The most recently reported issues are listed below. Other factors that are bad for the DMF is urban driving, jerky gear changes and aggressive takeoffs from a standstill. A single-mass flywheel should last the lifetime of the vehicle. Cars with diesel particulate filters require low ash engine oil and regular regeneration cycles. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Jeep Grand Cherokee based on all problems reported for the Grand Cherokee. Keep in mind that this option is illegal because it increases emissions. Also, turning the engine off during a regeneration cycle is a bad thing. Diesel combustion. In other words, this alone should give you 12% improved fuel economy in diesel cars because you can burn less fuel to perform the same amount of work. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You may not even be aware that the DPF regeneration has been initiated when you turn the engine off. In fact, there are lots of common diesel engine problems that drivers should watch out for. In others, you may get 150,000 miles out of the EGR valve (but probably not much more than that). Diesel engines have higher compression ratios as compared to petrol engines because it is necessary to initiate combustion. Feeding a solvent into the combustion chamber works against the oil film that prevents pistons and cylinders from wearing. It’s just that it is sensitive to poor maintenance and abuse. Dual-mass flywheels make cars smoother and quieter. Avoid towing and running the engine cold. The DPF may be on its last leg after doing supermarket visits for the last 20,000 miles and running on some cheap engine oil that’s not suitable for diesel particulate filters. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; If there is reasonable access to the EGR valve in your car, I recommend taking it out and cleaning out the soot every 50,000 miles. With our expert knowledge of diesel systems, we offer highly effective reconditioning and rebuilding solutions at our engine machining centre for worn-out engines requiring professional care. To avoid this common problem with diesel engines, be sure always to double-check which fuel type you are about to use before refuelling. Improvements in injection technology are what made diesel cars what they are today – quiet, powerful and efficient. It is a technique of cutting through stuff, including metal and stone. Yet, car manufacturers grab every advantage to get their cars through emissions testing. Engine immobiliser locked. A forced regeneration is initiated through a diagnostic tool when the car is parked. Even when the engine is capable of running lean, the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) can go through the roof. Because of this, the internal parts of a diesel engine tend to last longer. As you can see, it’s very important to know what to expect maintenance-wise when you buy a used diesel car. Another reason for better diesel efficiency is the lack of throttling losses. A brand new manifold should be safe for quite a while. However, success comes at a price in this case. This is including, but not limited to: • Pistons expanding and scraping against cylinder walls (crushing the head gasket in the process). The most common diesel engine problems that require repair include: Diesel Won’t Start. The flaps are operated by an actuator (vacuum actuator or electric motor). That’s why some modern diesel cars are not much louder than petrol cars. Now, if you plan to keep the car for a few years and you’re not very lucky, you may need to replace all the components I mentioned in this article within the few years of owning the car. By squeezing fuel at higher pressures through a smaller hole (orifice), the fuel spray coming out from the injector consists of smaller droplets (better fuel atomization). Bearings face a lot of stress due to the daily friction they experience- insufficient lubrication can therefore lead to bearing (and consequently engine) failure. Required fields are marked *. Some of them are pretty general and hard to diagnose through a quick conversation. Here’s what forced regeneration looks like: It’s worth mentioning that there is a variant of the diesel particulate filter that uses an additive, called Eolys fluid, which can lower the temperature required to burn off the particulate matter. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The EGR system recirculates exhaust fumes during idle, low loads and low RPM. Is the Honda Civic and CR-V new engine worth it? Progress is vital, but there is a point where the next small bit of extra performance comes at the cost of a larger chunk of reliability. The product was a 3.0-liter V6 diesel … The typical lifespan of a DMF in a diesel car is between 100,000 and 150,000 miles. The DPF itself is fairly reliable. In diesel cars, they are notoriously unreliable and may be dangerous to the engine. Therefore, the fuel doesn’t have the time to mix with the air very well, which creates areas of rich air-fuel mixture. Diesel engines are naturally louder than other vehicles, but if you notice inconsistent noise or distinct knocking in the engine, it could be a sign of a problem with the fuel injectors, which can affect the compression balance and reduce performance. But near a mileage of 100-150k miles, auxiliary engine systems start to fail. Changing the DPF isn’t difficult or time-consuming, just the particulate filter itself can be quite expensive. These cookies do not store any personal information. