Diesel Trucks

[JaycoAngel]

A newbie here to the forum. Would like to ask diesel owners if they would recommend a diesel for use as a primary vehicle (short trips to the grocery, etc. when not pulling). We have heard that short trips are hard on the injectors.

[FishOnOne]

JaycoAngel wrote:
A newbie here to the forum. Would like to ask diesel owners if they would recommend a diesel for use as a primary vehicle (short trips to the grocery, etc. when not pulling). We have heard that short trips are hard on the injectors.

Short trips is hard on the emissions systems on the new diesels. I use my diesel as a daily driver too, but not to go to the grocery store and short trips all the time, although it does get used for these type driving conditions as well. Diesel emissions prefer highway miles, but are tolerable to short trips to some point until the DPF needs to be cleaned and that requires some driving to clean them out.

Short trips only driving is better left to a gas powered truck.

[colliehauler]

I have to agree with others that short trips are hard on them with the new emissions. I keep a daily gas driver for around town and use the Diesel for towing.

[JaycoAngel]

Thank you!

[whjco]

My 2015 Ram 2500 CTD is my daily driver and I've racked up over 50,000 miles on it. Absolutely no problems whatsoever using it as a daily driver.

[JaycoAngel]

Thanks for everyone's input !!

[Ron3rd]

I use the 2500 CTD in my sig as my daily driver and love it.

[JaycoAngel]

Thank you!

[MarineOne]

This will be more for the Dodges since I own a few of them.

The '07.5 through '09 are the most problematic. Don't let them idle, drive them like you stole them even while towing. My '08 has lost boost pressure and has had other issues with the EGR and DPF systems, so I'm just working on them the best as I can.

'10 through '12 are better, but again, drive them like you stole it.

'13 and newer with DEF are running better, but you need to make sure the DEF doesn't go bad. It will start forming tiny yellow balls in the bottom of the container, so if you see them don't use it.



-Kris

[ktmrfs]

troubledwaters wrote:

JaycoAngel wrote:
A newbie here to the forum. Would like to ask diesel owners if they would recommend a diesel for use as a primary vehicle (short trips to the grocery, etc. when not pulling). We have heard that short trips are hard on the injectors.

Your big problem is going to be trying to stay warm in the winter. Make sure you get a good winter coat and hat.

definitely true for my 04.5 duramax. Not at all true on my 2015.5

However, not sure all the things GM may have done but the 2015 warms up amazingly fast in the winter. not quite as quick as my cars with aluminum block engines, but still faster than my older chevy with an iron bloc 350.

And if it's well below freezing, I just do a remote start and it goes into the high idle warm up mode with turbo vanes in high backpressure mode. In 3 or 4 minutes cab is getting warm and it's blowing hot air out the heater vents.

[brulaz]

JaycoAngel wrote:
A newbie here to the forum. Would like to ask diesel owners if they would recommend a diesel for use as a primary vehicle (short trips to the grocery, etc. when not pulling). We have heard that short trips are hard on the injectors.

Short trips and long idles are not good for the DPF system of a modern diesel, which can get clogged.

But if you tow/haul frequently and hard, then that can fix it by burning off the deposits.

We tow/haul 70% of the time, but the rest is often short trips. So far, no problem.

But as others have said, not letting the engine warm up is hard on gas and diesel.

[troubledwaters]

JaycoAngel wrote:
A newbie here to the forum. Would like to ask diesel owners if they would recommend a diesel for use as a primary vehicle (short trips to the grocery, etc. when not pulling). We have heard that short trips are hard on the injectors.

Your big problem is going to be trying to stay warm in the winter. Make sure you get a good winter coat and hat.

[tinstartrvlr]

When working not long ago, I only had a 1 mile drive to work, so to try to avoid clogging the particulate filter (DPF), I would leave early and make sure the engine reached operating temp. Also made sure to drive it as often as possible at highway speeds to offset the short trips. In spite of all my efforts, I was nearly left on the side of the highway due to the DPF being over-clogged. "Critical" I think was the word that showed up on the dash warning me of the problem. Fortunately a dealer was about 30 miles up the road so I was able to make it there, slowly. (I was losing engine power the whole way). Dealer had to do a manual regen to clean the filter, at a cost of $200.

While diesel tows like nothing else, I have gone back to gas. Tired of the diesel maintenance costs and DPF headaches.

[Trackrig]

I started driving a diesel truck in 1983 as my daily driver. Ran it without any problems for 25 years. My current DD is another diesel. Other than the standard problemshipping with a 2005 Ford 6.0, there's been no problems driving it to the grocery store.

Bill

[azrving]

2014 CTD 3500. I live in the sticks and drive 10 miles for anything and then snowbird for 7 months. If I was still working and starting it twice a day to go 6 miles to work in the winter I wouldn't buy one. Or then had to go out a few hours after getting home from work to drive 1/4 mile to the store isn't what I would put a diesel through. When working I had a Silverado 4.3 gasser that was warmed up by the time I got to work.

I dont know how far back it goes but my sons 2012 CTD require a 67,500, 125,000 mile egr cooling system cleaning and crankcase filter replacement. Sons 2012 was always sooted up and popping codes. Dealer tech said dont idle it and take it out and run it in 5th for as far as reasonably possible at high speed.

Another son has a 2013 2500 DEF lives in Colorado and daily drives but also keeps it on the cord all winter.

My 2014 def doesn't give that maintenance procedure at 75,000 and has never had any problems. I did the egr cooler and egr valve maintenance for my son. I understand it's about a $1,200 service?? I'll be doing his again at 150,000 along with a valve adjustment. I joke with him that he wasn't working it hard enough but now he moved up to a 35 ft FW and runs it in 5th to keep it "On the pipe". I often run mine in 5th unloaded to keep it percolatin. It's a truck engine not a car.

Cooler coming off



EGR cooler full of solvent. Ends capped



EGR Valve



I also addressed some corrosion at the turbo housing inlet to hose connection. Iirc the CC filter, cooler plugs, gaskets were $165