If you own a business in Texas, a diesel pickup isn’t just a tool — it’s an investment. Whether you’re hauling equipment, towing trailers, or meeting clients on job sites, your truck works just as hard as you do. The good news? When tax season rolls around, that truck can work double duty — saving you serious money through write-offs and deductions.
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The Duramax diesel engine family has shaped GM’s heavy-duty trucks for nearly 25 years. Born from a joint venture between General Motors and Isuzu, the Duramax replaced the aging 6.5L diesel and launched GM into true competition with Cummins and Power Stroke.
Each Duramax generation is defined by its Regular Production Option (RPO) code — LB7, LLY, LBZ, LMM, LML, and L5P — and each represents a major shift in power, reliability, emissions technology, or design philosophy.
Below is a complete, diesel-enthusiast-focused look at every Duramax generation:
its strengths, weaknesses, key updates, and why certain years are still sought after today.
Diesel pickups are built to handle heavy workloads, long-distance towing, and demanding conditions — but that capability comes with responsibility. Modern diesels aren’t “fuel up and drive” machines; they rely on high-temperature emissions systems that need the right driving conditions and maintenance habits to last.
One of the most important components in today’s diesel trucks is the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Understanding DPF behavior is especially important when evaluating used diesel trucks for sale in Texas, where short trips and idle-heavy driving are common.
While the DPF often gets blamed for reliability issues, the truth is simple:
This guide breaks down why DPF systems clog, the signs of trouble, and what diesel owners can do to avoid expensive repairs.
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The CP4 high-pressure fuel pump has become one of the most feared failures in modern diesel engines. When a CP4 pump fails, it can send metal particles through the entire high-pressure fuel system, damaging the injectors, rails, pump, and lines. Repairs often climb into five-figure territory, making CP4 failure a nightmare scenario for diesel owners.
The good news? Most CP4 failures are preventable with proper maintenance and fuel-lubricity management.
CP4 pumps can fail for a few reasons — air in the fuel, water contamination, or internal wear — but the #1 cause is:
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The Ford Power Stroke diesel family has powered Ford’s heavy-duty pickups and commercial trucks for more than 30 years. Across multiple generations, Power Stroke engines have delivered huge gains in horsepower, torque, emissions technology, and reliability.
From the legendary 7.3L to the modern 6.7L “Scorpion,” here is the full year-by-year evolution of the Power Stroke platform.
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The 6.7L Cummins Turbodiesel has been the backbone of Ram heavy-duty trucks for well over a decade. As competition between diesel manufacturers intensified, Cummins introduced a steady stream of upgrades—boosting power, refining emissions systems, and strengthening internal components to handle ever-increasing torque.
Below is the complete model-year breakdown from 2009 through 2025, including horsepower, torque, emissions changes, and major mechanical upgrades.
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Cold weather affects diesel engines more severely than gasoline engines, and not just because of the engines themselves — which is important for buyers comparing used diesel trucks for sale in Texas that will be expected to start and perform reliably in winter conditions. By design, diesels require high compression, strong battery output, and precise fuel behavior to start reliably — all factors that become more challenging as temperatures drop.
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The EPA has officially eased several DEF-related requirements for U.S. diesel vehicles and equipment — and for diesel operators across the country, this is a long-awaited change. These updates matter not only to fleets and contractors, but also to buyers comparing used diesel trucks for sale in Texas, where emissions compliance and downtime directly affect long-term ownership costs.
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