Diesel Particulate Filter

[wrp75_CO]

Question for all the diesel enthusiasts out there: has anyone had a problem with their Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)? I had to take my 2014 Ram 3500 Dually to a dealership for an EGR service, an oil change, a fuel filter change, and a crank case vent (CCV) filter change. After that work, I got a "Perform Service" error and on my way back to the check engine light came on, then in short order I got a "Exhaust system 90% full" - "Exhaust system 100% full" - then the DPF caught on fire, leaving my insurance company with a $15K bill. I assume that one or more of the "repairs" is to blame, but I'd love a second opinion.

[MoonShadow_1911]

Question for all the diesel enthusiasts out there: has anyone had a problem with their Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)? I had to take my 2014 Ram 3500 Dually to a dealership for an EGR service, an oil change, a fuel filter change, and a crank case vent (CCV) filter change. After that work, I got a "Perform Service" error and on my way back to the check engine light came on, then in short order I got a "Exhaust system 90% full" - "Exhaust system 100% full" - then the DPF caught on fire, leaving my insurance company with a $15K bill. I assume that one or more of the "repairs" is to blame, but I'd love a second opinion.

Caught on fire! Wow, is all I have to say. I hope I never have that problem with my SuperDuty!

[wrp75_CO]

Still hoping for thoughts, but:

My advice to everyone with a diesel is to spend time getting smart about your emissions system - because while it is great for air quality, it is also extremely complex and extremely fragile. If anything is wrong (small crack in an air line that gives the computer a false reading, sensor out of calibration, etc) it can go VERY wrong VERY quickly.

[vap0rtranz]

I drive a diesel. Chevy Colorado 4 banger with all the emission control stuff. (GM sold a 4 banger turbo disel in the US. Guys always ask "they make a diesel in that truck?". Yes, but GM stopped making them again.)

Your DPF caught fire?

I guess it could happen. I've had DFP/SCR issues and went poking around for details and, man, you're right that modern diesel emissions is complex stuff. The regen process evidently sprays fuel into an exhaust chamber to do a "controlled" burn of the exhaust cruft. It sounds like your truck's burn became "UNcontrolled".

I've never heard of a diesel exhaust catching fire. Runaway diesel engine -- sure. I once saw a puff of smoke during a regen cycle out my exhaust on a long road trip. But not a fire. My Colorado's DPF issue was the ammonia fluid (so the blue stuff) would freeze up and the built-in DPF tank heaters were faulty, so then a DPF cycle was missed, and the computer would start counting down to limp mode. I don't think diesels are being targetted for limp mode. Gas and electric vehicles are going into limp mode for all sorts of reasons these days. Just search any car forum. It's total crap that computers are hobbling the vehicles we drive.

This new diesel emissions stuff does mean you can't run just any engine oil. Evidently the DPF will get clogged from running oils that aren't low ash. A lot of old gear heads want to use good ol' straight weights don't like to hear that. I only put in Dexos2 stamped stuff. Mobil1 ESP or Pennzoil Platinum Euro L. The stuff ain't at Wally World. Some guys buy the AC Delco version from their dealer to make sure a tech doesn't put in just any oil.

Hopefully the dealer is being held responsible. It's just a bit too concicidental that right after the dealer serviced your truck, it caught fire.

[Casa_Woody]

Question for all the diesel enthusiasts out there: has anyone had a problem with their Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)? I had to take my 2014 Ram 3500 Dually to a dealership for an EGR service, an oil change, a fuel filter change, and a crank case vent (CCV) filter change. After that work, I got a "Perform Service" error and on my way back to the check engine light came on, then in short order I got a "Exhaust system 90% full" - "Exhaust system 100% full" - then the DPF caught on fire, leaving my insurance company with a $15K bill. I assume that one or more of the "repairs" is to blame, but I'd love a second opinion.

You would need to do the troubleshooting yourself or hire a third party to investigate. EGR or PCV wires disconnected. Disassemble the EGR and PCV to see if anything was installed wrong. If its at the dealership for repair, I doubt they will own up to the fault. Best bet is to discuss the details with the insurance company and let them fight it out with the dealership.

