What's my exhaust doing?

[Deleted member 995608]

Yesterday, we left for Ventura to visit the mission for my daughters 4th grade project. I stop at a fuel station about 12 miles down the mountain from our house. I leave the truck idling while I'm filling. When I first got out, I smelt something funny and I can hear a new ticking noise directly under the cab. Then I had a visual, white smoke boiling off the exhaust. It was hard to pin point if it was coming from the flange or the pipe in front of the flange; too much smoke to see. At this point, I have 731 miles on the odometer.

I shut the truck down, and finished my fill. On startup, no codes appeared and no smoke from the exhaust for the few minutes of idling. We continued on our short trip to Ventura.

Any ideas what happened?

 

[Berrigan]

Yesterday, we left for Ventura to visit the mission for my daughters 4th grade project. I stop at a fuel station about 12 miles down the mountain from our house. I leave the truck idling while I'm filling. When I first got out, I smelt something funny and I can hear a new ticking noise directly under the cab. Then I had a visual, white smoke boiling off the exhaust. It was hard to pin point if it was coming from the flange or the pipe in front of the flange; too much smoke to see. At this point, I have 731 miles on the odometer.

I shut the truck down, and finished my fill. On startup, no codes appeared and no smoke from the exhaust for the few minutes of idling. We continued on our short trip to Ventura.

Any ideas what happened?

In my uneducated opinion you just experienced you first DPF regeneration. The smoke you saw was the exhaust pipe getting the hottest it's ever been since it was assembled, burning off oils and such. You said you have 731 miles. Well I have been monitoring my regenerations and with my driving style my truck regenerates about every 600 to 800 miles. My first regen I could smell burning rubber and other smokey smells also. If I am correct your next regen will not be near as smokey and the third will probably be un noticeable.

 

[RVTRKN]

Sounds like a good theory, its typical for a furnace's first burn to smoke out the residence from the oils due to manufacturing. I also experianced the odd smells when my 2014 was new. Didn't see any smoke or ticking, but I did't look either. The ticking was probably the expansion of metal from the excessive heat of regeneration for the first time as well.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I suspected that also; wasn't sure. I scrolled through the EVIC and the 8.4 but could not see anything that said I was in regen.

 

[Ozymandias]

Compared to my european truck it is the DEF pump that is ticking after shut down to clean the nozzle.
My Rig does that after nearly every shut down.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

His was ticking while running, then he shut it off.

 

[EDankievitch]

The ticking is the DEF pump and nozzle cycling. Thhe frist few times the system goes into re-gen there will be some "strange odors." The nice thing with the 2013 and newer trucks is that it will go into a passive Re-gen each time you drive it and get the exhaust temp high enough.

 

[Alphonse]

I suspected that also; wasn't sure. I scrolled through the EVIC and the 8.4 but could not see anything that said I was in regen.

It will not show in the EVIC. There is a PID available on the CAN Bus which indicates regen status and another one that gives you pressure drop across the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

I watch the both of them and towed about 500 miles recently and there was no regen occurring. The pressure drop has continued to remain quite low and I have been surprised that there is no regen activity.

EDIT: I should have explained that I monitor such things via an Edge Insight CTS2.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

So we just got home and had no drivability issues whatsoever, or smells etc. My truck averaged about 16 MPG down n back. Now have about 1300 miles on the clock so far. Thanks boys.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Not sure why you would be idling your truck when filling unless you were towing a load. Idling a Diesel just to do so in NOT a good idea.

 

[RVTRKN]

I never shut mine down when on a trip, and if extended idling is required, I use the idle up feature.

 

[watersupply189]

I have around 2,700 miles on mine now and notice the same thing the other day. Smoke was rising up lightly between the bed and the cab after a long trip but then slowly dissipated ...

 

[Newsa]

It will not show in the EVIC. There is a PID available on the CAN Bus which indicates regen status and another one that gives you pressure drop across the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

I watch the both of them and towed about 500 miles recently and there was no regen occurring. The pressure drop has continued to remain quite low and I have been surprised that there is no regen activity.

When my truck was new, DPF % would show in the EVIC during regens. After several RRT's, nothing shows in the EVIC now

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Not sure why you would be idling your truck when filling unless you were towing a load. Idling a Diesel just to do so in NOT a good idea.

I always top off before it gets to down 1/2 tank, so my fill ups are pretty snappy. I usually don't idle when filling though.

I never shut mine down when on a trip, and if extended idling is required, I use the idle up feature.

I keep forgetting about the feature. I haven't even tried it yet.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Unless REALLY cold just hit EB and it will apply a load.

 

[Newsa]

Unless REALLY cold just hit EB and it will apply a load.

Does this help if you don't have the faster idle option? G56 models don't.

And, i think EB is helpful even if Really cold. I heard it applies a load to help warm up time. Is there a down side if Really cold?

 

[Alphonse]

Unless REALLY cold just hit EB and it will apply a load.

I have seen several folks say that here on the forum. Can you help me understand how hitting EB applies a load?

I understand how EB works in principle by creating backpressure. But I have not been able to see it do anything via the PID from the CAN Bus when turning it on and off while idling. I monitor the PID for the variable geometry actuator position on the Turbo and there is no effect on actuator position while idling by turning the exhaust brake on and off.

 

[RVTRKN]

Does this help if you don't have the faster idle option? G56 models don't.

Look at my sig, even though it's a C&C, I believe if you purchase the hardware for the clutch pedal, it's available on your ECM if turned on.

 

[Wayne M.]

My experience pertains to 6.7 Fords but it's a similar device. I did experience a regen (maybe the first) with a F250. This was after a long idle period where I got a "overloaded exhaust drive to clean " message. So as I headed back to cent com, the message changed to "cleaning exhaust" and let me tell you I was real embarrassed for a few minutes. This thing made a cloud of gray that I'm sure accuweather saw. I perform forced regens on big trucks all the time. Never saw this!

 

[Newsa]

I have seen several folks say that here on the forum. Can you help me understand how hitting EB applies a load?

I understand how EB works in principle by creating backpressure. But I have not been able to see it do anything via the PID from the CAN Bus when turning it on and off while idling. I monitor the PID for the variable geometry actuator position on the Turbo and there is no effect on actuator position while idling by turning the exhaust brake on and off.

The Diesel supplement says a benefit of the exhaust brake is "faster cab warm-up".

I believe it applies a slight load when at cold idle. This might only happen when the idle elevates to an idle that the truck uses during extreme cold weather start up?

It doesn't say why or how in the manual that i've found