normally, the oil needs to be changed every five thousand miles though this does depend on your region, so make sure you check with your mechanic.

Hopefully, some of these points are easy for you to adapt. Most of them are easy and should help ensure that your car lasts as long as diesel cars should.

Understanding the Diesel Engine Mechanism and Its Repairing

Firstly, before understanding the mechanism of diesel engine and what it is one will need to understand what engines are. An engine or a motor is a machine that is designed to convert any form of energy into mechanical energy. The engine efficiently burns down the fuel or a form of energy to create heat which in turn will create a force. This force in turn make the machine spring into action and movement.

Diesel engine is just another engine that uses diesel as the form of energy or fuel to achieve the force and in turn makes the machine work. Compression ignition is used in a diesel machine. As this engine uses diesel and diesel is a heavy fuel, this kind of engines are also referred to as heavy fuel engines. This diesel fuel engines are usually built very heavily. They are stronger when compared to other engines. It is often seen that engines that run big machines like an earth mover vehicle uses a diesel engine.

Rudolf Diesel was the person who invented this engine, and thus it came to be known in his name. He invented it in the year 1892 and a patent was grated in 1895 by the United States of America. Carnot theory was used in making the simple diesel engine. The diesel engine like all other things has gone through a lot of evolution over the years. The original engine that used diesel as the combustion fuel did not create any audible knocks and gradual combustion at work. Today the diesel engine has become more refined and better. The life expectancy of a diesel engine is also higher. The ignition of the diesel fuel is injected into a combustion chamber.

Diesel engines work when air is compressed highly. Unlike the other engines such as petrol engine, in which spark ignition is used, diesel engine compresses the air alone. In spark ignition engines, the air and fuel mixture is compressed and with a spark plug working it gives life to the engine.

Unlike other engines, diesel engines are believed to have the highest thermal efficiency. When the combustion gas is highly compressed it achieves a very high temperature. Here the spark plug does not ignite an air-fuel mixture. In colder months it is a real task to get the diesel engines started. This is because the air is cooler and it shall require more pressurized compression to bring the engine to life.

Repairing a diesel engine

Diesel engines repair are to be done regularly in order to keep it in sound working condition. An internal combustion engine such as diesel engine requires a little extra care. It is always advisable to get such engines serviced at regular intervals. The service life of diesel engines is more or less than 10 years. However, if any wear and tear is observed diesel engines repair needs to be done immediately. Keeping the engine running even when it is not in a complete good form will only result in more loss in the future. Diesel engines repair is to be performed from time to time. Actually, getting a diesel engines repair done is much more cost effective than having it rebuilt when it fails to work completely.

It is best to left the job of such diesel engines repair to a professional. But if one is equipped enough or has some knowledge about the technicalities of an engine he can do it on his own. However, he should firstly equip himself well before hand before indulging in diesel engines repair.