White smoke during regen?

[Bkerr]

Hey TDR!

I bought my truck a month ago from Dave Smith ago and had a great experience. When I bought it they told me that the guy traded it in after getting a tank of bad fuel that fried the injectors. Under insurance they replaced all the injectors with new ones along with seals, fuel rail, and filters.

I have never noticed the truck at all experiencing white smoke exhaust until recently when backing into my garage. Three separate times when getting back home I see white smoke coming out that looks similar when you start a gasser on cold morning. Not pouring out but enough to get my attention. I can hear clicking from under truck that I imagine is the DPF. The smoke felt hot and moist coming out and didn't smell like diesel. Can't really describe the smell to be honest. I have never owned a cummins with DPF and wondering if this is normal. I have never noticed it driving or on startup. Just wondering if I should worry. Truck is going into shop on Monday to get injectors balanced due to a suggestion from a TDR member from my first post in 4th gen section. Thanks for help!

Bryan

2013 Ram 2500 Tradesmans SB w/ 68rfe

 

[sag2]

The best description I have of the smell during regen is buring charcoal lighter fluid. White smoke is unburned fuel, not likely during a regen as the temps are so high. Could be coolant if the EGR cooler was cracked. Watch your coolant level for a while and see if it stays steady.

 

[EDankievitch]

If you see the white smoke on chilly days you are seeing water vapor it's a by product of the DEF system and is normal. And yes it has a slight odor. The system will go into a passive re-gen with out you knowing it When it does you'll hear the Cat cooling down upon shutdown and you may smell a slight rubber burning odor. I'm guessing the odor is from the exhaust system hangers getting hot? Enjoy you'r new to you truck.

 

[jelag]

Sag2....

On my 08 5500 you would see a re-gen display when the truck went into re-gen.... I now own a 13 (just new to me) and in 3,000 miles of freeway driving... I've not seen any information on the display about re-gen.... as I remember on the 08.... the harder we used the truck and the more freeway driving the less and fewer times it would re-gen.... of course my new truck also uses DEF where the 08 didn't

Could you comment please on your thoughts.....

 

[Bkerr]

Jelag,

I went to a reputable diesel shop today and inquired about our 2013's. There are what seems to be two types of regens on our trucks. Active and passive. The truck will not show you on the EVIC display when it is in a regen mode. The only way you can tell is if you here a clicking from under the truck by the DPF. A click every second or so is the passive regen which was described to me as a "light" regen. If you hear fast clicking, a couple a second, it's in active or full regen. If you stop and hear it in active regen it is best to throw the truck in high idle and let it finish before shutting off. They also told me two more things. When you are driving on the highway there is something in the ECM that activates (when needed) an active regen, it is triggered by sustained speeds above 50 or so. They also told me a little bit of a white haze is normal for the DEF equipped trucks especially on cold days because of the moisture from the DEF. Hope this helps, someone please chime in if I was given misinformation. Another way to tell if your truck is in regen is if you have an EGT probe and can monitor the EGT's.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Jelag,

I went to a reputable diesel shop today and inquired about our 2013's. There are what seems to be two types of regens on our trucks. Active and passive. The truck will not show you on the EVIC display when it is in a regen mode. The only way you can tell is if you here a clicking from under the truck by the DPF. A click every second or so is the passive regen which was described to me as a "light" regen. If you hear fast clicking, a couple a second, it's in active or full regen. If you stop and hear it in active regen it is best to throw the truck in high idle and let it finish before shutting off. They also told me two more things. When you are driving on the highway there is something in the ECM that activates (when needed) an active regen, it is triggered by sustained speeds above 50 or so. They also told me a little bit of a white haze is normal for the DEF equipped trucks especially on cold days because of the moisture from the DEF. Hope this helps, someone please chime in if I was given misinformation. Another way to tell if your truck is in regen is if you have an EGT probe and can monitor the EGT's.

Can anyone else verify this? I was told by the local dealer that the audible clicking (sounds mechanical) is the DEF system injecting. Is this not the case? What's right?

 

[Bkerr]

I apologize, I meant to say DEF not DPF.

 

[pcarlson]

Isn't active/passive regeneration for the DPF? I've never heard it associated with the SCR system.

 

[sag2]

That is correct. The clicking is the DEF injector putting urea into the SCR cat for NOX reduction. Has nothing to do with an actual active regeneration.