If you’re running a Detroit Diesel S60 engine, you know it’s one of the most reliable powerhouses on the road. But even the toughest engines have their weak spots. We’ve seen thousands of S60 engines come through our doors at FridayParts, and we’re going to share the problems that keep showing up – and more importantly, how you can spot them before they leave you stranded.
Whether you’re hauling freight cross-country or running heavy equipment, these Detroit Diesel S60 problems can turn your profitable operation into a money pit overnight. Let’s dive into what you need to watch for.
1. Injector Failures: The $3,000 Headache You Don’t Want
The fuel injectors on your Detroit Diesel S60 are precision components that spray fuel at incredibly high pressures. When they start failing, you’ll notice your engine running rough, especially at idle. You might see black smoke pouring from your exhaust, and your fuel economy will tank faster than you can say “diesel prices.”
What makes injector problems particularly nasty on the S60 is that one bad injector can damage others. The engine computer tries to compensate for the faulty injector by adjusting fuel delivery to other cylinders. This creates an imbalance that wears out good injectors prematurely. We’ve seen operators ignore a single bad injector, only to replace all six within months.
The telltale signs you can’t ignore: If your S60 starts knocking at idle, produces white or black smoke on startup, or you notice fuel in your oil during routine checks, you’re looking at injector issues. Don’t wait – each day you run with bad injectors increases the repair bill exponentially.
2. EGR Cooler Problems That’ll Leave You Steaming
Your Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler is supposed to reduce emissions by cooling exhaust gases before they re-enter your engine. But here’s what happens in the real world: the cooler develops cracks, coolant starts leaking into your exhaust system, and suddenly you’re looking at catastrophic engine failure.
The Detroit Diesel S60 EGR cooler problems typically start showing up around 300,000 to 400,000 miles. You’ll notice coolant levels dropping without any visible leaks. Your exhaust might produce white smoke that smells sweet – that’s coolant burning off. The scary part? If coolant enters your cylinders, you could hydro-lock your engine, bending connecting rods and destroying pistons.
We recommend checking your EGR cooler every 100,000 miles. A pressure test takes about 30 minutes and can save you from a $15,000 engine rebuild. If you’re running an older S60, especially models from 2004-2007, pay extra attention – these years had the highest failure rates for EGR coolers.
3. Turbocharger Failures: When Your S60 Loses Its Breath
The turbocharger on your Detroit Diesel S60 spins at speeds up to 100,000 RPM, forcing air into your engine for maximum power. When it starts failing, you’ll feel it immediately. Your truck becomes sluggish, struggles on hills, and produces excessive smoke under acceleration.
Turbo problems on the S60 usually stem from two sources: oil starvation or contamination. Skip an oil change or use the wrong grade, and those precision bearings inside your turbo will wear out fast. We see trucks come in with turbos that sound like jet engines – that high-pitched whine means the bearings are shot, and you’re days away from complete failure.
Regular oil changes with quality 15W-40 diesel oil are your best defense. But here’s what many operators miss: let your engine idle for 2-3 minutes after hard pulls before shutting down. This allows the turbo to cool down and prevents oil from cooking inside the hot turbo housing. This simple habit can double your turbo’s lifespan.
4. Head Gasket Issues: The Silent S60 Killer
Head gasket failures on the Detroit Diesel S60 are like ticking time bombs. You won’t see them coming until it’s too late. The gasket sits between your engine block and cylinder head, sealing combustion chambers and keeping coolant and oil separate. When it fails, you’re in for serious trouble.
Early warning signs include: mysterious coolant loss, white exhaust smoke that doesn’t clear up after warm-up, oil that looks like chocolate milk, and engine overheating even with a full cooling system. The S60’s aluminum cylinder head and cast iron block expand at different rates when heated, putting constant stress on the head gasket.
The real kicker with S60 head gasket problems? By the time you notice symptoms, damage might already extend to your cylinder head or block. That’s why we tell our customers at FridayParts to perform compression tests during every major service. A 15-minute test can catch a failing gasket before it ruins your engine.
