LS SAYS A REGEN EVERY 2 HOURS IS NORMAL (Update) 600hrs, 50 regens

[Jrasband]

How many hours do you have on the machine now? That surprises me, I thought Kubota had things sorted out a little better than that. Do you do a lot of idling, or at least very low load operation?

My Kioti is always in the 35-45 hour range between regens, which is not to brag about, but this should be the standard. There is no frickin reason why a DPF should be clogged up after just 10 hours of engine operation.

How do we know what Kubota sets there thresh-hold for soot level? I would be interested to hear from other m7060/m6060 users how often they burn for comparision.

 

[JCoastie]

I have an MT250 with 180hrs.
Since new it has regen every 12 hours like clock work. At first I did let it idle around 1200 rpm and read on here to keep it above 1500 rpm so I now keep the engine above 2000 when idling so far it has regen every 12hrs except this last time it was 14hrs. I normally use the tractor during regen.
I think the engine does not run hot enough because when the regen light comes on it takes several min running at 2500 rpm before the temperature light comes on and then it goes into regen.

Glad I'm not alone in this, I wish mine was consistent like yours, at 12hrs, mine varies from 1 to 29 hours. This is really the only first-hand confirmation of someone else with the MT240 I'ver had with an excessive regen issue.

As far as heating goes, we were thinking the same, and the dealer checked the thermostat, it was fine, so it was not replaced. I'm in coastal Alabama, so the tractor is often breathing hot air with no change in regen frequency.

 

[deezler]

I am at almost 300 hours now on the machine. I do sometimes use it at low RPM, For instance when I am using a post driver. I also prefer to keep my hand throttle set down so that I have more control of the tractor with the foot throttle. I try to keep my rpm over 1500 most of the time though.

Ah, foot throttle. So you perhaps rev the engine up and down a lot? Maybe you've noticed on older diesels or anything without a DPF, that a puff of smoke typically comes out when you rev up. This is the soot that clogs the DPF.

Most of us hobby tractor guys on here have smaller hydrostatic CUTs, which can be held at set rpm no matter what speed or what load/job you are doing - less revving up and down. My Kioti has "linked pedal" that lets you control engine rpm with the hydro pedal, sort of like driving an automatic car. But I quit using it because I feared the extra soot generation would be detrimental to my DPF, long term.

No idea what soot loading criteria Kubota has set, but we have a few factors at play here:

1) Cleanliness of combustion - fuel quality, fuel injection precision, injection timing, and airflow. Obviously starting with nice clean combustion is essential and should be a given. But some manufacturers are better than others. I would put Kubota in the premier category here, they know what they are doing.
2) DPF capacity - A larger DPF unit can absorb more soot before it starts to choke off exhaust flow. But then it will take more fuel, and possibly more time, to burn off in each regen cycle also.
3) DPF soot loading tolerances, and sensor accuracy - need to monitor the DPF properly, and burn it off at just the right time. Too soon and you waste fuel and make people start angry internet forum threads about REGENS EVERY 2 HOURS, lol. Too infrequent, and engine performance will suffer when its clogged, and long term DPF damage is very possible.

 

[shooterdon]

I get about 50 hours between regens on the LS4140. Sometimes longer but rarely fewer hours. I run it at 1600 rpm minimum unless I am warming up (1 minute) or shutting down (2 miinutes) when it runs at idle.

I also use it while it is in regen mode. With about 325 hours, it still runs like new and have no complaints.

I would not be comfortable with 10-12 hr regens as something is not right. Maybe bad fuel? Maybe a sensor? That assumes operating at 1600 rpm or faster and not running for short intermintent periods

 

[tradosaurus]

I wonder how many tractors LS would sell if they publicly claimed regens every 2 hrs?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I mean TYMs will go routinely past 200 hours for a regen. Why so much variation?

 

[Midniteoyl]

How many hours do you have on the machine now? That surprises me, I thought Kubota had things sorted out a little better than that. Do you do a lot of idling, or at least very low load operation?

My Kioti is always in the 35-45 hour range between regens, which is not to brag about, but this should be the standard. There is no frickin reason why a DPF should be clogged up after just 10 hours of engine operation.

Ya, mine has been about ~50hrs. When its not mowing, its idled down with Linked Pedal on.

I'm starting to wonder if these tractors with ~10hrs regens are running too rich..?

 

[GS650GL]

There is no way that 2 hours is normal. There is probably something wrong with the DPF. The older models with Shibaura engines would regen every 4 hours, and now that the company that made EGR valves for LS tier 4 engines has stopped making them, the new stage 5 engines with Kamtech EGR valves might regen as low as 6 hours. But 2 hours on this machine means something is wrong. The list of things that have already been replaced narrows it down to the DPF.

 

[Bavarian]

Ya, mine has been about ~50hrs. When its not mowing, its idled down with Linked Pedal on.

I'm starting to wonder if these tractors with ~10hrs regens are running too rich..?

There is no "rich" in a diesel as it is in gas engines. The only thing that could interfere with the air/fuel mixture is restricted air flow.

