When driving a semi truck cross-country and trying to meet all your delivery deadlines, you should carry some extra items with you. That way, if you have issues in the middle of nowhere and are fifty miles from the closest town, you can just take care of the problem yourself.
We suggest you carry the following: extra oil, coolant, washer fluid, and DEF fluid, a fuel filter, and a fuel filter wrench. But take note that when changing your fuel filters, you must install the new fuel filters full of diesel fuel.
In addition, as a professional driver you need to keep a lookout for engine overheating, oil leaks, and coolant leaks, and keep up with general preventive maintenance. Keeping your engine maintained will help you make that delivery on time and help prevent breakdowns. The last thing you want is a premature engine failure that requires an engine overhaul. This is a major expense and a time-consuming repair that will ultimately delay your delivery. Preventive maintenance and taking note of engine performance changes should be a top priority, to keep you on the road!
Make some time in your busy schedule and perform these basic tasks, as they will ultimately save you time and money and keep you out of the repair shop. But keep in mind that if you use Wyoming Diesel Service for your preventive maintenance needs, we will perform a free 59-point inspection to make sure your vehicle is ready for the miles ahead!
1. Keep Your Truck & Engine Clean
Whether you are driving across town or across the country, dust, road grime, and soot can make your truck rather messy. Keeping your truck clean allows you or your service technician to notice any issues before they become major problems. For example, on a clean vehicle you can spot new oil leaks, broken hoses, coolant leaks, etc. In addition, dirty engine components such as radiators and intercoolers are going to affect your engine. So, take preventive measures to keep things clean.
2. Keep an Eye on Your Fluids
If not for engine oil, your truck would not be able to roll on, furiously notching up miles, and would die a natural death. Engine oil lubricates the moving parts of the engine. But it becomes acidic and contaminated over time and needs to be changed regularly. Lack of oil changes will minimize performance and engine life.
You should also keep an eye on engine coolant as it’s just as important as engine oil. Keeping your coolant topped off and balanced with proper chemicals will help prevent engine overheating, coolant freezing, and engine-damaging electrolysis in your cylinder liners. Yes, improper coolant maintenance can lead to holes in your cylinder liners and allow coolant to dump into your cylinders!
Lastly, we need to include window washer fluid. It’s pretty easy to get a dirty windshield when you are zipping past someone on a wet or snowy road, and in the summer those bugs can muck up your windshield pretty quickly. Dirty windshields are dangerous and can be remedied with some windshield wiper fluid in your reservoir.
3. Change Filters Regularly
Just as your truck needs to be clean, your fluids need to be clean, too, and all your filters are an integral part of preventive maintenance.
Fuel filters need to be replaced every now and then to ensure good, clean fuel flow to your engine. Dirty fuel filters don’t bypass and will restrict or stop fuel flow to your engine. With reduced fuel flow you will notice reduced engine performance, and with completely clogged filters, you will have an engine that won’t start or run.
Oil filters ensure your oil is clean by removing particles that can cause engine wear and damage. Every time you change your engine oil, you need to change your oil filters.
A clean air filter ensures your engine is breathing clean air. Air filters need to be changed from time to time, and the frequency depends on the environment you are operating in. A dirty, clogged air filter will restrict airflow and degrade engine performance.
Diesel particulate filters (DPF) are important to maintain as well. You can read more about them under “Your Exhaust System.”
4. Change Your Oil Regularly
To keep your motor running smoothly, replace your oil consistently. It’s tough coming up with a hard and fast rule on engine oil change intervals. It depends on so many factors, such as engine idle time, number of engine cold starts, engine workloads, and the list goes on. If you need help coming up with an engine oil change interval, please refer to your specific engine manufacturer guidelines. Additionally, our staff would be happy to discuss all these factors and help you come up with the ideal oil change interval for your specific diesel engine.
Finally, you need to utilize the proper oil for your vehicle. In case you don't know which type to utilize, refer your engine manual or have a diesel engine repair professional change your oil for you.
5. Your Exhaust System
Your truck’s exhaust system is vital to the well-being of your vehicle. These exhaust systems are getting more and more complicated all the time, with diesel particulate filters (DPF) and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems all developed in the name of meeting EPA emissions standards.
