These days it’s quite common for people to recommend a catch can — and rightly so. Separating the oil from crankcase fumes is a great idea, as those fumes are responsible for a fair share of engine problems. But first, it’s important to understand a few things: why a catch...
So your car, truck, tractor or earthmover is getting tired, but you’d be stretching the finances to replace it with something newer? How do you make your vehicle last longer? Why not consider rejuvenating your existing machine by cleaning up and de-stressing the engine and driveline components — the Cost...
How a Toyota Troopy V8 Avoided a $7000 Injector Bill Being quoted around the $7000 mark for a new set of injectors on a Toyota V8 can be a rude shock. In most cases it’s only 2 or 3 injectors causing all the trouble — and in actual fact, they’re usually...
In today’s modern 4WD diesel engines, there’s no shortage of expensive problems that can occur — and unfortunately this includes vehicles that have been regularly maintained. Many drivers have heard horror stories about how expensive it is to replace fuel injectors and EGR valves. Now we have DPF costs to...
Provent 200 catch cans do a remarkable job of filtering oily crankcase fumes before they enter the inlet area. One of the common mistakes people make is not replacing the filter — or not knowing when to change a Provent filter. Depending on the age and condition of the engine,...
As a boat owner, you rely on your diesel engine to get you there and back — safely and without incident. But marine life is pretty testing for diesel fuel: humidity and salt-laden air make a great breeding ground for fuel algae. CEM’s Marine Diesel Fuel Stabilizer is a...
It’s often been said: “If your engine’s oil is changed according to schedule, it should never need a flush!” In a perfect world that might be so, but there are numerous factors that cause engine sludge to build up and piston rings to become fouled. With emission control components fitted to...
Regen problems generally arise where city driving, excessive idling or light duty cycles are encountered. Or, if other engine components such as EGR valves, turbochargers, injectors are fouled or not working properly. DPF regeneration cycles then become more frequent, and more prolonged! And…more serious! DPF’s often need replacing at a cost of...
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is an effective means of minimising emissions of dangerous fine particles in exhaust gases. But in reality, a DPF only traps the soot after it’s formed — and it brings with it a whole new range of expensive, annoying and inconvenient problems. Short answer: most DPF...
We all know that power equals acceleration — so how do you generate more power without modifications? Short answer: you don’t need engine modifications. By improving the fuel burn (with FTC Decarbonizer and CRD Fuel Enhancer) and reducing friction losses through the driveline (with AW10 Antiwear), independent DT80 testing recorded 4.6%...
Fuel economy improvements can be difficult to separate from normal changes in driving conditions, vehicle load and driving style. For that reason, Cost Effective Maintenance wanted to do more than rely on customer feedback. A brand-new 2017 Isuzu D-Max was taken to an independent emissions testing facility and tested on two...
To assist with the ever-increasing volume of orders being dispatched to the USA and internationally, it was time for CEM to engage the help of a well-established international distributor. Finding a business that could handle all the technical requests, and was set up for large volumes of domestic and fleet-based...
At CEM, one of the most common things we get asked about is stuck rings — and how to fix low compression on an engine. So when we saw this old 1997 Toyota Corolla on its way to the wreckers, we thought it could be an easy save! Short answer: low...
Don’t allow fungi, bacteria and moulds to grow in your diesel fuel and cause serious engine damage! The safe, fast and easy way to kill diesel growth is with FTC Decarbonizer added to the fuel. FTC Decarbonizer is extremely effective in killing both the live organisms, and the highly...
Been caught in the floods and need to know how to fix flooded vehicles and machinery? By following these step-by-step instructions, you can save engines, transmissions and other components from flood-water damage. Short answer: the key to recovering flood-damaged engines, transmissions and diffs is to act fast and coat the metal...
Before you give the go-ahead for a new set of common rail injectors, your first move should always be to restore full cleanliness and fortify injector lubrication. This determines which injectors, if any, really need replacing — and using CRD Fuel Enhancer lets you do exactly that. Short answer: in...
Diesel smoke colours are one of the clearest warning signs that a diesel engine is not operating as it should. Whether it’s black smoke, blue smoke, or white smoke, each type of diesel exhaust smoke points to issues within the combustion chamber, fuel system, or overall engine components. Diesel smoke (such...
Engine blowby — cylinder “blow-by,” or excessive crankcase pressure — is a common and worrying problem that most truckies encounter at some stage in their career. The concern is justified, as it typically means an expensive engine rebuild, and that’s usually what mechanics and dealers recommend. But according to Brisbane-based Cost...
Time and time again, we’re contacted by customers who have overheating problems with their diesel engines that they just can’t rectify. Many have spent $3,000 to $4,000 on big-core radiators, new water pumps, thermostats, fan hubs, chemical cleaning and more — yet still haven’t fixed the problem. Short answer: if your...
We continually hear of modern low-emission, heavy-duty truck engines having to be rebuilt at only 600,000km or less, along with many stories of long periods out of service. One of the biggest issues in maintaining reliability is keeping the emission control equipment working properly. Short answer: modern low-emission diesels fail early...
