The Sobering Cost of Emissions Control Repair

[farmaholic]

Against my better judgement, two years ago this coming January I bought an 09 Kenworth T660 Daycab, 18 speed with 4way lockers, with a Cummins ISX 485 with about 630K on it, not all that made a bad truck BUT it had an active exhaust diesel particulate filter with afterburner on it. Well that day has come! I took the truck in for a check up because it was "lazy" at times and would then snap out of it and the turbo also started leaking a bit of oil into the air to air.

So on the emissions side only. Initial quote:

EGR Valve kit, $1400 (only active code I could retrieve, flash code 1896)
Module Catalyst for afterburner, $4800
Module Afterburner(particulate filter), $3400 (only needed if the original doesn't clean up properly)

Total of $9600, they adjusted the quote down but didn't itemize each item so I can't give you the revised values for each item. Total bill reduced about 11.5%. Add labour and the infamous "shop supplies".

NUTS! I think I should just have the after burner deleted. But that is afew bucks too but the future emissions control headaches would be gone. Nothing stopping us from doing it now. Anyone know what deleting costs... $5000?

There are rumblings that if you take off the emission controls off highway tractors they mark them modified on a safety and the possibility that in the future the truck will never pass a safety for commercial use. How long before farm use highway tractors are going to require a safety. Also authorized engine repair shops say they won't service them(lots of other options). All scare tactics?

Kind of ironic there are so many threads and posts about carbon pricing and I have to deal with this emissions control issue on the truck.

I wish I was making this up.... kinda a sick feeling. I should have known better but thought how bad could it be..... well now I know!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

In AB, we were recently told by an AB CVIP auditor that emissions control components will soon be part of the CVIP program, no indication that grandfathering will be allowed.


And just to ensure that there is no confusion, the emissions controls have nothing to do with carbon, this is for genuine particulate pollution. Probably a worthy cause as compared to the war on CO2. Just too bad they haven't got a reliable system figured out yet.

[farmaholic]

Wouldn't there be carbon based gasses and particles? Unless these emission systems don't reduce the carbon based gasses. Or alter them into non greenhouse gasses?

They say trucks with emission control systems are less fuel efficient....

[Braveheart]

We just bought a 2003 W900 Kenworth with a C15 6NZ partly because it was pre emissions. There are numerous problems with EGR and DEF here that have cost people SO much money and headaches.

I think that very soon here in MB, a deleted emissions control will no longer pass safety.

[biglentil]

Ah great farma we have an 08 Kenworth T800 daycab with thr ISX that the check engine just came on and it went into limp mode other day. Hope its not the same thing perhaps too much idling and short runs back to yard.

Looked long and hard for pre emissions but they all seem to have a million kms plus.

[farmaholic]

biglentil, I was warned that the trucks with this emissions system shouldn't idle around alot. They said the filter will soot up quicker and the truck needs to "work" and get hot. Did your truck ever do a regeneration? We never noticed ours regen but tried to do a parked one and I thought they said it won't do it if it doesn't need it.

The turbo is also leaking a bit of oil into the air to air...the turbo itself is a variable pitch and "only" costs $5500.

Now here is the whining part.... it drives me nuts that there isn't enough money in Primary Ag Production that we have to buy other industries trucks that are kinda "just" past warranty.... The fleet operators know when to switch the "old" ones out! Not that all this "technology" never caused headaches for the trucking industry.... all too much in fact!!

Bought and converted another 07 Pete pre-emission highway tractor to a tandem before we bought this Kenworth. Probably going pre-emission was a smart thing.

How and where could the emission components be worth that much? Captive market?

No getting away from it in the future, all new trucks come with the most recent Tier and as the years tick by all used trucks, unless you want something quite old and miled up, will be equiped with a previous tier, YAY!

[GALAXIE500]

Good morning I am hoping for warm weather to return like the rest of you. To put in my 2 cents, I have everthing on our farm "pre emissions" to say the least , hence older equipment. How long will it be before my old 1980 western star truck with a 855 cummins be outlawed? That's anybody's guess , but I am sure its only a matter of time. I have had a yearning to get an old Big Bud tractor to replace my Steiger tractor down the road , but are these assholes going to go after the farming equipment on our farms with a "emissions compliant mandate " or else? This whole deal just goes to show that we farmers always pay.It is just too bad that everybody in agriculture could stop production on all levels for just one week. We could bring this rodeo to it's knees.

[blackpowder]

Good luck with the govt trying to inspect my tractor!
I see it coming, but realistically if they grandfather, itll end up as scrap soon enough.
My b inlaw works 4 wajax.
Says there is a time frame where you dont want to buy any truck. Before or after fine. Says a lot of customers overhauling older stuff.
Also, half the issues he sees are probably from idling.

[sawfly1]

have an 08 freightliner , with a Detroit., seems that the parked regens are the only ones that work well.
I too live in fear . big bill some day but so far so good
they said do not idle them, for sure, just shut em off
or keep em over 900
500 some horsepower , but they are aweful small horses
and the oil gets so filthy, it is hard to leave it for the recommended hours
mine is due for a regen now.
it was flashing in the field the other day, and you hardly want to do it there.

find a spot where nothing will burn, start the regen , and go away for a 1/2 hour so you do no have to hear it scream.
it was fairly cheap to buy with 250 t kilometers on it , but I am sure I will pay at some point.

[cottonpicken]

Always think of my grandparents can opener,they had it forever,we have gone through over a half dozen,not much profit in lasts for life,same analogy with everything else in this world,consumption economy i guess,i hope smarter men then i have planned that this all works out.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Anything done for the benefit of the environment should be measured by its true net effect on the environment. Does burning additional non renewable fuels to reduce emissions make sense(not sure). Does the energy and pollution caused by repairing and replacing worn out/plugged emissions components outweigh that saved by them while in use? I don't have the answers.

[may-be]

A friend of mine works one of the garbage trucks in town. He said they are constantly making trips to the city to get them repaired. He also said he has to waste time going on a highway trip so it can rejuvenate itself.

Last year I bought a 1997 international 5000 Paystar truck with a cat engine that I put a box on. It was an old cement truck that had 11000 hrs but only 126000 km. I'm very glad I bought it. The only thing I hate about it is that it does not turn very sharp. Need the whole yard to turn the darn thing around without backing up.

[fjlip]

Therefore my 2003 pre any emissions at all, Mercedes should be worth DOUBLE all the complicated, expensive to maintain newer junk. Runs flawlessly, idles lots, cleaner oil, no smoke at all but no doubt emitting toxic NOX. Screw EPA bastards!
This is a Sterling, turns very sharp, love it for that also. The quietest cab I have driven.