Why Your Diesel Truck Is Overheating

Published on 04/15/2022

why your diesel truck is overheating

In America, diesel engines are typical for heavy commercial machinery, large trucks, and other equipment we use in business and commerce. These expertly crafted machines carry out many important jobs, from food transport to emergency tow truck services. So when a diesel truck overheats, it can be a serious problem.

If you manage a business or otherwise depend on diesel trucks, you probably know that overheating can be costly to diagnose and repair. Fortunately, our team at All Bay Diesel is here to help.

As a trusted diesel repair service, we offer in-house and mobile truck repair in Berkeley, CA. We know that staying informed is one of the best ways to get ahead of diesel truck breakdowns and solve overheating before it starts.

Why Your Diesel Truck Is Overheating And How To Prevent It

In this blog, we talk about the top four reasons a diesel truck may overheat and the steps you or your fleet managers can take to prevent them. For more information on diesel truck maintenance or to learn when a diesel engine overhaul is required, browse our website or reach out to our team today.

Low coolant

What It Is: The leading cause of diesel truck overheating is low coolant levels. Every automobile engine, including diesel truck engines, depends on antifreeze to help the engine maintain proper operating temperatures. When antifreeze, otherwise known as coolant, runs low, the engine can overheat and develop serious problems.

How To Prevent It: Low coolant often results from several issues, including cracks in the radiator or coolant reservoir, corroded or cracked coolant hoses, and other problems. In most cases, the fastest and most budget-friendly route for fixing these issues is to call on an experienced diesel engine mechanic like those you’ll find at All Bay Diesel.

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To keep ahead of issues that can cause low coolant and result in overheating, have your diesel engines regularly inspected and maintained by an experienced professional.

Clogged or broken radiator hose

What It Is: A series of thick tubes help connect the radiator to various engine parts, including the coolant reservoir tank. When these tubes become cracked, clogged, or damaged, coolant can’t travel freely throughout the engine. A lack of free-moving coolant creates pressure buildup in the engine, resulting in overheating. When a diesel truck overheats, it can lead to cracked radiators, busted reservoirs, and other expensive issues.

How To Prevent It: Part of the job of seasoned diesel engine experts lies in helping companies maintain their fleets. During regularly scheduled maintenance and inspections, these professionals check critical components like fluid levels, radiator hoses, and more to ensure your trucks stay at optimal performance.

So unless you can inspect your engines yourself, the best prevention for damaged or clogged hoses is to schedule regular inspections and maintenance for all your diesel engine vehicles and machinery.

Of course, even the most well-maintained diesel trucks can experience component failures. If your radiator hoses fail on the road, All Bay Diesel can help with affordable, dependable mobile diesel engine services.

Faulty thermostat

What It Is: The thermostat includes a valve that opens and closes near the engine coolant outlet, helping to control the temperature inside a diesel engine. When a thermostat malfunctions, temperature regulation fails, and the engine overheats.

How To Prevent It: Thermostat malfunctions typically occur at random and can be hard to foresee. For this reason, it helps to keep an eye on your truck’s temperature gauge during operation.

Like other common reasons for truck and engine problems, the best way to prevent thermostat malfunctions is to maintain engine fluid levels and trust diesel experts for regularly scheduled engine maintenance.

Diesel engine mechanics check for operating temperatures, strange noises, faulty hoses, and more during inspections, but sometimes emergencies happen. If you have a diesel engine truck that seems to be running hot, schedule an appointment with All Bay Diesel today for a fast and affordable fix.

Broken radiator fan

What It Is: If you hear a rattling or loud tapping sound coming from your diesel engine, and it suddenly overheats, a broken radiator fan may be the culprit. Radiator fans, sometimes called cooling fans, are responsible for maintaining airflow throughout the engine, an essential component in temperature control. When these fans become damaged or otherwise obstructed, restricted airflow may lead to overheating in the engine.

How To Prevent It: Fortunately, a repair technician can easily identify broken, improperly installed, or otherwise obstructed radiator fans. Broken or off-center fans will make tapping, whirring, or clicking noises when they turn on, a noise most people can hear even over the noise of a diesel engine.

Fans that aren’t turning often result in fast overheating of an engine component. If you and your diesel truck drivers pay close attention to temperature gauges during truck operation, you can catch a disabled fan before it becomes a more expensive or dangerous problem.

If you own and operate a diesel truck, you know that it can cost serious money when a truck overheats. As part of regularly scheduled maintenance, seasoned diesel engine pros like those you’ll find at All Bay Diesel check engine components like radiator hoses, fans, and water pumps. These inspections can help you avoid potential breakdowns, saving you time and money while protecting your business-client relationships.

Find Affordable Diesel Engine Repair

At All Bay Diesel, we’re focused on helping local businesses and diesel truck operators keep their vehicles in peak running conditions. We offer a complete list of services to keep you moving, including:

  • Mobile truck repair
  • Check engine diagnosis
  • Mobile opacity testing
  • Electrical diagnosis
  • Welding services
  • PM maintenance
  • Mobile air conditioning repair
  • Brake repairs
  • Hydraulic system maintenance
  • Allison transmission service
  • And much more

Is Your Diesel Truck Overheating?

Our All Bay Diesel team is also ready to handle fleet maintenance, including regular inspections, baseline repairs, and other services for multiple truck fleets.

Don’t wait until your truck overheats. Get ahead of the problem by scheduling regular maintenance and engine inspection. Give us a call today.

Are you interested in learning more about diesel truck maintenance and fleet management? Browse our blog or reach out to our All Bay Diesel team for mobile truck repair in Berkeley, CA, today.

Call Now: (925) 522-1780