My truck has regenerated 3x in 800 miles. There is no longer the usual "exhaust filter cleaning" message we use to see. I'm irritated, especially since the owners manual states we'll see a regen start and regen finished message.

My my guess is you only see the message if it's plugged and the ole "drive to clean" comes up.

Anyone else care?

 

Complete diesel noob question here but if you will entertain me... what is the value of the warning, knowing that the DEF is being consumed or something else?

 

I like to know for two reasons.
Number one while doing a regen it's not wise to drive in a hayfield or wheatfield.
Second if I am driving and a regen starts sometimes I will keep driving to let the regen finish

 

For curiosity's sake let's say you didn't notice a regen warning and you had just got home and shut off the truck. Wouldn't it just go into a regen when the truck warms up during your next trip?

 

yes but if you take too many short trips and keep shutting it off at a certain point it will give you an error message that forces you to drive the truck or it may limit your power and speed which you don't want when you're going up the mountains

 

If you're really into the regen messages, you can always use an aftermarket monitor to see what it's up to. I used Torque Pro on my Android phone and it was really interesting to watch the soot percentage values increase and the regen start and stop. After a while the interest fades and I just quit watching it. Before then it was always this big mystery as to when it would go, how long it would last and when it would fire off again. Watching the operating patterns with a monitor kind of satisfies the need for information. Then it becomes like a red-headed step child. You know it's there but it's annoying and you just want it to go away.

 

No DEF is consumed during an active regen. I like to know so I can try to run the truck on the highway long enough for it to finish. You can "tell" in other ways, but really the best way was the exhaust filter screen being activated in the old truck.

 

Also a diesel noobie here...3x in 800 miles?? I know that driving conditions dictate regen rate, but would that regen rate be considered normal?

 

The first regen seemed like a "breaking in" regen...did it with like 30 or 40 miles on it. Some of my miles are towing, but it is within spec. The regen software strategy has changed a few times over the years...

 

FORSCAN software is telling me I've had three regens averaging 250 miles between them. I haven't seen any indication that they were happening. I too am disappointed by this. I really wish there was an indication on the dash the whole time it was in regen.

 

How long should a regen last? I have a '13 that tells me when it starts but I have never seen a message for the stop.

 

On my '13 I would get the start message, but no finish message. Judging from EGT temps the regens lasted about 10 minutes.

 

Thanks, '17 has been built and supposed to be on the train!