The document describes the four strokes of a diesel engine: 1) Intake stroke where only air enters the cylinder, 2) Compression stroke where the air is compressed to a high ratio above 1000 degrees F, 3) Power stroke where diesel fuel is injected and explodes to push the piston, and 4) Exhaust stroke where exhaust gases escape and the cycle repeats. The key differences from a gasoline engine are that diesels do not use spark plugs and have a much higher compression ratio, leading to better fuel efficiency.