First Time Owning a Diesel… Any Tips?

Just picked up my first diesel truck and looking for advice on what I should know as a first-time owner. Maintenance, fuel, things to avoid, any helpful tips would be great!




Diesel is usually the green handle, not the smaller black one.

Jordan said:
Diesel is usually the green handle, not the smaller black one.

Unless you’re at BP, where they switch the colors for no reason. I avoid BP just for this.

Avery said:

Jordan said:
Diesel is usually the green handle, not the smaller black one.

Unless you’re at BP, where they switch the colors for no reason. I avoid BP just for this.

Yeah, I noticed that too. Before I knew about it, I thought every car at BP was a diesel lol.

Jordan said:
Diesel is usually the green handle, not the smaller black one.

Guess I better make sure my wife never fills it up.

Taran said:

Jordan said:
Diesel is usually the green handle, not the smaller black one.

Guess I better make sure my wife never fills it up.

You’d be surprised how often this happens. Usually, the owner is distracted, pumps it full of gas, then realizes what they did when the engine starts knocking.

@Jordan
If this ever happens, DO NOT START THE ENGINE. Get it towed and have the fuel system flushed.

This could save you from an $18,000 mistake.

Funny story: a semi driver who worked with us once did this to an ambulance. Totally wrecked the engine.

@Jade
I work at a Benz dealer, and this happens more often than you’d think. A Sprinter van with gas in the tank? That’s a $20-23k repair. The fuel pump shreds metal into the system at high pressure. At that point, everything is toast.

@Sage
Volkswagen owners are the worst about this. Then they flip out when they see the bill.

Taran said:

Jordan said:
Diesel is usually the green handle, not the smaller black one.

Guess I better make sure my wife never fills it up.

Also, don’t put DEF in the diesel tank. I know a couple who’ve owned only diesels for 30 years, and she still accidentally did it. $23k later, they just traded it in instead of fixing it.

Change your fuel filters every 10,000 miles, and oil and filter every 5,000 miles. Use Motorcraft oil filters and Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, especially with today’s biodiesel blends.

If this is a new truck, change the oil now—you’ve already got 1,200 miles on factory oil, and that break-in period is done.

@Remy
Thank you so much!

@Remy
Solid advice.

@Remy
Also, don’t forget to change the crankcase ventilation filter!

Lyle said:
@Remy
Also, don’t forget to change the crankcase ventilation filter!

How often should that be changed?

Remy said:

Lyle said:
@Remy
Also, don’t forget to change the crankcase ventilation filter!

How often should that be changed?

Check your owner’s manual, but a lot of guys recommend every 10k miles. There’s a YouTube channel called Flying Wrenches that goes over a better replacement filter because the stock one isn’t great.

Don’t use sketchy gas stations. Stick to well-known truck stops for fuel.

If you want peace of mind, consider a disaster prevention kit or a DCR fuel pump upgrade. And don’t mess with emissions until you actually have problems with it.

@Zaire
Underrated comment. Bad fuel will ruin your day.

@Zaire
X2 on the disaster prevention kit. The CP4 fuel pump is a disaster waiting to happen.

Enjoy it! And when filling up DEF, use truck stop pumps. Way cheaper than buying the jugs. Also, DEF freezes below -12 to -14°C, so keep that in mind if you’re in a colder climate.