"Emergency Regen"=Record Time

[jdn112011]

So this morning going to work (only a mile across town) I get the lovely comment from my wife as I'm climbing out of bed at 6:30; "oh yeah the truck is at 90%" (dpf)

It's -15°F and the truck isn't even running yet. And I have to be on the clock in 25min and I have 3 dogs to get outside.

Anyways I get out of the house in a matter of minutes and have about 12 minutes to get the exhaust up to temp and run a regen; really pushing it. Knowing I cannot just drive to Work and run a high idle regen in the parking lot which I normally would, because it takes too long I proceed to drive across town using only 1st and 2nd gear. Using the driving load to push higher egts and regen quicker in the cold.
Well it works, it starts a regen within 6 blocks or so. So I proceed to continue lurking through town and doing 10MPH rolling stops to keep my rpms above 1800 in 1st gear. And make my way to the new development subdivision near work where I have about a quarter mile loop with gentle turns and only one stop sign. And Virtually no 6am traffic. Anyways as I'm getting there it finally drops to 80% well it's working. Proceed to run about 3-4 laps around this subdivision in first gear between 2k-3k rpms and am able to get the regen dropping almost 20% per lap. Pushing 8 minutes to be on the clock and it finally completes which is actually only reaching less than the 20%. So I proceed to work using the same method of rpms and gear usage but higher speeds to hurry up and get to work.

Then to use the slow cruise through the parking lot to cool down the exhaust. Which I know I didn't do thoroughly enough and I could have used the remote start and let it idle down and even use the uConnect app to shut it down from in the building but I let it be. It's still -15° anyways so ambient temps will cool the exhaust Turbo and engine bay pretty quickly so I just let it go.

Anyways overall I drove about 3.5 miles and had a complete regen from 90% done in a matter of 10-12 minutes. Cutting it close but I had a pretty effective "emergency" regen in short order without running into 2 more commutes before being able to complete it otherwise and I'd be damned if I plugged that filter and ended up with the truck going to the dealership to run a forced regen.

Anyways not very happy times between the wife and I this morning but I figured out how to handle an otherwise pretty bad situation in short order.

 

[BoostN]

So you forced regens by keeping the RPM's up and not with a device (Edge CTS?). I've never really had to do it ,but good info.

 

[jdn112011]

I maybe run into it once every month or two depending on weather and driving habits if I'm stuck in town.

I have no edge tool so I cannot put the truck into regen while driving. I had the evic message that's it.

So I ran high rpms to force high egt's and complete a fast and complete regen. While staying in town and not having much time.

Just an additional method of doing a regen without being forced onto the highway for a 20 minute drive. Or my commonly used method of high idle while parked which takes more time than I had this morning.

 

[jdn112011]

@moparecodiesel can Celtic tune in a high idle like how the Cummins functions? Where you use the cruise buttons while parked to kick up rpms for auxiliary units?

If we could optionally idle to 2k rpms we could actually have the option to do a regen anytime you wanted really. Just have it on a 10 or 15 minute timer and you'd complete.

 

[moparecodiesel]

That is an excellent idea and question I would greatly benefit from jdn. but a better question to ask ghost tuning,

 

[jdn112011]

So thinking this moreover; I don't think ghost tuning could do anything for us with that. Because it is an integrated feature with the truck already for the Cummins to use the cruise as a high idle. And all RAM's including the Cummins are drive by wire; so it's actually nothing that can be programmed into the ecu so simply because it's a BCM alteration. So could a Chrysler Rep add the Cummins high idle code to the 1500 chassis? I've known people to have dealers add codes for DRL's etc so would it be as simple as finding the code? Having the dealer transfer it or "turn it on" in the BCM and TaDa

 

[NC-RAM]

I have done the same thing a time or two. I get caught coming a big city, and the CTS starts flashing letting know I am about to go a regen mode. I will drive in lower gears to bring up the RMP, around 1800 or so, and complete the regen driving through Raleigh. I Also have been in the parking lot, and completed a regen.
I found that if I am in the middle of a regen, can't wait, let the motor cool down and the regen stops. When I get back in and get back on the road the CTS gauge will tell you your soot level and pick up from there.
No problems.

 

[moparecodiesel]

Well I don't know all the details but it sounds like GDE will release a new version of their tune next week which includes a new high idle feature, I don't know how high you can take it, but it's there now. And you need to buy an edge C2 for the enable regen.

 

[jdn112011]

That may be so but if you're ever in the situation that you see the evic messages for forced regen it can be done an running at 1800+rpms.

