Diesel or petrol? This question has befuddled prospective car buyers for decades. Both these variants have their own sets of advantages and drawbacks, and it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

It is generally agreed upon that diesel cars while being more expensive than their petrol-powered cousins, are also more fuel efficient and deliver more torque. Diesel is also cheaper than petrol. So, you’ll shell out less in gas stations.

However, diesel cars also require higher maintenance and the service life of a diesel engine is also considerably lower than that of a petrol-driven vehicle. There are specific precautionary measures that you can take to get your diesel engine to last longer.

1. Go easy on the battery

Unlike their petrol-powered counterparts, diesel engines don’t use spark plugs for ignition. Instead, it uses compressed air along with power directly from the battery to ignite the fuel. Diesel units compress air by a factor of almost 30 as opposed to petrol engines that compress air by a factor of 10.

This entire process requires a considerable amount of power from the battery. Therefore, try to keep your battery usage to a minimum. Use ACs, heaters and other high-power appliances sparingly.

2. Air and oil filter checks

Filters are crucial for diesel engines. You must choose the oil filter after careful consideration. Even in the high heat of diesel engines, sometimes the fuel does not burn completely, leaving carbon and sulphur residue. If these residues make their way back to the fuel chamber, and they will if a proper oil filter isn’t installed, the performance of your car will suffer noticeably.

The same applies to air filters, which filter the air of particulate matter which can damage the engine. You should check the condition of both these filters every 10,000-12,000 miles and replace them as necessary.

3. Maintain a strict service schedule

All cars require periodic servicing, more so when they are diesel-powered. Go for a servicing at least twice a year at reputable garages like Your Tyres & Auto Care. If the CEL flashes, take your car for an engine diagnostic in Nottingham immediately.

4. Rev it right

While a higher rev of say, 5,000 rpm, will produce a better growl, it’s not the healthiest practice for your diesel engine. Higher revs put unnecessary burden on the engine, reduces fuel economy and minimise your car’s overall power output.

Driving at a rev of around 2,000 rpm is considered the safest for diesel-powered cars.

5. Never run dry

While it’s true for diesel as well as petrol vehicles, the effects are much starker in the diesel variants. If your fuel tank goes completely empty, you’ll need to manually supply fuel to the engine to get it working again. Most car manufacturers these days cut off the supply of fuel when the level goes below 2-litre mark.

Keeping a keen eye on the fuel indicator on your dashboard will help you avoid this issue without fail.

Bonus tip

Never mess with the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). It is a filtration mechanism that traps pollutants and keeps the exhaust free from those particles. According to the new rules, altering your DPF in any way will lead to your car failing its MOT in Nottingham.