Important Preventative Maintenance Tips for Your Diesel Powered Pickup

Most will agree that on the whole, diesel engines require less maintenance than gas engines. However, that does not mean your diesel engine requires no maintenance at all. If you want to get the most out of your truck’s engine, you should be sure to keep on top of basic preventative maintenance practices. Good maintenance not only ensures your pickup always performs at its best, but it also helps to guarantee that your engine has a long lifespan. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best ways that you can care for your diesel-powered pickup .

Pickup trucks are designed to be hardy and take a beating. They can navigate adverse terrain under heavy load . However, because of this vigorous use, things under the hood can get dirty pretty quickly. A buildup of debris and dirt can impede or damage your engine’s delicate parts. This debris can obstruct your system’s function, resulting in further part damage or negative side effects to your truck. Proper maintenance and cleaning will help prevent this from happening and ensure your pickup’s performance will match what you require from your vehicle.

You also want to make sure that the fuel you’re putting into your engine is clean. Always opt for premium diesel at the pumps, and if a tanker has made a recent delivery to a gas station, steer clear. When the pumps have recently been filled up, the dirty sediment at the bottom of the pump gets stirred up. You don’t want that gunk running through your engine system.

Your truck relies on a variety of essential oils to function properly. Coolant , transmission fluid , and brake fluid all have important roles to play. These not only help your truck to function but they also ensure the longevity of all its major systems. It is important to top up and replace these fluids in accordance to your truck’s owner’s manual .

To give an example, neglecting your coolant can have a massive impact upon the health of your car. If it runs low from leaks or poor maintenance, it can cause your engine to overheat , which can result in expensive damage that may even turn your pickup into a write off. Over time, aged coolant can also become acidic . This can result in accelerated part wear of all the components and systems in your truck. Simply taking a little time to look after this vital fluid can help ensure you don’t have to waste far more time dealing with serious parts failure.

Filters are used in various places throughout your engine system to prevent grime and debris from getting where it shouldn’t go. Filters are used to catch contaminants in fuel , sludge in engine oil , and particles from the air . They can get clogged up pretty quickly. Filters are also not impervious to damage. A large blockage or a big piece of debris can cause tears in the filter, completely defeating their purpose. To prevent this, you should make sure you change out your filters every 10,000-12,000 miles , depending on how and where you drive your truck.

Engine oil is the lifeblood of your pickup, and while we could have mentioned it in the fluids section of this article, engine oil is so important that we feel it needs its own entry. Your engine oil is responsible for lubricating all the vital moving parts of your engine, preventing damage and friction , as well as reducing heat .

When engine oil becomes old, it tends to thicken and become sticky , reducing its effectiveness and clogging up the engine. When this sludge buildup starts to set in, it can become a nightmare to remove. So, it is essential that you keep on top of oil changes , which should be every 8,000 miles , depending on how hard you work your truck.

* Ford F-150 image credit goes to: DarthArt.

The post Important Preventative Maintenance Tips for Your Diesel Powered Pickup appeared first on Diesel Pickup Pros.