Question about Diesel Particle Filter and Regen Terrain 4WD. Pleas Help

[RearViewMirror]

I can't find any information on this anywhere. Not in the owner's manual, not online, etc...

We have a 2023 Terrain on a 2022 Mercedes chassis.

The Diesel Particle Filter is sitting at 84% right now. I know that it will automatically go into regen mode (assuming 100%) and once it does, you have to drive it for 20-30 mins while it finishes. The thing is, I have no idea if this is actually true. The owner's manual says to go on a 20-25 min drive on the freeway or country road every 300 miles and that's it. No more information than that other than what regen mode actually does. There is no way to put it in regen mode manually that I can find so we are left with auto mode. I've no idea if there is a display on the dash that "actually" shows it's in regen mode or not? I know it must have cycled at least once since it was driven down from the factory to here. When we picked it up it had 800 miles on it and the DPF was sitting at 47%. It is now sitting at 84%. If it goes into regen mode and you shut it off, the engine gives you 3 chances of letting it finish the cycle. If you shut it off 3 times while it is trying to go into regen mode, that's it. You're done.

I'm hoping that someone on here has some information about this. Does it actually show up on the dash once it goes into regen mode? I have the DPF pulled on on the screen in the instrument cluster and I'm slowly watching it creep up to 100%. And I've no idea when or if it will actually go into regen mode at 100%. I know once it does, the EGT get upwards of 1400 degrees F to burn off all the particles that are trapped.

[Midnightmoon]

Assuming that your system is working properly, the process will be completely seamless. It should in theory reach a preset particulate load point, start the regen cycle, burn off the ash, and reset all without your knowledge.

With that all said, my NCV3 Sprinter does not have the ability to monitor DPF load or regeneration cycles and I am not running a ScanGuage or similar product. So, I have no working knowledge of how many miles it goes between regeneration cycles, etc.

Even in mixed driving and multiple short distance trips, I've never had a regen issue with mine. I would just turn off the DPF screen on your EVIC, drive it as normal, and expect it to function properly.

[RearViewMirror]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

Assuming that your system is working properly, the process will be completely seamless. It should in theory reach a preset particulate load point, start the regen cycle, burn off the ash, and reset all without your knowledge.

With that all said, my NCV3 Sprinter does not have the ability to monitor DPF load or regeneration cycles and I am not running a ScanGuage or similar product. So, I have no working knowledge of how many miles it goes between regeneration cycles, etc.

Even in mixed driving and multiple short distance trips, I've never had a regen issue with mine. I would just turn off the DPF screen on your EVIC, drive it as normal, and expect it to function properly.

I hope I'm not worrying more than I should be. The last diesels that I owned were a 2003 and a 2005 Dodge Cummins. Back then they didn't have to run DEF nor did particle filters even exist.

We had them on all our new firetrucks when I was on the job. We had a Plymovent installed in each station that you hooked up to the exhaust as you backed into the station to keep the diesel exhaust out of the engine room. But I can't tell you the number of Plymovents that were melted due to the system going into regen mode. Considering that the egt's get up to 1400 degrees it didn't take long to melt them.

But the issue is, we make mostly short trips around the area. Since it's cold here right now I'll go out of my way just to make sure the engine is warmed up fully. Everything we need is within a few miles from our house so it's not good to start up a diesel and just run a couple miles and shut it off. It doesn't even register on the temp gauge at all if you do that. So I try to at least get it up to normal operating temp before I get where I'm going.

From what I understand from talking to the Mercedes service center today is once it gets to around 95% it "should" start it's regen mode. I asked if there is a display in the instrument cluster notifying me that it is about to start the process and he said there was. But... Here is the kicker. "If" it starts the regen process and you shut it down before it has finished, you only have 3 starts after that. If you shut it down 3 times in a row before it finishes the regen process that's it. It's over. That is what I'm trying to avoid.

Once we move in it full time it won't be that big of a deal since we will be traveling longer distances. The owners manual gives very little information on this other than to drive it down the freeway or a country backroad after each 300 miles. The problem is, if the particle filter isn't ready for regen that does no good as it won't automatically prompt the regen process.

[ARoamer]

I'm a bit off the Mercedes brand motorhome specific topic, but I found it interesting how the regen cycles are initiated and executed. My 2020 Duramax will not go into regen mode if it's towing, I'm guessing when it senses a trailer connected regen is disabled. We found this out half way back /1000 miles from NV last spring, got a check engine light with noticeably reduced power. Driver info center wasn't giving any real info. Found a dealership, their scan tool produced a code that basically stated it needed to do a regen cycle. Tech said to unhitch, he cleared code, told us to drive 20 miles briskly and come back. Issue fixed. Nothing in the owners manual states it will not regen when towing, nothing stating a regen is specifically needed, no warning, just a check engine light and noticeably reduced power. No way to force a regen on my truck, but it's possible on the commercial ones. I picked up a cheap bluetooth scan tool that will display time before regen and fault codes. Too bad the manufacturers don't make the driver info center actually give good information!

