Work with Freightliner and Spartan to show DPF filter clog level

[Neal]

To allow owners to avoid DPF filter stop engine situations and know when to initiate regens if needed, please work with your chassis vendors and Cummins to have the DPF filter level (phase or percent) shown on the menu. And/or show an amber warning with a number if it reaches a level where the engine is not signaling auto regens satisfactorily so the owner can do a forced regen and get the DPF filter cleared before it's too late. I had a stop engine situation with a phase 5 (fully clogged) DPF filter that could have been avoided with better info and feedback via the dash panel.

 

[Notsotalltexan]

Thanks Neal and Rich W. I just bought a good used Diesel Laptops Handheld Diagnostic Tool they had on sale for $309 plus tax and shipping.

Laurent

 

[Rich W.]

I am tempted to go for it but doesn't or shouldn't our Cummins do a needed regen automatically? Are forced regens harmful in any way?

There are three levels of regen: Passive, Active, and Parked or Forced. The first two do not require operator intervention. Passive just happens when there is enough heat in the exhaust system to burn off soot while driving and has no mechanical assistance or trigger points, and active happens when the sensors detect enough restriction in the DPF to initiate a regen with the introduction of a small amount of fuel into the exhaust system through the “seventh injector” to create enough heat to burn the soot in the DPF.

Active regens happen automatically (under the right conditions) but are inteurpted any time your engine speed drops below the required level. You won’t know the regen is happening until you reduce speed and then you’ll get the warning “ding” and the exhaust temp icon on the dash. This commonly happens when you exit the freeway during an active regen. When this happens its best to crank it back up and drive at freeway speed for an hour or so if possible. Active regens will not initiate will if you do a lot of lower speed or stop and go type driving.

Forced or parked regens are required when the passive regen process is not sufficient, active regens have not occurred, and soot build-up is sufficient (detected by the differential pressure sensors on the DPF). This is when you get the warning on the dash (soot level icon is lit) and you need to find a safe place to park and perform a parked regen before you go into derate forcing the issue.

Big rigs have a switch on the dash to perform parked regens quickly and easily but us DP owners arent trusted with such devices. I don’t know about Spartan, but Freightliner DPs have what is known as a “Shorting Plug” under the dash that can be used to perform a parked regen as long as the sensors are triggered indicating need and you are not in derate. You cannot perform preventative regens with itm and it wont work when you have driven beyond the permissible limit when a regen is required.

So having a device read your DPF soot level and initiate forced/parked regens is a very good preventative measure to both extend the life of your DPF and prevent the dreaded on the road de-rate. Its also more convenient to perform your regens on your schedule and at your place of choice rather than just drop evenrthing and go searching for an acceptable location when the need arrises.

Everything I’ve read has said that there is no harm in performing forced regens and that is is beneficial to the system. Get to know your Handheld device before you need it and perform parked regens whenever the soot level starts to climb. I don’t know the trigger point (I guess I should) and I’ve read that it can go to 200% (whatever that means) but I wont let mine get above 50%. My typical driving these days keeps me in the passive/active range, but I’ve interrupted several active regens by exiting the freeway, and caused myself to need a forced regens a few times driving two lane highways through multiple small towns for extended periods.

 

[Rich W.]

This is a helpful chart. Note that the HEST lamp indicates an active regen is in progress and the DPF lamp indicates a regen is needed soon. When the DPF lamp is flashing you need to address the situation promptly. Also you don’t have a DPF switch to inhibit regens (my tractor does) so you can ignore that part.

 

[Notsotalltexan]

In 2021 we bought our first diesel pusher our 2017 Newmar Ventana from a farmer in WI. It had barely 6000 on the odometer and was in like new condition. We drove our Ford Ranger from San Antonio to a small faming community in WI to pick it up. The guy spent about an hour showing us the coach. We were ecstatic.
On our way home near Branson, MO it lost power and I noticed the HEST lamp was lit. It was Friday afternoon. Shortly thereafter I found a Cummins diesel center and asked what the HEST light meant and they explained that it might have been doing a regen. At this point, I was not familiar with what a regen was but did know about DPF woes as we'd owned two Winnebago Navions and each had experienced the engine protection shutdown feature and needed the DPF serviced before power was restored.

The Cummins shop said they could not help me until Monday so we opted to find a local diesel mechanic which we did. They found no codes but suggested that since the coach had been parked in a barn in a WI soybean field, the air filter was likely plugged and that they also recommended the fuel filter and separator be replaced. We went ahead and had all three were replaced for nearly $800. We drove away with no improvement in engine power.