The factory high idle in the Cummins does not run that high. So it does not matter. But it's used for warm up times and pto.

But BD power DOES have an aftermarket high idle controller that is compatible with the ecodiesel. But it's a little on the expensive side. And it does allow to run over 2k rpms and has many more individual settings. This is something that I an considering as of now.

 

[NC-RAM]

I Agee, using a CS or CTS gauge, you can see your soot levels and when you go into a regen.
I like that part. And the GDE tune, can put this information on your EVIC . That would be nice.

 

[james509]

Please excuse me if I've made my first post a stupid one, How do you know when a regen is happening? I have a 2015 Eco with 8600 miles and I have never seen any signs of this. Will it show on the dash?

 

[Brady]

Please excuse me if I've made my first post a stupid one, How do you know when a regen is happening? I have a 2015 Eco with 8600 miles and I have never seen any signs of this. Will it show on the dash?

Most of the times, you won't know it's happening, it's really a seamless operation. You'll only get a EVIC message if the DPF(?) is 90% full, then it'll ask you to maintain driving habits to let the regeneration process take place. Hope that helps.

BTW- I have a '15 with approx 13k miles and haven't seen a msg yet either. That is a good thing.

 

[jdn112011]

It's completely associated with driving habits. And as Shawn's videos have shown if you've ever watched them in detail regen's do tend to happen at the worst time and do not always complete as it will be starting right as you're coming off the highway etc. I have my ecodiesel for multiple purposes. Hauling freight across MN bottom to top and other long commuting that occurs at least weekly. But when I am home I live very close to my primary job. In a small town, and it requires very minimal driving. Also being in MN cold climate associates to long idling and warm up times. Also I have a 7month old baby (and another coming) whom needs a remotely warm vehicle to be in. And I have something against driving any of my vehicles when coolant and oil temps are under 100°F. Completely personal.

All of this attributes to high soot levels that don't get the opportunity to burn off when I'm stuck in town for 5-7 days straight. Where I may or may not have my dpf reach levels of 80% or higher where it will provide the evic message telling you as the driver to drive at highway speeds (10-15 constant miles give or take depending on speed) to remedy.

But as long as your driving habits do not allow your truck to reach these levels you will never know. It is all done passively by the computer. With the exception of if you have a tune with a regen message warning enabled which will allow even passive regens to notify you they are happening

 

[seiko]

I tried twice, to use the REGEN option via EDGE CS2, but it just stop/lock up, telling me to start engine, which I did. I had to unplug and plug in. So, at this time, it doesn't work. I will send an email to Edge. (Since I bought the unit, there are now two things that don't work. 1- Regen Distance, they claim, it is because FCA disabled it. 2-Start Regen doesn't work at this time.)

I don't need to use it, so far, but was curious how it worked.

When temperatures drop to 7C and colder, my soot level would climb a percent every 2 or 3 KM. Also, I had to drive 20 km before the engine temperatures were normal. (If engine is cool or warm, even though you are at 65 percent, no REGEN will occur.)

The fix was winter covers and now in the 100 km range before REGEN and warms up in half the time when in city driving. The last two long trips I took, one to Ainsworth Hot spring, BC and the other to Lethbridge, AB, and return to Alberta. I only had one REGEN on each trip. The first trip, only change was winter covers, the last trip was with winter cover, but filled up with Shell V-power diesel.

I personally refuse to take a trip, just because REGEN cycle is due. If engine hot, I let it cool down, shut it down. On start up, most of the time, instead of Soot level at 9 percent, it may be between 20 to 40 percent. So far, it working okay.

I suspect, when engine is normal temperature, the Shell v-power diesel, seems to be cleaner and soot climbs slower. Don't notice any difference when engine is cold.

 

[Ofishl1]

I agree the city driving ..work n back only always seems to end up in regen during rush hour..nice with the CTS2 is starting a regen manual..early ..when I can get a good burn out...always hits at 65% on the CTS2 and pretty quik if my speed and egts are kept up .nice unit...so at least I know how far i can drive before a regen starts

 

[seiko]

FYI
Interesting info about idling and the effect it has on the engine. I suspect it may be better or worse, depending on the size of the diesel engine.

A diesel engine idling for an hour uses as much fuel as if the vehicle had been driven 11 km (7 miles), on average. When it comes to maintenance, that same engine idling for an hour causes as much wear as if the vehicle had been driven 40 km (25 miles)

•Improved overall fuel economy and reduced maintenance costs