Many times the quality of fuel was mentioned. Even when dyed fuel might be labeled as "DPF compliant". It's one more thing the system has to deal with.

Last but not least, so called diesel additives.
My personal opinion, don't put that s... in the tank.
Check the sticker at your filler neck. It sure says Diesel. I'd keep it with that. As pure as possible.

 

[TimberFarm]

My 573 has only regen once. That was in the 50 hr range. I have to admit I let it do more idling in those first 50 hrs.
After that regen I make a point not to let it idle while I am doing other stuff.
I am approaching 100hrs and am wondering if this is going to regen when I hit that. Then I might think it has a timer on it.

 

[GS650GL]

That's correct, a diesel can't run rich unless the air filter or intake is restricted, or a turbo failed on a turbocharged engine. Either way, it would cause lots of black smoke. The fuel injection system controls how much fuel it gets, and a common rail injection system with fuel delivery and pressure controlled electronically is more precise than the old mechanical injection systems which could deliver too much fuel. The quality of the fuel is very critical as others have said, and the only fuel additive we use is winter anti-gel in no more than the recommended quantities because it's an absolute necessity here, or it will gel up even with blended fuel in winter temps where I live. Fuel with even a couple % biodiesel blended in is guaranteed to cause problems and most engine manufacturers forbid it. Red dye in off road diesel has been a controversy for a long time that has never really been solved, so it's anyone's guess. No engine manufacturers have any restrictions on it. And it's important to use engine oil that meets CJ4 or CK4 specification to prevent contamination and prolong the life of the DPF. The regen is controlled by both time and soot load in the DPF. If it doesn't need to do a regen based on soot load measured by sensors on the DPF, it will do one at 50 hours automatically. Doesn't hurt to do a manual parked regen once in awhile either.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I know it would void the warranty and all but once it is done can you delete all that monkey piss (DPF) they do it on trucks.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Not so easy to delete with an ECM. The tractor will know it's not there and go into limp mode typically

 

[Midniteoyl]

There is no "rich" in a diesel as it is in gas engines. The only thing that could interfere with the air/fuel mixture is restricted air flow.

Many times the quality of fuel was mentioned. Even when dyed fuel might be labeled as "DPF compliant". It's one more thing the system has to deal with.

Last but not least, so called diesel additives.
My personal opinion, don't put that s... in the tank.
Check the sticker at your filler neck. It sure says Diesel. I'd keep it with that. As pure as possible.

I get it, but you know what i mean: Incorrect timing, incorrect fuel pressure, out of spec injectors, etc. I know OP had all these checked, but if the factory gets it wrong in the first place, and the dealer follows the factory..? Just saying, and we all know it, 2-10hrs between regens is really bad. Like if he pulled his DPF, would he be 'rolling coal' and killing mosquitos?

 

[Jrasband]

Easy as pie to delete a ecm tractor with DPF as long as it has a mechanical injection pump.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Easy as pie to delete a ecm tractor with DPF as long as it has a mechanical injection pump.

Most do not. They are common rail

 

[GS650GL]

Common rail fuel system controlled by ECM can only have emissions deleted if someone makes a delete kit for that engine that will fool the ECM into thinking that everything is good by sending false signals to the ECM, instead of the real signals from the sensors. (emulator) Otherwise, the ECM won't let the engine run. ECM's are required by law to have anti-tamper features in the engine control software programmed into them, otherwise it would be too easy to bypass. Companies make delete kits for trucks and some large farm tractors, but I doubt anyone makes a kit for LS tractor engines. Don't forget, our government mandated all this BS, so the manufacturers, dealers, and customers have no control over it. And the US, Canada, and European countries are the only ones using these emissions systems. The rest of the world doesn't, so it's pointless. They can pollute all they want. You could block off the EGR tube between the EGR cooler and EGR valve, and that will prevent exhaust from going into the intake manifold so the engine runs cleaner. The ECM won't know it and the DPF will get less soot so it might regen less often. Engines don't like to run on their own exhaust by having dirty exhaust pumped into the intake manifold, they like clean fresh air just like us.

 

[Bearsixty7]

.. And the US, Canada, and European countries are the only ones using these emissions systems. The rest of the world doesn't, so it's pointless. They can pollute all they want.

Pointless!?!? Whaaat? You can't say that, how else is the government going to impose all these high cost, low reliability emission items and make the average US citizen "think" they are saving the planet by spending more money?

You could block off the EGR tube between the EGR cooler and EGR valve, and that will prevent exhaust from going into the intake manifold so the engine runs cleaner. The ECM won't know it and the DPF will get less soot so it might regen less often. Engines don't like to run on their own exhaust by having dirty exhaust pumped into the intake manifold, they like clean fresh air just like us.

How dare you apply common sense logic regarding emissions and question EPA mandates! Fall in line!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The EGR... Like eating dinner in a bar that allows smoking, when you aren't a smoker.

 

[Dave MT240HE]

Just picked up a new MT240HE. So far it has done a regen at 5.x hours and 7.x hours. Contacted dealer and they said keep track of it and let them know.