Cummins regen system

[AkNoad2]

This has been bugging me ever since my buddy test drove a 2018 Ram 2500 with the Cummins and I'd like to know if it's normal because after researching it on the net I don't think it is but I don't know squat about diesels.

So my buddy was test driving this beautiful truck, we made it about a mile or so and stopped for a red light and all of a sudden this thing starts bellowing smoke like crazy, then it starts to sound like a jet engine. It was so loud we could barely hear ourselves talking and I was worried that the truck was going to catch on fire or something. So we pulled into a parking lot and shut it down, buddy called his friend who said it was regen at work, so we took it back to the dealership in a roundabout way to see if it would clear up, it did stop smoking but it was still pretty loud and he said he had barely any power. This certainly can't be normal can it?

 

[tjfdesmo]

My 2019 wil get a little more timing rattle, and idle a bit faster during a regen, but it has never smoked that I could see, and is by no means super loud. It is only noticiable in town. At highway speeds you'd be hard pressed to even know there is a regen under way. It does take quite a while, maybe 15-18 miles, to complete a regen.

 

[Wirekat]

My 2019 seems to do a regen after a 1-2 hour drive but I it notice after coming off the freeway. Smoke pours up from under the front passenger fender and usually makes it way into the cab before I can shut off the outside air. Is the regen supposed to smoke at the engine? I told the dealer this but my service rep was unsure. Shouldn't the regen smoke come out the tailpipe?

 

[mtnrider]

My 2019 seems to do a regen after a 1-2 hour drive but I it notice after coming off the freeway. Smoke pours up from under the front passenger fender and usually makes it way into the cab before I can shut off the outside air. Is the regen supposed to smoke at the engine? I told the dealer this but my service rep was unsure. Shouldn't the regen smoke come out the tailpipe?

A regen should not cause smoke anywhere, engine or tailpipe.

Are you sure you don't have some type of fluid/oil spilled somewhere in the engine bay that is burning off?

.

 

[Big_Papa_R]

The regen will be quite and no smoke. In fact the air should be "clean". The whole point of the regen. What color is the smoke. Coolant burning would be a thick white smoke. Injector drip or issues like would be more of a gray with a blue haze. Oil would be more black

 

[SouthTexan]

What's a regen?

 

[swapwap]

That thing your government mandates on a diesel to “burn off” what your truck would normally burn out of its exhaust. For some reason people believe if you heat it up to a higher temperature it’s safer to the environment then it coming out of your exhaust at a lower tempers. Studious isn’t it….

 

[BolletuH]

If the truck still has emissions it shouldn’t show any visible smoke regardless of regen or not. Never had a truck blow smoke out while it had emissions equipment. If it’s deleted that’s a different story. Did you even check under the truck to see if the emissions is there or it’s deleted lol?

 

[stevenP]

Had two different cummins powered RAMs for years, never had anything happen like what you are describing happen ever. Before that had a durmax diesel, in a silverado 3500 and when it did regen, still no noise but it did smell hot during the process.

So no that is not a normal regen cycle on that test drive you took.

 

[18CrewDually]

Sounds like you may have observed a dousing event of DEF. Especially noticeable if engine has been idled extensively and on a cold day. Which at a dealership I would expect since the salesman will talk up the truck sale while sitting in the lot with a possible buyer. It will also have an odd smell.