# "Short trip" issues with Diesel



## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

With short distance driving, the Diesel engine isn’t the problem it’s the emissions system. 

If the new commute looks to be long term, it may be time to consider moving to a gas model.


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

Rivergoer said:


> With short distance driving, the Diesel engine isn’t the problem it’s the emissions system.
> 
> If the new commute looks to be long term, it may be time to consider moving to a gas model.


I appreciate the feedback! Do you mind elaborating about emissions system? Is 15minutes not enough time to trigger system or finish replenishment? Is 55mph not quick enough to properly run the replenishment? The engine seems to get warm relatively quick 5-10minutes driving depending on weather. South mississippi has a tendency to keep engines warm more often than not


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

Short trips will build soot in the DPF at a much faster rate, resulting in the need for more frequent Regen cycles. 

To initiate Regen, EGT has to first reach operating temp (about 400-500F). Then extra diesel is used to raise EGT to 1100F in order to burn the soot (Regen) from the DPF. 

A normal Regen cycle takes about 12-15 miles, and that’s AFTER the EGT reaches 1100F

So, at 10 miles the Regen never gets completely through a cycle. That’s ok, the car is programmed to handle this. However it may take several days/trips to complete a Regen. Each time an interrupted Regen restarts, more Diesel is wasted bringing EGTs back to 1100F. 

As you’ve probably already learned, the Diesel city fuel economy is pretty close to the gas model. The gasser is better suited for short trip/city driving without the Regen and DEF headaches.


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

Rivergoer said:


> Short trips will build soot in the DPF at a much faster rate, resulting in the need for more frequent Regen cycles.
> 
> To initiate Regen, EGT has to first reach operating temp (about 400-500F). Then extra diesel is used to raise EGT to 1100F in order to burn the soot (Regen) from the DPF.
> 
> ...


Wow thanks so much for that information. That definitely changes things. For once I am in a position to work close to home but I never thought about the consequence of gumming up emissions system.. I hate to sell this car but if I play my cards right I could be at this job until retirement, 40+ years from now. Theres no way the emissions will hold up anywhere close to that, which is ironic because I picked the diesel for longevity..


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

If you can work in a few weekly 25 mile jaunts down the highway, your diesel emission system will thrive. 

Another option would be to get an OBDII device or app to monitor Regen status. When in Regen you could keep driving another few miles rather than park and interrupt the Regen.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Codester said:


> Wow thanks so much for that information. That definitely changes things. For once I am in a position to work close to home but I never thought about the consequence of gumming up emissions system.. I hate to sell this car but if I play my cards right I could be at this job until retirement, 40+ years from now. Theres no way the emissions will hold up anywhere close to that, which is ironic because I picked the diesel for longevity..


I will say that the Gen 2 diesel does seem to complete a regen very quickly and even seems to start them shortly after cold start up when needed. I have completed a regen in less than 10 minutes after start up cold in colder weather even (highway driving). As long as it gets a decent stretch on the highway. If its all city stop and go you could have trouble completing a regen cycle. Its all about keeping the exhaust temperature up. 

I would not rush to trade if off just yet. See how things go with your new commute it may be just fine. 

If you do have troubles from your short commute, a Scan Gauge would allow you to know when a regen is about to happen and you could then take it out on the highway for a burn off drive.


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

Good point.. or I could let it idle for a few minutes before leaving for work, let it get nice and warm, and then leave. At 55mph it takes right at 15min to get to work so it may be able to regen in that time frame. Thanks for the posts!


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Codester said:


> I appreciate the feedback! Do you mind elaborating about emissions system? Is 15minutes not enough time to trigger system or finish replenishment? Is 55mph not quick enough to properly run the replenishment? The engine seems to get warm relatively quick 5-10minutes driving depending on weather. South mississippi has a tendency to keep engines warm more often than not


Being from the "deep south" cold is definitely not an issue for you even with a shorter ~10 minute commute. Mine is usually at full temp in 10 minutes even when its well below 0F. Your oil life monitor may count down a bit faster as the engine is not hot as long as it used to be, but that will be the same with a gasser too.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Codester said:


> Good point.. or I could let it idle for a few minutes before leaving for work, let it get nice and warm, and then leave. At 55mph it takes right at 15min to get to work so it may be able to regen in that time frame. Thanks for the posts!


Unless it's below freezing it's not really worth letting it idle more than a minute. These engines heat up very slowly at idle and it tends to add more soot than its worth. They run hotter and cleaner while being driven. 

If you are on the road for 15 minutes at 55 MPH you will not have any troubles. Especially in your very warm climate.


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

Right it may dip into the teens for a week or two on a cold winter but never near 0°F. Thanks for the reassurance and viewpoint. It helps a lot!


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Rivergoer said:


> Short trips will build soot in the DPF at a much faster rate, resulting in the need for more frequent Regen cycles.
> 
> To initiate Regen, EGT has to first reach operating temp (about 400-500F). Then extra diesel is used to raise EGT to 1100F in order to burn the soot (Regen) from the DPF.
> 
> ...


I do not have a scan gauge to confirm when the regen is actually happening, but I can tell by the dramatic drop in highway MPG and also I have noticed on the Gen 2 that the boost psi runs quite a bit higher. Normally 1-2psi on highway normal load, but 7-8 psi during regen under the same conditions. I have no idea what the EGT are.

I have been able to complete a regen in ~10 minutes/10 miles with this car on the highway at about 70MPH. Also, I have noted after interrupted, the next morning the car started the regen well before the ECT was at full temp and finished in about 10 miles as well. I don't believe it had began the regen until shortly before stopping it the day before. 