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by RearViewMirror

From what I understand from talking to the Mercedes service center today is once it gets to around 95% it "should" start it's regen mode. I asked if there is a display in the instrument cluster notifying me that it is about to start the process and he said there was. But... Here is the kicker. "If" it starts the regen process and you shut it down before it has finished, you only have 3 starts after that. If you shut it down 3 times in a row before it finishes the regen process that's it. It's over. That is what I'm trying to avoid.

This may have been inaccurate information given to you by the service department. It is factual that the engine will go in to limp mode or otherwise not start after a preset number of key cycles when the unit runs out of DEF or has a DEF system failure. (Though on the Sprinter, I believe that it is 10 key cycles not 3). I have never heard that it is limited to 3 attempts at a DPF regeneration before the system locks down. The two systems are completely independent and are often confused. And unfortunately, it sounds like it could be the case with the representative from the service center.

[RearViewMirror]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

This may have been inaccurate information given to you by the service department. It is factual that the engine will go in to limp mode or otherwise not start after a preset number of key cycles when the unit runs out of DEF or has a DEF system failure. (Though on the Sprinter, I believe that it is 10 key cycles not 3). I have never heard that it is limited to 3 attempts at a DPF regeneration before the system locks down. The two systems are completely independent and are often confused. And unfortunately, it sounds like it could be the case with the representative from the service center.

It may have been. I've no way of actually saying if it was or not considering I can find zero information about the DPF and the regen process other than what others have stated. DEF I'm not nearly as concerned about as I have the gauge permanently placed at the bottom of the center info screen no matter what page I'm on. So I always know the level of DEF. But I know the DPF is getting close to needing to go into regen. I just don't know when? Will there be a warning that the system is about to go into regen mode before it starts that way I can plan on taking a 20-30 min drive? I've no idea? Will it just start regen on its on with no warning? No idea? No matter how many times the vehicle gives you before it starts throwing codes, or worse yet going into limp / non start mode, I'd like to complete it when I know it's about time to start. I just wish there was a way to manually force it to do it when you know it's about to take place (such as now) so I could plan around it. Our firetrucks could be put into regen manually when needed. I understand that I am probably overthinking this way too much. But since we make short drives since everything is literally within a couple miles of our house, it would be nice to know. I've already had to change my diving patterns just to make sure that the engine gets to operating temp since our usual drives are relatively short.

[RearViewMirror]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

Assuming that your system is working properly, the process will be completely seamless. It should in theory reach a preset particulate load point, start the regen cycle, burn off the ash, and reset all without your knowledge.

With that all said, my NCV3 Sprinter does not have the ability to monitor DPF load or regeneration cycles and I am not running a ScanGuage or similar product. So, I have no working knowledge of how many miles it goes between regeneration cycles, etc.

Even in mixed driving and multiple short distance trips, I've never had a regen issue with mine. I would just turn off the DPF screen on your EVIC, drive it as normal, and expect it to function properly.

You were correct. I had to travel about 100 miles today. Started off at 96% this morning so I figured it would probably hit regen mode today.

This is what I found out for any that might be interested. As soon as I pulled out of one of the places I had to go I got on the freeway and it was sitting at 99%. A few mins later it jumped to 100% so I started paying attention to the gauge in the instrument cluster. At 10:54 am it hit 100%. At 10:56 it seamlessly went into regen mode and it started dropping down to 99%, 98%, etc... At 11:08 the % was completely at 0%. This was all highway driving with no stops. Luckily I was far enough away from the house that this allowed me to complete the regen process in one cycle. I drove around for about 15:00 mins since I still wasn't at my destination quite yet and it allowed the system to cool back down to normal operating temps. Buy the time I got there the DPF read 0%.

So... Now I have finished my first regen process and it was quick, easily, and seamless. I just know that when the % gets into the high 90% range that I'll need to plan on a 30 min drive for it to complete the entire process. That made me feel much more comfortable since I have now been through the regen process and it doesn't take long at all. Watching the gauge go down (quickly I might add) was nice to see.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by RearViewMirror

You were correct. I had to travel about 100 miles today. Started off at 96% this morning so I figured it would probably hit regen mode today.

This is what I found out for any that might be interested. As soon as I pulled out of one of the places I had to go I got on the freeway and it was sitting at 99%. A few mins later it jumped to 100% so I started paying attention to the gauge in the instrument cluster. At 10:54 am it hit 100%. At 10:56 it seamlessly went into regen mode and it started dropping down to 99%, 98%, etc... At 11:08 the % was completely at 0%. This was all highway driving with no stops. Luckily I was far enough away from the house that this allowed me to complete the regen process in one cycle. I drove around for about 15:00 mins since I still wasn't at my destination quite yet and it allowed the system to cool back down to normal operating temps. Buy the time I got there the DPF read 0%.

So... Now I have finished my first regen process and it was quick, easily, and seamless. I just know that when the % gets into the high 90% range that I'll need to plan on a 30 min drive for it to complete the entire process. That made me feel much more comfortable since I have now been through the regen process and it doesn't take long at all. Watching the gauge go down (quickly I might add) was nice to see.

That is excellent. I'm happy to hear that it is working correctly for you.