Four diesel car faults we can avoid

Diesel cars are not free from faults. Some are unavoidable and can occur at any time, but other faults can be avoided, and by following a maintenance routine the risk of suffering these problems is reduced. Proper maintenance can be a good way to prevent these faults, so let us show you four of the most common faults in a diesel car.

Dirty injectors

The injectors are essential in a diesel engine. They ensure that fuel is injected into the cylinders and that the combustion takes place that allows the engine to run. With prolonged use, the dirt produced by combustion gradually builds up on the injectors and prevents combustion from taking place correctly. This is easy to detect because a dark, dense smoke is produced that signals this malfunction.

This build-up of dirt can be caused by several factors. Among them may be a small oil leak into the combustion chamber due to a crack or a pore in the circuit; continuous driving at a very low engine speed; a very low operating temperature; or poor-quality diesel.

It is necessary to keep up with the car’s maintenance and carefully check the filters and the lubricant level, in order to keep the whole system in optimal condition. If the injectors fail, there will be a loss of performance, higher consumption and also higher polluting emissions.

The EGR, a fundamental engine component

In the diesel engine we find the EGR or the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system. This system allows the engine to recover part of the gases resulting from combustion, thereby reducing emissions. This system can become dirty if the car is used only for limited driving, such as in town. Under these conditions it starts to malfunction and causes a loss of performance when driving. To avoid this, you should let the car breathe, making occasional trips on motorways and allowing it to reach higher revs.

The cleaning and tuning of the EGR is essential to keep it in perfect condition, and you should keep an eye on it, carrying out a cleaning at regular intervals.

Diesel particulate filters

The diesel particulate filters are another component that can become a source of problems for a diesel car. They limit polluting emissions and to do so they must incinerate the accumulated residues. This happens when the engine runs at higher revs. By generating hotter gases, that dirt burns off and the filter is cleaned.

Problems arise when that dirt is not eliminated: it builds up and prevents the filters from fulfilling their function. In this way they can cause more serious damage, so you should avoid using the car when the filters are dirty.

The turbo, the most delicate component

What is more, it is the most expensive fault to repair. This is because the turbo is responsible for providing the additional power the engine needs to run properly. If the correct operating temperature is not respected, the turbo can develop problems. One of the problems that can be found in the turbo of a diesel engine is wear of the moving parts.

You should not demand power from the engine until it has reached its ideal operating temperature, and you should let it rest after demanding power. As soon as there is a problem with the turbo, the driver notices it through a loss of power while driving. If it is minor, it can be resolved at the workshop with a simple inspection, but if a serious problem is detected during it, it can be a fairly expensive fault, ranging from a major repair to having to scrap the turbocharger and replace it with a new one.