Top Tips for Better Diesel Truck Performance

Has your diesel truck been feeling sluggish or lacking its usual performance? This could be a sign of failing fuel injectors. Diesel engines need accurate fuel injection to operate efficiently and during ongoing use, injectors can become clogged with deposits. If left unaddressed, this can lead to sluggish performance, reduced fuel economy, and eventually, injector failure—resulting in costly repairs. Regular inspection and maintenance of your fuel injection system are essential to keeping your truck running at its best.

Let’s take a look at some telltale signs your diesel truck’s fuel injectors need attention.

• Idle Issues
  If you’re feeling your engine shake and shutter as it idles, it could be a partial injector blockage. Complete failure might not be far in the future.
• Starting Problems
  If you’re noticing that you’re having to crank and crank on your engine before it finally turns over, your engine could be deprived of the fuel it needs to get going. Your tank might be full, but the injectors are not getting what they need.
• Bad Mileage
  When injectors begin to go bad, they overfuel to compensate, which means you’re going to be making more frequent stops at the fueling station.
• Exhaust Plumes
  Two things to look for here involve color – white and black. If your exhaust is white, you’ve probably got unburnt fuel going into the combustion chamber. If it’s black, you’ve got injector spray pattern issues that cause poor atomization. Either of these points to serious injector issues.
• Misfires
  Misfiring might seem similar to rough idle issues at first, but you’ll begin to notice the difference when you hit the throttle and experience a hesitation to propel forward. This is referred to as a sluggish engine. One or more injector failures will lead to this problem.
• Increased Emissions
  If you notice white or black smoke, you not only have a fuel injector problem, but you’re going to fail your emissions test.

From performance issues to a loud engine, there are numerous signs that point to fuel injector issues. The frequency with which you get your diesel truck’s injectors inspected will differ per vehicle type and how it is used. If you’re driving down gravel roads daily or using your diesel truck for agricultural uses, you’re probably going to be taking your truck into a mechanic far more often than someone using their vehicle in more pristine environments.

At Gray Diesel & Equipment Services, we know that everything from environmental concerns to poor air filtration and bad fuel can lead to improper fuel injection performance. Bring your vehicle to us and we’ll get it finely tuned. Don’t wait until it’s too late – contact us today.