EXTEND TURBODIESEL ENGINE LIFE

Turbodiesel vehicles have established a loyal customer base in North America. Follow these sound maintenance practices to extend the life of these powerful and expensive engines.

Allow the Engine to Warm and Cool

Upon startup, allow the engine to warm up before revving it or driving off. This is especially important in cold weather. Hot and cold engine parts expand at different rates, which could cause gaps that lead to leaks or gasket failure. It is equally important to allow the engine to adequately cool down before shutting it off, especially if the vehicle has been under heavy load for a prolonged period of time.

Smoke Color

Address any changes in smoke color. White smoke is often a sign of coolant in the combustion chamber or injector malfunction, and blue smoke is usually a sign of oil in the combustion chamber. If your vehicle has exhibited changes in smoke, it’s important to correct the problem quickly before it leads to further damage.

Light smoke while accelerating may simply be poor diesel fuel quality thus we refine the Cetane Boost to correct the energy output loss. A product we call “Free Money”.

Don’t Overheat the Engine

Don’t allow the engine to overheat. Maintaining a proper cooling system is vital to the longevity of your vehicle. Follow the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) recommendation on cooling system maintenance. When making engine modifications, be sure to keep track of engine, oil, coolant and exhaust gas temperatures.

Fresh Fuel

Engine problems often originate in the fuel tank. Water can find its way into the tank either from the fuel station or through condensation from heating and cooling. It’s important to drain off that water regularly or when the vehicle indicates your fuel/ water separator is full. Because today’s diesel technology cycles so much fuel back to the tank, and carbon particles can separate from the fuel and collect in the tank and fuel filter, it’s important to use a premium fuel additive like AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean (ADF) to minimize these effects. Ensuring you have fresh fuel is also important, so when the temperature drops, you can be confident your vehicle will start.

Fuel Filters

Diesel fuel injection systems rely on fuel flow to keep the pump and injectors running at safe operating temperatures. Clogged fuel filters restrict flow, which can lead to damaged pumps and injectors or filter failure. Make sure you follow the OEM recommendation for fuel filter changes. Keep spares in the vehicle!

Air Filters

Clogged air filters decrease fuel economy and reduce horsepower. If contaminants are allowed through the filter, catastrophic engine damage can occur in minutes. Regularly check the filter minder (if equipped), or follow the OEM change recommendation. If you frequently drive in dusty conditions, consider changing the air filter more often. Many didn’t even know it was there!! lol

Bypass Filters

Bypass oil filtration systems feature a secondary filter with the purpose of eliminating nearly all contaminants from the oil. They draw approximately 10 percent of the oil pump’s capacity at any one time and trap the extremely small, wear-causing contaminants that full-flow filters can’t remove. This continual process eventually makes all the oil analytically clean, reduces long-term wear and can extend oil drain intervals. Consider adding an AMSOIL Bypass System to your vehicle.

High-Quality Lubricants

Turbodiesel vehicles produce a number of challenges for lubricants, and the importance of using premium-quality synthetic diesel oils cannot be overstated.

Turbochargers can spin over 100,000 rpm, creating intense heat and shearing forces that can cause lower-quality lubricants to lose viscosity and their ability to reduce friction, wear and heat, putting critical engine components at risk. Not only that, but turbodiesel vehicles suffer a certain level of fuel dilution, exacerbating viscosity loss and creating an environment more susceptible to engine wear. Lubricants that provide maximum protection and performance under extreme heat and loads are essential to maximizing equipment life and minimizing downtime. And because one of the primary benefits drawing customers to turbodiesels is fuel economy, it is important lubricants also do their part to maximize fuel economy benefits.

In addition, maintaining a clean engine promotes proper engine operation. Turbochargers have small orifices that must stay clean in order to properly lubricate and remove heat from the bearings.

New Diesel Oil Specs

We beat the industry to the new API CK-4 and soon based on demand we’ll offer FA-4. The CK-4 diesel oil specification was available here two years before they were required. These focus on drastically reducing emissions and improving fuel economy, while providing increased engine-protection in engines which would otherwise have a very short life due to these changes. The oil has to do more than ever and benefits through improvements in oxidation stability, shear stability and resistance to aeration.

API CK-4

•  Designed for current model-year and older diesel engines
•  Backward-compatible with API CJ-4 (and prior) oils
•  Offers traditional viscosity grades of 15W-40, 10W-30, 5W-40 and 5W-30

API FA-4

•  Designed for certain 2017 and newer diesel engines
•  Not backward-compatible
•  Designed to further improve fuel economy and reduce emissions
•  Primarily features 10W-30 viscosity grade

AMSOIL Prepared for Change

AMSOIL Dealers can be well-assured that we will be ready for the implementation of the new diesel specifications with top performing synthetic formulations. Details will be unveiled in upcoming issues of AMSOIL Magazine.

 

automatic transmission issues

Do Transmission Fluid Additives Work? John Baker| Feb 26, 2024 9:04 AM Walk the aisles of most auto parts stores and you’ll find multiple “mechanic-in-a-bottle”-type additives that claim to restore transmission performance. The claims made typically include some variation of the following: • Frees stuck valves to improve shifting • Fixes transmission slipping • Restores smooth […]

Understanding Oil Viscosity Viscosity is the measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. _by David Hilgendorf|January 17, 2023 The physical properties of lubricants are measured by characteristics like viscosity, shear stability, high- and low-temperature performance, water resistance and volatility. Lubrication science seeks to optimize a lubricant’s performance by managing these properties using different base oils […]

Top 5 Skid Steer Maintenance Tips _by David Hilgendorf|September 29, 2023 Skid steers are built for tough construction, excavation, agricultural and other professional projects. Whether you’re clearing land, moving rocks or tearing down a wall, a skid steer is an excellent piece of equipment for many different jobs. But these nimble machines can be expensive […]

thermal runaway occurs when viscosity drops out and wear increases

How Often Should I Change Differential Fluid? Fluid change intervals depend on your vehicle, driving conditions and gear oil quality. Save time and cash first by improving the situation with this differential fluid solution! _by David Hilgendorf|Feb 26, 2023 A differential is a set of gears that allows a vehicle’s driven wheels to revolve at […]

New European oils for 2023 0W-30 and 10W-60

New AMSOIL Synthetic European Motor Oil Viscosities A new 10W-60 and 0W-30 for several BMW, Volkswagen and other fancy European cars. _by Brad Nelson|June 13, 2023 Those who know, know. The sophisticated engineering, finely-tuned performance and artistic styling of European cars can turn a daily commute into a grin-inducing experience. The design of these vehicles […]

EZ marine lower gear lube service

Service Marine Lower Units to Prevent Water Damage Preventing rust and other water-related problems in marine lower units. Most other Marine Gear Oils fail to make the grade. We learn more on that from our own customers when they make the switch. by David Hilgendorf|April 24, 2023 Water and gear lube don’t mix. Unfortunately, you […]