First Time Owning a Diesel… Any Tips?

Tegan said:
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.

Took me a while to get used to the lower rev range in diesels too.

Also, if you use the engine brake, it’ll scare the hell out of you the first time. I was towing 20k lbs, hit the brake going into a rest stop, and suddenly the RPMs shot up. Thought I mashed the gas by accident.

Tegan said:
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.

Not to sound dumb, but what do you mean by ‘low parts of the rev counter, not the top’?

@Taran
Diesel engines make power at lower RPMs. Unlike gas engines that pull hard up to 5-6k RPM, most diesels are done making power by 2,000-2,500 RPM. If you rev too high, you’re just burning fuel for no reason.

If you’ve ever driven a semi, it’s even more extreme—those engines only have a small 250-400 RPM window where they make power before you’re just wasting fuel.

Don’t idle for long periods. Don’t put gas in the DEF tank, or DEF in the diesel tank—people actually mess this up.

Also, stay away from the ‘rolling coal’ tuners. You’ll just be asking for trouble down the road. If you tap the traction control button twice, you get Sport Mode—makes things more fun.

@Ari
Came here to say this! Also, take it on a 30-45 minute highway trip once a month to help clean out the particulate filter.

You’re officially ruined. There’s no going back.

Picked up my HO yesterday!

Crosby said:
You’re officially ruined. There’s no going back.

Picked up my HO yesterday!

:joy: Congrats!!!

Look up what ‘regen’ means in diesel trucks. Understanding that will save you a lot of headaches and money down the road.

Drew said:
Look up what ‘regen’ means in diesel trucks. Understanding that will save you a lot of headaches and money down the road.

Thanks! I’ll check that out.

Don’t let it idle too much, and don’t just do short, low-speed trips. Take it on long highway runs when you can.

If you’re not towing often, make sure to floor it sometimes to keep things working properly. Also, don’t let the fuel level get too low—it can cause fuel pump problems.

And make sure your wife or anyone else who might fill it up knows it only takes diesel. I knew a guy whose wife put DEF in the brake fluid reservoir. That was a bad day.