In the past, all you had to do was fill the tank with oil, change it from time to time, and your diesel continued to take care of you. Or so it seemed…then the Big Three torque war broke out and the EPA started raising emissions standards. Then, if they keep up with the competition (i.e., OEMs play a cat and mouse game with power and torque), they face increasingly stringent requirements for NOx and particulate emissions, two pollutants that, in fact, are a compromise with purpose. — reliability, at least in part due to fuel economy.
So how do you make diesel trucks last as long as possible these days? It starts with the basics of car maintenance without skimping on spare parts and understanding how your emission control system works. The tips below will give you and your compression ignition partner the best chance of staying there for the long haul.
Stick to original components, fluids and filters. I think about it. The original manufacturer spent millions developing an engine that runs on a specific oil, breathes through a specific air filter, and cleans debris from its fluids with specific oil and fuel filters. Once you step outside of these original components, you are essentially your own research and development department, plus, in the event of a catastrophic engine failure, you may be denied warranty service. I think about it. Also be sure to follow the recommendations for cleaning the exhaust system (if applicable). We will discuss this in detail below.
Yes, modern Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) is not the best fuel in the world, but if your engine was built in 2006 or later, it is designed to run flawlessly. The trick is to make sure you fill the tank with the highest quality fuel you can find. This means visiting busy filling stations where a lot of diesel fuel is regularly filled up and out. Diesel fuel can deteriorate by 26 percent in just four weeks after being cleaned. Trust us, premium fuel from a heavily used gas station will be the highest quality, cleanest fuel you can find and will help extend the life of your expensive injectors and injection pumps. Fuel additives also help, but this is a complex topic and a separate story.
Have you ever wondered why we don’t clean all the dirt from the tips of our diesel pumps? OE depends on debris and contaminants entering the tank. The fuel flow to the injection pump and injectors is kept clean by a water separator and a fuel filter. This is why, in addition to refueling at a reputable gas station, it is very important to keep the fuel filter changed at the recommended intervals. Never change fuel filters too often and (as mentioned before) stick to OEM replacements. The average operating cost of a modern diesel common rail system is between $6,000 and $10,000 to replace…
It’s elementary, right? Change the oil to the correct oil and filter at the recommended mileage intervals and you’re good to go. However, in the diesel world, this is often more than meets the eye. Working trucks first, many diesels spend an inordinate amount of time idling. But zero miles doesn’t mean zero engine oil wear. In fact, an hour of downtime is equivalent to about 25 miles of travel. If your engine is idling frequently, be sure to include this time in your oil change schedule, otherwise your engine will be overloaded even if the odometer shows you have only driven 5,000 miles…
Engine air filter life is much shorter when used on the road. But even in these cases, the air filter should be checked at every oil change, with the owner following up with a filter manager (if applicable). For engines that live in the wild or see dust frequently, more attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the air filter element. Remember that the last line of defense for a turbocharger compressor impeller is the air filter – replacing a turbocharger is not cheap. Also know that the number one cause of turbocharger failure is debris from dirty air filters…if you have an aftermarket cleanable filter, that’s fine, but keep an eye on it. As a rule of thumb, for trucks on tarmac, don’t drive more than two years without changing the air filter element or cleaning it.
This is a dark gray area, but one that needs to be discussed if we are truly making modern diesel engines durable. To answer a question that many first time diesel buyers are asking, yes there are issues with emissions control equipment such as the EGR cooler and valves, DPF, diesel oxidation catalyst and SCR/DEF system and all the sensors that come with them. Yes, they can adversely affect engine performance over time, require accurate and timely maintenance, and cause downtime from time to time. There are aftermarket solutions for all of the above problems, but we will leave that up to you and your particular dealer or independent mechanic. If you choose to accept factory emissions controls, double check all observed cleaning intervals such as EGR valve cleaning at 67,500 miles and coolant cleaning recommended by Cummins for all 6.7L ’07.5-’21 engines.
As proof that the latest diesels can come a long way, just take a look at the image above. The 6.6-liter LMM Duramax V-8 on the other end of the odometer isn’t the last stop. In fact, it practically does not flow. The company spent all of its 600,000 miles transporting campers around the United States. The trick lies in the uncompromising maintenance mode, refueling at busy stops and low speed driving. The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 is leisurely, often hovering in the right lane at 65 mph, while the Duramax hums from 1700 to 2000 rpm. Of course, normally wear parts such as universal joints, some accessory bearings and brakes must be replaced, but rotating components must never be touched. The truck will continue to travel over 740,000 miles before being replaced by a new truck.
The 6.0L Power Stroke is the worst diesel engine, right? blasphemy. While it’s undeniable that they have well-documented issues, we’ve seen plenty of Super Duty 03-07s with 250,000 miles or more on the odometer. On top of that, we were brought home with a hardcore 6.0-litre Power Stroke that never had a blown head gasket, failed EGR cooler or stuck EGR valve, and never even an oil cooler was used.
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Post time: May-06-2023
