While aftermarket upgrades are cool, they do make your diesel engine more temperamental. In addition to making sure that maintenance is properly scheduled, it is wise to add some features that will help accommodate the changes that you have made to your truck.
Your truck comes from the factory with a pre-set computer that controls many different engine settings. Unfortunately, this inhibits the full power of your vehicle, so adding a tuner (also called a chip or programmer) is a great way to override the settings and pull more power and fuel economy out of your engine. There are many types of tuners and chips on the market with names such as Edge, Bully Dog, H&S and Smarty. Some of them can be adjusted to a new program while you drive and others require that you turn off the truck in order to change programs. Either way, you can definitely have a lot more control over your truck with a programmer.
When you add items such as a tuner, aftermarket exhaust, cold air intake and other upgrades, this improves performance, but it must be monitored. To help make monitoring the truck parts easier, it is highly recommended that you install some helpful gauges or a monitor that displays important information. While this won't solve all of your problems and items can certainly still break, proper gauges can keep you from causing catastrophic injury to your truck. Remember the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and those gauges can prevent having to replace your engine or transmission.
When your truck is heavy, it has to work much harder, but there are ways to reduce weight. Upgrades add weight, so you can counter the weight by removing the winch and opting for lighter bumpers. In addition, bigger wheels and tires also add weight, so skip plus-sizing if you want to save a little weight. Obviously if you plan on off-roading, you might still want the winch and brushguards, but if you are always driving on paved roads, you really don't need these weighty extras.
There are so many great upgrades that allow you get better mileage and increased torque and horsepower, as well as improve the whole drive experience. But they do take their toll on your factory transmission. The good news is that you can certainly upgrade to a better automatic transmission, and while it's pricey, it's definitely a way to better accommodate all of these great new upgrades you have installed or are planning to install.
In the end, it's all about vehicle care. The better care you take of the vehicle, the less likely it is that you will face serious problems. If you have added aftermarket parts, don't rely on manufacturer's suggestions for maintenance visits. You need to check the engines, clean filters and do oil changes much more frequently. In addition, if you drive off-road, tow heavy loads or drive a lot more than the average driver, you need to adjust maintenance to ensure that all the parts are working correctly.
Your truck comes from the factory with a pre-set computer that controls many different engine settings. Unfortunately, this inhibits the full power of your vehicle, so adding a tuner (also called a chip or programmer) is a great way to override the settings and pull more power and fuel economy out of your engine. There are many types of tuners and chips on the market with names such as Edge, Bully Dog, H&S and Smarty. Some of them can be adjusted to a new program while you drive and others require that you turn off the truck in order to change programs. Either way, you can definitely have a lot more control over your truck with a programmer.
When you add items such as a tuner, aftermarket exhaust, cold air intake and other upgrades, this improves performance, but it must be monitored. To help make monitoring the truck parts easier, it is highly recommended that you install some helpful gauges or a monitor that displays important information. While this won't solve all of your problems and items can certainly still break, proper gauges can keep you from causing catastrophic injury to your truck. Remember the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and those gauges can prevent having to replace your engine or transmission.
When your truck is heavy, it has to work much harder, but there are ways to reduce weight. Upgrades add weight, so you can counter the weight by removing the winch and opting for lighter bumpers. In addition, bigger wheels and tires also add weight, so skip plus-sizing if you want to save a little weight. Obviously if you plan on off-roading, you might still want the winch and brushguards, but if you are always driving on paved roads, you really don't need these weighty extras.
There are so many great upgrades that allow you get better mileage and increased torque and horsepower, as well as improve the whole drive experience. But they do take their toll on your factory transmission. The good news is that you can certainly upgrade to a better automatic transmission, and while it's pricey, it's definitely a way to better accommodate all of these great new upgrades you have installed or are planning to install.
In the end, it's all about vehicle care. The better care you take of the vehicle, the less likely it is that you will face serious problems. If you have added aftermarket parts, don't rely on manufacturer's suggestions for maintenance visits. You need to check the engines, clean filters and do oil changes much more frequently. In addition, if you drive off-road, tow heavy loads or drive a lot more than the average driver, you need to adjust maintenance to ensure that all the parts are working correctly.
About the Author:
Jone Carducci loves writing reviews on truck accessories. For more information about diesel exhaust kits, or to find other truck accessories like FASS fuel pumps, please go to the Truckwurx site today.
