# New owner of a 2017 Cruze LT Diesel... Anything I should know?



## CACruze76 (Apr 27, 2018)

I've never owned a diesel vehicle before. I just purchased a brand new 2017 Cruze LT TurboDiesel with a 149 miles on it. I've been looking through the forums the last couple of days. I've noticed people talking about regen. What is this? Also, where can I get the DEF fluid and how often should I fill it? Can I fill/top it off when I have to get diesel?

Is there anything else I should be aware of in the beginning? Thanks in advance. 

- Adam


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

Welcome, congrats on the diesel...fun to drive and phenomenal mpg. 

Regen is the process where a small amount of diesel fuel is injected into the exhaust stream to elevate Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) high enough to burn off (clean) soot build up in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Regen occurs automatically and intervals vary from 400-1000 miles (more or less) based on driving habits and conditions. 

DEF can be purchased in gallon or 2.5 gallon containers at Auto Parts stores, Walmart or gas stations. Truck stops and travel plazas offer DEF at the pump, usually on the truck side of the station. Look for the blue nozzle. 

Don’t stress about DEF. A tank of DEF will go thousands of miles. The Driver Information Center (DIC) will display a DEF percent remaining. When it gets down to 25% just dump in a 2.5 gal from Walmart (about $8) and you’re good for another couple thousand miles or so. 

The main thing to be aware of with a diesel is the emissions system works best/has fewer issues when cruised at highway speeds. City driving/stop and go traffic should be mixed with some cruises at highway speeds every tank. 

Also, when it comes time for an oil change make sure to use a Dexos 2 certified oil. 

Happy Cruzin’!


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## CACruze76 (Apr 27, 2018)

Rivergoer said:


> Welcome, congrats on the diesel...fun to drive and phenomenal mpg.
> 
> Regen is the process where a small amount of diesel fuel is injected into the exhaust stream to elevate Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) high enough to burn off (clean) soot build up in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Regen occurs automatically and intervals vary from 400-1000 miles (more or less) based on driving habits and conditions.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the quick reply. Good to know about the regen and the DEF. Would it be good to just top off the DEF when adding fuel. Not that that needs to be done, but just to remember to do it then. I live in Southern California (LA area) so plenty of highway driving.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

CACruze76 said:


> Thanks for the quick reply. Good to know about the regen and the DEF. Would it be good to just top off the DEF when adding fuel. Not that that needs to be done, but just to remember to do it then. I live in Southern California (LA area) so plenty of highway driving.


DEF consumption rate is so low that topping at every fuel fill would be impractical. You’d only be able to get an ounce or two in (if that). 

For comparison, after 25,000 miles since I bought my diesel a year ago, I’ve only put a 2.5 gal Walmart DEF in 3 times. Your Gen 2 Cruze DEF tank capacity is a bit less but only by about a gallon. 

Dont stress about DEF, if you’re worried about forgetting, top it at your oil change interval. But every tank would be way overkill


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## CACruze76 (Apr 27, 2018)

Rivergoer said:


> DEF consumption rate is so low that topping at every fuel fill would be impractical. You’d only be able to get an ounce or two in (if that).
> 
> For comparison, after 25,000 miles since I bought my diesel a year ago, I’ve only put a 2.5 gal Walmart DEF in 3 times. Your Gen 2 Cruze DEF tank capacity is a bit less but only by about a gallon.
> 
> Dont stress about DEF, if you’re worried about forgetting, top it at your oil change interval. But every tank would be way overkill


Ok, thanks. What is the recommended OCI on the Gen 2? Oh, and I've been reading the manual and it says, "Use Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel(ULSD) only." Do most gas stations that sell diesel, only sell this kind or is this something that I really need to keep an eye out for?


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

Mine’s a Gen 1, not sure about Gen 2. The DIC will display % Remaining for OCI, also consult manual. 

Just look for the Green (or sometimes Yellow) nozzle, all Diesel sold for highway use is ULSD.


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## steveg241 (Jul 18, 2013)

The oil change interval is still 7500vmi which is the same as the 2014-2015 Cruze Diesel vehicles. The oil change indicator in my 2014 Cruze Diesel is almost always less than 10% but not 0% when I hit 7500 miles so I usually just change it then.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Use a good fuel additive such as Power Service for every fill-up. Diesel Kleen +Cetane Boost in the summer, Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost in the winter. It's cheap insurance to give you a quality fuel that has adequate cetane for cold starts, avoids fuel gelling in the winter, and keeps your injectors clean for good power and economy.


