Diesel Engine Manual -Operation and Maintenance Tips

Reading user manual before operating diesel engine or diesel generator is necessary. Any user of the engine without reading the manual could lead to personal injury and machine damages.

To ensure the safety use of diesel engine and prevent accident, special attention should be paid to the following points.

* When working on the engine, remain alert at all times. Never work on the engine when physically or mentally fatigued.

* Do not smoke when working on the engine.

* Smoking is not allowed during fuel refilling, otherwise, fuel steam can cause fire easily.

* Smoking is not allowed when checking battery electrolyte level because electrolyte release flammable gasses.

* Do not ware a loose garment or any jewelry when working around the engine or its driven equipment. If necessary, wear safety goggles, work clothes, safety helmet or other protective items.

* Gen-sets must be kept 1 meter away from building or other equipment during operation to avoid fire.

* The engine exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide and other harmful stuff which can be DEADLY. If the engine runs indoors, exhaust gas must be piped safely away from any building or enclosure that houses the engine.

* Do not remove guards and protective devices with which the engine is equipped for its exhaust system parts and exposed rotating parts when required, or personal injure can be likely triggered. To prevent personal injury, marine engine exhaust parts like the exhaust tailpipe, muffler should be provided by OEM with protective devices; the engine exposed rotating parts like the belt pulley, net winding machine are better equipped with guards or protective devices.

* Do not put flammable stuff like fuel, lubricating oil, coolant, or danger stuff like explosive around the engine. They may cause fire or explosion.

* Wipe up any fuel, oil or coolant spills. They may cause fire when being lighted. Put rags with fuel, oil or coolant into a fire-protection container, and do not leave it on the engine.

* Remove dust, mud or other odds and ends on the engine. They can be a cause of fire or engine overheating.

* Before starting the engine, make sure there are no person around, nor tools or other things on the engine. Do not start then engine when a tag of Do Not Start is on the starting switch.

* When fuel, oil, or exhaust gas leak of found, take measures to eliminate the leakage source immediately. Splashed fuel or oil on high temperature parts or exhaust gas contacting flammable stuff can cause fire, personal injure or engine damage.

* Do not make any maintenance to fuel system parts when the engine is in operation.

* Fuel flows from the injection pump to the injector through the high pressure fuel pipes under very high pressure. * Do not loosen the high pressure fuel pipes when the engine is in operation. This will result in serious scald.

* If the engine will not be used for long time or for repair, always disconnected the battery cables or the air line of an air starter motor if used to prevent accidental startup. Meanwhile, place a tag of Do Not Operate in the operation room or on the starting switch. Disconnect the cable from the post indicated by a NEGATIVE, NEG, or (-) first, the NEGATIVE cable last.

* Do not use a metal tool to contact the two battery posts, and do not make the two posts short circuit, or explosion may happen.

* The connection of the battery cable posts must be secured. Explosion may happen due to poor connection. Damaged wired or cables will cause fire. Check and replace them before reconnecting the wires and cables.

* Do not use fire, not make welding near the battery(s) because battery can produce flammable hydrogen and oxygen. Do not use the battery(s) when its electrolyte is lower than the minimum level. Improper use of electrolyte can cause blind or scald.

* If the engine runs indoors, keep a fire extinguisher near the engine at all times. Keep the extinguisher properly charged and be familiar with its use. Keep an emergency medical box in a specified place where is accessible. Make sure there are measures available for dealing with fire or accidents. Do not use any carbon fire extinguisher of tetrachloride type. There fire extinguisher emit toxic fumes and the liquid can damage wiring insulation.

* Keep skin or eyes free from coolant or electrolyte when refilling and changing. In case of skin contact, please flush the contacted part with soap and clean water. In case of eye(s) contact, flush your eye(s) for 15 minutes with clean water and seek for medial treatment immediately.