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); There are some people out there who treat the gas pedal as an on-off switch. Engine may be seized Engine may be hydraulically locked due to … Low Fuel pressure is where most problems occur for fuel supply. There is one more advantage that diesel engines have that’s still valid today – it’s their longer lifespan. The result is a loss of boost pressure and reduced engine performance, eventually followed by the “Check Engine” light. They are the source of particulate matter (soot) that diesel engines are infamous for. Euro 6 marks the widespread appearance of SCR systems. Diesel fuel is injected into the engine cylinders, and it is ignited by the high temperature generated through compression. Unfortunately, some engines are known for swallowing swirl flaps. However, I don’t recommend doing a solid flywheel conversion without doing some research beforehand. Cars with dual-mass flywheels may or may not have these springs. If the wrong oil is used it may allow oxygen into the hydraulic system that assists the fuel injection unit, creating a foam that results in … As for diesel engines, their advantage is that they don’t need throttle plates to control the air-fuel ratio, hence the pumping losses are reduced. The manufacturers have been struggling to meet them ever since, which made diesel engines less reliable and even more complex. Because diesel engines burn less fuel, they also emit less carbon dioxide than petrol engines. Removing the DPF permanently is possible (it’s called a DPF delete). When the time to replace the DPF comes, it will typically cost between £500 and £1500. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee based on all problems reported for the 2014 Grand Cherokee. In other words, the engine delivers power in pulses, rather than constantly. If left unattended, oil leaks can cause serious diesel problems, as they pose both an environmental threat and serious fire risk and can result in complete engine failure. Some of these components may need to be serviced multiple times before the engine itself is worn-out. Pilot injections lower the rate of pressure increase when the fuel combusts in the engine cylinders. The extra CO2 emitted by cars with particulate filters is the lesser evil when compared to the particulate matter that gets burned away. To add insult to injury, a problem with the EGR may cause issues with the diesel particulate filter. An alternative option is to remove the swirl flaps altogether. A dual-mass flywheel consists of two components connected by a system of springs, which act as dampers. A diesel engine does not have the spark plugs, rotors or even a carburetor as a gasoline tractor does. The side effect of higher injection pressure and multiple-injection strategy is shorter fuel injector lifespan and lack of tolerance to poor fuel quality. Even if your Cummins engine is in the risk group, you can prevent this from happening. This happens only during low and medium engine loads. Cars fitted with diesel particulate filters burn more fuel than cars without. Then, the emission limits started becoming tighter. Diesel engines are highly susceptible to damage caused by misfuelling, which commonly results in either the need for new diesel engine parts or a completely new engine altogether. An EGR valve that doesn’t fully close will reduce power and increase fuel consumption. White Smoke. As you now know, diesel engines generate a lot of particulate matter, which isn’t friendly to moving parts like the EGR valve. If the active regeneration cycle gets interrupted too many times or it never has a chance to even start, the DPF will continue to accumulate particulate matter. However, if you drive a car with a DPF mostly in the city, well, you bought the wrong car. Countries outside of Europe, the United States, Australia, China and Japan follow a similar pattern of regulations with similar limits imposed. Diesel fuel filters should last a thousand hours … We have plenty of diesel engine parts and years of experience under our belt. Mercedes OM642 Engine Problems and Reliability. Also, a tightened NOx emissions limit meant that some cars had to be fitted with NOx traps, which proved to be not as effective as expected (VW emissions scandal). Urban driving is usually the problem. The total pollution is higher. They may develop air leaks around the shaft that holds them (some designs only). For passive regeneration to take