Anybody else with a 2nd generation 6.7L engine have the same issues as I am?

When towing anything from a 3,000lb trailer to a 12,000 lb fifth wheel, the engine/DPF builds soot excessively regardless if towed level or on a steep mountain pass! It will do a marginal ACTIVE regeneration when towing level or downhill but NOT when climbing at high altitude 8,000 feet and higher. In fact, on long grades when towing, the DPF will get so clogged that the only way to keep going is to disconnect the trailer and drive to clean (active regen) without the camper/trailer.

Dealer service writer says that towing up a steep mountain pass should clear up exhaust but that is not true for my '15 6.7L. My engine emission DOES NOT do a passive regeneration when towing a heavy load and in fact soot loads VERY quick! The only time my 6.7L does a passive regeneration is up a steep mountain grade WITHOUT a trailer. Driving from Creed, CO to Lake City, CO without a trailer hooked up, we dropped from 1.7 to 1.1 grams/liter and were pleasantly surprised. Hook up the trailer over the same passes in opposite direction, soot climved to over 2.5 grams/liter in a very short period of time.

Need to know if others are having a problem . I hate to say it but '15 to '16 owners are "orphans" because the next year model is tuned for more power.

MEDVED Ford in Castle Rock says nothing wrong with my truck since no check engine lights or codes were able to be pulled and there is nothing they can do. The service writer doesn't appear to take me seriously. I guess they do not have very many informed customers. I'm a former military test pilot, engineer, and a gearhead and I know what I'm talking about, usually ;-)

When I showed service writer the soot loading and recordings we took, he scoffed because the loading were in grams per liter and not in a %. I guess the service manuals and diagnostics use percentages.

High altitude driver's, please share your tow experiences with soot loading and regenerations with 2nd gen 6.7L vehicles.

Side note: Oil level is where it is supposed to be. Oil was changed before our trip and only 12.5 quarts were added with filter which made it almost full on the dipstick. Airfilter was replaced and indicator showed little restriction on old air filter though the bottom pleats were covered in gritty oil....any ideas where that is coming form?

This is my main tow vehicle. It only gets driven when on vacation and once a week for my daily 120 mile roundtrip highway commute at speeds of 75-90 mph in I-25. I do not drive it in the city or for short trips. This is not my first diesel nor is it my first diesel with a DPF. Fuel is not an issue since my wife's diesel has no problems with using the same fuel in her diesel.

Regens unloaded occur every 200 to 250 miles.

When towing regens and attemps occur as often as every 60 miles and one time it tried to regeneration 3 times in a 50 mile stretch that ended up with a check engine light and drive to clean event. Resetting the CEL and unhooking the trailer fixed this problem.

Seriously considering selling this POS and getting a Cummins. Friend bought a Ram Cummins same week I bought my F350. Guess who has more issues? He goes a boat and has a very heavy camper in his bed and his regens are a non-issue.

 

I haven't towed above 3-4000 ft with my 16 6.7. But I can tell you that you have a real issue. I never go less than 500 miles between regens while towing my 14k lb fiver. Empty with good highway speeds it's closer to 400. If I make a lot of short trips and city driving i see 300 miles between cleanings or as low as 200 if a lot of winter warm ups idling.

Find another dealer and try NOT to tell them you know everything. Try saying you keep getting cel or messages, hard to tell from your post, and that you have had other 6.7 power strokes and this one isn't right. Tell us where you live (state/city) and the FTE users can make suggestions for better dealerships based on diesel techs.

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles! I am seriously thinking about purchasing my first diesel F-250 because I would like to tow from San Antonio to Colorado where my son lives. But, I am quite disappointed to hear of the issues people are having with the regen process.

 

I tow up to 8500 feet with my 5er and have never had a problem. Wish I could help you.

 

I live in Colorado Springs, CO and commute to Denver. Turns out, I'm not alone: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ice-now-3.html

Its only a high altitude issue. Trailer was just fine towing to San Antonio and back to Colorado this past Spring. But, then again, it was downhill the entire way ;-) from 6780 feet to 650 feet. On way back I didn't have a problem meaning nothing other than a regen every 200 to 250 miles but the grade coming back form TX is very gradual as compared to the "Ike Challenge".

A couple of other things I noticed about my ACTIVE regens:

(a) They last only 15 minutes

(b) Soot builds for about 5 minutes after a regeneration is activated before it starts going down. It seems to take a while for my EGT temp 1/4 to hit 1,000 degrees and the increase in soot seems to match the low initial egt's. Last regen occurred at 2.5 grams/liter and after regen activated (verified by dash and my app), it rose to 2.9 g/l before it dropped down to 1.5 g/l Soot drops another .3 g/L after regen is no longer active as long as EGT1/4 (bank 1, sensor 4) sensor is over 900 deg F.

