Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to all of this, as I just bought my first Diesel pickup on Wednesday, and have hardly driven any miles on it yet.

I've seen the regen message once on my message center, and I was thinking about what would happen if you shut the engine off before the regen cycle completes. I figure it'd attempt it again during the next drive cycle, but could it complete itself if the truck is only used for short, 5-10 mile trips?

Thanks!

 

it would never complete. you would eventually get a message that says you need to drive to clean the exhaust system. plus, you would use an incredible amount of diesel...

 

We do this all the time with our ambulance and it often displays the drive to clean message. We've only gotten the pull over now message once in 43K. Ours almost never gets a complete cycle.

Mike

 

The truck wont initiate a regen until all parameters are up to proper temps. In other words dont expect it to start a regen as soon as you hit the key. You need to drive 5-10 miles for the temps to be high enough for the regen to start. The guys with the best performance and least problems are the guys that drive these trucks hard and work them. ruschejj tows 900 miles/week and has some of the best mpg, I think only 2 problems (radiator and a sensor), and he raves about the power. The guys that do a lot of idling are starting to see EGR problems.

 

I'll say that we do a ton of idling and thousands of hours on the clock we haven't had EGR problems. I'll look tomarrow, but I think we're over 6000 hours and around 43500 hours. Might be 4000 hours now that I think about it. Either way, lots of hours.

Mike

 

One thing about the regen cycle I have noticed since I gained the ability to watch the EGT's is this: When towing or loaded heavy the EGT's are running 900 - 1200 degrees under normal driving (gaining speed or attempting to maintain speed on hills). When I get a cleanout cycle during these conditions the motor does not have to "manufacture" high temps thus minimizing the use of extra fuel and EGR function and the cycle seems to be less of an event than when running light or normal. I know that when I am not heavy the EGT's are 400 - 800, I can make 1200 if I run WOT but I end up going really fast pretty quickly. Therefore, the regen system has to do more of whatever it needs to do to get hot and burn the soot. Tends to be more dramatic and audible exhaust sounds are there, something opening and closing with more pronounced "dieseling" in the motor.

I know it's obvious but it struck me driving yesterday with a pretty hefty load. Sure can't drive these things without thinking about them! Always something going on. I have around 2300 hours I think? 86,??? miles. Will be 88,000 by the end of the week. I put some mileage numbers up over in the SuperDuty forum (DieselGasMileage). I discovered just how different the computer and hand calculations can be. Still, I got just under 15mpg last week.

BTW, I was cruising along through Chattanooga at 65 mph on I-75N waiting for all the people to get their merging/exiting over with. I heard/felt a weird thunk. Thought I blew a trailer tire but it just was not quite the same sound. Turns out, my hood came unlatched! Totally out of the blue and is a complete mystery to me. Pulled over and looked around, nothing. I half expected to see the intercooler hose blown apart or something!

 

You do need to get the truck out on the interstate and drive for a good 50-100 miles. Watch your speed, vary your rpms but get it done.

With Desiels the best way to run them is hard. They will last longer, perform better and you will have less issues with them.

I have always run mine hard and it will even sound different from one that is driven mildly.

16K on mine now, not sure of the hours but I think around 280 hours.

 

My hood came unlatched last week no apparent reason. Pulled over no issues.