{"id":730,"date":"2021-10-06T15:08:25","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T15:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:10008\/?p=730"},"modified":"2024-03-15T15:24:50","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T15:24:50","slug":"10-signs-and-symptoms-of-a-worn-out-diesel-engine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learndiesels.com\/10-signs-and-symptoms-of-a-worn-out-diesel-engine\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Signs And Symptoms Of A Worn-Out Diesel Engine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your diesel engine is a workhorse. It will go on for a long time given the right maintenance has been done. I have seen motors with\u00a02 million miles!<\/strong>\u00a0So, knowing they can last a long time, what are some of the signs and symptoms that your engine is fixing to give up the ghost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several signs and symptoms that your diesel engine is not going to last much longer. I have compiled a list of 10 for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keep in mind that each symptom is evidence of a deeper problem and may not necessarily mean your diesel is done for. A complete diagnosis of the problem is needed to make an informed decision about your vehicle.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Starting problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When your truck is continually cranking and not starting up, this could be lots of things but, it can also be a sign of low compression. Diesel engines rely on compression to start and run. It must have proper combustion in order to run properly. Diesel is all about the squeeze and achieving the right pressure to cause the explosion.<\/strong> As your engine ages, the component will wear and cause issues in the seal of the chamber. This means that a component in your combustion chamber is worn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be a piston, rings, cylinder wall\/liners, or valves. When this is the culprit, the problem will be worse after sitting or in colder or even hotter weather. If your diesel is not cranking up don\u2019t jump to this conclusion! Do a proper diagnosis. After you have found that it is not any of the normal issues it is time to run a compression test. Have issues getting started? Check out this article I wrote on Diesel starting issues<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Blue Smoke from the exhaust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blue smoke is no good. I wrote a full article will all the possible problems Here<\/a>. Blue smoke means that your engine is burning oil in some fashion. This is not necessarily from worn components, but this is a major one for older engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have found that the problem is not in the fuel system an engine component is malfunctioning. As the engine wears, you will see more and more constant blue smoke. Over time, the clearances just can\u2019t be maintained on the cylinder walls and oil stays on the walls of the cylinder and the piston travels back down it leaves oil in the chamber and it gets burned along with the fuel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, a compression check is going to let you know where this problem is. If it is very old a complete in-frame rebuild may be needed.<\/strong> As you can see below, that oil has been passing those rings for quite a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Poor Fuel Economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Diesel isn\u2019t cheap! Spending a little extra at the pump these days? This may not just be a wallet problem. This could be a sign of wear<\/strong> in the injectors or ring wear. If the injectors are worn out or malfunctioning, they need to be repaired as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaking extra fuel into the chamber can cause all sorts of bad things to happen. When more fuel is added the balance is not achieved in the combustion chamber and the burn is not complete. That is when you see that extra fuel come out of the exhaust in the form of black smoke<\/strong><\/a>. When the rings are worn, they allow that extra fuel to slide down into the oil. You can see a misfire and\/or a rough idle from this. These things can damage other components and possibly even cause a complete failure of the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Loss of Engine Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is one people usually pick up on quickly. Something is usually said about the truck pulling a greasy string out of something<\/em> ????. Most will notice a change in the amount of power the vehicle has from take-off<\/strong> and how long it takes to get up to speed. Although, if you have been driving the vehicle for years this can sneak up on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does your vehicle have the power it had when you first purchased it? Check out my article 9-point checklist for diesel engines with low power<\/a>. Over the years as the components wear you will lose some of that get-up-and-go.<\/strong> If you are looking at whether or not your engine is worn-out this one is important. As you lose compression and your turbo and related components wear down, you will see a significant drop in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Increased Oil Consumption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Making another pit-stop for oil top off? Lookout!<\/strong> Your engine might be on its way out. If you look around where you normally park and don\u2019t see any signs of a leak and you looked around the engine and it is all dry it may be a compression issue. There are some ways that oil can escape through different components with no sign of leakage<\/em><\/strong> If your oil cooler goes out it will up the cooling system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, when the engine ages and all the parts wear down oil will begin to pass slowly being burned and escaping out of the exhaust. I have seen some so worn down that the exhaust drips oil! Don\u2019t be that guy. Keep an eye out when you have to add between oil changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Excessive or strange Noise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you remember how your diesel engine sounded when you drove it the first time? Has that beautiful roaring<\/a> been replaced with the sounds of beating and banging? Over time compression and combustion-timing issues can cause your engine to knock and make all sorts of unpleasant noises. There are really several places to look for the culprit of engine noise. It is really depending on where the noise is coming from and what it sounds like.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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