You need to pay attention to your DPF regeneration, which happens when particulates in the filter heat up to combustion and are turned to ash and carbon dioxide. Regen can happen one of three ways: passive, active, or forced. If regen happens more and more frequently, you need to have a service technician look at your vehicle and determine the cause. In addition to regen, your DPF filter needs to be cleaned periodically to remove any ash left over from DPF regeneration.
Finally, make sure to keep your DEF tank filled, as running out will cause fault codes and decreased engine performance.
6. Check Your Radiator
A truck’s radiator keeps the truck cool by transferring heat from the engine to the air. Diesel engines produce a lot of heat while in operation, and a compromised radiator could reduce this heat transfer and, in the process, lead to overheating. Overheating can cause unsalvageable motor failure.
Cooling component upkeep is essential. Normal coolant maintenance includes radiator cleaning, coolant testing, and at times may warrant a radiator replacement. Complete coolant testing includes testing coolant freeze temperature and the strength of the chemical components that protect your engine and allow for efficient cooling. After testing, possible corrective actions include adding coolant, treating the system with additives, or replacing the coolant as it is just worn out.
For more information, drop us a note at info@wyodieselservice.com or Call 307.324.5144
I like that you pointed out how you need to keep a lookout for engine overheating, oil leaks, and coolant leaks, and keep up with general preventative maintenance. I was watching a documentary about logistics and I saw how one trucking company performs maintenance on their trucks. From what I heard, it seems there are also companies nowadays that specialize in diesel truck maintenance services, which seems pretty useful.
It was interesting when you talked about how diesel particulate filters should be maintained as part of caring for the engine. My uncle is looking for ways to improve the performance and reduce emissions for the diesel engine of his truck. I’ll have to pass along this info to see if he’s done any research about how to maintain the DPF!
Professional help and consulting online for best oil is an important asset these days.
As you mentioned, it is a good idea to keep an eye on all your truck fluids to make sure they are all as they should be, and your engine oil isn’t contaminated. I know that they suggest that you change the car engine oil every 3000 miles. Is that the same with trucks, or does the diesel make things work differently?
Yes it’s different for Diesel engines. It’s best to reference your owners manual and talk with a service technician to discuss your operating conditions to come up with a oil changer interval.
Thank you for sharing that it is advisable to have our truck repaired especially after it overheats. The other day my friend mentioned that his truck was overheating. I will remind him to send it for repair when I speak with him later.
Thank you for reminding us that we should have our fuel filters changed and replaced regularly. My husband owns a diesel truck and I haven’t seen him maintaining it regularly. I would remind him to have a diesel mechanic check his diesel engine regularly so that it can be smooth every time he drives it.
I agree with you that it’s easier to spot oil leaks when our truck and engine is clean. My husband recently told me that his diesel engine is leaking and he can’t go on his drive across the country. I will definitely ask him to look for an engine repair service for his leaking engine and keep his truck clean all the time.
My brother wants to work for a trucking company this summer so that he can make a little extra money on the side. He has never driven a semi-truck before, so I imagine that there is a slight learning curve that he will need to pay attention to. You made a great point when you explained that it is important to put the proper oil into a semi. I’ll be sure to share this information with my brother so that he doesn’t ruin the engine with a different type of oil.
We wish your brother good luck with his new driving career!
You made a great point about changing your oil regularly so that the motor runs smoothly. My husband and I are looking for a diesel mechanic that can help fix his truck that has been leaking oil for a while now. We will keep these tips in mind as we search for a professional that can help us best.
I like what you said about using a diesel service for your truck so that you can find any issues before they become major problems. My sister has been telling me about how she wants to make sure that her truck stays in good condition. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for professionals who can help her with this in the future.
I really liked that you explained that I should change the oil in my car more often. That is good for me to know because I have been considering getting a diesel fuel truck this year. Also, I should get a professional to help me take care of the truck.
Before reading this, I didn’t understand that a radiator transfers engine heat out into the air, so it’s pretty important. A few weeks ago, my boss noticed some of our trucks aren’t running well. We’ll have to look into diesel engine services.
Thanks for mentioning to keep your truck clean because it allows a technician to notice any issues before becoming major problems. My brother is thinking about taking his truck in for service next week because he was driving down the highway last week and it started making a funny sound. It seems like a good investment to keep his vehicle clean in case he takes it in so the reputable professional can see if there are any problems with it.