What is the big deal about driving until cleaning exhaust mode light goes off. Took a 150 mile trip, tired ready to stop and relax, light was still on should I keep on driving? or will this damage the truck?

 

shut the truck off and go to bed. You may want to put it in park and let it idle a few mins to cool down. But expect it to go into regen the next time you drive.

 

Moved to the 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel forum.

 

Shutting it off when the cycle is not complete once in awhile won't hurt too much. If it was far enough along in the event then it may not come on.

If you just started then it will most likely come on as soon as the motor/exhaust get up to the min temp necessary.

In some instances it may come on a little sooner with the "drive to clean" message. That is the attempt to make you drive because it really needs cleaned.

Do let it idle just a minute or two to cool things down if you do put the truck in park. That exhaust is hot and you have unburnt fuel in the motor that you don't want to just sit there and seep into your oil.

 

Thanks for the reply i talked to a Ford dealer rep @ jim burke ford He Said you Should keep driving but this does not make sense ithink it should reset itself next time you drive i taiked to several Ford reps and they don't have a reasonable answer i had to replace exhaust filter once already and they said it was because i did't drive truck until cleaning light went off.

 

You really want it to finish as much as possible. That is what is best.
You can also try using tow/haul to keep the rpms up if you are in city traffic.

 

When it gets really bad the truck will go into regen pretty much immediately every time you put it in D, if it is doing that you need to drive it to completion. I've had this happen twice where the truck went on several short trips then was put in park and wasn't able to regen long enough and there was just no way around it until I got out on the highway.

 

I have a 2009 F-350 Super Duty (King Ranch) Diesel. There is an engine exhaust cleaner with this vehicle. The exhaust cleaner activates every 300 kms (185 miles). When the exhaust cleaner is activated you are suppose to continuously drive at 80 kms or faster (50 miles/hour) until the exhaust cleaner has completed it's cycle. The problem that I have is when you can't continuously drive 80 kms or faster until the cycle has completed. This happens when I am driving in the city. In this instance blue smoke will bellow out of the exhaust pipe. Not a good thing to see. Nobody likes to see an excessive amount of blue smoke bellowing out of the exhaust pipe. Is this normal? The Ford technician tells me that you have to drive it on the highway and there won't be any blue smoke. I find this odd and believe that there is something else wrong with the vehicle. I am going to try your advice and place the vehicle in "Tow" mode next time I am in the city and the vehicle attempts to clean the engine exhaust.

 

keeping the rpms up will help some. Trouble is your driving habits and location. Driving in the city/slow sppeds is at odds with the emission system.

Trying getting it out on the road for the cleaning cycle to get it done and over with.

 

I dont understand what speed has to do with anything. I would think it is RPM and the speed is just a point that the rpms are at the right spot. I use tow/haul when the regen comes on in the city.

I am not going to get a divorce over this truck because I have to micromanage the way my wife drives it. I also don't always drive on the freeway and what do people do that don't have a freeway?

I do drive to clean and go out of my to let it finish and I have now brainwashed my wife into doing the same thing.

 

I will use that next time I am late for work....."sorry chief.....had to let my truck regen". Point is, what the rep told you is kinda impractical. You cant always just "keep driving" or even sit there and let it idle.

 

I reset the trip odometer each time I finish a regen that way I know when or about the next one will come. I average 200-250 miles in the winter and 300 in the summer. My regen also last 20 min/ 20 miles almost to the dot. Letting your diesel cool down after a regen or heavy use is just good practice.

 

Thanks for all the advice on the regen. I will try the tow/haul next time I am stuck in the city and the regen comes on. Just find it odd that it is designed to work on the highway. We aren't always on the highway when the regen starts. The blue smoke coming out of the exhaust is always embarrassing and can't be good for the engine.

 

I am forced to do city driving and shut the truck down before the cleaning cycle is complete every once in a while. I've never had the blue smoke, but I have filled 4 lanes with white smoke many times. I honestly hope that people complain about this so we can find a better exhaust filtering solution. BUT, since it is required I enjoy a smoke out during the morning and evening commutes, and haven't noticed a reduction in power or performance during the smokey regens. Definitely more smoke when I can't complete a regen and it gets activated on the next drive. No love from the service centers in South Denver regarding frequent regens and smoke, they all say its normal.

 

Normal? Okay. Ford definitely has to rethink their exhaust cleaning process. Most people find it discusting if there is an excessive amount of smoke exiting the exhaust pipe; blue or white. Just doesn't look good. Hopefully they will find some kind of solution to this image that is being portrayed by Ford.