Turbodiesel vehicles have garnered a loyal customer base in North America. Following the sound maintenance practices noted below will extend the life of these powerful and expensive engines.

Upon startup, allow the engine to warm up before revving it or driving, especially in cold weather. Hot and cold engine parts expand at different rates and can 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.

Changes in smoke color should be addressed as soon as possible. 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 you see changes in smoke color, you will want to fix the cause before any lasting damage occurs.

Don’t allow the engine to overheat. A proper functioning cooling system is absolutely necessary to the longevity of your diesel engine. When performing maintenance on your diesel’s cooling system follow the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) recommendations. If you decide to make any engine modifications be sure to monitor engine oil, coolant and exhaust gas temperatures.

Many engine problems can begin in the fuel tank. Water getting into the tank either from the filling station or through condensation from heating and cooling cycles that occur with vehicle operation is generally the most common way this happens. It’s important to drain off that water regularly or when the vehicle indicates your fuel/water separator is full. Modern diesel technology cycles fuel back to the tank and can result in carbon particles being separated from the fuel and collecting in the tank and fuel filter. Using a premium fuel additive like AMSOIL Diesel Injector Cleaner is one easy way to minimize these effects.

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.

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.

Bypass oil filtration systems feature a secondary filter that draws approximately 10 percent of the oil pump’s capacity at any one time, trapping the extremely small, wear-causing contaminants that full-flow filters can’t remove. This process removes nearly all contaminants from the oil making all of the oil analytically clean. This results in the reduction of long-term wear and the ability to extend oil drain intervals with the use of Oil Analysis. Consider adding an AMSOIL Bypass System to your vehicle.

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. This results in Intense heat and shearing forces of engine components. Viscosity loss due to prolonged high temperatures lowers the oil’s ability to reduce friction, wear and heat, putting critical engine components at risk.

Turbodiesel vehicles suffer a certain level of fuel dilution that also contributes to loss of oil viscosity and potentially more rapid engine wear thus requiring lubricants that provide maximum protection and performance under high heat and high load environments.

Since fuel economy is one of the primary reasons customers buy turbo-diesels it’s important that the lubricants used 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.

The new API CK-4 and FA-4 diesel oil specifications have been designed to drastically reduce emissions and improve fuel economy, while still providing increased engine-protection by improving 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