ENGINE TROUBLESHOOTING CHECKLIST

1 AIR INTAKE SYSTEM CHECKS 4 BOTTOM END WEAR CHECKS

• Air cleaner element holed or not sealing correctly. • Check filter for abnormal wear particles.
• Incorrect size air cleaner element for type of housing. • Abnormal noise on start up.
• Cracked or distorted air cleaner element housing. • Check for low oil level.
• Restriction gauge adapter broken. • Check oil pressure profile.
• Inlet or induction system from air cleaner to engine damaged. • Check for faulty oil pump, oil pick up and pressure relief valve.
• Leak in vacuum piping. • Overheating.
• Leak in air feed to compressor. • Coarse dirt entry.
• Inlet manifold gasket leaking or cracked. • Check for cause of fuel dilution.
• Incorrect oil grade used.
• Injector seat leaking (petrol engines).
• Damaged or missing breather.
• Damaged or missing dip-stick seal.
• Faulty or missing oil filler cap. 5 TOP END WEAR CHECKS
• Faulty or missing crankcase ventilation.
• Oil storage or top-up containers and funnels dirty. • High blow-by and crankcase pressure.
• Low compression.
• Lack of power.
2 COOLING SYSTEM CHECKS • Dirt entry in air intake system.
• Abnormal noise.
• Piston torching caused by defective injector spray pattern
• Faulty thermostats, radiator shutters or shutterstats.
and timing.
• Radiator fins or cores blocked or clogged.
• Defective water pump.
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Coolant level low.
Radiator pressure relief cap defective.
6 INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION (SLUDGE) CHECKS
• Fan belts loose.
• Faulty thermostatic fan. • Restricted air intake system.
• Engine overloaded (lugging). • Restricted exhaust system (damaged exhaust pipe or silencer).
• Cooling fins clogged or defective (air cooled engines). • Fuel system malfunction (timing and faulty injectors).
• Engine caked with dirt. • Faulty turbocharger operation or pressures.
• Defective water hoses. • Check for low compression and excessive blow-by.
• Pressurise system and check for leaks. • Extended oil and filter change periods.
• Check sampling technique, was sample taken cold? • Excessive exhaust back pressure (exhaust brake malfunction).
• Oil cooler passages blocked or restricted. • Low engine operating temperature.
• After-cooler or inter-cooler malfunction.
• Air entrained in cooling system.
• Dirty oil or filter by-pass valve defective.
• Insufficient coolant capacity.
• Extended idling periods.
• Incorrect air/fuel ratio or timing (gas and petrol engines).
• Faulty altitude compensation device.
• Incorrect coolant mixture.
• Dirty or contaminated/adulterated fuel.
• Incompatible coolant mixture. • Faulty thermostats or radiator shutters (incorrect operating temperature).
• Faulty or incorrect engine brake operation.
• Incorrect thermostat fitted.
3 FUEL DILUTION CHECKS

• Sampling technique (sample pump washed out with fuel or solvent). 7 WATER OR INTERNAL COOLANT LEAK CHECKS
• Leaking fuel inlet and return pipes, pump seals and unions.
• Faulty lift/transfer pump.
• Pressure test cooling system to locate leak.
• Worn or faulty injectors (e.g. incorrect spray pattern or break out pressure).
• Pressure test with sump removed to locate leak.
• Extended idling periods.
• Release pressure with sump removed to locate leak.
• Faulty internal injector seals or O-rings. • Blown cylinder head gasket.
• Fuel leaks - pressure test system. • Defective cylinder head seals.
• Incorrect thermostat fitted. • Leaking sleeve seals.
• Extended periods under low engine load. • Leaking oil cooler.
• Pump calibration or timing incorrect. • Cylinder liner cracked or holed.
• Restricted fuel return lines. • Injector cooling seals leaking.
• Contaminated fuel. • Engine breather blocked, missing or damaged.
• Faulty engine protection system. • Low engine operating temperature.
• Low operating temperature. • Extended idling periods.