The Importance Of Working With The Right Mechanic

It is fairly common for people to treat their vehicles like humans, or like family members. Some people even name their vehicles and baby them as though the vehicles were conscious entities with thoughts and feelings. That is why it strikes people as oddly humorous when they hear about the various diesel engine problems that sound like human medical conditions. Here are three of those problems and how to treat, er, fix them.

Overheating

Too much work, too much heat outdoors, too much sun, and not enough of the right fluids cause people and engines to overheat. Thankfully, the problem with your diesel engine is just as easy to fix as a glass of water for humans overheating. Let the truck cool down in a shady spot with the engine turned off for about thirty minutes or so. Check the coolant and look for spots of leaked coolant under the engine. Fill the coolant if needed, and if you spot any leaks under the vehicle, have a mechanic check out the engine and radiator.

Fuel Starvation

People starve from a lack of fuel, also known as food in the human world. Yet, you probably did not know that you can starve an engine too. In the case of a diesel engine, the engine cannot get enough fuel to create the combustion cycle needed to move the vehicle. This occurs with a variety of causes, and none of them are good. Essentially, it is akin to putting a meal in front of a starving person and only allowing them to lick everything on the plate once. Your engine will choke and sputter and then die. A mechanic experienced in diesel repair can take the engine apart to find the cause, fix the cause of the problem, and then put it all back together so that your diesel vehicle gets enough to "eat."

Harness Chafing

People experience chafing of their skin via their clothes or skin-on-skin rubbing. If the clothing causes it, the clothing often ends up with holes in it and then the bared threads chafe the skin underneath with every movement. A similar problem happens in diesel engines with their wiring harnesses.

A wiring harness is a set of wires and cables responsible for the delivery of electricity to different parts of the engine. There is a "harness" of material that surrounds this set of cables and/or wires. The harness frequently rubs against hot metal until, one day, the harness has a hole and the wiring and cables are exposed. Ultimately, the wiring and cables begin causing some short-circuiting problems and are worn apart from rubbing and heat. Your mechanic can find a way to rig up these harnesses so that they do not touch anything hot or abrasive when the car moves.