According to the laws of physics, power is the rate of performing work. Applied to a diesel-powered coal mining fleet, an increase in power results in an increase in production. A production drive is more complicated than that, of course — but more power is one way of lifting production,...
<p>Common rail diesel engines were introduced to meet the need for more stringent exhaust emission requirements. Fuel pumps, injectors, EGR valves, catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters are all integral parts of the emission control system.</p> <p style="background-color: #f4f7fa; border-left: 4px solid #003366; padding: 14px 18px; margin: 20px 0; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Short...
There’s always been a lot of scepticism around fuel and oil additives — much of it stemming from the “snake oil” salesmen of the past who made claims they simply couldn’t deliver on. Short answer: yes — high-quality, purpose-designed fuel and oil additives genuinely work. Modern engines suffer more deposit problems...
If you think your new vehicle’s performance is as good as it gets, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. As advanced as modern petrol and diesel engines are, there are still substantial inefficiencies that stop more power and torque from reaching the wheels. Short answer: a lot of an engine’s power...
Vegetable oil can be used as diesel fuel just as it is, without being converted to biodiesel. However, it’s around 11 times thicker than diesel, doesn’t burn as easily in the engine, and has very different chemical properties and combustion characteristics — so it can damage engines. Despite that, it...
Automatic transmission overheating problems can lead to an expensive repair situation if not address. In many cases damage to the transmission can be happening without the drivers knowledge. Many of these problems occur while towing, transmission temperature can increase quite quickly, friction reduces and transmission fluid begins to break down. <a...</a...
Cold weather starting becomes increasingly more difficult as engine deposits build up over time. Types of operation, such as excessive idling, short run time, light work and city type driving, all contribute to deposit formation which can result in poor cold start. All these operating conditions do not allow efficient...
Diesel exhaust particulate matter (DPM) is known to cause cancer, and while much of the blame has been placed on ageing truck and bus fleets, Brisbane-based firm Cost Effective Maintenance has concluded that the single biggest contributor to diesel smoke is the compounding effect of city driving cycles. Short answer: the...
Common rail diesels have been with us for many years now, and there’s no sign of their problems abating. Almost all common rail diesel problems are expensive, which makes preventative maintenance a very valuable investment for your vehicle. Since so many of our customers own common rail diesels, Jimmy and...
There's an easy, cost-effective way to cool your home, and it even helps to combat global warming! The smart way to cool your home is to convert your roof to a “cool surface”, by reflecting the heat off your roof, and back to where it came from. Just as Earth’s snow and...
Over the years, Cost Effective Maintenance have heard from hundreds of frustrated owners when their vehicle has started overheating. They’ve spent thousands of dollars on cooling system components and cleaning, yet still haven’t solved the problem. It’s something we hear all the time: “My vehicle has started overheating.” “It’s running hot.”...
Stop Rust Easily With Xtroll Rust Conqueror Xtroll Rust Conqueror is designed to prevent, treat and stop rust, with minimal preparation required. It can be applied directly to rusted surfaces, or used as a rust preventative, by brush, spray gun, misting bottle or even a rag. It’s one of the...
Black Diesel Smoke Causes Engine Wear That’s because the same abrasive soot particles that make up black diesel smoke also get into the oil, where they act as a grinding paste — slowly but insidiously wearing away metal from every lubricated part of the engine. But just by using FTC...
The answer is yes. Clean diesel oil is achievable — and maintainable — when you use the right products. At Cost Effective Maintenance we practise what we preach, and part of that is keeping our own vehicles much longer than normal. This lets us demonstrate the real potential for improved...
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes for a moment. You take your car, truck or boat to your local mechanic for a standard logbook service. You pick it up, and it sounds, runs and drives so much better than you expected. You wouldn’t just be satisfied — you’d be delighted....
“You fed your Mitsubishi Triton diesel chicken fat? And now you tell me it’s feeling sick?” Well I have to admit, I felt a bit sick too when Gene from Queensland told us what he'd done to his Mitsubishi Triton that he was running on chicken fat. Before we get started, I...
One of the most common questions we hear from diesel owners is: “My engine gets black oil again quickly after I do an oil change — why is it doing this, and is it normal?” It’s very common, and while a lot of our customers believed it was normal, they...
“My Old Fordson Major Spits Oil From the Exhaust!” “I look like a bloody Dalmatian after driving it for an hour!” Short answer: an old tractor pushing oil out the exhaust often isn’t mechanically damaged — it’s fouled up with carbon, sludge and sticking piston rings. Cleaning it up first with FTC...
Geez, the number of times Jimmy and I have had customers tell us they’ve spent up to $4,000 replacing radiators, water pumps, fan hubs and thermostats on their Nissan Patrol — and it’s still overheating! It never ceases to amaze us. By the time they speak to us, we’re almost...
“My truck has blowby and Cummins says it needs a rebuild…” This is a very common complaint Jimmy and I hear from truckies: their engine is performing well, but the blowby is bad. Wear around the piston rings, grooves and liners will certainly account for the excessive crankcase pressure that shows...
