dodge guy wrote:
I could’ve bought a diesel when I bought my X, but I came across a good deal on my V-10. Glad I never got stuck with a 6.0. No one else made a diesel SUV at the time. And with some of the issues I have seen with all the newer diesels with Def....again, no thanks. It’s choice made upon facts! Even when the tome comes for a DP I would like one without DEF, but buy then all the used ones I’ll be looking at will have DEF. So I won’t have much of a choice.
The DEF system is not the issue, the EGR reintroducing exhaust gases back into the intake is. This is where most of the sensor and soot issues come from. The DEF system takes care of emissions after the DPF filter so it has no effect on the engine's efficiency or performance other than the fact that it allows the engine to run a peak.
The EGR on the other hand will open anytime combustion temps get past 2,800F(which is the temp that NOx is created) and the DEF catalyst is not hot enough to take care of these emissions. It reintroduces cooled exhaust gas back into the chamber to cool these temps down which creates soot. It also reduces power since most of the oxygen in this air is already gone which effects efficiency as well. Once the DEF catalyst is hot enough(about 10 min), the EGR valve generally does not activate unless you are in in certain load citations where the DEF system cannot take care of all of the NOx.
New systems that will likely come out in the next 10 years will be dual DEF systems which will hopefully eliminate the need for the EGR altogether or at least reduce how often the engine utilizes it dramatically.
Although, this kind of reminds me of my cousin who bought an SVO Mustang back in the day. Everyone ragged him for not getting a V8 which was understandable for him since he was young at the time and it was more expensive. However, overtime this lead him to have "sour grapes syndrome" and a deep hatred for the old 5.0L to this day. If you even mention a 5.0L fox body Mustang, it will trigger him into a a tirade of how you don't need that much power or how bad @$$ his 4 banger Mustang was and how crappy the 5.0L is. I do find it comical sometimes and will poke the bear every now and then just for laughs.