Issue should be reported to NHTSA. They have a like on their website https://www.nhtsa.gov/

Look at the bright side. You, and no loved ones, were hurt. It could have been much worse.

[TimtheToolMan]

OP--do you know what actually burned?

Wild guess is that the DPF is not the root cause of the problem but when it got to its normally very high temperature during regen it started something else external to DPF to overheat. Improper assembly of fuel filter near the fuel tank (not far from DPF) is a reasonable possibility. Inspection for fuel leaks after filter change is a must.

[Casa_Woody]

I don't think the dealership is going to fess up to real cause. They don't want to be liable for the repairs.
Here is a good scenario:
Dealership way over filled the crankcase with oil. Running the engine caused atomization of the oil which overwhelmed the PCV (hmm, that was worked on as well). This lead to motor oil being introduced into the combustion cycle which will clog a DPF rapidly. Then the emission controls started a regen cycle to clean the DPF which introduced fuel oil into the DPF. With all that fuel in the DPF (motor oil + fuel oil) I can easily see how the DPF would catch fire internally.

[wrp75_CO]

"Look at the bright side. You, and no loved ones, were hurt. It could have been much worse."

- We are incredibly blessed that this didn't happen while towing. If I hadn't taken the truck back, we would have been ~ 15 miles out of town with 4 cats and a dog loose in the pickup, and our rig attached with nowhere to pull over. At best we'd be stuck on the side of the road while both the truck and RV burned up trying to corral our animals.

"OP--do you know what actually burned?"

- According to our insurance (USAA, which has been an incredible disappointment for the whole affair) the fire started in the DPF. I finally spoke to the dealership diesel expert, and he's not as convinced. He thinks it might have been between the DPF and SCR (Selective Catalyst Reduction) Filter.

"Wild guess is that the DPF is not the root cause of the problem"

- I agree. I think something happened 'upstream' of the DPF, dumped a bunch of crud into the DPF that clogged it in ~ 3 seconds (vs. what would normally be at least hours) and that started the fire. It seems like the lead diesel guy at the dealership is the only person (other than me) who is interested at all in root cause analysis.

"Here is a good scenario:

"
- Thank you, that's exactly the kind of 'what could have happened' that helps me (altho given what all burned, I'm not sure that anyone will ever have definitive proof of what actually happened."

[huntindog]

- We are incredibly blessed that this didn't happen while towing. If I hadn't taken the truck back, we would have been ~ 15 miles out of town with 4 cats and a dog loose in the pickup, and our rig attached with nowhere to pull over. At best we'd be stuck on the side of the road while both the truck and RV burned up trying to corral our animals.


- According to our insurance (USAA, which has been an incredible disappointment for the whole affair) the fire started in the DPF. I finally spoke to the dealership diesel expert, and he's not as convinced. He thinks it might have been between the DPF and SCR (Selective Catalyst Reduction) Filter.


- I agree. I think something happened 'upstream' of the DPF, dumped a bunch of crud into the DPF that clogged it in ~ 3 seconds (vs. what would normally be at least hours) and that started the fire. It seems like the lead diesel guy at the dealership is the only person (other than me) who is interested at all in root cause analysis.

"
- Thank you, that's exactly the kind of 'what could have happened' that helps me (altho given what all burned, I'm not sure that anyone will ever have definitive proof of what actually happened."

The SCR theory makes no sense. All that entails is DEF being injected into the SCR (selective catalyst reduction) This lowers NOX emissions. Since DEF is basically UREA which is pretty close to piss... It cannot increase the exhaust temp. It cools it. Now the DPF injects diesel into the exhaust to burn off the soot that clogs the DPF.(Think: burning off a grill)

[wrp75_CO]

I agree, it seemed odd to me as well. Could a screaming hot DPF have perhaps managed the heat, but something just past it couldn't? That is, the heat came from the DPF but hit the burning point on a connecter?