(c) Sometimes my soot goes down to 30% (per dash) and sometimes 80% is the best it will do. What is weird sometimes 100% is 2.5 grams/liter and sometimes 100% on the dash is 3.58 grams/liter...both values is recorded as a regen occurring at those 100% dash values.


(d) When towing, I don't get the DPF get clogged enough to trigger a CEL. I don't want to get stuck in limp mode on vacation 100's of miles from home. We camp in the backcountry/mountains and camp in fairly remote places that often require 4x4 and a lifted camper.

Some other posts regarding this issue some with different diesel engines:


https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...-altitude.html

Frequent DPF Regen - Diesel Forum - TheDieselStop.com

Been using premium diesel for past 1500 miles and only difference is much better fuel economy. I actually hit 23mpg on a drive to Denver/back (120 miles round trip) at 70 mph-no regen on that trip.

 

How do I delete a post???

 

I posted on this early last fall. Never have had the problem again since my trip from Steamboat Lake State Park to Col Springs. Dealers and Ford all have ducked their head on the problem or in coming up with a solution. I also had a problem about a week earlier coming from Craig, Co to Steamboat Lake. Went into limp move, CEL etc. Stopped truck on side of rode, idled fro a few minutes. Cut off ignition, sat for a while, started truck back up and everything ok. Never discussed that occurrence. Some people like to believe that if it hasn't happened to them it must be that trucks drivers fault if they have a problem. They forget the old saying, "but for the grace of god that could have happened to me." I enjoy my truck, but don't trust it.
The soot % screen on my truck rarely is even close to what my torque pro app shows for soot % level. TP might show 65% and truck might show 90%, if TP moves up over several days, usually the truck% doesn't move and then might jump to 95% and then stay there until a regen starts.

 

I have had a similar issue, however my situation was high altitude but not towing. Kept getting message that dpf filter was full, drive to clean. 2015 F350.

 

'16 F350 Dually here. I just pulled my Raptor (13000 lb. empty) 7000 miles thru AZ, NV, ID, MT, Dakotas, WI MN, WY, CO, and UT. Lots of mountain passes, aalthough I don't know the exact elevations, but there were quite a few iles in excess of 7000 feet and had no problems what-so-ever.
Good luck in your quest. It sucks when a vehicle does not perform like it should!!

 

I live in CO and my truck tows regularly. Never had an issue with it not properly going through a regen. I also have the ghost screen activated so I can watch it go through a regen and clean out the DPF.

Homebrewer, take your truck to Autonation Ford in Littleton. They have a really good diesel tech that works there.

 

Thanks, I'll take it to auto-nation. Is it possible to speak to the tech directly? I'm tired of service advisors where there is something lost in the translation.

When you regen when towing, what does your soot level go down to on the ghost screen? How often does it regen here in CO when towing and when not towing?

On my truck, if a regen occurs on a climb when towing, soot actually builds until I get a drive to clean an then a CEL shortly thereafter. On straightaways it'll regen down to 80% usually and if there is a downhill it'll get down to 60%. When unloaded soot level usually goes down to 30% but no lower.

The ghost screen does not show that soot actually builds for several minutes when the regen first starts. Do you have another monitor that measures the inferred soot loading with grams/liter displayed? I'm curious if that is normal. I know the exhaust needs to reach temperature but should it take so long?

Thanks!

 

My soot level will go down to 20%.

 

99150,


Curious. What is the build month/year of your "16?

 

Won't hurt to ask. Probably depends on how busy they are.

Now that I've had the valve replacement and calibration update, it will go all the way down to 0%. Before it used to go down to about 30%, sometimes down to 20-25% when towing and getting a good passive regen.


Unloaded it will typically regen once every tank. Towing it really varies depending on where I'm driving and the amount of weight. I once went from my house to Steamboat and back without a single regen the entire time, towing a dual axle cargo trailer with about 7,000 lbs. Overall when towing my regens are less frequent.

No I don't have any other monitor, just the ghost screen only. I did the whole modded truck and gauge thing with the last truck. This one I'm just keeping simple.

 

Quote:Now that I've had the valve replacement and calibration update, it will go all the way down to 0%. Before it used to go down to about 30%, sometimes down to 20-25% when towing and getting a good passive regen.


Quote:Unloaded it will typically regen once every tank. Towing it really varies depending on where I'm driving and the amount of weight. I once went from my house to Steamboat and back without a single regen the entire time, towing a dual axle cargo trailer with about 7,000 lbs. Overall when towing my regens are less frequent.


I have a '16 as well and haven't done the flash update for the issue on the valves as you have. I have towed with mine up to 10,000lbs and have more frequent Regen's when towing and have also noticed very few if any, passive.

I've got a Nov 2015 build date and am curious what other build dates are that are having the issue in the high altitudes as well.



Dave