Bought a Gladiator diesel...

[LR Max]

The DEF codes throw up as the DPF gets clogged by soot. Diesels go into a DPF regeneration cycle that burns off the soot, but you must allow the cycle to complete before shutting down. I know larger diesel trucks have manual DPF regeneration capability.
I was talking with one person last week whose F350 diesel went into limp mode. He had no idea it needed DEF fluid. I guess not everyone knows that stuff yet.

Negative.

DPF and DEF/SCR are two separate systems in the exhaust stream. DPF traps particulate matter, DEF is injected into the SCR catalyst to reduce NOx emissions. But you are correct that DPF or DEF/SCR can throw codes and put the car into limp mode.

I had a similar experience to your F350, but with a John Deere motor grader. Guys in the field wanted to refill it with water. I told them, LOL then you gotta have the tech come out and fix it because it has a quality sensor in the tank. But you do you. Good luck with that. They ended up going to NAPA and was back to work an hour later.

 

[CDN38]

Had a big DEF and DPF issue with my wife's Mercedes GL320. The system was down to 10 starts remaining, and then would be shut down. For shit's and giggles I had Mercedes give me a diagnosis and quote.... just under $10,000 for a complete new DEF system, new cats and a raft of sensors.... I had a good laugh at the guy at the service counter and left. Removed the the complete DEF system, did a DPF delete had the ECU reprogrammed and have been driving trouble free ever since. (cost me $1500) I'm not going to dump 10k into a vehicle worth 12k, and other than that DPF issue, it's a great car.

I think that we are going to see more and more "good" vehicles get sidelined like this because repair costs exceed the value. It used to be a car was done when it was trashed, used up and on it's last legs. Now when a couple sensors are done, your otherwise excellent condition vehicle is ready for the wrecker.

 

[blueboy]

Now when a couple sensors are done, your otherwise excellent condition vehicle is ready for the wrecker.

Which will probably be the fate of the new Defender down the road.

 

[Adam]

Removed the the complete DEF system, did a DPF delete had the ECU reprogrammed and have been driving trouble free ever since. (cost me $1500) I'm not going to dump 10k into a vehicle worth 12k, and other than that DPF issue, it's a great car.

I'd be interested in a similar approach for a Disco V once it's out of warranty.

 

[LR Max]

Yeah I'm wondering how deletes are going to affect the newest waive of vehicles. Already commonplace on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. There is some effort to go after these guys. Don't know if DOT will be looking at anything smaller than that. Also with newer diesels, they are so quiet you'd never know they were diesel unless your romped on it or black smoked.

 

[Kelbo]

The diesel performance shops have received the crackdown on deleting HD trucks. However, plenty of garage mechanics will do a delete and performance tune, and stay under the radar.

 

[broncoduecer]

As long as emission testing isn’t required and you’re not rolling coal you shouldn’t be a prime target at least...

 

[jymmiejamz]

GAP tool is a interface tool for newer rovers. Sometimes newer diesels throw DEF codes and it can be crippling. Having the tool to diagnose and clear those codes saves a lot of time and money. Especially if the code causes a de-rate and shut down. Those are fun.

Usually DEF codes are caused by an actual problem (at least on Land Rover diesels). The real issue is soot accumulation in the DPF. You can do a forced regeneration, but you would still need to be able to drive 50+ mph for 20-30 minutes. Based on what I’ve seen in NYC and LA, I would guess it would take 2-5 days of off road driving to clog the DPF. No big deal if you’re near a highway, but not great if you are out somewhere remote.

and just so we’re clear, I love the TDV6 and would definitely get that if I was buying a modern Land Rover. I just don’t think they are suitable for off road or city driving.

 

[mgreenspan]

Is it RPM based or speed?

 

[CDN38]

On the delete I had done they removed the DPF and replaced it with a straight pipe inside the original casing.Visually, the original system looks intact. Testing, which we no longer have is the only way to tell it's been gutted.

 

[jymmiejamz]

Is it RPM based or speed?

Speed. It can’t be done stationary on a Land Rover like it can on big trucks. My assumption is this is due to the extreme heat generated during regeneration.

 

[rocky]

It’s the EPA going after places that sell the kits and also the tunes that remap the tuning.
Hopefully they don’t get access to customer addresses and go after them next.

 

[mgreenspan]

Speed. It can’t be done stationary on a Land Rover like it can on big trucks. My assumption is this is due to the extreme heat generated during regeneration.

But can’t leave it in a lower gear and higher RPM to achieve the same result in less time?

 

[jymmiejamz]

[QUOTE

But can’t leave it in a lower gear and higher RPM to achieve the same result in less time?

No, you need low RPM and high engine load. The way regen works is it dumps a ton of extra fuel to raise EGTs which burns off the accumulated soot in the DPF. That’s probably not the best explanation, but you get the gist.

The DPF system is simple in operation but convoluted when it comes to regeneration. There is no guarantee on any given drive cycle that it will do a regen. There are many factors that determine whether or not it will naturally do a regen. Even if you have a diagnostic computer it can be difficult to complete a regen. Typically at the dealership it is about $7k to replace the DPF.