Why Are Short Trips Bad for the EcoDiesel?

[J-Cooz]

Something to share. I got this yesterday while driving my kids to taekwondo class. The speed was not exceeding 35 mph:

I left kids in the class and got back home (7 min drive) without turning the engine off and got this message:

I checked temp and showed this:

I drove in neighborhood for another 10 min until message disappeared and temperature dropped to ~500 F.

This tells me that my truck can successfully do regen cycle at 35 MPH, right?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow never seen those messages. I have smelled the truck after I stopped though. You could tell the truck was doing a Regen because the exhaust smelled and it was ticking like crazy after shutdown from the heat.

 

[bill-e]

With my Gen2 which regenerated every 100-135 miles, in 55k miles I only got the warning and wen't into the mandatory 80% regen once and I probably do 80% suburban driving.

My Gen 3 is regenerating at an average just above 500 miles and my driving pattern is up to 90% short suburban driving....and it's 0° here.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Remember when we first got catalytic converters on gasoline engines in the mid 1970s? They were a total PITA. But prior to catalytic converters, there were V8s making barely 150 HP. Manufacturers eventually figured out how to make catalytic converters work reliably with fuel injection and heated oxygen sensors, and now we have V8s of the same size making 350+ HP.

Diesels have also come a long way. I mean look at what we have today: 3.0L 6-cylinder diesels making 250+ HP and 450+ ft-lbs of torque, yielding nearly 30 MPG in a full-size pickup truck. That's performance and efficiency that would have been inconceivable 20 years ago.

Man, you must be old. the 1970’s? Sheesh.... (I got licensed in 73’)

True. My 1977 4x longbed 3500 CC 400 GMC had a whoppin’ 190-210 hp, depending on what website you read. Couldnt get out of its own way, and that was with 4.10’s. 8 mpg around town, 9-10 on its best days on the highway... a heavy pig.

 

[Rau]

I got another message today:

I was not going to make to highway in less then 10 min so as you can see in picture above I did a gear limit trick to keep my rpms high.

Temp increased to above 1200 F, but I was able to do a screenshot only at 1100.

Then in 5 min or so I got this message which I didn’t get when regen happened a few days ago:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[J-Cooz]

I think you need to start doing longer trips if you're getting that messages. I have 20,000km on my truck and have never seen that. I do almost exclusively highway driving

 

[Rau]

I think you need to start doing longer trips if you're getting that messages. I have 20,000km on my truck and have never seen that. I do almost exclusively highway driving

I agree, but with this COVID situation I am working from home and have no need to drive for 5 days a week. My wife does short distances every day.

My hope are camping trips that we do one a month or so.

I also think it didn’t finalize regen last time because I didn’t see message stating it was completed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Willwork4truck]

With as nice as these trucks are, I’d almost say that its worth it to take a 30 minute drive “just cause’”...

 

[Rebelguy2020]

It’s good to know that the eco diesel will do the necessary regeneration when the driving habits are not the best.
What is your mpg average, it must not be too good if the regeneration cycles are close together.

 

[Rau]

Currently it is about 25 MPG, but it depends how we drive.