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%...
Over the years many of our customers tell us that after running Cost Effective Products through their vehicles and equipment they actually “run better than new!”(including noticeably improved fuel efficiency). Well, they’re dead right! And now, here’s the proof… It stands to reason that if you clean up a dirty engine, it’ll...
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 to handle large volumes of domestic...
At CEM, one of the most common problems 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 though this could be an easy save! This Toyota Corolla has...
With those cold morning starts serving as a persistent daily reminder, you may head into Winter asking yourself how to reduce friction in your vehicles and engines for smoother starting. Cost Effective Maintenance's AW10 Antiwear is formulated to deliver massive increases in lubricant load carrying ability, wear reduction and friction (&...
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 recent floods and need to know how to fix flooded vehicles and machinery? By following our step-by-step instructions on how to fix flooded vehicles and machinery, you can save engines, transmissions and other components from flood water damage! The key to recovering engines, transmission, diffs and other components from...
Before you give the go ahead for a new set of common rail injectors your first response should always be to restore full cleanliness and fortify injector lubrication. This will determine which injectors, if any, really need replacing. Using CRD Fuel Enhancer allows you to do this. Have you just been told...
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 problems or Cylinder “Blow-by” (excessive crankcase pressure) is a common and worrying problem encountered by most truckies at some stage in their career. Concern is certainly justified, as it typically means an expensive engine rebuild is necessary, and this is usually recommended by mechanics and dealers. But, according to...
Time and time again, we are contacted by customers who have overheating problems with their diesel engines that they cannot rectify. Many have spent $3000 to $4000 on big core radiators, new water pumps, thermostats, fan hubs, chemical cleaning and more, yet have not fixed the problem. The typical pattern is that...
We continually hear of modern low emission, heavy duty truck engines having to be rebuilt at only 600,000km or less, and many stories of long periods out of service. One of the biggest issues in maintaining reliability is keeping the emission control equipment working properly. Normally, this just means keeping everything...
According to the laws of physics, power is the rate of performing work. When applied to a diesel powered coal mining fleet, an increase in power results in an increase in production. Of course, a production drive is a little more complicated, but never-the-less, more power is one method of...
The key to this is minimizing operational stresses within gearboxes, differentials, planetaries, etc, since the less stress and loadings placed on each individual part within components, the longer everything lasts. In this article, driveline maintenance and lubrication enhancements will be discussed. Stress reduction will require a lowering of the coefficient of...
Clean up & keep all systems clean. Maintain full lubrication. Protect against corrosion. Reduce component stress. The less stress and loadings placed on each individual part within engines, transmissions, etc, the longer everything lasts. Admittedly, while that’s easier said than done, it’s actually not hard at all! Let’s look at the...
Common Rail Diesel engines were introduced to meet the need for more stringent exhaust emission requirements. Fuel pumps, injectors, EGR valves, catalytic convertors and diesel particulate filters are all integral parts of the emission control system. Most of the problems encountered can be corrected and controlled with the correct use of...
There’s always been a lot of scepticism surrounding the use of fuel and oil additives, and a lot of this has its beginning with “snake oil” salesmen making claims that they simply could not deliver on. Yet today, there are more problems with deposits in modern, precision, high performance engines, than...
If you think that new vehicle performance is as good as it gets, then you’re in for a pleasant surprise! As advanced as modern petrol and diesel engines are, there are still substantial inefficiencies that prevent more power and torque from reaching the wheels. Most notable is internal frictional losses, and...
Vegetable oil can be used as diesel fuel just as it is, without being converted to biodiesel. However, it is some 11 times thicker than diesel fuel, and it doesn't burn as easily in the engine. It also has very different chemical properties and combustion characteristics, and can damage engines....
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 blame has been put on aging truck and bus fleets, Brisbane based firm, Cost Effective Maintenance has concluded that the single biggest contribution to diesel smoke is due to the compounding effects of city driving cycles. General manager,...
Common rail diesels have been with us for 10 years now, and there's no sign of their problems abating! Almost all common rail diesel problems are expensive. This makes preventative maintenance a very valuable investment indeed 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 vehicle when their vehicle have started overheating. Owners have spent thousands of dollars on cooling system components and cleaning, yet have not solved their vehicle overheating problems. It’s something we hear all the time… My vehicle has started overheating, ...
Stop rust easily with Xtroll Rust Conqueror. Xtroll Rust Conqueror is designed to prevent, treat and stop rust! Minimal preparation is required. Xtroll Rust Conqueror can be applied directly to rusted surfaces or used as a rust preventative by brush, spray gun, misting bottle or even a rag. Xtroll Rust Conqueror is...
Black diesel smoke causes 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 the FTC Decarbonizer in...
The answer is YES. Clean diesel oil is achievable, and maintainable, when using the correct products. At Cost Effective Maintenance we practice what we preach... and part of that is keeping our vehicles much longer than normal. This allows us to demonstrate the real potential for improved reliability and exceptionally long service life...
4WD mechanic John Hams, from Off Road Autos (Mackay, Qld) facebooked us to tell us how he's going since starting to use CEM products 12 months ago. Here's a couple of the things he had to say about our products: "The entire range of CEM products have really impressed me since I started using them almost 12 months...
Put yourself in your customer's shoes for a moment: You take your car/truck/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. So much so,...
“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 regularly from owners of diesel engines is, "My diesel 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...
My old Fordson Major tractor spits oil from the exhaust! I look like a bloody Dalmation after driving it for an hour! When Trevor rang us up we had to laugh as he told us how his tractor spits oil out the exhaust! There are plenty of old Tractors out...
Geez! The number of times Jimmy and I have had customers tell us they’ve spent up to $4000 replacing radiators, water pumps, fan hubs, thermostats on their Nissan Patrol and its's still overheating! It never ceases to amaze us! By the time, they speak to us, we’re almost 100% sure...