5. Camshaft Position Sensor Failures
Your camshaft position sensor tells the engine computer exactly when to fire injectors and control valve timing. When this $50 part fails on your Detroit Diesel S60, your engine might not start at all, or worse – it’ll die randomly while you’re cruising down the interstate.
The sensor itself rarely fails completely. Instead, it starts sending intermittent signals that confuse the engine computer. You’ll experience random stalling, hard starting, or the engine cutting out momentarily, then catching again. These symptoms make diagnosis tricky because they come and go.
What destroys these sensors? Heat and vibration. The sensor sits right on top of your hot engine, baking day after day. The wiring harness becomes brittle, connections corrode, and eventually, the sensor can’t send clean signals. Smart operators keep a spare sensor in their toolbox – it’s cheap insurance against being stranded.
6. Oil Cooler Problems and Catastrophic Consequences
The oil cooler on your S60 keeps your engine oil at optimal temperature, preventing breakdown and maintaining lubrication. When it fails, you get either oil in your coolant or coolant in your oil – neither situation ends well.
Oil cooler failures typically announce themselves through milky oil on your dipstick or an oil slick floating in your coolant reservoir. You might also notice oil pressure fluctuations or engine temperature climbing even though coolant levels look good. The Detroit Diesel S60 oil cooler sits in a tough spot, constantly exposed to temperature extremes and pressure cycles.
Here’s what makes oil cooler problems especially dangerous: contaminated oil loses its ability to protect bearings and other moving parts. Run too long with coolant in your oil, and you’ll spin a bearing or score your cylinder walls. The repair bill jumps from a few hundred dollars for a cooler to thousands for bottom-end work.
7. Liner Problems: When Your S60 Develops Cracks
Cylinder liner issues represent some of the most expensive Detroit Diesel S60 problems you can face. The wet liners in your engine can develop cracks, allowing coolant into combustion chambers or compression gases into the cooling system.
You’ll know you have liner problems when your coolant reservoir bubbles like a witch’s cauldron with the engine running. Coolant consumption increases dramatically, and you might notice a miss on one or more cylinders. The S60’s design uses replaceable wet liners, which is good news for rebuilds but bad news when they fail – coolant has direct access to your crankcase.
Liner failures often result from cavitation erosion, where tiny bubbles form and collapse against the liner surface, gradually eating away the metal. Using proper coolant with supplemental additives helps prevent this. But once liners crack, you’re looking at an in-frame overhaul – there’s no cheap fix.
8. Preventing Detroit Diesel S60 Problems Before They Start
You don’t have to wait for these problems to sideline your truck. Regular maintenance and knowing what to look for keep your S60 running strong. Change your oil religiously, use quality filters, and don’t ignore small issues – they always become big ones.
At FridayParts, we stock every part you need to keep your Detroit Diesel S60 healthy. From sensors to rebuild kits, we’ve got you covered with quality parts that won’t break the bank. Remember, preventing these common S60 problems costs pennies compared to fixing them after failure.
9. Wiring Harness and Electrical Gremlins
As your Detroit Diesel Series 60 ages, electrical problems become more common. The engine wiring harness deals with heat, vibration, and engine oil exposure—all enemies of electrical connections. Corroded connectors and chafed wires can cause intermittent problems that are maddeningly difficult to diagnose.
You might experience random check engine lights, unexplained power loss, or even complete engine shutdowns. The worst part about electrical issues is their unpredictability—everything works fine one minute, then you’re stranded the next.
Periodically inspect visible wiring for signs of wear, especially where harnesses bend or contact other components. Pay special attention to ground connections, which often corrode and cause bizarre electrical symptoms. If you’re experiencing electrical gremlins, don’t just keep resetting the computer and hoping for the best—electrical problems rarely fix themselves.
Some drivers with high-mileage engines choose to replace the entire engine harness as preventive maintenance. While expensive upfront, it can prevent countless headaches and roadside breakdowns.
10. Main Bearing and Rod Bearing Failures
The bearings in your Detroit Diesel Series 60 have a tough job, handling enormous forces while maintaining a microscopic oil film. When bearings begin to fail, you’ll often hear a knocking noise that changes with engine speed. As the condition worsens, the knocking gets louder, especially under load.
