Your pickup is how you get to the job, pull the trailer and make the day’s money. RDI Power handles diesel truck repair in Brooksville for Ford Super Duty Power Strokes, Ram Cummins trucks, Chevrolet and GMC Duramax trucks, the Nissan Titan XD and the half-ton diesels. We diagnose with factory-level software, show you what we find with photos, and fix it once. We do not do general gas car repair, which is exactly why diesel trucks get our full attention.
Diesel pickups we work on
Ford
The 6.7L Power Stroke in 2011 and newer Super Duty trucks, the older 7.3L, 6.0L and 6.4L, and the 3.0L Power Stroke V6 offered in the F-150. Ford trucks are diagnosed with Ford IDS, Ford’s own dealer-level diagnostic software, and our Ford specialist, Eric, brings more than 30 years of Ford dealership experience. See Power Stroke repair.
Ram
The 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins in Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs, plus the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 in the Ram 1500. Ram trucks are diagnosed with WiTECH, Stellantis’ factory diagnostic software. See Cummins diesel repair.
Chevrolet and GMC
The 6.6L Duramax in Silverado HD and Sierra HD trucks from the 2001 LB7 through the current L5P, the 3.0L Duramax inline 6-cylinder in half-ton trucks and full-size SUVs, and the 2.8L Duramax 4-cylinder in the Colorado and Canyon. We also see the older 6.2L and 6.5L GM diesels, which were designed by Detroit Diesel. See Duramax repair.
Nissan Titan XD
The 5.0L Cummins V8 sold in the Titan XD from 2016 to 2019. It is a less common engine, and it gets the same diesel diagnosis as anything else in our bays. See our Nissan Titan XD service page.
Common diesel pickup repairs
Fuel system
Hard starts, rough idle, misfires, smoke and lost power often lead back to the fuel system. We test fuel supply pressure, rail pressure and injector contribution, check for water and debris, and repair injectors, high-pressure pumps and lift pumps. On trucks equipped with the Bosch CP4.2 pump, a failure can send metal through the entire fuel system, so contamination checks are part of the job. More on our diesel fuel injection page.
Emissions: DPF, EGR and DEF
Short trips and long idles keep a DPF from getting hot enough to clean itself. The result is frequent regens, power loss and, eventually, a plugged filter. EGR valves and coolers foul with soot, and DEF systems fail at heaters, pumps, dosers and NOx sensors. We find why the system is struggling instead of just forcing another regen. See emissions and exhaust repair.
Sticking turbos
Most modern diesel pickups use a variable geometry turbo, and soot buildup can make the vanes stick. Symptoms range from sluggish response to overboost codes. We test boost control, the actuator and the plumbing before deciding whether the turbo itself is the problem.
Cooling under tow
Towing in Florida heat finds every weak spot in a cooling system. Radiators, water pumps, thermostats, hoses and the EGR and oil coolers get pressure tested, and coolant loss with no visible leak gets traced to where it is going.
Glow plugs and grid heaters
The Power Stroke and Duramax use glow plugs, newer engines included, and their control modules can fail as well. The 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins use an intake grid heater instead. Either system can cause long cranking and rough cold starts when it acts up.
Batteries, charging and sensors
Batteries, alternators, starters, wiring and the sensors that feed the engine computer. Many trucks run 2 batteries, and a single weak battery can drag the other down.
Brakes, steering and suspension
Heavy duty pickups wear brakes, ball joints, tie rod ends and steering parts faster than half-ton trucks, especially when they tow. On solid front axle trucks, a violent shake after a bump usually traces back to worn track bar bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends or the steering damper. We find the worn part before anyone throws a steering stabilizer at it.
Transmissions
Shift complaints, slipping and overheating on the 6R140, 10R140, 68RFE, Allison and other automatics behind diesel engines are covered on our truck transmission repair page.
Hotshot and work trucks
Hotshot rigs pile on miles at heavy weight, and that changes what wears out first. Brakes, wheel bearings and hubs, tires, the trailer wiring connection and the hitch take a beating, and fluids need the severe service schedule. We perform annual DOT inspections on trucks and trailers, and we keep work trucks with service bodies, flatbeds and dump beds running for contractors around Hernando County. Businesses running several pickups can put them on an RDI Fleet maintenance plan for scheduled service, priority repairs and a 2-year/24,000-mile fleet warranty.
Maintenance that pays off on a diesel pickup
A few items do more than anything else to keep a diesel truck out of the shop:
- Fuel filters and the water separator. High-pressure injection parts have almost no tolerance for water or dirt. Change filters on schedule and drain the separator when the truck asks.
- Air filter. Dust that gets past a torn or poorly sealed filter wears the turbo and the engine. Check it at every oil change if the truck works on dirt roads or job sites.
- The right oil. Use the diesel oil specification your manual calls for, not whatever is on sale.
- Coolant condition. Old or mixed coolant attacks water pumps, oil coolers and EGR coolers from the inside.
- DEF quality. DEF breaks down faster when it is stored hot, so a jug that rode in the bed all summer may not be good fluid anymore.
If your truck has been tuned or modified, tell us up front. It changes what normal looks like in the data, and it can change the diagnosis.
Towing and hauling in Florida heat
Heavy towing in July is the hardest work most pickups ever do. Watch coolant temperature, transmission temperature and exhaust gas temperature if your truck displays them, and pay attention when a regen kicks in during a long pull. A truck that holds temperature empty but climbs with a trailer behind it is telling you the radiator, fan, charge air cooler or transmission cooler is falling behind. That is far cheaper to fix in the shop than on the shoulder with a trailer attached.
Pickups that haul out of Brooksville
A working pickup in Brooksville rarely has an easy life. The city sits 45 miles north of Tampa, so a truck based here that works in the city racks up highway miles, and many of the same trucks pull a camper or an equipment trailer on the weekend. That mix is hard on injectors, turbochargers, cooling systems and transmissions, and it is why a symptom that seems small deserves a real diagnosis instead of a part swap.
How we handle your truck
Every truck starts with a real diagnosis, not a parts guess. You get a digital vehicle inspection with photos and technician notes, a plan that separates what needs doing now from what can wait, and the decision stays with you. Our repairs carry a 3-year/36,000-mile labor warranty.
Bring your truck to our Brooksville shop or request service online. Tell us what it is doing and when it started, and we will tell you what it needs.