* Cool down the engine first when refilling coolant to avoid being hurt by coolant steam. Open the pressure cap or filler cap only when the coolant temperature is lower than 50 ℃, and then slowly loosen the cap to release the pressure of coolant. The coolant is very hot when the engine has just stopped, and coolant steam or hot coolant can inject and cause scald of the cap is opened. The cap must be tightened after checking, refilling or changing coolant.

* Do not touch by hand the intake and exhaust system components like the exhaust manifold, exhaust tailpipe, turbocharger, intercooler air inlet pipe and expand tank when the engine is in operation because they are very hot. The coolant is very hot when the engine is in operation, and steam or hot coolant will inject and cause scald if the cap is opened.

* Stop the engine when the fan drive belt breaks, or the engine will go overheat, and coolant steam in the expansion tank will inject and can cause scald.

* Do not handle discharged oil or replaced oil filter with bare hand, for high temperature oil or lubricating system part are very hot and can cause scald.

* Release the pressure in the air, lubricating, cooling or fuel system prior to dismantling or loosening any of its pipelines, permanent joints, connectors or relevant parts of the system. Otherwise high pressure fuel, lubricating oil and coolant can cause personal injury.

* Do not get near to the exposed rotating parts when the engine is in operation and keep away things that may be easily caught by the rotating parts from around the engine, or serious personal injure can happen.

* Make sure to shutdown the engine before any adjustment is performed to it and its driven equipment. Anything that is caught in rotating parts can cause a serious accident.

* Use a barring tool to rotate the engine. Do not rotate the engine with the fan, otherwise several personal injury or damages to fan blades can be caused.

* Take away the barring tool after being used, or it can damage the engine and cause personal injure when the engine is in operation.

* Do not stand on the engine or on the side of the engine to work on parts high on the engine. Use a stable step and be careful when working on the step to avoid failing down. Do not use a parts box or tools box as a step. Careless operation can cause damaging to the engine and personal injure.

* Use lubricating oil may contain carcinogenic substance which can result in reproductive toxicity, therefore, inhalation of or longtime exposure to oil steam should be avoided. Waste oil should be disposed in proper, safe and reliable manner.

* To prevent choke or cold injury, removal of air-conditioning refrigerant (Freon) pipeline should be conducted in well ventilated environment protection, used oil, fuel, coolant, oil filter or fuel filter must be properly disposed according to relevant environment protection regulation when changing oil, oil filter, fuel filter or coolant. And discarded battery(s) must be also properly disposed.

* The surfaces of the drive belt pulleys must be smooth to prolong the belt service life. Therefore, before installing the belt, make sure the pulley surfaces are free from roughness or burr, and the pulleys can rotate smoothly.

* The battery(s) must be replaced when its lifetime is due.

* Malfunction thermostat should be replaced in time but the use of thermostat cannot be omitted.

* Do not cut the seal on the fuel injection pump. The seal prevents the fuel control part from being moved. The engine warranty will not be given if the seal is cut. If the seal is cut, the wear of moving and rotating parts of the fuel injection pump will increase and be damaged, fuel and oil consumption will increase dramatically, fuel will be injected improperly, governor performance will go degenerated, and the engine will over-speed.

* Do not use raw water to cool the engine directly.

* Do not clean the fuel injection pump with electronic governor by watering it directly.

* Do not let rain enter the engine from the exhaust and intake ports. Do not clean the engine when it is in operation.

* Detergent or water may be introduced into the inside of the engine. When the engine is started, detergent or water inside the engine combustion chamber can cause damage to the parts inside by its hydraulic pressure, which leads to a serious accident.

* Do not change the application and scope of the engine without permission, or it can cause damage to the engine, and/or equipment, and personal injure. The changed engine will not get any warranty even though it is in the warranty period.

The tips above are the basic safety rules that every user should follow when operating and maintaining diesel engine. Accidents could occur when user operate, maintain and repair engine if users are lack of basic safety sense. On the contrary, if users read manual carefully before operating, it is not difficult to recognize potentially hazardous situations before the accident occur.