Bearing failures are typically caused by one of three things: lubrication issues, contamination, or excessive load. Maintaining clean oil at the proper pressure is your first line of defense. Foreign particles in the oil—even tiny ones—act like sandpaper on bearing surfaces.
Regular oil analysis can catch bearing wear before catastrophic failure. Looking at the metal content in used oil samples can tell you if bearing materials are showing up in higher-than-normal amounts. It’s like getting an inside look at your engine’s health without taking it apart.
If you do need bearing replacement, always check the crankshaft journals for damage or out-of-round conditions. Installing new bearings on a damaged crankshaft is a waste of your money.
11. Jake Brake Complications
The engine brake (commonly called Jake brake) on the Detroit Diesel Series 60 is a lifesaver on long downhill stretches, but it can develop problems over time. When not working properly, you’ll notice reduced braking power or unusual noises during operation.
Engine brake issues often trace back to valve adjustment problems. The Jake brake depends on precise valve timing and clearances to function correctly. If your valves are out of adjustment, your engine brake performance suffers.
Oil leaks into the Jake brake housing are another common issue. This causes the brake to slip and lose effectiveness. Keeping your valve cover gaskets and other seals in good condition prevents this problem.
Don’t ignore Jake brake issues just because they don’t stop your truck from running. A properly functioning engine brake reduces wear on your service brakes and can prevent dangerous situations on steep grades.
12. Fuel Pump and Injector Failures
Fuel system issues are super common in the Detroit Diesel Series 60, especially in older models. The electronic unit injectors (EUIs) can fail after extended use, leading to poor fuel economy, rough running, and eventually, engine misfires. The fuel pump itself can also wear out, causing low fuel pressure that starves your engine when you need power most.
Dirty fuel is the biggest enemy here. Contaminated diesel can wreck injectors faster than anything else. Make sure you’re getting fuel from reputable stations, and consider adding a secondary fuel filter if you operate in areas with questionable fuel quality.
Listen for unusual knocking sounds or rough idle—these are early warning signs of injector problems. Black smoke from your exhaust often means incomplete combustion, which points to fuel system issues. Replacing injectors isn’t cheap, but it’s way less expensive than the damage bad injectors can cause to your cylinder heads and pistons.
Pro tip from our FridayParts technicians: If one injector fails, consider replacing them all as preventive maintenance. Injectors tend to wear at similar rates, so if one goes bad, the others are likely not far behind.
FAQs About Detroit Diesel S60 Problems
What Year Detroit Diesel S60 Has The Most Problems?
The 2002-2007 Detroit Diesel S60 engines tend to have more issues, particularly with EGR systems and injectors. These model years were transitioning to meet stricter emissions standards, leading to design challenges that caused premature failures in EGR coolers and fuel system components.
How Many Miles Will a Detroit S60 Last?
A well-maintained Detroit Diesel S60 typically runs 750,000 to 1,000,000 miles before needing a major overhaul. We’ve seen S60 engines at FridayParts with over 1.5 million miles still going strong with proper maintenance and timely repairs of common problems.
What Are the Signs of Detroit S60 Injector Failure?
Watch for rough idle, black or white exhaust smoke, poor fuel economy, and engine knock. Your S60 might also show fault codes related to cylinder contribution or injector timing. If you smell raw fuel in your oil, injectors are likely leaking internally.
Is The Detroit Diesel S60 Engine Reliable?
Yes, the Detroit Diesel S60 ranks among the most reliable heavy-duty engines when properly maintained. Most S60 problems stem from neglected maintenance or ignoring early warning signs rather than design flaws.
How Much Does It Cost To Rebuild a Detroit S60?
A complete in-frame rebuild for a Detroit Diesel S60 typically costs 8,000 to 15,000, depending on what needs replacement. Out-of-frame rebuilds requiring block work can reach $20,000 or more. Regular maintenance, preventing these major problems, costs a fraction of rebuild prices.
