Likoloi tsa diesel li siile maikutlo a mabe likelellong tsa batho, empa theknoloji ea diesel haesale e ntlafatsoa hore e hloeke, e be matla haholoanyane, esita le maemong a mang lienjineri tsa diesel li na le melemo e meholo ho feta lienjene tsa peterole. E hloekile ebile e sebelisana le tikoloho ha e ntse e boloka ts'ebetso e matla. A re hlahlobeng phapang lipakeng tsa lienjine tsa peterole le disele bakeng sa hau.
Enjene ea diesel le peterole ke lienjine tse tukang ka hare, ho bolelang hore ka bobeli li kenya mafura ka har'a enjene, li li kopanya le moea, li li hatelle, li li hotetsa ka mekhoa e fapaneng, ebe li khanna lipiston ho theosa le crankshaft, e hokahaneng le phetiso ea koloi , 'me qetellong retele lebili. Joale piston e nyolohela holimo ka silindara, e sutumelletsa likhase tse tukang ka ntle ho enjene le phala ea ho ntša metsi e le mosi, 'me potoloho ena e phetoa hangata ka motsotsoana ho fihlela sepheo sa ho tsoela pele ho ntša matla.
Phapang e ka sehloohong pakeng tsa lienjineri tsa diesel le peterole ke tsela eo li chesoang ka eona. Ka enjene ea peterole, moea le mafura lia hatelloa, 'me libakeng tse mahlonoko tsa potoloho, spark plug e hotetsa motsoako. Empa ka har'a enjene ea diesel ha ho na li-spark plugs, ho e-na le hoo, ha diesel le moea li petelitsoe ka ho lekaneng, khatello e feteletseng e hlahisa mocheso o lekaneng ho etsa hore motsoako o chese. Sena se bitsoa "compression ignition" mme ke motheo oa hore na lienjineri tsa diesel li sebetsa joang. Lienjineri tsa peterole le tsona li ka sebelisa ho khantša ho hatella, empa ka phello ea enjene ka boeona, ke lienjineri tsa disele feela tse ka e sebelisang hantle.