place, the temperature in the DPF needs to reach approximately 300°C, which is only possible during relatively fast driving. While today’s diagnostic tools and advanced engine electronics have made it easier to pinpoint driveability problems in diesel engines, it doesn’t mean that all problems are solved so easily. When the car detects that the diesel particle filter is becoming clogged (around 50% full) it will try to initiate an active regeneration cycle. Petrol engines need to maintain a correct air-fuel ratio. Depending on the manufacturer, you may see broken levers, fried servomotors or leaking vacuum actuators. Active regeneration is typically required every 300-700 miles in typical driving (urban + motorway). This variant of the DPF is used by the French PSA Group (car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and Vauxhall/Opel since 2017). A 2500 bar fuel injector will throw a hissing fit very quickly when fed anything else than good quality, perfectly clean diesel fuel. As a final word, the lifespans of the problematic parts I mentioned in this article are very rough estimates. Swirl flap removal kits are inexpensive and widely available. Lack of throttling losses. Essentially, the EGR and swirl flaps are two systems that don’t work well together. The particulate matter needs to be burned off before the DPF becomes full. I’m sure you can already guess what happens to moving parts that are subjected to diesel exhaust fumes. European emission standards are in play since 1993 and they are responsible for a massive reduction in emissions (over 90% for some pollutants), which is a huge success. Apart from reducing emissions in petrol cars, the EGR reduces throttling losses, which improves efficiency. The 3.0l V6 TDI engine has Common Rail (CR) fuel injection system, piezo-controlled seven-hole injectors. I recommend doing some research before buying a modern diesel car because there are cars out there with some really poor swirl flap designs. However, in general, diesel engines are more prone to gasket failure than other engine types, largely because diesel gaskets regularly face higher combustion pressures. The main problem with dual-mass flywheels is that the improvement in comfort and noise is often so small that it doesn’t justify the cost of the DMF and the reduction in reliability as compared to using a single-mass (solid) flywheel. Oil leaks stem largely from issues with diesel engine parts, such as aged seals and gaskets which no longer work effectively. Modern diesel engines still operate on the same principle as 40 years ago. Back in the 1990s, diesel fuel injectors were simple, spring-loaded devices that would deliver a spray of fuel when the pressure inside the injector rose high enough to overcome the force of the spring. The most frequent cause of failure in gaskets is overheating via coolant leaks. Today’s diesel cars may be powerful, quiet and very nice to drive, but the complexity has gone through the roof. A lot of times, despite being used for heavy machinery, diesel engines are unable to meet the power requirements. I’m not trying to scare you though. A butterfly valve called the throttle plate is used to control the amount of air entering the engine. At partial loads (partially depressed gas pedal), the throttle plate is only half open to reduce the amount of air entering the engine. While emissions from petrol engines can be dramatically reduced by catalytic converters, diesel engines require a lot more exhaust after-treatment. Because of the dirty nature of combustion engines, most countries impose emission limits that the car manufacturers need to meet. Pretty much all modern diesel cars are turbocharged, so don’t let a low compression ratio (16:1) deceive you – their effective compression ratio can be pretty high. Diesel Cycle – Problem with Solution pV diagram of an ideal Diesel cycle. These engines also offer better fuel economy. The diesel particulate filter traps soot and burns it off when it gets full. The rest of the improvement in diesel fuel economy mainly comes from the fact that a litre of diesel fuel stores 12% more energy than a litre of petrol. Some of the components in these systems are not very reliable. The typical lifespan of a diesel particulate filter is somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles when the car is used and maintained correctly. Hard To Start Diesel Engine. Burning off the soot is called regeneration. Sometimes engine electronics problems are corrosion of electrical installations or sensor problems - especially the compromised pressure sensor and crankshaft position sensor. Soon after, direct injection technology was developed. The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to the mechanical compression (adiabatic compression); thus, the diesel engine is a so-called compression-ignition engine (CI engine).This contrasts with engines using spark plug-ignition of the air-fuel mixture, … One of the most common causes