DPF Forced Regen Tools - What works and What does not

[Rich W.]

If I have been following this thread correctly, Rich, you now have 3 devices that essentially do the same things - OTR and two Diesel Laptops devices. If ease of use, and available functions are best with the OTR unit, wouldn’t that be the unit of choice if you can stomach the $800 price tag? Are there any other reasons to pick one of the Diesel Laptops instead of OTR?

OTR also comes with a $600/year subscription. For an RV owner thats generally an unnecessary expense. I bought it back when I started having emissions troubles and it kept me on the road, and when the thing was in the shop I knew what was wrong, what it needed (and what it didn't need) and could then determine if it fell under the the emissions warranty.

So it served me well. It doesnt just display the codes, it takes you to a page for each code that details the issue, trouble shooting, and the proper repair proceedure - same info as Insite. And as mentioned it performs the after treatment reset used when you either service or replace your DPF. I also like the way it performs regens better, but the DD does them, just takes longer to initiate.

So OTR is more advanced and the price is reasonable for what it does, but the question is whether or not that level of diagnostics is needed. For us I’d say its generally not, especially with these two devices from Diesel Laptops. They don’t do as much but I don’t need the additional stuff OTR does to keep my coach on the road. If I was relying on a truck for my livelihood or was a fleet manager, I’d be all for it.

At this this point though, if I re-up with OTR next January it will be more out of loyalty than need. They were there for me when I needed help and was new to this fragile diesel emissions system (and the Diesel Decoder didnt perform commands then) and they also invited me to beta test their 2.0 version. They are a great bunch to work with and are dedicated to keeping big rigs on the road instead of on the back of a tow truck or in the shop.

But I really can’t reccomend that the average DP owner go that route with these other devices avaibale and functional, albeit at a lower level. Its an acceptable level and the price is right, and it's a one-time cost. I still haven't received my handheld scanner so until I actually play with that I wont know how much I like it. But I like the idea of having something that attaches to the J1939 port by cable. So stay tuned for that. Should be here in a couple days.

 

[Rich W.]

Is there a white plug/connector below the OBD port? White plug with red lock below is the shorting plug. Separate and then reconnect per the procedure outlined in my Broke down thread.

View attachment 14476

Mine (2016) even has a “Regen” lable on it. It’s right below the J1939 port under the dash, left side.

Here are the instructuons again:

http://www.ourmotorhome.net/2017/docs/DPF_Regen_instructions.pdf

But note that according to this and Neal’s personal experience, it will not work unless the DPF lamp is on, and that doesn't illuminate until you have a considerable soot load (80%?) so it is not useful for maintenance regens.

 

[stang37]

Thanks Rich W. Sometime you can't see the woods for the trees. It was right there in plain site. I even hookup up the scanner to the OBD and didn't notice the connector.

 

[Rich W.]

Thanks Rich W. Sometime you can't see the woods for the trees. It was right there in plain site. I even hookup up the scanner to the OBD and didn't notice the connector.

Lets us know what happens.

 

[Rich W.]

More later but this is it! Done so many regens lately my DPF is squeaky clean. Differential pressure is 0psi. Soot load 0%. But this device doesnt care - it does forced regens with the after tx injector activated and dosing and has a line in the display to confirm it -Love it! If this device doesn't make you happy, you’ll have to buy Insite.

 

[redbaron]

More later but this is it! Done so many regens lately my DPF is squeaky clean. Differential pressure is 0psi. Soot load 0%. But this device doesnt care - it does forced regens with the after tx injector activated and dosing and has a line in the display to confirm it -Love it! If this device doesn't make you happy, you’ll have to buy Insite.View attachment 14532

Ordered....thanks!

 

[Rich W.]

Also with a 30 day return policy you can‘t go wrong. I bought mine used for 1/2 price and cant tell it from new. Might need a firmware update, but it works just fine as is. Here’s a pic of what you get - I guess you can use it on anything with OBDII. I wont travel with the big case and all the cables - just the device and the J1939 adapter. Let me know if you have any questions

.

 

[Neal]

@Rich W. is this the one?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MG9KMKZ/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[Rich W.]

@Rich W. is this the one?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MG9KMKZ/?tag=rvf01-20

yes same thing.

Here’s some pics from performing a parked/forced/manual regen. The last one is probably the most important to me - it shows the after-treatment doser “on” and the resultant high exhaust temp. This is a first for me and essential to confirm you're actually performing a regen.

For regens, this device is nice because the extra steps/screens give you additional info and it lets you know you’re doing this right. Also it has code reading/clearing, libraries, all that, and will read and clear codes on any gas diesel vehicle with OBDII.

 

[Neal]

yes same thing.

Thanks - ordering from Amazon.