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This should be a sticky.
Just adding to the discussion:
I agree 100%, I like to have as much information at my disposal as possible. Would help to nail down the exact parameters of when a passive regen occurs.
Or is this something other than conventional soot that needs a little longer heat or more exhaust flow to “loosen” it up? Remnants of partially combusted additives introduced into the fuel by the operator? I’ve often wondered if some of these fuel additives aren’t contributing to the problems. After I stopped using additives, I noticed a very similar behavior with my truck. I have videos of it, but I don’t know if I can upload them here. In short: start the truck drive for a few minutes and get the truck to temp, DPF gauge showing 12%. Hit an on-ramp and accelerate moderately, allowing the truck to exceed 2,000rpm between the 4-5 and 5-6 shifts. Look down at the DPF gauge and watch it drop back to zero. The truck repeated this process for several tanks of fuel. Progressively getting better and better at not registering any soot at all. I have now traveled the same route I have been for 6 months, and the truck doesn’t even move the soot gauge.
While I’m only at about 8k miles, I’m a very routine oriented person. My routine has been drive on the interstate as long as possible to and from work, some spirited driving once the truck has been running a while and the exhaust is good and hot, I only get gas from the same gas station unless unavoidable (then I try to find one that looks busy) and never use any additives other than what’s in the tank at the pump. Doing that my DPF gauge almost never makes it to 25%, I’m almost always hitting the 24hr active regen cycle. Now if I run a few short trips the soot load level will jump back up but once I hit my interstate runs it drops back down.
My daily commute is different so that accounts for some of the difference in variables. My commute to work is about 15 minutes, all highway. So my truck sees 30 minutes of cumulative highway driving at a consistent 75mph every day. That’s not including any additional highway travel after work. It still does short trips too, but I’m predominantly highway. That absolutely helps to keep the soot load down as passive regeneration is regularly happening in my case. I’m also religious about plugging the truck in during cold weather (it’s on the block heater any time nighttime temperatures drop below 40°F). That also helps because the truck is up to temperature very quickly and doesn’t waste a lot of time in the warm-up strategy (which is very dirty)
The truck had just finished an active regen before starting the 1700 mile trip. The gauge was at 0 and stayed there the entire 1700 miles. At my destination, the DPF gauge started to climb and at about 20% I took a trip of about 35 miles at 70 MPH (no trailer) and it must have done another passive regen as the gauge dropped to 0 without seeing any regen message just as I got home.
Had it on the DPF gauge the whole time. No regen indication. The speed limit was 70 but I probably drove faster but not by a whole lot. I do have the 4.10 axle so engine speed might be a consideration as well.
That was pulling the trailer for 1700.
So are we talking passive or active regen? I have seen active regens when not towing but never any regen of any type while towing. Or is there a difference in terms of the display? I may have missed it but I pay pretty close attention to my instruments. And my average speed towing is probably around 55 or so.
