If you notice that your commercial truck’s engine runs roughly, it's probably time to replace some parts and perform maintenance. After all, driving with a malfunctioning engine can be dangerous. So it’s best to fix any issues as soon as possible. However, finding the correct parts for your diesel engine can be challenging and sometimes a little stressful. To ensure that you choose the best parts for your vehicles, use the steps below and learn about picking the right diesel engine parts for your commercial trucks.
Step 1: Inspect the Vehicle
Before you find new engine parts for your vehicle, you’ll need to inspect your commercial truck. Even if you don’t see an issue, it’s always a good idea to check your truck regularly. A thorough inspection will allow you to identify any malfunctioning components or engine issues. If you don’t want to conduct one yourself, you can always have an expert come and look at your vehicle. Even if you think you know what the issue is, always inspect the truck, just to be sure.
Step 2: Identify Malfunctioning Components
The next step is to identify any malfunctioning components within your semitruck's engine. You may only find one damaged component or multiple during your inspection. It all depends on your specific engine and situation. Even if an issue seems minor, never ignore it and be sure to write it down for future reference. Sometimes, even the smallest parts can cause the most frustrating problems. Be sure to note all the malfunctioning components on a piece of paper or your phone. Also, make the most crucial parts your top priorities.
Step 3: Determine the Necessary Parts
When you identify your malfunctioning engine components, you’ll know what parts you need to fix your commercial truck. If you require multiple engine parts, be sure to write them all down for future reference. The last thing you need is to conduct an inspection all over again because you didn’t write them down! You can jot down the name of the part, the brand, the specific version, and other pertinent details that you might need when you search for new components.
Step 4: Choose High-Quality Brands
Too often, semitruck owners will choose to purchase cheap parts because they come at a lower price. These cheap parts are unreliable and usually don’t last long, so it’s best to avoid them and use quality components instead. Additionally, using reliable parts is usually more cost effective than using cheap parts in the long run. Since the cheap components break easily, you’ll often spend more money replacing them multiple times when you could have bought a quality part once. Finally, cheap parts can also damage other components within your vehicle and increase wear and tear. Overall, using better parts is generally the best way to save money and keep your vehicle in tip-top condition.
Step 5: Purchase Diesel Engine Parts
The next step is to acquire new diesel engine parts for your vehicle. As previously mentioned, you’ll want to choose high-quality parts since they’re cost effective and keep your truck in great shape. Here at ATL Diesel, we sell plenty of high-quality diesel engine parts. You can purchase them online easily. If you need to replace multiple parts within your engine, use one of our overhaul kits. But if all you require is a part or two, we have those, too. Currently, we sell engine parts and kits for Mack/Volvo, Caterpillar, International/Navistar, Detroit Diesel, and Cummins semitrucks. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today for some additional information. We’ll be happy to help you find the best parts for your diesel vehicle.
Step 6: Install New Engine Components
After you receive your new engine components, it’s time to install them in your commercial truck. Some truck owners prefer to install the parts themselves, while others prefer to leave this work to experts. If you prefer to install the engine parts on your own, make sure to put them in properly. You could damage your vehicle and the components themselves significantly if you add them in incorrectly. Keep in mind that the installation process can take some time, especially if you need to replace multiple parts.
Step 7: Test New Engine Components
With your new engine components securely in place, it's time to test your semitruck. First, turn on your vehicle and listen for any unusual sounds. If you hear something out of place, turn off your truck immediately and inspect your engine. However, if everything seems to work fine, you can drive your semitruck around the parking lot a few times. If your diesel truck passes this test, it should be safe for you to bring it onto the road. However, you should take it easy on your first trip and avoid pushing your semi or testing its limits. At this point, you’ll just want to make sure that your vehicle works well and is safe to drive.
Step 8: Monitor Your Engine
It’s wise to pay extra attention to your vehicle in the following weeks after installing the new parts and testing the engine. Again, if something seems out of place or unusual, you should pull over and inspect your vehicle. If you drive your truck for a couple of weeks and everything works properly, it’s generally safe to assume that you’ve fixed your engine correctly. Remember, after you add new engine parts to your vehicle, you’ll need to perform routine maintenance to keep them in the best possible shape. With regular maintenance, you can count on your semi and its engine to last for many miles.
You can pick the right diesel engine parts for commercial trucks now that you know these steps. In summary, you’ll need to inspect your vehicle, identify the malfunctioning components, determine the necessary parts, choose high-quality brands, and purchase the engine parts. From there, you must add the new engine parts, test the new engine components, and then monitor your engine for a period after this process. When you replace your diesel engine parts, you can get ready to watch your vehicle’s performance increase significantly overall.
