Special diesel oils are widely available today and, according to reviews, are quite effective. However, any high-quality motor oil for carburetor engines will also work for diesels, as long as it is changed at certain intervals. Read the label on the can, which is usually where the manufacturer gives instructions for diesels. If you do not find anything on this label, then look at the label on the container in which the cans were packed.
For engines with an overhead camshaft, the timing belt should be replaced at the specified intervals. Otherwise, the piston may collide with the valves when the belt suddenly breaks. Eliminating the consequences of the latter will require considerable financial costs from you. In practice, there have already been cases of belt breakage with a mileage of up to 48 thousand km, but this happened as a result of oil or water getting on them due to depressurization of the lubrication and cooling systems, respectively. However, if you decide to drive without changing the belt after a mileage of 58 thousand km, then your unwillingness to spend time on a timely belt replacement may result in significantly greater time and money costs for you in the future.
To replace the fuel filter, buy the best one available to you. Some filters may look good on the outside, but "perform their direct duties" poorly. Don't forget to also change the sealing ring on the filter housing. It is also worth noting that on a diesel engine, it is equally difficult to prevent both fuel leakage and air suction into the fuel system, which greatly disrupt the engine's operation.
If air gets into the fuel lines, it may be necessary to remove it from there through a special valve using a small hand pump, usually mounted for this purpose on the high-pressure fuel pump. Many modern diesels have fuel systems that automatically remove air. You just need to turn the engine with the starter, and the air will be removed.
It is difficult to avoid moisture condensation in the fuel filter, so some diesel engines are equipped with a warning light on the instrument panel to indicate the presence of water in the fuel system.
Usually, when changing the oil, you only need to check the filter condition. However, if the car is used in difficult conditions, such as high humidity and large differences between day and night temperatures, you should check the condition of the filters more often.
All diesels smoke when cold, but this should not be excessive. One of the most common causes of this is a failure in the fuel injection timing of the high-pressure pump, which is easily eliminated by re-adjusting the injection timing using the marks on the crankshaft and pump. This work is very similar to adjusting the initial ignition timing on a gasoline engine. The operation can be done with the engine off, but it is better to purchase a special lamp for setting the injection timing on a diesel engine for this purpose, which is attached with a clamp to the fuel supply pipe of the injector and flashes under the action of the impact of the fuel passing through the pipe.
Another reason is fuel leakage through injectors with a loosely closed fuel supply channel, which can lead to overfilling the cylinder with fuel and, as a result, to excessive smoking during start-up. Apart from general cleaning of the injectors and replacement of worn ones at a mileage of about 110 thousand km, there is little that can be done at home to check their operation. Unless you remove them and have them checked on some kind of testing equipment.
New injectors are not cheap, but you can save a considerable amount by contacting a station that repairs diesel engines and calibrating the injectors at a very reasonable price. The price of the service depends on the location of the station and the availability of spare parts stores around it.
However, you can extend the life of your injectors by keeping the air sucked in by your diesel engine and the fuel filters clean, thereby preventing contamination of the injectors. For this purpose, you should periodically pour a small amount of special cleaners into the fuel tank.
If you take care of the high-pressure fuel pump, it will function properly for a long time. However, we would like to warn you that replacing it is quite an expensive undertaking.
Poor starting and low throttle response of a diesel engine can be caused by many things: poor quality spark plugs, clogged fuel line channels leading to a drop in fuel supply pressure, faulty fuel lines and even incorrect installation of injectors. It is easy to determine poorly functioning spark plugs by how long the pre-heating indicator light does not go out.
The following table of possible defects on a diesel engine has been compiled by Bosch, and we hope that it will help you return your engine to good working order.
Talk to diesel owners and you will find that none of them would even consider driving a petrol car again. Maybe it is your turn if diesel suits your needs.
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