There’s some big news coming out of Canada regarding a crack-down on emissions tampering and deleted trucks. According to the Ontario Trucking Association, Ontario will become the leader in North America for enforcing heavy truck emission rules. Starting in 2020, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) will add an emissions system inspection to the annual commercial vehicle safety inspection. The inspection process will include both physical and electronic emissions tampering tests. In addition, there will be random roadside inspections. Anyone caught with a deleted truck may have their plates immediately removed, license suspended, and be required to pay substantial fines. Truck shops performing these deletes may also face retribution.
This new plan to enforce environmental law is part of the larger Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan (MOEP) aimed at reducing the environmental impacts from the transportation industry. We here at Pittsburgh Power have been working for years to keep trucks legal, while also giving customers the performance and reliability they expect from their trucks. We think our catalyst combined with the Diesel Force cleaning is the best way to keep everything working like it should. And when the DPF needs to be cleaned, bring it to our shop where we now have a prewash tub (it costs $290 plus any extra labor involved).
Speaking of our Max Mileage Fuel Borne Catalyst (FBC), we’ve been getting a lot of the same questions about it and we’d like to take the opportunity to answer some of them here. Question: Will I see changes to my oil sample? Answer: Yes, you may see an increase in iron. This is nothing to worry about as long as the other wear metals stay consistent.
Question: Can iron deposits from Max Mileage hurt my engine? Answer: No. The iron-containing molecules in Max Mileage FBC are fully dissolved as a liquid ingredient, similar to iron in your blood. It’s also diluted to just a few PPM so it cannot cause any damage due to frictional wear in the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel injectors.
Question: What is this red-orange residue on my DPF filter? Answer: Because of the absence of the oily black soot coating on the DPF it is easy to see the red-orange discoloration that results from the iron ingredient over many thousands of miles driven. This will be removed with periodic cleaning of the DPF, as recommended by the engine manufacturer, just like other ash (metallic) residues from other sources, including engine oil, coolant, dust, dirt and fuel contaminated with rust.
Question: Will Max Mileage FBC eliminate ash deposits in my DPF? Answer: No. Max Mileage FBC is designed to reduce and/or eliminate soot deposits. Soot is the primary culprit for most DPF regeneration problems, as well as premature engine wear and emissions system failures in modern diesel engines. Unlike soot, ash cannot be burned off. Total ash from all sources (fuel contamination, engine oil additives, dirt and dust) only makes up a very small fraction of the incoming soot, typically less than 5%. Ash remains in the DPF as an incombustible material left behind following the regeneration process and builds up over very long periods of time. Therefore, ash must be periodically removed from the DPF via a shop cleaning.
Question: How does Max Mileage FBC decrease my DEF usage? Answer: Simply put, a more efficient engine will produce less NOx. Max Mileage FBC significantly increases the thermal efficiency of ANY engine, with or without emissions after treatment systems. In newer engines, the SCR system injects DEF fluid into the exhaust corresponding to the amount of NOx measured by the NOx sensor. Because the catalyst lowers NOx levels by 15% on average, the ECM responds by sending a signal to the SCR to inject less DEF, correspondingly.
Question: Why is Max Mileage so expensive? Answer: At the suggested dilution, a bottle of Max Mileage will last you for 3,200 gallons of fuel and only costs around $.07 per gallon. Besides the expensive ingredients that go into the catalyst, there was considerable research and development that went into formulating the product. Of course, the benefits you realize from using Max Mileage provide a substantial return on your investment.
Many owner operators are saving on operating costs by switching from an APU to a small gasoline generator from Honda, Westinghouse, etc. Well, a few weeks ago, one of our customers asked if we could mount one to his flatbed trailer. Of course, most would prefer it to be mounted to the back of the cab, but the customer said he’s always hitched to this same trailer and that’s not a problem. We did a little research and bought a pre-made stainless-steel box with doors big enough for the portable generator to fit inside.
The problem we then came across is how to get enough airflow for the generator so it wouldn’t overheat inside this stainless-steel box. So, we installed a small electric fan on the side to pull in fresh air, we cut a hole for the exhaust to exit, and we drilled a series of holes in the back of the box for extra ventilation. We then welded up a steel mount to the frame, wired it up and bingo, it worked like a charm. This isn’t something we normally do, but it wasn’t terribly difficult and it’s something you could probably pull off in your driveway with the right tools. Give us a call (724) 360-4080 if this is something you might be interested in. Happy New Year!
