If your truck or car has a diesel engine, you know how important it is to monitor its diesel exhaust fluid. While you may not think much about fluid levels on a day-to-day basis, you should try to periodically check it. Of course, if your vehicle’s diesel fluid cap cracks or leaks, you may need to check levels more frequently. You may also have dirty fluid, as damaged diesel exhaust fluid caps can allow dust and debris to contaminate your vehicle’s fluid. Here are some suggestions for knowing when to replace a diesel exhaust fluid cap.
A Leak
If you notice a puddle beneath your vehicle, you could have a leaky diesel exhaust fluid cap. Likewise, fluid on the underside of your hood could indicate a possible leak. Either way, if you see or smell leaking exhaust fluid, it is probably time to replace the engine’s diesel exhaust fluid cap.
A Crack
Even if your cap doesn’t leak, it may have a small crack that makes it less effective. Cracked caps often allow dirty and grime to contaminate diesel exhaust fluid. As you may expect, dirty fluid can cause a host of problems. While it might be tempting to delay replacing your cap if it hasn’t started to leak, waiting could cause the sort of engine damage you would probably like to avoid.
A Stock Cap
Your vehicle’s stock diesel exhaust fluid cap can wear out with age. If you have never replaced the cap on your vintage vehicle, your engine may benefit from a quality aftermarket cap. Instead of worrying about failing an emissions test, upgrading to new a cap is probably a better idea.
To keep your car or truck in great shape, be sure you never ignore a damaged diesel exhaust fuel cap. Watch for these signs to know when you likely need to shop for diesel exhaust fluid caps.
