Questions about doing a forced DPF Regen - 2008 ISL

[birdshill123]

Has anyone here tried one of the many scan tools that will work on an ISL. I see units that will do a forced regen for just over $200. I need that capability.

Thanks 

 

[Tom Cherry]

3 hours ago, birdshill123 said:

Has anyone here tried one of the many scan tools that will work on an ISL. I see units that will do a forced regen for just over $200. I need that capability.

Thanks 

 

Curiosity.  Why do you need to do a forced regen?  Your ECM will do it every 100 hours.  If your DPF is sooted up, then the codes tell what needs to be corrected and then the shop can do the forced regen , if it is needed?

[birdshill123]

 Lately I am getting frequent regens. . This happened once before. Cummins discovered that somehow the software  was not letting the regen to continue. They corrected the issue with the ECM and did 2 forced regens. After this all was good. However that was about 7 years ago. I thought that with these code reader devices I could check for a hidden code and try cleaning the DPF. The alternative would be to take the MH to Cummins ar a good shop and see what they can find.

[Tom Cherry]

Your call, but I know the rev level on my ECM and it is about 3 past current.  Eventually, I will get it updated.

When you say you are getting “frequent” Regens, all I can add is that I get Regens that flash on and stay on for a few minutes…..and then go away.  That has been going on since day 1 and I am the original owner.  They frequently happen when I do a lot of city driving or idle too long.  Frank advises to limit your idle.  Some will bump up the idle.

It took me a while, due to the terrain, many years ago, to get properly “aligned” so I could leave a CG.  I probably left the engine idling when I hooked up….ANOTHER NO NO!.  I get an intermittent ON light and then it went away.  According to Frank’s printout of my ECM, my Regens are like clockwork….every 100 hours.  I checked the hours and my last Regen was right on schedule.  

BUT, I had been in and out of storage and it flashed a few times…..but went away on the way home to pack.  Then about 10 miles into the trip. It came on…..stayed on  for about 25 minutes and then off.  I was due.

It might be wise to get a REAL or qualified Cummins shop with the Insite to scan and review your Regen history as well as look for what, if any codes.  Then let them advise,

Without some real info read by a knowledgeable tech, you may have an issue…or not…. I am a bit anal about trouble shooting and doing stuff to today’s engines….especially a Diesel with a DPF.  I spent a weekend with friends and a buddy has a code reader and was trying to figure out why he had 4 codes on his Lexus GX470.  He had been telling the shade tree guy what to replace, based on his own code reader.  Bottom line, he has been driving it for several months with a check engine light and watching all sorts of YouTube “dummies”.  A little googling shows he has a MAF issue….but he said he “sprayed” it to clean it.  He PROBABLY has a defective MAF.  Left uncorrected, he now has “low efficiency” catalytic converters (2 big ones).  Odds are, he should have replaced the MAF for say $200 but did not and now he will have to do that….and HOPE that the excess fuel that was being pumped into the engine and not properly burned has not “saturated” the two Catalytic converters….if so….$1,000….

Messing around without good info and history (Insite is only way to get that) and messing up a DPF is typically a $4,000 gamble….as that is what a member recently paid for a new one…

I’m not the expert…but was curious…..

[Frank McElroy]

Offline, I was helping a member who was experiencing regens about every 5 hours on a new to him coach that he had for a few years. One time he had to have a stationary Regen to get back on the road.  Luckily, he was able to get the Insite EIF file and he sent it to me.  I reviewed the data and yep, regens about every 5 hours with normal soot loading but after only 5 and not 100 hours. 

Upon further investigation, I discovered his 400 HP ISL was "chipped" to a 536 HP ISL.  No wonder why he was generating soot.  When he contacted the seller, sure enough, they told him yep, the engine was "modified".

So, unless you look at the engine ECM settings and parameters, if this is a new to you coach, you don't know what a previous owner might have done in terms of engine modifications. You could have another issue that's generating soot like a sticking turbo actuator, a dirty EGR or a dirty fuel injector.  These are the most common failures that generate soot and no check engine light.