Totally agree with the above mentioned tips. One thing I’d like to add which I feel is important, is that especially with turbocharged diesel motors… In the mornings (especially on cold winter mornings) before you leave your home, start your car and let the car idle for about five to eight minutes just to warm up the turbo and bring it to operating temperature. This engine idling time allows your engine oil also to warm up. There’s more engine wear on a cold motor if you just get in and drive.
Don’t over-rev a cold turbo simply because you’re in a hurry or late for work. Diesel cars perform considerably more sluggishly on cold start-and-drives than petrol engines. Some or most diesel cars depend a lot on hydraulic pressure to perform as expected. When a diesel car is cold it will take a short while for the oil to warm up and provide the hydraulic pressure that is expected for performance.
I drive a BMW 330d E46 2001 model that I bought in 2014 and I tell you it was the BEST thing that I’ve ever done. Very well looked after by the previous owner. Apart from my motor mechanics background on petrol engines, I did thorough research and followed tips exactly like the ones mentioned in this post above. I was able to pull off 1400km on a single tank of diesel (Johannesburg to Cape Town) at a cruising speed of 110 to 120km p/h. That’s an impressive feat for diesel motors
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