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## steveg241 (Jul 18, 2013)

Barry Allen said:


> Use a good fuel additive such as Power Service for every fill-up. Diesel Kleen +Cetane Boost in the summer, Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost in the winter. It's cheap insurance to give you a quality fuel that has adequate cetane for cold starts, avoids fuel gelling in the winter, and keeps your injectors clean for good power and economy.


I will second this, especially if you use a bio-diesel blend. Bio-diesel will keep things running smoothly because it has better lubricity than regular diesel but it needs more detergent to keep everything clean. If you do happen to drive to the mountains, use the white PowerService bottle to keep your fuel from gelling. It was quite cold in New England this winter and even using 5% Bio-diesel I never had a starting issue even at -17C/0F. In the summer you can use the silver PowerService. Generally you only need no more than half a bottle (8oz) summer or winter, but you can use a full bottle of the white PowerService to keep things running.


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## rcruze (Mar 22, 2018)

Don't worry about filling up the DEF to much. In 10K miles I have had to fill it up twice..


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Welcome Aboard!:welcome:

Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

steveg241 said:


> Bio-diesel will keep things running smoothly because it has better lubricity than regular diesel but it needs more detergent to keep everything clean.


Biodiesel is a solvent. Biodiesel will keep the fuel system clean from any residue that petrodiesel leaves after long-term use.


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## JDH (Dec 24, 2014)

I'm at 3100 on my 2018. It shows 59% oil life and 22% DEF left. I filled the DEF, I'm not sure the dealership did when I took delivery.

When you take it to the dealership for the first two services (included in the warranty coverage) they will top off the DEF tank.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Rivergoer said:


> DEF consumption rate is so low that topping at every fuel fill would be impractical. You’d only be able to get an ounce or two in (if that).


I don't know about that. 6 fuel stops at just under 3,000 miles and my DEF tank was down to about 35%. I added 2 gallons. That makes about 42 ounces of DEF fluid for each fuel fill.


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

Keep in mind that the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) should be kept at room temperature for best service life. It degrades in high temps, such as if you kept a partially used bottle in a hot garage or in your trunk. It's usually best just to run it down and then use up a full bottle of fresh fluid from the store or pump when needed.


For _most_ people you shouldn't need to add a costly additive with every fuel tank, although there might be some exceptions.

If you run a higher bio-diesel percentage like B20 (80% convention diesel mixed with 20% bio-diesel made from vegetable oils or animal fats, the max allowed by GM) and don't drive the car a lot the biodiesel breaks down much faster over time, especially in hot temps. It does have solvent properties and an additive may help with lubricity and to keep everything clean. The best bet if you have periods where the car sits a lot (i.e. goes multiple months on the same tank) is to avoid biodiesel blends or stick to B05 (only 5% biodiesel).

Another scenario where an aftermarket diesel additive in the tank might help would be if you live or travel to areas in winter with severe cold and the car sits outside. By severe that means extended sub-zero temps. Diesel can "gel" or thicken up, especially if you're using biodiesel (most fuel stations in extreme cold areas will switch to a winter blend with less or no biodiesel). A quality additive may help prevent gelling of the fuel. Again likely only needed for the most severe cold in dead of winter.


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## Diesel4Ever (May 30, 2018)

One good thing about California is the availability of High Quality Fuels. We have the best D#2 in the country.

You also have access to an alternative fuel called HVO. HVO = Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. HVO is not biodiesel.

HVO is made my Neste and sold at Propel branded gas stations in CA under the HPR brand name. There are some stations in Socal that sell it, but HPR is still not widely available.

HVO isn't as energy dense as D#2, however since it a pure parrafinic fuel w/ out any hydrocarbons it burns very clean and has a high cetane value. It will advance ignition and is very easy on your emissions system.

You will take a hit on fuel economy though, 6-7% or more less MPGs. https://dieselhpr.com/assets/media/DieselHPR_Fuel_Specification.pdf


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Welcome congrats on the diesel.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Diesel4Ever said:


> https://dieselhpr.com/assets/media/DieselHPR_Fuel_Specification.pdf


This stuff appears that it will void your warranty and is not usable in Chevy Cruze diesel engines. 

The 20% biodiesel limit is because the DPF regen cycle functions by injecting fuel during the exhaust stroke. The diesel evaporates and then ignites when it hits the DPF to burn out all the soot. When using higher amounts of biodiesel, the higher ignition and evaporation temperatures of biodiesel means some of the fuel stays in the cylinder and washes down into the oil. A VW TDI owner tried 100% biodiesel and found his oil crankcase was filling up with biodiesel due to the regen cycles.

