Whether yours is a heavy-duty truck that you use for commercial purposes or just a large pickup truck you have at home for towing gear and sporting goods, you will eventually experience some problems under the hood. Very often there are certain issues that are common with trucks more so than with cars, simply because of their heavier weight and because you may be putting excessive wear and tear on the engine. Note how to troubleshoot some common problems with a truck that may require some servicing.

1. The truck shudders or hesitates when you accelerate

Because a truck is pulling more weight due to its size and anything you may be towing or hauling, the engine typically works harder when you accelerate. If you use cheap fuel, it may not have enough of an octane rating to function, especially in colder weather. There may also be an obstruction in the fuel line, and since a truck's engine works harder to support its weight, even a small compromise in the fuel line can mean that it's not getting enough fuel to work the engine. Change the fuel filter and note if this corrects the problem.

2. The engine backfires

A backfire happens when fuel leaks from a vehicle's engine and bursts into flames. The problem could be that the tank has leaked due to rust or other corrosion. If your truck is very rusted underneath the body, chances are the fuel tank may be rusted and fuel leaks out. The larger size of the fuel tank that is common with most trucks can also put added pressure on rusted or corroded spots so that they may break away more easily.

Another common problem is that there is water in the gas tank. If you take your truck off-roading and have recently driven it in a very wet environment, water may have seeped into the gas tank and, in turn, caused a leak. You can have the tank emptied and dried at a service station and then refill it with fresh fuel to see if this fixes the problem.

3. Problems with manual shifting

This is usually a problem with low transmission fluid levels. Since the transmission may work harder to support a heavy truck, the fluid levels may go down quicker than in a lighter vehicle. Change the transmission fluid or have the truck taken in for a full transmission flush so you start with fresh fluid. This typically addresses the problem.

If these tips don't solve the problem, take your car into a professional truck servicing shop.