If you’re looking for ways to preserve your engine, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most commonly asked questions about diesel engine health. Have a look and see what you or your drivers might be doing wrong.
The worst thing to put in a diesel engine is water because it affects engine lubrication and causes corrosion. Water in your diesel engine sometimes comes from using bad or contaminated diesel. It can settle at the bottom of underground fuel-station tanks and get pumped into your vehicle. That’s why it's best to buy fuel from trusted fuel stations.
To improve diesel engine performance, invest in fleet telematics technology and train drivers to improve their behaviour. Fleet telematics gives you insight into driver habits that may affect the diesel engine, like idling. You’ll also have preventive maintenance software that’ll give you early warnings of engine issues so you can attend to them before they get worse.
Some of the things that make a diesel truck engine more powerful are:
Poor maintenance, like skipping oil, coolant, and filter changes, affects the ability of engine components to work optimally. This leads to things like a truck overheating and producing too much smoke, which affects the engine lifespan.
A fleet management system helps with truck maintenance by providing a predictive maintenance solution. The system analyses internal vehicle components (like the engine) and assesses their functionality. If it picks up any faults, it’ll alert you early enough for you to have it checked out before the situation worsens.
Common signs of diesel injector system failure are:
A few things can destroy your diesel injectors:
Yes, using different grades of diesel makes a difference in how the engine performs and maintenance costs. It’s important to know the diesel grade that works best for each vehicle. For example, 500 ppm diesel has higher sulphur content, which works well with certain heavy-duty machinery because its engines are designed to handle less refined diesel. Modern trucks on the other hand, require lower sulphur diesel to protect their emissions control systems.
You can spot good-quality diesel by its colour. According to Astron Energy, it should be clear, see-through, usually straw-yellow to water white in colour. It also depends on the method of manufacturing and sulphur content. It shouldn't be cloudy. Over time, when stored for too long, it can turn darker and amber in colour. You can also tell from things like increased smoke, vibrations, and having difficulties starting the vehicle.
To reduce your fleet’s fuel consumption levels, you need a fuel management system. This consists of software and hardware that help you track live in-tank fuel levels, plan better routes, and monitor inefficient driver behaviour.
Yes, the Cartrack GPS telematics system helps you monitor fuel-wasting habits like driver deviations and speeding. We also have sensors that give you live reports on fuel consumption levels so you can detect theft and fraud.