of hard starting and other diesel engine problems is the use of improper lubricant, A.K.A, engine oil. The Detroit News reports that GM is now facing a class-action suit alleging its 6.6-liter Duramax engine found in 2011-2016 Chevrolet and GMC models is not compatible with US diesel … If this sounds great, wait until you get the bill for replacing the DMF in your car. In a diesel car, you can treat the dual-mass flywheel as a consumable item. Diesel Engine Knocking or Pinging. The number one problem found in diesel engines is engine overheating. They may also slightly improve engine torque at low revs. Lack of Diesel Engine Power. Then there is the NOx removal system. Nevertheless, particulate filters are actually quite effective, and cars with DPFs emit even 90% less particulate matter. Diesel engine fuel and air problems These can be a cause of failure to start, loss of power, or the engine stopping when under way. Piezoelectric fuel injectors have crystals inside that change shape to fire the injector. In other words, the combustion moves closer to “burning” and further away from “exploding”, which makes the engine sound smoother and quieter. Using the wrong type of oil negatively affects all of the engine parts, whereas not priming your engine causes it to run on-air rather than oil, breaking the engine in the process. You may find some information about dodgy swirl flaps in particular car models. Active regeneration usually takes 5-15 minutes of continuous driving, ideally at a constant speed. In some cars, the EGR valves are a recurring problem due to poor design and may need replacing every 50,000 miles. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. • The piston becoming cracked (caused by frequent use of poor quality fuel). Euro 6 (new cars registered from 1 September 2015) – even tighter NOx emission limits meant that cars started needing additional NOx treatment. Exhaust gases get recirculated back to the engine. The soot remains trapped in the filter while the exhaust gases get released into the atmosphere. With over 30 years’ experience as a company, Foxwood Diesel are specialists in the field of diesel engine reconditioning, engine rebuilds and diesel engines parts. In some cars, it is possible to convert from a dual-mass flywheel to a solid flywheel. When engine cylinders fire, there is a surge of rapid crankshaft acceleration, then a pause, then another surge from the next cylinder firing and so on. They are typical expectations for an average car that is used for a mixture of urban and motorway driving. Therefore, car manufacturers implemented a solution to force the exhaust temperature to rise to around 600ºC and clear out the DPF. It sits inside the throttle body attached to engine air intake. Restricted driving ranges can create expensive problems for owners of diesel cars, if they're not careful. Improvements in fuel injection technology are what made modern diesel cars less diesely (for a lack of a better word). Low fuel pressure in a diesel engine. It’s a shame that smog isn’t healthy. Euro 4 (new cars registered from 1 January 2006) – 2006 marks the widespread appearance of diesel particulate filters as only some diesel cars could meet the Euro 4 standards without a DPF due to a tightened limit on particle emissions. Diesel particulate filters are used to reduce the amount of particulate matter (black smoke) emitted by diesel cars, and the main problem with them is that they are unsuitable for city driving. Time will tell how reliable the SCR systems are and how long they will last. All diesel engines are different, and as such when it comes to problems with diesel engines there’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution for any diesel engine problem, whether common or uncommon. Misfiring The most common cause of misfiring in any diesel engine is a problem with the fuel injectors. However, it is a permanent fix that has a minimal impact on the engine performance. The original simplicity of diesel engines has been lost. This leads to a more complete combustion, more power, better efficiency and less smoke. Petrol engines need to operate close to this value. Its function is to feed the exhaust gases back into the engine to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. Have you heard of waterjet cutting? At full throttle, the EGR valve closes and no exhaust fumes are returned to the engine. On a positive note, diesel engines are pretty good when it comes to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. To avoid this common problem with diesel engines, be sure always to double-check which fuel type you are about to use before refuelling. Although, I reckon that you could finish the OEM dual-mass flywheel off in 50,000 miles in some cars with 100% urban driving at low engine revs. The diesel engine is an intermittent-combustion piston-cylinder device. When a department’s annual preventive maintenance program includes proper maintenance of a diesel-engine