Duramax DEF question

[Barnyard]

Motorhome would be fine since it gets the same milage and would safe on motel rooms, but we don't want to have to pull into and leave a campsite everyday.

[Don McCombs]

Drive the Cub. It's only about three miles.

[Rabbit Holler Flash]

Your welcome at truckstops believe me everyone parks there. If anyone questions you parking tell them R.H.F. said it was ok.

[Barnyard]

Your welcome at truckstops believe me everyone parks there. If anyone questions you parking tell them R.H.F. said it was ok.

We do that when we travel. The campground is only 5 miles from DSCF, I just don't want to drive the MH each way everyday. Therefore the motel works well for us.

[Trent M]

Have you tried a dedicated Duramax diesel or Chevy truck forum? There are folks out there with seriously deep knowledge of almost everything, just like some of the folks here on FarmallCub.com!!

[Barnyard]

Have you tried a dedicated Duramax diesel or Chevy truck forum? There are folks out there with seriously deep knowledge of almost everything, just like some of the folks here on FarmallCub.com!!

Trent, after talking to the service rep at GM (not the dealer) I am very confident the truck will be fine. Since I found out we had a heater problem I have driven over 1,000 miles. If the DEF was not getting to the exhaust by now, it would have shut me down or at least the speed reduction would have kicked in. As it appears, the heater would not come into play unless we encounter temps below 12 degrees along the way and as long as we don't get those temps the DEF will flow.

[Don McCombs]

If it gets below 12 degrees here, I'm going to Cuba.

[Barnyard]

If it gets below 12 degrees here, I'm going to Cuba.

I got it figured this way, according to the manual, the speed reduction does not activate until 1,000 miles after the sensors say there is no fluid. So if it is zero here, the warning will tell me I have 1,000 miles before I have a top speed of 65 mph. By time I get to Alabama (400 miles) the fluid would be thawed enough to flow. Therefore the sensors would then reset.

[Steve Butram]

I have been immersed in the Exhaust regeneration systems since 2013. . . .

!!!

And he can't get out!

I got very educated in Diesel Exhaust, Particulate and DEF systems When the EPA decided that all Fire Apparatus built after 2010 were to be fitted with Particulate regeneration systems. My experiences have varied. I No longer have to upgrade the apparatus with NO SMOKE particulate Filters. The issue I have been dealing with lately is someone introduced DEF to the Diesel tank, 5 gallons the best we can tell. The truck started showing a water alarm in the fuel system. We kept samples of the liquid drained out and figured out it was DEF that was mixed with the Diesel. The fuel tank had to be drained and cleaned out.That could possible be a $30,000 mistake. And as you would expect no on knows how it got in the diesel fuel.

Another issue is the operators have a Regen inhibit switch available on the dash.They have been successful in defeating it enough times to have to take the truck to the Dealer to force a Regen cycle.

"I should have wrote Educated"

[Rabbit Holler Flash]

Steve don't that regeneration inhibit switch also have a start regeneration mode. First instruction we were given was if you inhibit regeneration you MUST start a cycle as soon as clear to do so. If you didn't and a dealer forced reGen was required you and Director of Fleet maintenance have a talk about how you want to pay the bill.

[Steve Butram]

Steve don't that regeneration inhibit switch also have a start regeneration mode. First instruction we were given was if you inhibit regeneration you MUST start a cycle as soon as clear to do so. If you didn't and a dealer forced reGen was required you and Director of Fleet maintenance have a talk about how you want to pay the bill.

there is a Regen initiation switch on the lower dash next to the inhibit switch. Fire apparatus are allowed to have a Regen inhibit to delay the Regen cycle in case the vehicle is not in an optimal conditions. Such as working a wild land fire where the High exhaust temps could have the possibility for starting an fire near the exhaust system. My operators use it to prolong the Regen so the next shift can do it. While the truck is in Regen inhibit mode it will not derate and the Regen light will reset until the truck is key cycled of and back on.I know that when the inhibit has activated 4 times a forced Regen will be required.

[Matt Kirsch]

Worst case scenario, there are GM dealers every little ways between where you are and where you're headed. Heck one of 'em might even have the heater in stock and could install it for you while you wait!

I've only been a "diesel dreamer" not having enough reason to justify owning one, but I have studied the technology and read all the discussion forum threads. I sincerely doubt the truck will go into limp mode as long as it can get DEF when it needs to run a regen. Even then you have a grace period before it starts to really get cranky with the limp mode.

The truck doesn't run the heater when the engine isn't running, that would run the batteries down, so the DEF will freeze if it gets cold enough. The truck won't run a regen on a cold engine either, as I understand it. So by the time the engine's warmed up and (maybe) ready to start the regen, the DEF should be thawing from warmth in the engine bay. For sure the DEF will be thawed long before limp mode shuts you down to 5MPH.

[Jim Becker]

Steve don't that regeneration inhibit switch also have a start regeneration mode. First instruction we were given was if you inhibit regeneration you MUST start a cycle as soon as clear to do so. If you didn't and a dealer forced reGen was required you and Director of Fleet maintenance have a talk about how you want to pay the bill.

there is a Regen initiation switch on the lower dash next to the inhibit switch. Fire apparatus are allowed to have a Regen inhibit to delay the Regen cycle in case the vehicle is not in an optimal conditions. Such as working a wild land fire where the High exhaust temps could have the possibility for starting an fire near the exhaust system. My operators use it to prolong the Regen so the next shift can do it. While the truck is in Regen inhibit mode it will not derate and the Regen light will reset until the truck is key cycled of and back on.I know that when the inhibit has activated 4 times a forced Regen will be required.

Hmmm. Finger pointing between the shifts? Maybe you need a gadget attached to the switch that records a time stamp every time somebody hits the switch. I don't suppose the control module already does it?

[Steve Butram]

Steve don't that regeneration inhibit switch also have a start regeneration mode. First instruction we were given was if you inhibit regeneration you MUST start a cycle as soon as clear to do so. If you didn't and a dealer forced reGen was required you and Director of Fleet maintenance have a talk about how you want to pay the bill.

there is a Regen initiation switch on the lower dash next to the inhibit switch. Fire apparatus are allowed to have a Regen inhibit to delay the Regen cycle in case the vehicle is not in an optimal conditions. Such as working a wild land fire where the High exhaust temps could have the possibility for starting an fire near the exhaust system. My operators use it to prolong the Regen so the next shift can do it. While the truck is in Regen inhibit mode it will not derate and the Regen light will reset until the truck is key cycled of and back on.I know that when the inhibit has activated 4 times a forced Regen will be required.

Hmmm. Finger pointing between the shifts? Maybe you need a gadget attached to the switch that records a time stamp every time somebody hits the switch. I don't suppose the control module already does it?

There is Cummins Software that tracks that. But in the interest my own sanity I will not plug it in.

[Rabbit Holler Flash]

It's already on the ecm. They can print out down to time lights were turned on ,wipers activated ,brake application. Had dealer in Ohio show me hours I had used engine,"jake"brake since truck was built.