DPF/DOC light issues

HawkinsHollow · Oct 11, 2020

I was bush hoggin' a week or so ago and my DPF/DOC light came on. 3015R with 150 hours. It would flash for the first minute of turning it on and then stay solid. There was no noticeable change in engine sound or engine performance. I called my dealer who is one of their oldest and very reputable. He basically said that is weird because running the bush hog at 2200 rpm should solve problem like that not cause them. He told me to run it for a while at higher rpms and it should burn off. I used the tractor the other day and the light was still on. Ran it up and down the road in a high gear and higher rpm to strain the engine and it is still on. The weird thing is that it stays on up near 2000 rpm but goes off if I lower rpm. I guess that makes a little sense as it is all to do about exhaust pressure, higher RPM more exhaust. He said it would not hurt the tractor to run it at higher RPMS to clear it out.

My dealer also told me about the "boring worms"

that could solve the problem if you let them get at the DPF filter. I am considering it. He basically said it would not void my warranty. I do want to get that in writing before I commit. Seem like a bit of a cop out and wasteful to pop a bunch of holes in a VERY expensive part. But if this is the easieist way to solve the issue then I might have to do it. But I know this has been gone over, but anyone have more tips, guidance, advice on the subject since we discussed this last? (Nov.2019) Has anyone punched holes in the filter to solve these same issues? How's it going?

ericm979 · Oct 11, 2020

The shop manual talks about the DPF light blinking or being solid. Blinking every 2 seconds is danger level "check": clean the DPF. Every .5 seconds is "caution", check sensor (it indicates sensor malfunction). Constant on is "emergency" "DPF could be damaged seriously if you keep driving even though lamp blinks" "DPF almost melts".

I think you need both high rpms and high load to really get the DPF+DOC hot. Your vegetation is surely different from mine but brush hogging isn't much of a load on the tractor for me (because there's no rain in the summer here, grass doesn't grow like it does back east).

You can send the DPF+DOC out for cleaning. It's designed for that. Rather than destroying it I'd replace it with a muffler as some folks here have done. That way you can get it cleaned and have it as a stock piece to put back on when you sell it.

I wonder if there's a way to retrofit the regen button from the new models?

K5lwq · Oct 11, 2020

I agree with Eric. He has given some good advice for you to choose from.

As far as retro fitting the new regen button, it could be done but not cheap. No idea on cost but you would have to purchase the new tail pipe with the control motor installed. Replace wiring harness for DPF. And most likely replace the data recorder as programming is probably different. That is the only way I would try doing it. Any aftermarket attempts most likely would not end well.

ptsg · Oct 11, 2020

If you don't want to drill holes on the DPF, you can always get a muffler from the 2515 model.

Should be a direct bolt on, although, it's always better to check some dimensions. I've never seen a DPF/DOC of a Branson in person, so I don't know if it would also need a new tailpipe.

HawkinsHollow · Oct 11, 2020

ericm979 said:
The shop manual talks about the DPF light blinking or being solid. Blinking every 2 seconds is danger level "check": clean the DPF. Every .5 seconds is "caution", check sensor (it indicates sensor malfunction). Constant on is "emergency" "DPF could be damaged seriously if you keep driving even though lamp blinks" "DPF almost melts".

I think you need both high rpms and high load to really get the DPF+DOC hot. Your vegetation is surely different from mine but brush hogging isn't much of a load on the tractor for me (because there's no rain in the summer here, grass doesn't grow like it does back east).

You can send the DPF+DOC out for cleaning. It's designed for that. Rather than destroying it I'd replace it with a muffler as some folks here have done. That way you can get it cleaned and have it as a stock piece to put back on when you sell it.

I wonder if there's a way to retrofit the regen button from the new models?

Eric, thanks for the advice. I think you are correct the BEST way to do it is to go whole hog and swap it out for a muffler. It is just more work than I can pull off at the moment. Stretched pretty thin as it is. I am (as usual) looking for the path of least resistance at the moment.

The guy at the assured me it would not mess up the engine if you run it with is on. I am leary to push the limits on that though.

What about blowing it out. DIY cleaning it. Anyone have luck with that?

I have the week off for fall break so I need to use it some. I will try to run higher RPMS to see if I can clear it up one last time before taking evasive action.

Thanks for all the help fellas!

Cougsfan · Oct 11, 2020

The dpf does come apart pretty easily. Maybe you can take a rosebud and burn it clean once you remove it. Might take some compressed air and wire too. If nothing else, you can see if it is indeed plugged or some other problem. I took mine off and used a hammer and chisel to knock out the guts out of the DPF. Wasn't that hard, didn't take long and works fine. It isn't much noisier, if any at all. Smokes a wee bit for a few seconds on a cold start-up, that's about the only downside I have noticed. The other concern is modifying the dpf going to affect the resale value. My guess is that it wont, unless you live in a city where diesel particulate emissions is indeed a concern. The longer you keep the tractor the less of a concern that becomes.

Slowpoke Slim · Oct 12, 2020

It won't damage the engine if you keep running it. Even if it gets plugged so hard that the engine quits running. It won't be damaged, it just won't be able to breathe properly. The more it plugs, the less power your engine will produce, up to the point where it can no longer run.

I agree with the dealer, I'm surprised running the brush hog at full rpms is not burning it clear. That was about the only time I didn't have problems with mine. Yours must be pretty plugged by now.

Your options at this point are A) keep running the engine hard while brush hogging to see if it burns clear, B) take it to dealer and have them remove it and send off for cleaning C) get some metal eating termites to eat away the insides of the canister, D) remove entirely and replace with muffler.

FastEddieR · Oct 12, 2020

I would also think about the fuel. Where are you getting it? Is it quality fuel? Then possibly change your source. If you don't use off road (dyed) diesel, your best source is usually a truck stop. They replenish their tanks very often due to the demand. Your mom and pop station out in the boonies may have their fuel sitting for months. If you use off road diesel from a non high demand source then there are additives you can put in to reduce (but not eliminate) the lower quality fuel. I use off road diesel, it's plentiful around here and has several sources. I have a 55gal drum that I have to fill every couple of months or so, I add a biocide and the diesel equivalent of stabil to keep it viable. So far I haven't had much of a problem.

Cougsfan · Oct 12, 2020

That is a good point Eddie. Biodiesel, particularly, varies in quality significantly depending on how and what it is made from. Most of the problems I've heard of biodiesel causing are in the fuel delivery system, but I wouldn't disregard the possibility it may affect a dpf.

ptsg · Oct 13, 2020

I once had to fill up the SUV with the most crappiest diesel we get here, which is no additives at all plus way more biodiesel than it should have.

Right away, I noticed that the SUV started regenning much more often than with the regular diesel I like to use.

So I do agree, with the fuel suggestion as well. On my older Kubota B7000, I tried this same fuel on it once and the performance of the tractor went down. Out of those mighty 14HP, it felt like it was putting out maybe 9 or 10 HP.