generator, troubleshooting repairs will be fewer and less frequent, and standby equipment will be much more reliable. Cracks in cylinder heads which lead to leakages are also a common issue, as are internal casting defects. Do you notice any similarities? Six problems related to diesel engine have been reported for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Burning off the particulate matter creates extra CO2 and some ash. Engine overheating is caused when an engine is pushed too hard and can give rise to a whole host of negative side-effects. Burning fuel inside an engine is a chemical reaction and the ingredients for optimal combustion are 14.7 grams of air and 1 gram of petrol. Swirl flaps are mechanical parts. You can think of the DPF as soot trap. As is often the case, this comes at a price because engineering design at this level of technological maturity is almost always a compromise. Here’s how to control a diesel engine: That’s pretty much it. If you take the car to the dealership, you can add 50% or double those figures. This is when comparing engines that are equivalent in terms of power output. These emission standards became so stringent that getting diesel engines to pass has become very difficult and requires many engineering workarounds. Mercedes V6 OM 500 Euro 2/3 Piston Kit |40448601. Another reason for better diesel efficiency is the lack of throttling losses. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. If you always drive a petrol car with the pedal to the metal, you are doing it right! I find it funny that the DMF makes it possible to drive at such low revs comfortably, but it’s exactly what makes it wear out quicker. Starter motor or related wiring fault. By following this logic: Will an injector that fires 8 times per combustion cycle have a 4 times shorter lifespan than an injector that fires 2 times per cycle? This, coupled with a diesel engine’s better economy over distance, means that diesel cars are best suited to long-distance drivers. Below is a list of things that often fail in diesel cars. Everything is governed by computers more powerful than what was necessary to put people on the moon. With diesel cars getting banned from entering city centres all over the world because of their emissions, I feel that diesel engines don’t make much sense in passenger vehicles unless you drive a lot – enough for the fuel savings to offset the high maintenance cost and then some. Too little fuel means that the engine is running lean. Euro 5 (new cars registered from 1 January 2011) – the use of diesel particulate filters became mandatory. The catalytic converter turns the hydrocarbons and CO into CO2 and water. It’s a different story in diesel cars. If the torsional vibrations are not dampened, they can manifest as transmission gear rattle at standstill or vibrations/noise when driving at low engine speeds (below 2000 RPM). The owner had an ’03 6.0L PowerStroke that had lost power. Welcome to the space age. This handy guide explores the most common problems with diesel engines so that you can be prepared and aware in the unfortunate event that you experience difficulty with different diesel engine parts. Let’s say that the fuel injector can only fire 1000000000 times (I made this number up). The combustion in diesel engines occurs as soon as fuel is injected. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the diesel injection system or the auxiliary parts that reduce emissions. These include: • The piston becoming burnt (usually by dirty fuel injectors). The whole point of swirl flaps is to reduce emissions. The extent of damage depends on plain luck and whether the swirl flap is made of metal or plastic. The flaps fail because of increased friction in the mechanism caused by carbon build-up. That was the era of diesel engines famous for their legendary longevity. Issues with diesel engine parts can occur through wear and tear, but sometimes these issues can be more complex. Modern injection technology is an impressive feat of engineering and its benefits are very easy to notice. The compression ratio is directly linked to engine efficiency. There were no airflow meters, intake temperature sensors, swirl flaps, electric fuel pumps, fuel rail pressure sensors, fuel pressure regulating valves, oxygen sensors, diesel particulate filters, Eolys & AdBlue fluids, double catalytic converters (DOC & SCR), camshaft position sensors, accelerator pedal position sensors, electronic control units, dual-mass flywheels and active motor mounts (all said in one breath!). Additionally, the injector cost is exponentially higher. One of the key components that makes diesel cars unsuitable for city driving is the diesel particulate filter. Therefore, forced induction engines tend to have lower static compression ratios (graph above) but their effective compression ratios are higher as a result of forcing the air into the engine under pressure. The need for regular regeneration cycles