Excessive Regens

[East0352]

Hello all,

I have a 2021 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. It is emissions intact. Recently, I’ve noticed that the truck is going into regen mode nearly all the time. It’s been doing it for several months at least. It does it bout every 50 miles. I drive about 30 minutes to work on a highway at about 55. Other than that, I'm on the interstate with very little city stop and go driving. At 70 mph, I can literally watch my DPF gauge climb while driving. 30 miles of driving, 30 miles of regen almost like clockwork. At <68 or >72mph the DPF doesnt appear to climb. But when I start the truck, I will see about a 10% jump and it will stay there until the next time I start the truck. I’ve tried several different air filters with no improvement. From MOPAR, Doc’s, and K&N. K&N is giving me 75 miles between regens at least.

Contacted several dealers and they all want me to drop the truck off for several weeks (before they even diagnose the problem) and rent a car. RAMcare says they will reimburse me, but I’m trying to see if anyone has had this problem and a solution before I take it to the dealer. I can’t really afford to rent a car for several months and pay the truck note. Just moved for a new job and there been one problem after another and my account is cleaned out for a while.

 

[Billet Bee]

When you say its regenerating, are you
1: watching your regen/ soot level gauge on evic screen and it pops up and says regeneration in process, or
2: your watching your main evic screen (speedometer or whatever) and a warning pops up to continue driving at Hwy speeds until regeneration is complete.
#1 happens pretty frequently to me and there is no worry about shutting truck off at night and resuming tomorrow on your way you work. Normally lasts for 15-30 minutes
#2 rarely happens to me and you should follow the advice and continue driving at Hwy speeds until it says it's complete. Can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hrs depending on how backed up the filter is but I find 45 minutes to be the average.

 

[East0352]

I’ve been watching the EVIC screen where it shows the percentage of clog in the DPF filter. Takes about 30 miles to finish.

 

[Billet Bee]

I’ve been watching the EVIC screen where it shows the percentage of clog in the DPF filter. Takes about 30 miles to finish.

Ok, I wouldn't pay to much attention to that even if it was mine because that's not the important regen mode. Yes 30 miles sounds a bit excessive to me but honestly not many folks watch that %% gauge and then they wonder if there truck is ever going to do a regeneration. So we really only ever know when it regenerates when we're driving and watching the speedometer on evic and a warning pops up to continue driving at Hwy speeds untill complete. The warning will pop up once it gets to around 70% - 100% full, so with a good working system that's operating behind the scenes like yours and mine is, we'll rarely have to do a extended driving regen.

 

[06 Dodge]

Yesterday I had a message pop up for my first regen (2250 total miles), took it out to hwy got up to 55 then dropped the trans in to 5th and ran it at about 1700 RPM after about 20 minutes it sounded normal again messed with EVIC regen message disappeared so I made a turn to drive back home, I can say I was surprised how bad it sounded during the regen as it started as I was leaving in the hospital covered garage at first thought fan clutch went into full time engage do to ac being on. After I got home it hit me that on Thursday Dodge had my truck to do recalls for 3 hours, I asked why they had it sitting with engine running, I was told it had to have it running to do part of the update to software, best I can tell they had it running for 30+ minutes based on the current idle time when I looked at home. Also based on dash DTE estimate the regen used around 1.5 to 2 gallons of diesel seems stupid to use that much fuel and then claim it some how helps keel the air clean....

 

[East0352]

My concern comes mainly from a sudden decrease in MPG and oil analysis coming back with double the normal amount of diesel in only 1/3 the normal change interval. So possibly as much as three times the diesel it should have. I know the regen cycle causes the engine to spray oil on the exhaust stroke to increase egt’s to burn of particulates in the filter.

 

[East0352]

Yesterday I had a message pop up for my first regen (2250 total miles), took it out to why got up to 55 then dropped the trans in to 5th and ran it at about 1700 RPM after about 20 minutes it sounded normal again messed with EVIC regen message disappeared so I made a turn to drive back home, I can say I was surprised how bad it sounded during the regen as it started as I was leaving in the hospital covered garage at first thought fan clutch went into full time engage do to ac being on. After I got home it hit me that on Thursday Dodge had my truck to do recalls for 3 hours, I asked why they had it sitting with engine running, I was told it had to have it running to do part of the update to software, best I can tell they had it running for 30+ minutes based on the current idle time when I looked at home. Also based on dash DTE estimate the regen used around 1.5 to 2 gallons of diesel seems stupid to use that much fuel and then claim it some how helps keel the air clean....

I agree 100% that using fuel to burn of fuel residue sounds backwards. Almost as backwards as recirculating dirty air into the intake with all that air they spent so much time cleaning before sucking it in (EGR).

 

[06 Dodge]

I plan to do first oil change at 3K and now plan after reading your post to do UOA, normally I wait to do one at the 2nd oil change.

