The 3 Common Reasons Why Diesel Engines Fail

If you are changing your marine diesel engine fuel filter regularly or cleaning the diesel fuel tanks often, you might consider it normal maintenance.

However, if you’re investing too much time into it, it is certainly a red flag. Depending on the degree of usage, each part of the filter should last at least 1,000 hours. Similarly, injector should last at least 15,000 hours. If the diesel engine fails too often, there might be something wrong.

With the help of Changrun Trade, the leading provider of marine spare parts and marine diesel engines, this article sheds light on three of the most common reasons of diesel engine failure:

#1-Excessive Exposure To Water

But how did water get there? Condensation in the tank, leaky decks and poor inspection can all lead to prolonged water exposure.

If it makes its way through to the engine cylinders, you can expect the engine to fail. When it comes into contact with fuel injectors, it is immediately turned into steam and the pressure buildup can blow up injectors and damage other essential components.

The best way to avoid this is to invest in a water detector that can help you keep an eye on the water-engine contact.

#2-Contamination Through Dirt Or Microorganisms

Diesel fuel is inherently unstable, which makes it prone to degradation when it contacts air, water or heat.

Contaminated fuel is more likely to lead to the formation of sludge and microorganisms that can immediately damage your marine diesel engine.

Naturally, all sorts of contaminants cause the filters to clog which leads to unexpected engine failure due to restriction of fuel flow to the engine. Eventually, this can result in excessive wear along with foreign deposits in the engine.

If you encounter engine failure due to contaminated fuel more than often, it is a good idea to invest in dual filtration system. You can also consult professionals on how to polish fuel and check the quality while pumping.

#3-Air Leakages

Marine diesel engine fitting decay over time and valves fail. If there is any spot that allows air to seep into the fuel tank, the engine will pull onto the air instead of the fuel. As air is noncombustible, the engine will starve and consequently, fail. This generally happens when the filters are clogging and the lift pump is working harder, eventually increasing the vacuum.

If you notice that air leaks exist in your system, make sure that you proactively tackle the problem by tightening valves and replacing any o-rings.

Keep an eye out for these problems to minimize chances of engine failure. Make sure that you only partner with reliable marine engine spare parts suppliers like Changrun Trade to avoid marine diesel engine problems.