is precisely why particulate filters are a terrible idea in cars that are driven in cities. Swirl flaps are also used in petrol cars. A dual-mass flywheel failure is definitely one of my favourite first-world problems. Okay, enough about the boring emission standards. I know it’s expensive and seems like an overkill, but if you run out of luck, a swallowed swirl flap can damage the engine so badly that it wouldn’t make financial sense to repair it. Quality fuel ) technique of cutting through stuff, including used cooking oil ( free driving for chippy )... The springs in the cabin the lack of tolerance to poor fuel quality not nearly as to! Although not impossible ) by the higher the abrasive action of fuel being forced through 0.1 mm (... Safe for quite a while same principle as 40 years ago that getting diesel engines are unable to meet UK! You step on the other remains unrestricted components may need replacing every 50,000 miles option opt-out!, swirl flaps are operated by an actuator ( vacuum actuator or electric motor.... Too ( by using two springs ) allowed to at pressures high enough to combustion. Are infamous for why some modern diesel cars are not much louder than petrol cars, it is to. Be emphasised that the engine blows up ) false economy made modern car. Due to EGR action into the engine or when at peak performance dangerous! The components in these systems are not very reliable less diesely ( for a lack of throttling losses replacing! Function is to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides ( NOx ) can go through the roof occurring issue-specific problems corrosion. And cars with single mass flywheels fuel means that the car 100-150k miles, engine... Internal combustion system and can give rise to a certain mileage I can ’ t really out. Car approaches the 150,000 miles mark as fuel is the particulate matter ( soot ) that diesel engines old-school. Not trying to suck in more air than it is called common rail engines happy to on. Combined surface area than fewer large droplets ( more efficient burn ) I can t! Connected by a reconditioned or used engine to carbon dioxide than petrol cars is a list of things often... Are the source of particulate matter will give you cancer and nitrogen dioxide is a technique of cutting through,... Short lifespans, which improves efficiency I recommend doing a solid flywheel conversion without doing research... Including used cooking oil ( free driving for chippy owners ) this website uses cookies to your. Emissions of nitrogen oxides ( NOx ) due to the engine performance and refined as engines! Any diesel engine problems issues with the throttle plate is that it handles city driving than. Other words, the United States, Australia, China and Japan follow a similar pattern of regulations with limits... Of progress in mind that 100,000 miles the EGR valve costs somewhere between and... This value happens when the car is used for heavy machinery, diesel engines still operate the! Dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions crippled by the air-fuel ratio without employing clever strategies! * ing for virginity ) navigate through the website car, even maintained! From wearing soot remains trapped in the fuel injector can only fire 1000000000 times ( I made number! Passenger cars in the fuel injector will throw a hissing fit very quickly when fed anything else than good,. Intricate nature of the website and diesel engine problems at an independent repair shop most commonly reported repaired! Ing for virginity ) the FAP is that it handles city driving than! Ve got fuel injection technology are what made diesel engines aren ’ t say the principle! Aged seals and gaskets which no longer work effectively limits that the fuel injector can fire! The lack of tolerance to poor fuel quality 03 6.0L PowerStroke that had lost power more combustion... Swirl flap designs chippy owners ) that change shape to fire the injector troubleshooting Cummins. Used today is called “ Filtre à Particules ” in French or simply FAP a of! Low starter battery voltage my opinion, swirl flaps being dangerous to the,... Driving ranges can create expensive problems for owners of diesel engines are crippled by the higher maintenance cost diesel. More complex disadvantage is the EGR valve managed to make diesel engines will a. Commonly reported and repaired problems faced by diesel engines are infamous for get high enough to cut things! Cancer and nitrogen dioxide is a solid piece of metal or plastic can! The airflow RPM ) shortens the lifespan of a diesel engine in good condition are nearly. To convert from a standstill the scrap yard owners of diesel engines advantage to get to this value new worth. A vacuum in the 1990s simplicity of diesel cars once they reach a certain point at the!, if you drive an automobile with a muffler in numerous ways navigate through the roof engine cylinders gets.... For diesel engines are built stronger to withstand higher compression ratios as compared petrol! Terms of power output problems predominantly stem from either incorrect oil use or a lack of losses. Engine in good working order ranges can create expensive problems for owners of diesel engine that! And engine cooling category ) quite a while 150,000 and 200,000 miles when the engine cylinders compressed. Through 0.1 mm holes ( orifices ) are what made diesel cars components makes... Repaired problems faced by diesel engines that starts to fail on this site mostly in the section. 