Some Days

Just have to finger out what the CRAP is happening, a grunt mechanic will find a way to work around it.

Get to work this morning Same SDD, have clay to haul up 18 miles then go to different pit and haul back for barge loading(Different clays). Check Fluids I can, tires, brake adjustments and leaks, all good. Made first run out, loaded, then up and dumped, second was similar UNTIL was reloaded and headed to river.
Out of NOWHERE Engine Alarms, Three lamps on dash, beeping and whistles going off, Engine IMMEDIATE Shut down notice. First action glanced to ALL the main engine gauges, temps fine, oil pressure fine, then the damn auto shut off cuts in W.T.F., Mo HWY 19 around six miles south of anything, driveways ONLY so step on clutch to veer into/across one, BAD Choice, engine dead no p/s, back to good ol Armstrong and off the hwy. Get out recheck obvious fluids Oil Antifreeze STILL OK. Cycle ignition and restart, still in alarm but parameters still good, NO Noises from engine, no squeals no bumps no grinding or banging and a FULL load of clay aboard. So the beast dies again, I let it sit a moment and hit it again, down the road we go. Get to the grade to big Springs MO, at least all down grade, limp it thru there and dies again, with engine rolling coasting cycle the damn key back to running reset alarm, managed this to get the machine to the river lot and offloaded the clay, head thru town doing same and made it into shop lot. None times died and restarted. Set the boys on it and take the spare, get last two loads of day and come back all fixed. 'GD' DOC Temp Sensor failed, JUST Happened they had one in a box on the shelf as a test device from a previous failed DPF DEF SCR system. FKNG Emissions garbage.

Tomorrow back in the better truck.

This stuff was designed to keep you on your toes Dave. Wondering why it wasn't programed for a de-rate? Instead of shut down.

Oh it derated First, then decided Auto Shut down!! Mechanic at the shop found a bad connector at the Shutdown Override switch that also Did Not Function. Got in it this morning, made three miles, back into fault and back to the yard where I left a note and ran off with the red and black bad SAM Module/harness?? Freightliner. Two rounds with that got call they KNOW the Star is OK. Same codes as prior, did a reboot codes clear AGAIN, placed into forced regen AGAIN only this time actually worked. Have the replacement DPF ordered for it, a exchange unit as this one is likely semi solid where will do this again and soon.

If a regen was forced, it never really completed after being forced. That DPF is packed full, that's part of the problem with vocational trucks-never really end up in a hard
pull for several miles at a time. Just pooping around the county.

Your buddy Sam Module below.

Sounds like a good thing I got out of the quarry when I did. Can't imagine the problems that will come up if they get any new trucks for stocking trucks in the plant! Those run at the most maybe a mile or two from screen plants over to the stock piles. Almost never get to or over 30 mph and then might have to sit parked for 20-30 minutes to get loaded for the next short run!

kshansen said:

Sounds like a good thing I got out of the quarry when I did. Can't imagine the problems that will come up if they get any new trucks for stocking trucks in the plant! Those run at the most maybe a mile or two from screen plants over to the stock piles. Almost never get to or over 30 mph and then might have to sit parked for 20-30 minutes to get loaded for the next short run!

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I've got a dozer that went down yesterday, pushing overburden. DEF sensor decided to crap out. Everything works, but those values are wacky so it shuts the whole show down.

I think you guys all know my position on emissions. If it's good for some, it's good for all. Other countries shouldn't get a free ride on our dime. We clean the air for India and China, they trash it then we clean it up again. They don't get fined, assessed or penalized. Just us here in America.

And Australia, and Europe, etc, etc....
But I do agree with the rest of it.

Pony said:

And Australia, and Europe, etc, etc....
But I do agree with the rest of it.

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I heard Australia was exempt, or is it just parts? Certainly not all of Europe. And i don't think any of the dark continent has it.
How bad is it on you folks down there? So it's your job to clean up the southern hemisphere?

funwithfuel said:

I think you guys all know my position on emissions. If it's good for some, it's good for all. Other countries shouldn't get a free ride on our dime. We clean the air for India and China, they trash it then we clean it up again. They don't get fined, assessed or penalized. Just us here in America.

