Diesel maintenance, demystified
Keep your diesel running — trucks, big rigs, and equipment.
Charleston Diesel is a no-nonsense maintenance resource for diesel pickup trucks, heavy trucks, and off-road equipment. Service intervals, troubleshooting, and how-to guides from working diesel techs in the Lowcountry.
Diesel Pickup Trucks
Power Stroke, Cummins, and Duramax maintenance — oil intervals, DPF regen, fuel systems, towing, and the fixes that keep a 3/4- and 1-ton diesel on the road.
20 guides →Heavy Trucks
Class 7 and 8 preventive maintenance, DOT inspections, aftertreatment and DEF, air brakes, and drivetrain service for working trucks.
17 guides →Equipment
Excavators, loaders, generators, and off-road diesels — hour-based service, hydraulics, fluids, and seasonal storage that protects your investment.
16 guides →Latest guides
- APU and Idle-Reduction System Maintenance
How to keep an APU reliable, why it saves fuel and engine wear, and the service it needs to keep doing its job.
- Air Filter Service in Dusty Conditions
How to service equipment air filters in dust without ruining the engine, and why over-cleaning is as bad as neglect.
- Cooling System and Radiator Cleaning for Equipment
Why equipment overheats from clogged cooler cores, how to clean them safely, and the cooling maintenance that prevents downtime.
- Air Dryer Service and Why It Matters
How the air dryer protects your brake system from moisture, the signs it's failing, and the simple service it needs.
- Equipment Greasing and Lubrication Points Guide
Why daily greasing is the cheapest, most-skipped maintenance on heavy equipment, and how to do it right.
- Diesel Coolant Service, EGR Coolers, and Head Gaskets
Why diesel cooling systems need real maintenance, how a failing EGR cooler mimics a head gasket, and what to watch for.