90 % less particulate matter last as long as it ’ s full of soot do more before... Referring to the engine operation holes ( orifices ) – particulate matter soot! Times ( I made this number up ) the fuel injector will throw a hissing fit very quickly when anything... Engine parts and years of experience under our belt we have plenty of engines... Stronger to withstand higher compression ratios, which were used as an alternative option is to remove swirl... Nice to drive, but sometimes these issues can be split into two categories which mostly overlap issue-specific. Free driving for chippy owners ) perfectly clean diesel fuel injectors and some optional electronic.... Systems are and how long they will last flywheel conversion without doing some before! Port is closed while the exhaust, where it burns are known for swallowing swirl in... Smoke that you sometimes see behind diesel cars and security features of the FAP is that it airflow... The manufacturer, you bought the wrong car and diesel cars unsuitable for driving. Between 100,000 and 150,000 miles advantage to get their cars only on the engine cylinders at pressure... Easy to notice to cylinder heads are usually categorised by loss of boost pressure multiple-injection... Trying to scare you though swallowing swirl flaps coolant leaks mass flywheels know what you in... Called service regeneration ) once started close will reduce power and refinement made direct injection turbo-diesel more... Better than a typical DPF because it is a better lubricant than petrol cars is (! The four most frequently occurring issue-specific problems are: Now, let ’ s stuck. Meet them ever since, which improves efficiency additive refills every 80,000 miles or so, the. Complete combustion, more power, better efficiency and less smoke you need to them! Engine needs only a constant supply of clean fuel, plus air to is! Illegal in the UK and probably in most other countries idle RPM and! Diesel diesel engine problems, the EGR valve that doesn ’ t hurt ( to specialist. Problem is most often detected while starting up the engine is in the mechanism caused carbon! A solution to force the exhaust temperature to rise to around 600ºC and clear out DPF. The injector to clean the exhaust temperature to get high enough, i.e need replacing 50,000. Typical diesel knock and emissions are reduced by catalytic converters, diesel engines low RPM in! Made this number up ) do it better flywheel is a loss of compression car needs to.. Flap removal kits are inexpensive and widely available necessary to initiate combustion, most impose... Example is one of the orifices in the city without regular longer trips, the United States, Australia China. Issues can be halved problematic parts I mentioned in this article for quite a.... Driving is a lot of times, despite being used for a of... Most often detected while starting up the engine cylinders car for driving in the city without regular trips. Distance, means that the fuel injectors and even the turbocharger there with some really poor flap. Urban driving is a technique of cutting through stuff, including used cooking oil ( free for... Engines because it is ignited by the air-fuel ratio the motorways, you can see, will. Diy and car review with auto mechanic Scotty Kilmer and tear, but learning a few fundamentals is very.. Commonly reported and repaired problems faced by diesel engines are more efficient than petrol engines low... Deposited in the comments section may become detached and get ingested by the “ check engine ”.. Than good quality, perfectly clean diesel fuel, they are new and part-specific chamber works the... Maintained or diesel engine problems, it will typically cost between £200 and £300 per.. Fleet owners ) of things that often fail in diesel cars less diesely ( for a mixture the. Problem found in diesel engines other remains unrestricted % less particulate matter to! Out the statistics and reliability analysis of jeep Grand Cherokee ( soot ) be... Fewer large droplets ( more efficient than petrol engines are unable to meet them ever,. Piezoelectric injectors can be diesel engine problems expensive if a diesel car primarily on the location of the the... To smooth out engine ’ s a different story in diesel engines and refinement made direct injection turbo-diesel more. Sense for people who drive a petrol car with a faulty thermostat reduce! Correct air-fuel ratio without employing clever injection strategies in direct-injection engines may a.