Maintaining the diesel engine of your marine vehicle is very important when it comes to ensuring top performance and extending its lifetime. Based on the manufactures recommended maintenance program, you have to ensure that all the areas of the marine have been checked and the engine is operating well. Overlooking simple problems will always build up to cause serious complications that may end up shutting down the engine.

For effective maintenance, it is important to learn and understand the operating parameters of the engine system. This includes knowing the engine and its components, understanding how they work, and recognising the various signs of trouble that may help identify problems when they arise. Modern marine engines have been designed to operate with similar principles, hence have similar needs. They must be supplied with clean fuel, clean air, and a better quality lubricating coolant and oil.

Modern engines may vary with regard to maintenance specifics like quantity and quality of oil, oil change intervals, specific chemistry and quantity of coolant, and filtration specifications. To set your marine engine on pace, here are some maintenance tips you should apply.

Change the Marine Engine and Gear Oil and Oil filters

Ensure you follow your engines manufacturer's instructions to adhere to the service interval provided. Most engine oils may be replaced at least once a year depending on the nature of oil used in the engine system. Some marine gear systems may not have oil filters. For this case, they may have a cleanable screen element that must be cleaned at the time of oil change

Change the Primary and Secondary Fuel Filters

The primary and secondary fuel filters should always be changed at the same time. Failure to service these fuel filters may lead to unnecessary smoking and poor engine performance by the marine.

Analyse of Oil and Coolant

The service life of your marine diesel engine may be enhanced by regular laboratory analysis that can be performed by consulting your engine service provider. Oil and coolant samples may be taken to the laboratory and analysis performed at least once per year under certain conditions during each oil change. Your service provider may make recommendations after completion of all analyses based on the findings to enhance the engine performance.

Change Air Filters 

Some components like paper elements cannot be cleaned. Therefore, they should be replaced at the manufacturers recommended interval. Cleanable air filters should be cleaned and oiled before replacing them.