I called Cummins again and they said the dealer in Springfield, MO could take us in on Monday afternoon. The Cummins service adjuster said to start the engine and listen for a hissing sound. He said what I'd explained to him sounded like a leak in the turbo charge system. I did this but without diesel engine experience or what to look or listen for, we went to plan B which was to search Google for a diesel mechanic near where we had reservations to camp near Branson. We found a shop in Harrison, AR called Advanced Diesel Repair just south of the MO border. Advanced Diesel Solutions: Auto & Diesel Repair Shop in Harrison, AR

We called and they said their mechanic could come tomorrow, Saturday morning. We were thrilled. The guy was there at 9AM and within five minutes of diagnostics and listening he found the problem. A large hose clamp on the exhaust side for the turbo had broken. The part was back at his shop but was just $30. His Saturday labor plus drive time and the part came to just under $700. Power was restored.

The moral of this experience is that the more you learn about your coach and all systems, the better off you are.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

When we first purchased our rig from a private owner we were thrilled that they were so fastidious about service and maintenance and cleanliness.
One thing I noted on the dash, shortly after our first real distance drive, was that our “idle hours” were maxed at “99.9”.
When I would pull off the highway this light kept turning on, which seemed to indicate something about heat and air…
After the 2nd time this happened on this trip I pulled the Freightliner manual out of that big box of manuals we had and started reading (yep, when all else fails…)
Something about “DPF” and HEST what the heck is that?!
Another interesting thing we noticed, the prior owner had highlighted portions of the manual. The parts that were highlighted seemed to be meaningful portions. Cool! I got a cliff notes version of the Freightliner manual!
One of these highlights was on idling. That it should not be done for more than 2 or 3 minutes. Of course it also said that the engine also needed 2 to 3 minutes to cool down after working under load to prevent heat issues (another highlighted part).
After a year or so (my Bride tells me that I can be Mr Magoo) it suddenly hit me what was happening: the idle hours were way way too high, leading to DPF issues, hence DPF regents were trying to run frequently.
But after a few good long trips, and religiously following the highlighted instructions to not idle the engine for more than 3 minutes, we have never seen the DPF or HEST lights again.
Out of curiosity, I also reset the idle hour meter and it stays very very low, barely creeping up in time. Not sure how it got to 99.9 hours in less than 25,000 miles, unless it was idled excessively like some truckers do when they leave their engines running all night long at truck stops or rest areas.
Unless we hit a traffic jam, we are never idling, engine is always working and running warm. But thanks to threads like this and others here on the forum, I understand what is happening and why it is needed.

In our SuperC we have one of those “Big Rig dedicated buttons for Regen” that Rich mentioned above. Though I have never used the button, based on the experience that Neal had, I wonder what it would take for chassis manufacturers or coach builders to put that switch in. These engines NEED it at times.
This seems like a liability issue for whoever is making the decision to not include it

 

[Neal]

I thought this was going to start changing in 2024? I think @redbaron mentioned the name of some act that allows owners more control.

 

[Joe Hogan]

I thought this was going to start changing in 2024? I think @redbaron mentioned the name of some act that allows owners more control.

Lets hope

 

[Notsotalltexan]

Good point MBTM. I see your rig is a 2014. Reading about your SuperC and the Big Red Button, I assumed your was a recent model, on which now they're putting a ReGen button. Is your a Freightliner with a Cummins? Or, do you think the button was added by the owner?

Yesterday I purchased a used Diesel Laptops Handheld tool. It's already shipped. On my emailed invoice they had another item at zero cost called Diesel Laptops Starter Pack. They emailed me a Zip file to download. I saved it and saw it has two more Zip files. 1. Diesel Explorer Setup and, 2. Diesel Validation Tool Setup. It also has a PDF file called Activate Your Free Diesel Repair Account. I'm attaching it here for the Forum as it appears to give temporary access so I can make a determination if I want to buy the service or not. Thought you guys might find it interesting.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Good point MBTM. I see your rig is a 2014. Reading about your SuperC and the Big Red Button, I assumed your was a recent model, on which now they're putting a ReGen button. Is your a Freightliner with a Cummins? Or, do you think the button was added by the owner?

Yesterday I purchased a used Diesel Laptops Handheld tool. It's already shipped. On my emailed invoice they had another item at zero cost called Diesel Laptops Starter Pack. They emailed me a Zip file to download. I saved it and saw it has two more Zip files. 1. Diesel Explorer Setup and, 2. Diesel Validation Tool Setup. It also has a PDF file called Activate Your Free Diesel Repair Account. I'm attaching it here for the Forum as it appears to give temporary access so I can make a determination if I want to buy the service or not. Thought you guys might find it interesting.

Yes, it is a 2014 Freightliner with a Cummins ISX15 and the button is standard on these rigs as I understand. The button requires that it be pushed and held for 10 seconds to trigger the regen to start, to avoid an accidental bump while reaching for one of the other many buttons.

I believe these regen buttons should be standard on all diesel pushers AND there should be a default dashboard readout on the level of particulate buildup so the driver can determine if a manual regen is needed.

The more gauges, the more my brain stays engaged while driving.

 

[Notsotalltexan]

Amen brother.