Hello all, I recently purchased a new 2012 Dodge 3500 with the 6.7L diesel motor. I did not realize that there is no ULSD fuel available in Baja California Sur. I left USA with enough fuel to get to Los Cabos where I discovered that you cannot buy USLD fuel here. I now have approximately 400 miles on the truck burning the local fuel and am looking at about another 1000 miles before being able to buy the correct fuel again. Does anyone have a suggestion about what to do in order to not plug the DPF filter. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

 

Not to shade-tree mechanic your $50k truck, but I wonder if you could have a muffler shop replace the DPF with a straight pipe and unplug the EGR connector until you get back. Should just throw a bunch of codes I would think (???).

 

Thanks for responding but I am also concerned about the computer throwing the truck into limp mode which I believe would leave me with 50% power to pull my 38' trailer throught the mountains of the Baja.

 

it will throw the truck into limp mode. with 1,400 miles at 15 mpg= 100 gallons of fuel you should be ok

 

Sulfur isn't what plugs the DPF off, it's the soot. LSD and ULSD make the same amount of soot, so your not going to harm a thing.

 

it is not the soot it is the non burnable compounds that plug the dps, that is why the ci4 oil had to be reformulated. only a small portion of the sulfer compounds get traped in the dpf

 

Two things that will happen for the good.
1. your truck should make more power
2. your truck will like the extra lubricity that the sulphur provides in the fuel

One bad thing that will happen if you believe propoganda.
1. more emissions out the tailpipe.

This one is debatable and quite frankly I'm not green nor do I think diesel exhaust is what's killing trees. I could care less about the greenies and their war on anything nice and fun.

 

Built -for-Mexico CTD's have EGR but no dpf's because of the scarcity of ULSD in mainland Mexico,southern Baja.
I sat in one recently,metric gauges etc.

 

IIRC, based on past threads on this site, back in 2008 there were a few posts of guys accidentally* filling-up with LSD in their ULSD trucks. It clogged up the DPF and they had to take it into the dealer for a cleaning. That's the basis for what I suggested about unplugging the ERG and replacing the DPF with a straight pipe until returning to the U.S.

As far as limp mode goes, the first few times I unplugged my EGR, I did notice a drop in power at about 50mph. There is some debate whether that's the ECM punishing you for messing with the emissions or if the DPF is just filling up because the truck won't regen with the EGR unplugged. I tend to believe it's the later, as my truck runs fine (full power) on the highway with the EGR unplugged . As soon as I drive around town or do a lot of idling the power seems to fade- suggesting the DPF isn't getting cleaned by passive regen and requires and active regen. Of course, I have yet to remove my DPF so I have no personal experience with a DPF removal limp mode.

*many stations sold both LSD and ULSD at the time, including Flying J/Pilot. Also, there was some speculation that high quantities of sulfur were still being pushed through the infrastructure- pipelines, tanks, tankers, etc. thus the ULSD at the pump was still very much LSD.

 

If I unplug the EGR and replace the DPF with a straight pipe won't the sensors give the wrong readings and send bad information to the ECM??

 

You will need a programmer to do that. If you adjust your exhaust like you stated, you will have an exhaust system check engine code issue. The truck will be in limp mode and basically just have really poor power. Worse than unplugging the egr solenoid.

I would buy a 2micron filter and delete the truck. There is no EPA to worry about in Mexico.

 

Bajacamper, you will absolutely NOT have an issue with your truck using lsd in Mexico.

I have been monitoring and gathering data on the Ford, GM, and Dodge diesel pickups in Mexico since 2007, when the first DPFs were installed. I have data from hundreds of owners about their experiences, and I rarely post in the Dodge forums because the Dodge emissions system is very tolerant of the higher sulfur levels in Mexico. I only came on line today to post an update regarding the 2014 Dodge diesels, which are the first Dodge diesels to use Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). That's when I noticed your post.

I am based in Los Barriles on the Baja myself, with a 2013 diesel, so feel free to contact me by private message if you would like to talk in more detail.

Here is a brief summary for Ford, GM, and Dodge diesels using lsd in Mexico. I have deliberately placed Dodge at the end, so that you can read the data for other manufacturers. If you need DETAILS, contact me by PM:

FORD:
2007.5 to 2013 - No sulfur-in-fuel related problems reported on any Ford diesel.
2014 - Insufficient data to determine whether programming changes will cause engine codes for 2014 but no problems yet recorded.

GM:
2007.5 to 2010 - No sulfur-in-fuel related problems, but blue smoke is sometimes seen during regenerations as the sulfur compounds burn out of the DPF.
2011 and 2012 - Engine light will come on if the vehicle is driven with no load, e.g. after the camper comes off or the fifth wheel trailer is unhooked. It takes anything from 4 to 6 weeks of local driving before the engine light comes on, but the trucks ALWAYS do a regeneration before the code deteriorates to a more serious condition. After a regeneration, or a high speed (over 70 mph for 20 minutes) run, the engine code is extinguished within the next 3 engine starts from cold.
2013 and 2014 - Engine light and DEF warning light will DEFINITELY come on if the truck is driven unloaded, plus message that DEF is bad, which it is not. Requires intervention to clear the codes, which I can do electronically or by explaining how to disconnect the DPF pressure sensors to force a regeneration.

DODGE:
2007 to 2013 - No reported issues.
2014: Engine light will come on soon after load has been removed and truck is driven locally. Behavior appears to be similar to 2011 and 2012 GM pickups. The engine light will go out soon after towing load is restored, or a regeneration takes place. This observation is based on limited data from owners in Mexico this winter.

Bottom Line:

As of the time of writing this post, Dodge diesel emissions systems seem to be very tolerant of the temporary sulfur poisoning caused by the use of lsd in Mexico. Any effects are TEMPORARY, and disappear after returning to the USA.

If you, or an owner you know, has had a different experience in Mexico, please contact me so that I can keep the data up to date.

If you know a GM owner in Mexico, please share with that owner what might happen, and how to reach me in an emergency. I do NOT sell services. I only share information to help other owners.

 

Hey Ted, my 2013 uses DEF.

 

Hi Samboats,

I admit to not being an expert on the official crossover date for introduction of DEF on the Dodge Cummins powered pickups, although I am aware that there are some 2013 Dodges using DEF.

Dodge has been so trouble-free while on Mexican diesel, that it hasn't been necessary for me to spend a lot of time on the Dodge file. Suffice it to say that, until the introduction of DEF, Dodge has tied with Ford as the best choice for owners planning to spend the winters in Mexico. I say this as a 2013 GMC Sierra owner, while admitting that 2013 is absolutely the most troublesome year for sulfur sensitivity on GM Duramax pickups.

The important message though, is that Dodge Cummins powered pickups, with DEF emissions systems, appear to be doing fine in Mexico. A little scary, but not a major problem.