Other engines that use a separate injector to feed the fuel into the exhaust stream can likely operate on higher percentages of biodiesel.

This vegetable oil fuel looks like it will do the same as biodiesel: wash down into the oil sump.


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## Diesel4Ever (May 30, 2018)

Barry Allen said:


> Diesel4Ever said:
> 
> 
> > https://dieselhpr.com/assets/media/DieselHPR_Fuel_Specification.pdf
> ...


I’m not sure what you’re basing these assumptions on. HVO is not Biodiesel, nor is it composed of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters like Biodiesel.

HVO is a hydrotreated product, similar to synthetic oil made from petroleum. It meets or exceeds the ASTM specifications for Diesel #2. HVO does not have any compatibility issues with modern electronic or older mechanical Diesel engines. Since there is 35% less particulate matter than D#2, it burns much cleaner and extends the range between regen cycles.

I’ve been using it in my 2.8 Duramax and TDI for over 10k miles. I also know a couple people who use it in a 7.3 Powerstroke and and old MB 240D. It’s great stuff, except for the fuel economy losses.

I also recently ran a Used Oil Analysis on both the 2.8 and TDI. Neither one had any measurable fuel dilution in the crankcase oil.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Diesel4Ever said:


> I’m not sure what you’re basing these assumptions on. HVO is not Biodiesel, nor is it composed of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters like Biodiesel.
> 
> HVO is a hydrotreated product, similar to synthetic oil made from petroleum. It meets or exceeds the ASTM specifications for Diesel #2. HVO does not have any compatibility issues with modern electronic or older mechanical Diesel engines. Since there is 35% less particulate matter than D#2, it burns much cleaner and extends the range between regen cycles.
> 
> ...


You know, it's a good point. As long as it meets the ASTM spec D975, it is diesel fuel as specified in the owner's manual.

Is this a warm weather only fuel? What is the gel point?


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## Diesel4Ever (May 30, 2018)

Barry Allen said:


> Diesel4Ever said:
> 
> 
> > I’m not sure what you’re basing these assumptions on. HVO is not Biodiesel, nor is it composed of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters like Biodiesel.
> ...


No, HVO is not a warm wheather only fuel. When I was reading about it I remember the CFPP and cloud point can be adjusted during production in the isomerization process.

It says -5 to -35c is CFPP. Remember it is “diesel” so you can use additional additives like Stanadyne to enhance cold wheather performance. Neste HVO is only available in the warmer parts California, and our climate is very mild so I would guess it has a CFPP in the higher (warmer) point of the range. If I had a big fuel tank and was traveling up to the mountains or somewhere extremely cold it would probably be a good idea to use a winter diesel additive as insurance. In fact, I have added Stanadyne performance formula to a tank of HVO this winter when I went snowmobiling.

More info: https://www.neste.us/sites/neste.com/files/attachments/neste_renewable_diesel_handbook.pdf


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Diesel4Ever said:


> You also have access to an alternative fuel called HVO. HVO = Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. HVO is not biodiesel.


I currently use biodiesel to dissolve about styrofoam (about 3-5% total weight of the fuel I'm putting in the tank) and blend with regular diesel fuel. Does HVO have the same polystyrene dissolving properties?


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## Diesel4Ever (May 30, 2018)

Barry Allen said:


> Diesel4Ever said:
> 
> 
> > You also have access to an alternative fuel called HVO. HVO = Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. HVO is not biodiesel.
> ...


Styrofoam? That’s interesting. I guess it’s recycling by repurposing a carbon source into fuel.

No it’s not a strong solvent, I doubt it would dissolve something like styrofoam. As I said before HVO is a pure paraffinic fuel.

I have seen HVO being sold blended with 20% biodiesel though. You could dissolve the foam into the Biodiesel and blend it in with HVO at the same ratio. 

Does styrofoam burn clean?


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Diesel4Ever said:


> Does styrofoam burn clean?


Some time ago (about a decade) there was an experiment where styrofoam dissolved in biodiesel at about 5% by weight of the fuel resulted in increased power from the engine. The resulting fuel was slightly thicker and the increased viscosity resulted in greater fuel injection pressure, which I guess means better combustion. I collect styrofoam to recycle and do this only with an old Dodge ram pickup in a 12v Cummins engine.

Does it burn clean? HAH, probably not. It still smokes out the exhaust pipe.


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