Diesel engines, explained.
English guides on how diesel engines work, how they fail and how to maintain them: what each symptom means, why it happens and how it is diagnosed.
Rough Idle in a Diesel Engine: Causes and Diagnosis
Why a diesel engine shakes or hunts at idle: injectors, air in the fuel, EGR, sensors, filters and engine mounts. How to diagnose it in order.
ECUDiesel ECU Remapping Explained: What It Is, What It Changes and the Risks
What it means to remap or reprogram a diesel ECU, which parameters are adjusted, what it is used for, the risks and the legal and mechanical considerations.
MaintenanceDiesel Engine Maintenance Guide: The Essentials
A practical diesel engine maintenance guide: oil, air and fuel filters, water separator, coolant, turbo, injection and driving habits to make it last.
DiagnosticsDiesel Engine Won't Start: Common Causes and How to Diagnose Them
What to check when a diesel engine won't start: battery, fuel, air in the lines, glow plugs, injection pressure and sensors, in a logical order.
DiagnosticsDiesel Engine Knocking and Noises: Common Causes
Why a diesel engine knocks or makes noises: normal diesel clatter, injectors, injection timing, fuel, clearances and turbo. How to tell normal from serious.
MaintenanceWater in Diesel Fuel: Symptoms, Damage and How to Protect the Injection System
What water and dirt in diesel fuel cause, how they damage pumps and injectors, how to detect contaminated fuel and how to protect with filters and a water separator.
DiagnosticsDiesel Engine Using Too Much Fuel: Causes and How to Reduce It
Why a diesel engine uses more fuel than normal: injectors, filters, turbo, tire pressure, EGR, DPF and driving habits. How to diagnose it.
MaintenanceHow Often Should You Change a Diesel Fuel Filter?
How often to change a diesel fuel filter, what the filter and water separator do, signs of a clogged filter and what happens if it is neglected.
InjectorsDiesel Injector Test Bench: How It Works and What It Measures
What a diesel injector test bench is, how it reproduces engine conditions and what it measures: delivery, return flow, opening pressure and spray pattern.
FundamentalsDiesel vs. Gasoline (Petrol) Engines: Differences, Pros and Cons
Differences between a diesel and a gasoline (petrol) engine: ignition, compression, fuel economy, torque, maintenance and emissions. Advantages and limits of each.
EmissionsAdBlue and SCR Explained: What It Is, How It Works and Common Problems
What AdBlue (DEF) is, how an SCR system reduces nitrogen oxides in diesel engines, which problems it gives (crystallization, sensors, pump) and how to look after it.
InjectorsUltrasonic Diesel Injector Cleaning: When It Works and How It Works
How ultrasonic cleaning of diesel injectors works, which deposits it removes, when it is enough and when components must be repaired or replaced.
MaintenanceDiesel Glow Plugs: Symptoms of Failure and How to Test Them
What glow plugs do in a diesel engine, which symptoms a bad glow plug gives (hard cold starting, white smoke) and how they are tested.
EmissionsDiesel EGR Valve Problems: What It Does, Symptoms and Cleaning
What the EGR valve on a diesel engine is, what it is for, which symptoms appear when it clogs with carbon and what the options are: clean, repair or replace.
EmissionsWhat Is a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and How Does Regeneration Work?
What a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is, how it traps soot, what regeneration is, why it clogs and what symptoms appear when it fails.
DiagnosticsDiesel Engine Losing Power: Causes and How to Diagnose It
Why a diesel engine loses power: filters, air, turbo, injectors, pump, EGR and DPF. The most common causes and how they are diagnosed in order.
DiagnosticsBlack, White or Blue Smoke From a Diesel Engine: What Each Color Means
Why a diesel engine blows black, white or blue smoke, what causes each color, and how the problem is diagnosed before any parts are replaced.
Injection pumpsTypes of Diesel Injection Pumps: Rotary, In-Line and Common Rail
Differences between rotary, in-line and Common Rail high-pressure injection pumps: how they work, where they are used and which faults are typical for each.
TurbosDiesel Turbo Failure: Symptoms, Causes and When to Rebuild
How to recognize a failing diesel turbocharger: smoke, whistling, loss of power and oil consumption. Causes of failure, what is inspected and when a rebuild makes sense.
Common RailWhat Is a Common Rail Diesel System and How Does It Work?
A clear explanation of Common Rail diesel injection: components, how it works, advantages over mechanical pumps, typical faults and maintenance.
InjectorsBad Diesel Injector Symptoms: 7 Warning Signs and How to Confirm Them
Smoke, loss of power, rough idle, high fuel use, hard starting, knocking and warning lights: how to recognize a failing diesel injector and how it is confirmed.