 

[jejb]

These threads are so strange to me. I've had my 18 RAM CTD for over 2 years now and put about 25K on it. I have never seen a regen message of any kind and the truck has never felt like it was running odd, which would indicate a regen. I guess the difference is mine is not a commuter/daily driver and almost always has a trailer behind it when in use? I should pull up the DPF screen sometime and watch, I guess.

 

[East0352]

When I pull a trailer, the gauge actually goes back down to 0% on its own as long as I keep it above 1700 RPM. It climbs if not under load. Just doesn’t make sense to me. I understand start and stop, without emissions, you can see the soot shoot out of an exhaust every time someone takes off. I’m not in stop and go, I have two stop signs in 20 miles of driving. I’ve seen my DPF gauge climb while driving down the interstate at 70mph.

 

[jejb]

Might want to change your info about what truck you have, East0352. Currently says you have a '16 6.4 Hemi.

 

[mtnrider]

These threads are so strange to me. I've had my 18 RAM CTD for over 2 years now and put about 25K on it. I have never seen a regen message of any kind and the truck has never felt like it was running odd, which would indicate a regen. I guess the difference is mine is not a commuter/daily driver and almost always has a trailer behind it when in use? I should pull up the DPF screen sometime and watch, I guess.

You don't have a DPF screen like the newer trucks so you will never see it. THe only screen you will get is if the DPF get clogged. Your truck is regening every ~24hours of run time but you are just not seeing or noticing it.


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[jejb]

Thanks, I did not know it was a 4.5 gen only thing. I've read the newer trucks tend to use a lot more DEF too.

 

[East0352]

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[Ricky Herring]

I have had the same issue come and go for 2 years now,
2019 Ram 2500 40000 miles on her, I live in phoenix, regen about every 2000 miles, july 2021 spend 2 months in Denver, regen every 80 miles, go to dealer in Denver they say my truck did not have a high alt, program (whatever that means), reprogram, still same, return to phoenix pulling 14K 5th wheel, 900 miles truck did not go into regen once, gauge read 1/4 full in the start of trip, then while pulling rv, gauge goes back to zero. every thing back to normal, 2000 miles between cycles...
june 2022 same trip to Denver, once there, regen every 80 miles, take to dealer: replaced def injector,
no help, still regen every 80 miles.. return home Aug 10 2022, pulling same 5th wheel, no regen all the way home.. 900 miles. 200 mile so far at home no regen.
my truck hates the diesel or the altitude of Denver

 

[Ricky Herring]

oh yeah and while in Denver no city driving, I put 5000K on her in 2 months, driving between Denver and Colorado Springs twice weekly, 65 to 80 Mph for 60 miles each way.
plenty of time to properly regen

 

[East0352]

I would bet Denver has a higher percentage of biodiesel in their mix. That’s something else about my regens. I pulled my 5th from SW Louisiana to north Mississippi just south of Memphis. During the pull, as long as I kept it in 5th, it cleared out the DPF on its own. If in 6th, it would regen every 30 miles. I noticed this within the first 45 miles. Since then, whether it be because I towed my 5th or because everywhere here has 15% biodiesel, my truck regens almost constantly. I’ve tried a few different filters and Docs was the worst. I changed it into truck right before the trip. Was averaging 30-50 miles between regens. K&N got me up to 95-125. MOPAR got it up to 250.

 

[06 Dodge]

Bio is the dirtiest fuel to burn and shortens oil life and that could be why some have so many regens, I only known of one regen in 3200 miles, I do my best to stay away from Bio diesel as much as I can, but many parts of the metro Portland OR area have 5% Bio

 

[mtnrider]

I have had the same issue come and go for 2 years now,
2019 Ram 2500 40000 miles on her, I live in phoenix, regen about every 2000 miles, july 2021 spend 2 months in Denver, regen every 80 miles, go to dealer in Denver they say my truck did not have a high alt, program (whatever that means), reprogram, still same, return to phoenix pulling 14K 5th wheel, 900 miles truck did not go into regen once, gauge read 1/4 full in the start of trip, then while pulling rv, gauge goes back to zero. every thing back to normal, 2000 miles between cycles...
june 2022 same trip to Denver, once there, regen every 80 miles, take to dealer: replaced def injector,
no help, still regen every 80 miles.. return home Aug 10 2022, pulling same 5th wheel, no regen all the way home.. 900 miles. 200 mile so far at home no regen.
my truck hates the diesel or the altitude of Denver

"High altitude program"... LOL that's a good one, I'd never ever go to that dealer again. No such thing, these trucks have sensors and adjust on the fly. The days of adjusting for altitude were over when carburetors went away.

Lived in Colorado for years and never saw a difference in regens whether at 7K+ altitude or sea level.

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