At IAmDIESEL Diesel Service Centre at Western Turbo, we hear a lot of kudos. About what we do to help our customers keep their diesel vehicles in tip-top repair, sure, but more often we hear our customers rave about how happy they are with their diesel vehicles. If sales figures are any indication, the interest in diesel as an alternative to gasoline as the fuel of choice for many Canadians is only going to intensify.
On the flip side, we also hear when our customers aren’t happy. When their diesel vehicles aren’t performing as expected, they’ll bring them to us. Many times, the fault is not with the vehicle itself, but with the fuel they’ve been putting in it. Today’s diesel vehicles are precision engineered, performance-oriented machines. If the fuel provided to the vehicle isn’t up to the task, there are going to be problems. Here are some of the tell-tale signs of problems with your fuel supply:
The fuel itself:
Does the diesel fuel you’re putting in seem darker in colour than usual? Does it appear hazy when you hold it up to the light? Does it smell bad compared to the fuel you’re used to putting in your vehicle? If it does, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s past its prime, or has picked up some contamination. Even something as simple as a little bit of water in a large tank of diesel fuel can have a negative impact on fuel appearance and more importantly, vehicle performance.
Symptoms on the road:
Does your vehicle lack its usual “get up and go”, and have you recently changed fuel suppliers? A loss of power and difficulty in getting to your desired RPM range often signifies bad fuel. Excess smoke from the tailpipe, poor fuel economy, and a prematurely clogged particulate filter can also be a sign of fuel troubles.
Engine Damage
Using poor quality fuel over a protracted period will have an impact on your engine. The biggest indicator that there’s been an ongoing fuel quality problem is dirty and pitted injectors.
IamDIESEL Diesel Service Centre is the service branch of Western Turbo, Winnipeg’s premier diesel centre. We are diesel professionals, knowledgeable and passionate about all things diesel. No matter what diesel vehicle you own, we pride ourselves on being the best place to bring it for service.