A diesel truck is a smart investment that pays owners back in fuel savings, reliability and longevity — if it is properly maintained.
Rislone, a leader in improving vehicle performance for over 100 years, offers five easy steps to ensure peak performance from any light- or medium-duty diesel-powered truck. The company says following these tips regularly can help diesel truck owners maximize their vehicles’ performance and avoid the costs of breakdowns and unscheduled repairs.
“As with all internal-combustion engines, the lifeblood of a diesel engine is motor oil,” says Clay Parks, vice president of development for Rislone. “But simply changing the oil isn’t enough to keep a diesel truck running smoothly. It’s also critical to maintain the fuel system, the diesel particulate filter, and the rest of the emissions system.”
Rislone offers these five preventive maintenance tips to ensure ongoing light- and medium-duty diesel truck engine and fuel system performance:
- Check the oil. Change the oil and oil filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for your driving conditions, generally every 5,000 to 10,000 miles.
- Maintain the fuel system. Replace the fuel filter as recommended by the manufacturer, generally every 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Also, regularly drain the water separator to remove moisture from the fuel system to prevent corrosion. Use a high-quality fuel additive every 5,000 miles to help keep the system running at peak efficiency.
- Keep the emissions system clean. Letting harmful white crystal deposits build up in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems can cause the truck to go into “limp mode” and eventually stop running, leading to expensive repairs. Remove existing deposits with new specific products then add diesel DEF treatment with every DEF refill to keep crystals at bay and the system running smoothly.
- Don’t overlook the diesel particulate filter (DPF). As fuel is burned, contaminating byproducts are created that circulate throughout various vehicle systems. These contaminants can build up, clog the DPF, and reduce fuel economy, power and performance. Issues are especially prominent in trucks regularly driven for short periods of time at low speeds. Treat the fuel system with cleaner four times a year to clear the DPF, keep the truck running at its best, extend DPF life, and reduce regeneration cycles.
- Make it all routine. Establish — and stick to — a schedule for these preventive maintenance tips. Also make it a habit to regularly inspect belts and hoses for signs of wear, check all fluid levels and top off as needed, check tire pressures, and clear any debris from the engine bay.
The care and feeding of a diesel pickup need not be onerous, time-consuming or expensive. Rislone says faithfully following an established preventive maintenance schedule will save fuel, time, money and aggravation while helping to extend engine life.
