Automotive News & Information - Sac Valley Diesel

In the diesel world, "blow-by" is a term you're bound to run across at some point if your line of work involves diesel-powered vehicles of any kind. What is blow-by, what causes it, and how concerned should you be? At Sac Valley Diesel in Sacramento, CA, our fleet maintenance and diesel technicians see it on a regular basis. Here we'll take a quick look at blow-by, correcting it, and preventing it.

What is Blow-By? - Diesel blow-by is a term that describes an event of lost compression into the crankcase. Blow-by occurs whenever a burnt or unburnt fuel and air mixture escape from the cylinder and past the piston rings and into the crankcase. In a perfect world, the piston would be sealed tightly in the cylinder, able to move up and down but keeping all the air and fuel and exhaust that enters or exits the cylinder during the combustion process out of the crankcase. As you'll see, this perfect world doesn't exist, but it is important to minimize the amount of blow-by in a diesel engine.

At Sac Valley Diesel in Sacramento, CA, we service all types of fleet vehicles and see many of the same problems come through the door again and again. Here are some easy early warning signs from our team here at Sac Valley Diesel, that signal your fleet vehicles are in need of maintenance soon.

Dirty Hands Working on a diesel truck engine

Keeping your fuel system maintained will prevent premature parts failure and poor running conditions. Here are some important aspects of diesel fuel system maintenance, to keep your fleet running smoothly. While your system and components should typically be serviced by a professional technician, there are some things you can be conscious of that will go a long way toward keeping your engine in good shape.

For the first several decades of automotive history, transmissions weren’t reliant on electronics for operation. Today, that simply isn’t the case. At Sac Valley Diesel in Sacramento, CA, we have the knowledge and equipment necessary to take care of even the most complex transmissions, no matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive.

Diesel engines are known for their reliability - that’s probably at least partially why you bought one. However, like all things, diesels and their components wear out eventually. Fortunately, the technicians at Sac Valley Diesel in Sacramento, CA have you covered. Here are some fuel system issues to watch out for.

Your fuel system is comprised of a variety of parts, each tasked with keeping your engine running strong - Chevy, Ford, and Ram all have small differences, and diesel systems have changed over the years with innovation in the field; however, the fundamentals haven’t changed. At Sac Valley Diesel, our technicians are familiar with the differences between models and generations, but for the intents and purposes here they aren’t necessary to know. Here’s an overview of the major components you’ll find in most diesel fuel systems.

“Valve body” is one of those nebulous car terms you hear all the time, but nobody seems to really know what it is. At Sac Valley Diesel in Sacramento, CA, we know exactly what a valve body is, what it does, and are well equipped to address any issues your valve body may be experiencing.

In the diesel world, "blow-by" is a term you’re bound to run across at some point if your line of work involves diesel-powered vehicles of any kind. What is blow-by, what causes it, and how concerned should you be? At Sac Valley Diesel in Sacramento, CA, our fleet maintenance and diesel technicians see it on a regular basis. Here we’ll take a quick look at blow-by, correcting it, and preventing it.