Diesel _ Day to Day Scenario!

[labren]

In this scenario, please let me know how a diesel would respond after a month or two of this.
2012-2015 Diesel (any Brand)

Trips are within 10 minutes from our home, and short! Trip to Shoppers drug mart, london drugs, up to see parents in hospital, see other parents in retirement home, trip to the lab, trip to best buy...etc...you get the idea!

After reading the Ford manual on diesels after downloading it, if I have this right it says that anywhere from 100 mi to 500mi it will have to go through a regeneration process, and it will take between 2 min up to 20 min to complete. The message comes across the cluster to do this, which we are not to ignore.

Under the scenario I have given, am I correct in saying since the truck never gets up to any load or speed, to any extent unless I am towing, which is when I go away...this truck is going to be wanting to do the regeneration really often, basically because of lack of use for a Diesel.

The monthly driving does not exceed 700 km or about 450 miles. These numbers change when towing on a holiday, but this scenario is real life day to day driving. This kind of use can't be good for 3/4 or 1 ton diesel - please confirm if I have this right or wrong?

Thank you

[Bedlam]

I would suggest you stay with a gasoline powered truck for your usage. Unless you have another gasoline powered vehicle for these short trips, the current diesel emission systems will clog up with that type of use. I feel that my Ford 6.0 had few problems because it was never used like that - It was either climbing mountain passes or towing loads all its life.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

As others have said, short trips are not good.

I do use mine around town, but my short trip is usually made the long way around, in order to warm the vehicle up to regular operating temperatures before even thinking about shutting it off.

And I usually finish off my "short trips" with a run out the highway to the 65 MPH zone where I can get her up to speed for a short time.

Yep, it is extra work, but hey, I wanna take care of my truck cause I play hard with it in camping season and I want it around for that.

[Colo_Native]

I was wondering this a well because I don't drive a lot, but I keep being told by rv guys to get a diesel, but I too don't know if it will work because of not driving enough

[RedJeep]

Makes me glad to have my old rattler, errr 7.3L. Several years of daily < 5 mile trips across two different trucks and no issues what so ever with the engine/emissions system.

I appreciate the post as it gives me something to think about if/when I consider a new truck.

[goducks10]

You outlined pretty close to the way I drive. 2012 Ram 250 CTD. Never had any 80% full DPF messages in 24,700 miles. I may take it on a little longer drive where the engine reaches operating temps more often than you do, but not by much. I was on the fence when I bought the CTD. I wasn't sure I would give it enough of a workout to not have the DPF clog. But apparently I do. My situation is not ideal and it's actually way better than my wifes car. she only drive 4.5 miles one way to work. On weekends we take her car on errands. Still not any highway driving for extended amounts of time. I do take my truck out about once every 4-5 weeks for a good run of 150 miles RT. Right now it's unseasonably warm here in the NW. That really helps getting up to operating temps. There are stretches during normal winters when I don't get up to temp for days. To me that's worse than short trips when reaching temps.
To the OP you may want to take it for a run once in awhile to help clear things up and to get to temp. Or take the long way home.

[labren]

Thanks everyone, just wanted to finalize some things in my mind, before ruling out the diesel for my use and needs!

Have a great day!

[coolbreeze01]

Under those circumstances, it would be easier on all your engines if you walked.

[ScottG]

I've used mine to make many trips that are shorter than that without issue.
But I don't use DEF. If your going to buy a new truck that does use it then I would look at a capable gasser instead - assuming you could make one work for your load.

[ib516]

Not great, that kind of use is hard on a diesel and with that little use, you'll never recover the investment in the diesel engine (financially speaking) until you sell or trade it.

To me, that kind of use sounds like asking for emissions issues with any of the modern diesels.

[kzspree320]

I use mine like you are describing for the most part. I do take at least one 20 mile round trip without stopping at least every month (usually twice) just to let the engine regenerate if it wants to. It almost always does regenerate when I do this according to my Edge Insight gauges.

My personal opinion is I would not get a diesel if I were not going to let it stretch its legs and get a chance to regenerate at least once or twice a month.

[Grit_dog]

It's not ideal for sure but it will be fine. The PStroke emissions are much more finicky with their emissions systems with the Dmax being better and the Cummins the best for emissions issues. Have a fleet with all 3 operating in waaaaaay worse conditions than yours for emissions issues.
That said you will not be putting many engine hours on doing that.
If you get it out every month for a drive it will be fine. Surely you go somewhere we than putting to to town.

[Hank85713]

Basically the trips you outline are not really good for ANY vehicle gas or diesel. All engines need to warm up to operating temps to be efficient otherwise the computer will read everything as 'cold' and you will waste fuel from an over rich run. Unless you have a high idle setting to let the vehicle sit and run at a high idle for extended times you would probably be better off with a small car for these trips but again you would need to let it get up to operating temps also. Short trips effect the life of the oil due to the rich run, and wont let the water vapor burn off as needed thus setting up a condensation issue inside the block. Unless you make all the trip at 1 time such as the econuts say to do you are wasting your gas/diesel and hurting potentially the vehicle itself. Seems maybe a bus trip would be better if available for most of these.

[2oldman]

labren wrote:
This kind of use can't be good for 3/4 or 1 ton diesel - please confirm if I have this right or wrong?

If it's anything like my Cummins 8.3, it will take it for a few days, but then it's crying to tow or go fast.

See if 20 minutes of freeway speeds will help.