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.
14 guides →Heavy Trucks
Class 7 and 8 preventive maintenance, DOT inspections, aftertreatment and DEF, air brakes, and drivetrain service for working trucks.
9 guides →Equipment
Excavators, loaders, generators, and off-road diesels — hour-based service, hydraulics, fluids, and seasonal storage that protects your investment.
6 guides →Latest guides
- EGR Valve Symptoms and Cleaning on a Diesel Pickup
What the EGR system does, the signs of a clogged or stuck valve, and whether cleaning or replacement is the fix.
- Wheel Bearing and Hub Maintenance on Heavy Trucks
How wheel-end maintenance prevents bearing failures and wheel-offs, plus the seal and lubrication checks that matter.
- Wheel Loader Maintenance Schedule
The daily, 250, 500, and 1,000-hour service items that keep a wheel loader productive and protect the driveline.
- Why Your Diesel Won't Start in Cold Weather
The cold-start systems on a diesel, why they struggle when it's cold, and what to check before you're stranded.
- Hydraulic Oil Types and Change Intervals
How to choose the right hydraulic oil for your equipment, what the viscosity grades mean, and when to change it.
- DPF Cleaning Intervals for Class 8 Trucks
Why even a self-regenerating DPF needs periodic off-truck cleaning, typical mileage windows, and what drives ash buildup.