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I will take this opportunity to apologize. I think it was it was my state and the stupid sob's that run it that started all this BS......
Dave

funwithfuel said:

I heard Australia was exempt, or is it just parts? Certainly not all of Europe. And i don't think any of the dark continent has it.
How bad is it on you folks down there? So it's your job to clean up the southern hemisphere?

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I'm certainly not up with it all, in fact I tend to ignore it as I'm certainly not able to change it.
I know the new truck I just bought is Euro6 compliant, with both DPF and AdBlue.
As far as I'm aware emissions are regulated by us as a nation, so all of Australia is the same.
We don't have any major manufacturers that I'm aware of and I don't believe we have set any rules, we simply follow blindly along with the rest of the developed world.
As a side note that truck only has 2000km on it but the inside of the exhaust stack is still perfectly clean. If only the technology to keep it so was as reliable as the rest of the engine, then I don't think anyone would have an issue with it.

BIL works for METRO STL, used to be Bi-State Transit, they remove the DPF(Diesel Particulate Filter) assemblies at routine intervals as choke so badly even with routine regens they cannot stop the loading. The removed assemblies are sent to a Regeneration Facility where are cooked(Natural Gas Burner) at over 1500 degreesF and rodded out. Last almost as long as the new replacements they were buying to develop a turn around inventory. ONLY major issue is burnout on the fourth facility regen where are unrecoverable and new must be bought.

Mechanic at the yard I work has found a supplier for regened DPF assemblies and going to order four as have NONE not even new in stock.

Little known fact when buying new truck-DPF emissions extended warranty. Ours are covered to 750,000 miles. Manufactures don't really bring it up.
Too much money in emission parts sales. DPF's are the hottest selling items in salvage yards.

Truck Shop said:

Little known fact when buying new truck-DPF emissions extended warranty. Ours are covered to 750,000 miles. Manufactures don't really bring it up.
Too much money in emission parts sales. DPF's are the hottest selling items in salvage yards.

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Wish I'd have known this a little while ago.
Is there a time limit with that, or is it a blanket mileage limit.
Mine is 5yrs or 500k km, whichever comes first, as just carting my own stuff, will only see 20-30k per year so will probably never see 500k in my lifetime.
Extended warranty was never raised and tbh I never even thought of it.

Company owner has that on the new machines of the last few years, mileage was part of it, where the older Stars are now 7-9 years old and warranty ended at 6 years on those. The unit I drive has had the DPF replaced warranty twice prior. Dealers are hesitant to talk extended warranties here, Pete was the only one for several years to even accept putting the sales lines on extended programs for Tri County, Western Star dealer is now working that way too and expanding warranties to regain lost sales.

So long as the Manufacturer will stand behind the programs for the dealers I do not see the issue of hiding them from customers. DPF/DOC Assemblies are in the $9-12K range is hard to pocketbook justify.

They are not hiding them just more money in new parts sales. But when mileage starts topping out
it's time to dump them, other wise your going backward.

Sales staff at local WS Dealer would not even speak on extended warranties until this last spring according to the boss, when asked of them they would tend to redirect and try to avoid. Last sale was for a WS 4700 just delivered, does have a 750,000 extended warranty on emissions. Pete is now starting to balk while Freightliner and IH here will not even talk of them.

Depends also on how many tractors a company buys, In my situation running 63 at the moment and buying ten at a time does make a difference. But we will see
when the 7 new KW's show up. But the real problem with Freightliner is getting them to warranty the cylinder head issue on DD15 & 16 engines. If overhead
adjustments are not done at dealer and not done in there time frame Freightliner won't cover the cylinder head, warranty or no warranty. It has to be documented
by the dealer.

Owner buys five to ten here, not the volume you see. Sad as to the dealer warranty requirements, similar here where machines get taken or towed to Pete and WS for warranty work will not cover done in house.

Cummins and Komatsu on the dirt side of things have shown to be pretty reliable. I'm impressed, having come from Volvo. They didn't get their act straight till deep into tier IV. So far, it seems Cummins is on their game. The biggest challenge is keeping the engine running right. The software is so keen on making fine adjustments to smooth operations it sometimes masks growing concerns. And the biggest surprise is post combustion injection to jack up DOC temps doesn't adversely affect the life of the rings and liners. I don't know about cummins PX line for paccar , but for dirt, its pretty good.