It seems to be a bit better than my gen 1 was for quickly completing a regen and completing them in a wider range of driving modes. I am guessing this is GM's response to the issues with the Gen 1 and people doing mostly city driving.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

Rivergoer is on track here regarding the 10 mile commute issue with the DPF.

You can stick with the Diesel but every 600 miles or so, take it out on the freeway for a good 30 minute run at 75MPH. That will give it enough time regen. 

The dealer failing to let buyers know of the need to regen by traveling at highway speeds is one of the lying by omission issues we eperience when buying these cars. Thankfully I did a lot of research before buying mine (2014) so I knew what I was getting into, but many others don't. I put 100+ miles a day on mine on the freeway so it's not an issue for me.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

I've got about 123K Miles on mine and have never seen the regen light!


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

sailurman said:


> I've got about 123K Miles on mine and have never seen the regen light!


What’s been your mix of city vs highway over the years??


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## froyofanatic (Jul 16, 2018)

I'm just surprised y'all view 10 miles as a "short trip". That's 25 minutes in LA.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

You don't need to run at "highway speeds," just keep the RPMs high for long enough.

I've cleared the warning light by driving around the back streets at no more than 50 km/h, just sticking to first and second gears to keep the RPMs at a tad over 2000. (Easy for me, I have a manual, but don't the slush boxes have a "manual" selection?)


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Codester said:


> Good point.. or I could let it idle for a few minutes before leaving for work, let it get nice and warm, and then leave. At 55mph it takes right at 15min to get to work so it may be able to regen in that time frame. Thanks for the posts!


thats the worse thing you can do dont idle it ever

with a short run like that, drive it a gear or two lower to keep things hot


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

sailurman said:


> I've got about 123K Miles on mine and have never seen the regen light!


there isnt one


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

boraz said:


> Codester said:
> 
> 
> > Good point.. or I could let it idle for a few minutes before leaving for work, let it get nice and warm, and then leave. At 55mph it takes right at 15min to get to work so it may be able to regen in that time frame. Thanks for the posts!
> ...


Well that would defeat the purpose of the vehicle. I avg about 45mpg since it's not warm the whole time. If I increase rpm's my mpg will suffer and there would be no point to have it


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

froyofanatic said:


> I'm just surprised y'all view 10 miles as a "short trip". That's 25 minutes in LA.


Haha well down here in Mississippi we dont have much stop and go traffic. I get off my 3/4 mile driveway and cruise at 55mph until I hit the hospital I work at about 9.5 miles down.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Codester said:


> Well that would defeat the purpose of the vehicle. I avg about 45mpg since it's not warm the whole time. If I increase rpm's my mpg will suffer and there would be no point to have it


yep


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## Codester (Mar 31, 2019)

boraz said:


> Codester said:
> 
> 
> > Well that would defeat the purpose of the vehicle. I avg about 45mpg since it's not warm the whole time. If I increase rpm's my mpg will suffer and there would be no point to have it
> ...


Ha ok? Well I'll be under warranty for however long and hopefully there will be a delete before then. Then I'll take my happy ass to work rollin coal all the way there ?


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

boraz said:


> there isnt one


For the US, sure. But it will notify you if it hasn't ran correctly, which I think is the point the guy is making. If you drive the vehicle correctly you should never see any indication anything is happening. 

Side note, the Straya model shows a light on the dash while regening, right?


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

BDCCruze said:


> For the US, sure. But it will notify you if it hasn't ran correctly, which I think is the point the guy is making. If you drive the vehicle correctly you should never see any indication anything is happening.
> 
> Side note, the Straya model shows a light on the dash while regening, right?


yeah the completely different model does


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

boraz said:


> there isnt one


I was referring to any warning that it was cut short, or any kind of warning at all.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

Rivergoer said:


> What’s been your mix of city vs highway over the years??


Best estimate I can give you is my MPH AVG is 29.8MPH. I have a 25 mile commute where I drive 55-65 on my way in and am stuck in very slow traffic for 5 miles going home. Uber/Lyft driver during time off sometimes so a lot of stop and go there.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

BDCCruze said:


> For the US, sure. But it will notify you if it hasn't ran correctly, which I think is the point the guy is making. If you drive the vehicle correctly you should never see any indication anything is happening.
> 
> Side note, the Straya model shows a light on the dash while regening, right?


Australian- and Korean-built diesel Cruzen have a warning light, i.e. those sold in Oz, NZ, Asia, Europe, the Middle Eats, and Africa.


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## jeffreyc (Jan 23, 2015)

I have a gen 1 TD. I commute 200 miles a day and have never noticed a regen on my car. It's in the shop right now waiting for a new DPF. Mine is plugged after only 236,000 miles. We've been waiting 9 weeks for the part.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

jeffreyc said:


> I have a gen 1 TD. I commute 200 miles a day and have never noticed a regen on my car. It's in the shop right now waiting for a new DPF. Mine is plugged after only 236,000 miles. We've been waiting 9 weeks for the part.


I have the Australian built Cruze diesel, which uses a different engine to the earlier Korean built 209-2011 model. In nearly 7 years of 95% city driving my DPF light has only come on 3 times. However it has done many rejens and the main sign that it is doing this is it idles 100rpm higher and sometimes both engine fans roar for a while after switching off. Sometimes I get a diesel smell as well outside of the car, but it isn't to bad. It is an automatic and has to be doing 80+kph to get past 4th gear and needs 100kph to get into 6th. I have 70K km on the clock from new and the engine spends a lot of time below normal temperature, so far no issues.


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