If you own or work on a diesel engine these days you know about a forced regen that has to be done occassionally to improve the flow rate through the exhaust system. The contamination from emissions can happen quickly at the diesel particulate filter so constant monitoring is essential. The temperature and flow is monitored by the engine computer to make sure the filter is kept clean. The regen can be started by the engine computer during driving but sometimes it isn’t enough possibly because of start and stop driving in the city or oil and fuel over the normal level causing a blockage.
If the diesel engine is using oil or has faulty fuel injectors the DPF won’t take long to have an abnormal restriction. In this case the video shows how to use the engine diagnostic software to perform a parked regen to cook out soot and ash built up on the filter which will take a minimum of half an hour. High heat is accomplished by injecting diesel fuel down the exhaust piping which combined with hot exhaust gases and a catalyst induced chemical reaction gets the job done.
On International diesels before doing anything with the software a standard test has to be carried out followed by a key on engine off and key on engine running list of tests need to be done first before going any further. The DIY back yard mechanic days passed by years ago. You can not guess your way through these engines with out software and a laptop. I have talked to people in the industry that have seen truck owners bypass the emission system by punching a hole through the DPF or blocking the EGR cooler which shuts down any kind of emission control.
Of course since our shop is a provincial entity we would not dream of bypassing our engine emissions. It would be very difficult and embarrassing to explain and who knows how much of a fine we would have to pay. Once you’ve been through this for a few years you learn how emission systems tick and put preventive maintenance steps in to place. We change our engine oil sooner and use a semi synthetic blend. The cleaner the oil the less carbon build up. Maintaining engine temperature to the maximum and no idling also makes a difference.
Diesel engine emission controls are not going away so the sooner it’s accepted and dealt with accordingly the better the results. The challenge is to keep replacement parts down and preventive maintenance up. Our shop is up to the challenge.
