The technology that goes into deriving diesel from crude oil has come a long way. The advent of ultra-low sulfur diesel and biodiesel are two great examples of how the fuel developed over the decades. Additionally, the invention of diesel particulate filters and the development of engineering prowess that made diesel engines more fuel efficient also add to the discussion when the topic is the turbocharged diesel engine’s journey since its inception.
The applications of turbocharged diesel engines are wide and varied. The primary application of turbocharged diesel engines is in semi-trucks and pickup trucks. Diesel engines are bulletproof however, they are not invincible. Semi-truck and pickup truck drivers need to remember certain tips that would allow them to prolong the lives of their vehicle’s turbocharged diesel engines.
Some of those tips are mentioned in the sections below.
#1 – Let the engine idle for a few minutes
Always ensure that you are letting your turbocharged diesel engine vehicle run for a while in a bid to achieve optimal operational temperature before stepping on the throttle and driving off.
The reason is simple. When the engine is allowed to run for a while, the internal parts of the machine get properly doused in engine oil. This ensures premature wear of engine internals is kept at bay.
Then there is the objective of prolonging the life of the vehicle.
One of the primary challenges of fleet management is to ensure that commercial vehicles last for a long time. This objective can be easily achieved by installing real-time fleet tracking devices in vehicles with turbocharged diesel engines. Furthermore, an affordable fleet tracking system also lets heavy-duty vehicle drivers gauge their performance as drivers. Gauging driving parameters helps drivers learn ways to prolong the life of their turbocharged diesel engine-equipped vehicle by several folds.
It is as simple as that!
#2 – Diesel additives are your vehicle’s friends
Diesel additives are your vehicle’s turbocharged diesel engine’s friends. They are not only good for the turbocharger attached to the engine but also for the engine as a whole. Oil additives keep the heat-related damages sustained by the turbocharger and the engine internals to a bare minimum.
Additionally, fuel additives prevent diesel fuel from solidifying when the ambient temperature drops below freezing.
#3 – Please change the engine oil and diesel fuel filters on time
Diesel engine goes through a lot. They are put through a lot of stress especially when the vehicle is used to haul trailers loaded with oversized cargo. Additionally, turbocharging a diesel engine also means the internal components of the machine will be regularly subjected to hellish operational temperatures.
Excessive stress and operational temperatures mean that the engine oil inside a turbocharged diesel unit will need to be changed frequently. Ensure that the oil is changed as per OEM-specified mileage/interval. Furthermore, ensure that the diesel fuel filter of your turbocharged diesel engine is also changed on time alongside its intake filter so that the machine can ‘breathe’ and ‘drink’ normally.
If you are unable to track the service intervals, rely on fleet telematics offering fleet route optimization feature. With route optimization, as a commercial vehicle driver or as a commercial vehicle fleet manager, you will be able to save a lot of money especially when it comes to fleet vehicle maintenance.
# 4 – Use the right coolant for your turbocharged diesel engine
Always ensure that you are pouring OEM-specified coolants into your vehicle’s turbocharged diesel engine. The reason is simple. Pouring the wrong coolant type in your vehicle’s turbocharged diesel engine can cause irreversible damage to its cooling system due to unwanted chemical reactions between the active ingredients of the ‘wrong’ coolant with the internal metallic surfaces of the system.
In case you are stuck at a place where your engine’s coolant levels are low and the ‘right’ coolant is not available, you can always pour some purified drinking water. However, as soon as you enter a locale where the ‘right’ coolant is available, pour the same into your vehicle’s engine cooling system. Leaving excess water in the engine’s cooling system is hazardous especially if you drive your turbocharged diesel engine-equipped vehicle at a place where the temperature drops below freezing.
Additionally, start using fleet trackers so that you can plot a route that has multiple service stations that also sell spare parts. Additionally, connected vehicle solutions can also help you ensure your vehicle is maintained at OEM-specified intervals.
Diesel engines are robust but only when you take care of them
Taking care of your vehicle’s turbocharged diesel engine is pretty easy, to be honest. To sum up, the tips mentioned in the above sections of this post, let’s begin with the fact that you should not rev the engine just after turning it on. This will ensure that every movable part in your vehicle’s engine is doused in engine oil.
Secondly, do not forget to use diesel fuel additives. The reason is simple. Diesel fuel additives keep the entire diesel fuel injection system clean. Additionally, diesel fuel additives keep the fuel from solidifying when the ambient temperature drops below freezing.
Then there is the tip of using telematics solutions. You see, fleet telematics solutions will help you change the oil of your turbocharged diesel engine on time. Furthermore, you should also ensure that the coolant you are using in your turbocharged diesel engine has OEM-specified properties. Use OBD trackers for fleet so that you can track the parameters of your vehicle’s engine. Additionally, using GPS trackers for fleets makes the life of a commercial vehicle driver/fleet manager easy since it is a form of paperless fleet management.