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Would you get it fixed?

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
My 2017 f350 seems to be running fine but it is only doing a dpf regeneration about every 800 km.... and I'm not even sure it is doing it then. My dpf % full screen has been staying at 0% for over 2000 km. I was talking to another 2017 f350 owner who was complaining about the amount of DEF he goes through so I looked at my DEF guage. It's at 7/8 full and the last time I filled it was nearly 10000 km ago. I've actually only put DEF in twice and the truck has about 29000 km on it. I didn't pay attention to how many liters it took when I filled it either time. I don't think I want to get this truck fixed.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5
19 REPLIES 19

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
I did my own service. The last time the dpf did a regen was 336 km ago. Although the dpf % full screen got down to zero the burn may have got interrupted shortly after so it may not have actually burned completely clean. Anyway the dpf is already up to 40% after 336 km. It seems as though the engine might have been producing very little soot over the extreme cold weather we experienced this past winter. I don't know if that could make sense?
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

alexleblanc
Explorer
Explorer
Keep in mind most dealers will refill your DEF tank when you get an oil change, maybe thatโ€™s what is happening?
TV - 2017 F350 CCSB SRW Platinum 6.7 + 5er - 2021 Grand Design Reflection 311 BHS + B&W Companion
On Order - 2022 F350 CCSB SRW Platinum 6.7

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
mkirsch wrote:
time2roll wrote:
Unless you start losing fuel economy, power or a trouble code shows up I would just keep driving.


This.

Without any diagnostic codes being thrown the mechanics are not going to have a clue what's wrong or how to fix it.


You're right and I think there is nothing wrong with it. I had my truck parked outside all winter and we had a very cold winter this past year. If the DEF was frozen at the beginning of each trip and if by the time the def tank thawed the the trip was about over it would explain why I didn't use much def. I turned my auto regen off and eventually my DPF % full started to climb. Once it hit 5% it didn't actually take all that long to reach 60% full. At 60% full I turned the auto regen back on and it immediately went into a regen. The regen cycle lasts for quite awhile longer after the % full gauge says 0%. So I think what was happening is that after completely cleaning DPF the 500 mile mandatory regen would take place even though the gauge was still reading 0% full.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
time2roll wrote:
Unless you start losing fuel economy, power or a trouble code shows up I would just keep driving.


This.

Without any diagnostic codes being thrown the mechanics are not going to have a clue what's wrong or how to fix it.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

Retired_JSO
Explorer
Explorer
My super duty has towed almost every mile. I poured in the 3rd 2.5 gal jug of DEF last week at 5,800 miles.

bartlettj
Explorer
Explorer
Most of the time the DEF gauges aren't very linear. In 10k miles of driving this year I went through 3 2.5 gallon boxes of DEF with my Duramax (starting full). I notice that I burn more on shorter trips or when towing.

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
Unless you start losing fuel economy, power or a trouble code shows up I would just keep driving.

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
I was thinking something was wrong with the truck but today the DPF % full started rising and went from 5% to 30% over about 200 km so I guess the DPF is likely working properly. I don't know about the DEF.... maybe because it was so cold here all winter the DEF started out frozen and by the time it thawed the trip was over.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

NRALIFR
Explorer
Explorer
naturist wrote:
DEF has nothing whatever to do with the DPF and the need or frequency of regenerations.
...............


Thatโ€™s not quite accurate. There is an indirect relationship between DEF usage and DPF regen frequency. The pre-DEF Diesels that had DPFโ€™s used a lot more EGR to cool the combustion temperatures, and control oxides of nitrogen. The downside to cooling the combustion temperatures is............more particulates for the DPF to catch. By using DEF as the primary means to control oxides of nitrogen, less EGR is needed, the combustion temperature can be maintained higher, fewer particulates are produced, and fewer regens are needed.

I owned one of those pre-DEF diesel trucks, and the most it ever went between regens was about 200 miles. Most of the time it was less than that, and sometimes a lot less. Like every 75 miles or so. My current truckโ€™s miles between regens has slowly climbed since new to over 400 miles between regens. In fact it just recently went 500 miles between regens for the first time that Iโ€™m aware of, and started to regen even though the soot load was about 85%.

:):)
2001 Lance 1121 on a 2016 F450 โ€˜Scuse me while I whinge.
And for all you Scooby-Doo and Yosemite Sam typesโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆ..Letโ€™s Go Brandon!!!

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
If by fixed tou mean removing all that ****, then yes you should get it fixed.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

naturist
Nomad
Nomad
DEF has nothing whatever to do with the DPF and the need or frequency of regenerations.

Itโ€™s like confusing tire pressures with the reason your radio works poorly.

DPF regeneration every 800 km or so sounds about right, recognizing that it is partly due to driving conditions and habits. Ditto DEF usage being partly due to conditions and habits. But neither influences the other at all.

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Presume the truck is living an easy life for those conditions to exist. Donโ€™t fix what ainโ€™t broke.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

FishOnOne
Explorer III
Explorer III
carringb wrote:
Hitch up your trailer and go pull some hills....

The DPF is for catching particulates, formed when combustion temps are relatively low. Empty driving, especially in town and in cold weather, will never raise the combustion temps enough for a full burn, hence the DPF has to work extra hard.

DEF is used to react with Nitrous Oxides, which are formed under high combustion temps. You want to keep your truck running at these higher temps, because 1) It's more efficient and 2) It's easier to add more DEF than it is to clear soot out of the DPF.

So again.... Drive it good and hard to get it cleared up initially. And then try to change your driving cycle. I'm guessing you must do lots of short trips or idling now. You might come out way ahead in fuel $ and future maintenance headaches if you picked up a smaller car for in-town use.


This advice would be for a truck that is performing very frequent regens do to soot build up, but the op truck is the opposite and is going the full 500 miles in which the truck will then go to a forced regen which is ideal.
'12 Ford Super Duty FX4 ELD CC 6.7 PSD 400HP 800ft/lbs "270k Miles"
'16 Sprinter 319MKS "Wide Body"

carringb
Explorer
Explorer
Hitch up your trailer and go pull some hills....

The DPF is for catching particulates, formed when combustion temps are relatively low. Empty driving, especially in town and in cold weather, will never raise the combustion temps enough for a full burn, hence the DPF has to work extra hard.

DEF is used to react with Nitrous Oxides, which are formed under high combustion temps. You want to keep your truck running at these higher temps, because 1) It's more efficient and 2) It's easier to add more DEF than it is to clear soot out of the DPF.

So again.... Drive it good and hard to get it cleared up initially. And then try to change your driving cycle. I'm guessing you must do lots of short trips or idling now. You might come out way ahead in fuel $ and future maintenance headaches if you picked up a smaller car for in-town use.
2000 Ford E450 V10 VAN! 450,000+ miles
2014 ORV really big trailer
2015 Ford Focus ST