Diesel engines are amazing. They provide great power, great torque, they’re good on fuel and they’re even environmentally friendly. But there are some generic things that you want to be aware of for your diesel.

If you live in an area where they run your diesel through emissions, you probably want to use one of the additives that are designed specifically to help diesel engines pass emissions tests. Also, you want to use some type of diesel fuel treatment that’s going to keep injectors and valves clean. Now that’s a big thing with diesels. Also, you want to use a water eliminator because there’s always water in diesel fuel. And if you live where it’s cold, you want to use a product that will prevent the fuel from gelling. When it really gets cold, diesel fuel can turn into something that looks very much like Jell O or wax. These additives will help prevent that.

Now, those things are generic. Now we have to refer to our owner’s manual because the owner’s manual is going to give you some very specific information. Primary thing we’re looking at here   the oil that goes into your diesel engine. Now the oil has to match what the owner’s manual specifies. Primarily, that means that there’s going to be a ‘‘C’’ in the rating for the oil. ‘‘C’’ stands for compression ignition and that’s diesel.

Alright, water separators. Diesels have water separators and again it’s back to the owner’s manual to see when you should be draining the water separator. Usually, it’s going to be something around 5,000 miles. And although you can probably do it yourself, it may be cumbersome.

Now those things are generic. Now we’re going to talk about something specific. Here we have a Volkswagen TDI engine. This is the new 2 liter in a Volkswagen Passat. Now what I’m telling you here does not apply to this engine, it applies to the smaller, 1.9 liter TDI. Now these engines have a problem with sludge that builds up in the intake as a result of the exhaust gas recirculation system. It can hamper performance, it can actually make the engine so it won’t start.

Well, this has been a problem to clean up but BG Products has come up with a system that uses chemicals that can be injected into the engine and an auger that can be run in here to clean the sludge up because this stuff really clogs up in there. It does a great job and if your 1.9 has poor performance, loss of fuel economy or anything like that, you want to look for this system.

If you have a question or comment, write to me.  The address is MotorWeek, Owings Mills, MD, 21117.