Diesel and city driving?

[chevyorcaddy]

Hi All,

Considering either the Yukon or Escalade with the 3.0L Duramax (have deposits on both ) This would be my first diesel, and I’ve heard mixed opinions on owning a diesel with intermittent driving habits.

Essentially in our new Covid work from home life, 80% of the time we average only a few miles per week, say 50-100 max. The other 20% of the time we’re hauling our family of 5 (dog included) either 10 hours north or south to visit family.

I’ve read in some of the forums that some seem to be concerned with the diesel and the DEF/emissions systems when it’s not driven consistently. Anyone out there have details or know whether this could be an issue for us with our driving habits on the diesel powertrain?

Thanks!!

 

[Wileybird03]

Kinda short trips for a def system! Might run into some exhaust issues‍ If not buy it n trade it if it doesn’t work! Diesels are in demand.

 

[chevyorcaddy]

Kinda short trips for a def system! Might run into some exhaust issues‍ If not buy it n trade it if it doesn’t work! Diesels are in demand.

That’s my fear… the short trips become a nightmare for the DEF and regen process. Sucks because that instant torq is great around town, MPG is just an added benefit. Plus it’s cool and different as I don’t see many more full size diesel SUVs coming to market in the near future

 

[Wileybird03]

I have had a duramax Yukon on order since august n still GM hasn’t accepted my order so I just bought a half ton Chevy duramax pickup to drive till Yukon is made n love it! Baby maxs are hard to come by

 

[chevyorcaddy]

I have had a duramax Yukon on order since august n still GM hasn’t accepted my order so I just bought a half ton Chevy duramax pickup to drive till Yukon is made n love it! Baby maxs are hard to come by

Yeah, both of my builds have been in since early Sept and neither allocated yet. The caddy has a longer waitlist at the dealer so still a month or so out from even being considered for an allocation.

 

[Larsonxjs]

IMO. The 3.0 isn’t engineered quite the same as a 6.6 size diesel. The soot produced isn’t so much. I think if you are concerned about regen then every 3 weeks let it warm up in the driveway and pick a spot for dinner 25 minutes away and you’ll be good.

 

[chevyorcaddy]

IMO. The 3.0 isn’t engineered quite the same as a 6.6 size diesel. The soot produced isn’t so much. I think if you are concerned about regen then every 3 weeks let it warm up in the driveway and pick a spot for dinner 25 minutes away and you’ll be good.

Thanks for the feedback! I honestly don’t know if I’m concerned about the regen or not, ha. I just happened to see quite a few posts from folks in various forums saying they’d be concerned for the baby Duramax if you’re not regularly driving it for meaningful distances. Seemed like they were mostly alluding to the DEF system and regen but the general vibe was if you don’t drive it don’t buy it so wanted to ask folks here

 

[Pro299]

I use mine about the way you say you will. No problems yet and I'm not worried about it. Seems like every week or so there is a longer drive required for one thing or the other. The 3.0 is very different from the 6.6 in my pickup and I'm not at all convinced advice relevant to the Silverado pertains to the Yukon.

 

[swathdiver]

Hi All,

Considering either the Yukon or Escalade with the 3.0L Duramax (have deposits on both ) This would be my first diesel, and I’ve heard mixed opinions on owning a diesel with intermittent driving habits.

Essentially in our new Covid work from home life, 80% of the time we average only a few miles per week, say 50-100 max. The other 20% of the time we’re hauling our family of 5 (dog included) either 10 hours north or south to visit family.

I’ve read in some of the forums that some seem to be concerned with the diesel and the DEF/emissions systems when it’s not driven consistently. Anyone out there have details or know whether this could be an issue for us with our driving habits on the diesel powertrain?

Thanks!!

It's not good for any car or V8 to make short trips like that all the time. Condensation also builds up in the crankcase and doesn't get a chance to burn off. The battery never gets fully charged either. Last two years has been the same for us, one tank of fuel per month until fall and winter. But each time I'm in it, it's for at least an hour, city driving and idling while waiting for my wife to run into a store for just one thing or heading down south an hour to see my folks. I have a battery tender now for when she sits a week or more at a time.

 

[CTown Duramax]

So I have 115 hours driving 2050 miles in my 2021 3.0L Duramax. 75% of my engine hours are on a two mile trip to drop my kids off at school in the morning, a 15-20 min drive going in, a little faster coming back. And picking them up in the evening on the same route takes 35-40. I changed the oil at the dealer's yesterday at 2025 miles. Service manager said engine designed with this heavy traffic in mind and that I would be fine but right to want to change my oil every 2,500 miles (and I do gas cars every 3,000 miles anyway). The regen is no biggie, hardly notice it, a little booming noise and some melted crayon smell when cooling in the garage. Go with the diesel. It's just right for this car. You won't look back.

 

[Holy Roller]

As already mentioned, diesels work best when run all day. Particularly on the highway.

But diesels can be used as grocery getters and mommy mobiles as long as your usage falls within the following suggested guidelines:

Diesels should never be started and stopped with less than 60 seconds running time. If you need to marshal your vehicle fleet around your driveway then a diesel is not a good fit for you.

A short trip would be defined as engine running 1-10 minutes.

A medium trip is engine running 11-29 minutes.

A long trip is engine running 30 or more minutes.

For every six short trips a diesel needs one long trip.

For every ten medium trips a diesel needs one long trip.

Most people’s driving patterns fall within these parameters. But not everyone.

Source: More than eight years driving Chevrolet’s 2.0L diesel.

 

[chevyorcaddy]

Makes me wonder… why auto start stop on a diesel? I’ve always thought it was tough on a gas engine to constantly cycle like that but seems like an even worse idea for a diesel

 

[CTown Duramax]

I think of marine diesels being left to run through cold weather spells, but this seems to be different technology. As others point out, these modern small displacement turbo diesels are in common daily use in Europe, about half the automotive market. Those diesels, anywhere from about one to three liters' displacement, run in everything from taxis, delivery vans, tiny econobox cars to big luxo sleds like S class L, 7 series stretch BMW's. They do just fine and are considered more durable and reliable than gas, worth the extra money.

It seems that the Duramax has a system of lubricating the bearings of the turbo charger fan after the engine is turned off. I have noticed after giving it a chance for a week that the auto stop start seems to learn my routes and now only shuts off for longer stops.

I would like to know more about the advances in turbo charging, materials and electronics that make these newer high output engines run so well.

 

[R32driver]

Just take it for a decent drive once in a while and it would probably be fine. We had a 2015 golf sportwagen tdi for a couple years and it usually just saw short trips here and there and it was all good. The only weird thing is when a regen was in process and it was being parked and that damn car was hot to the touch up front and smelled like it was going to burn to the ground. Other than that it was a great car. Babymax is probably the same kind of scenario but I have a 5.3 so pure speculation on my part

 

[Stbentoak]

I'm sure there are owners across the country that use them in all different ways. The real barometer of this issue is if it IS an issue. I can't say I've seen on this or any other Dmax forums that anyone has been getting "Keep driving" type of regen notices indicating a plugging DPF on LM2's because of short trips. I had an Eco Diesel that used to display them, and we just drove around till it went out. 10-15 min max. Didn't come back for a month etc. even if short tripping it.
I've done a fair amt of short trips in mine and not a whimper out of it. It does get a 75-mile, 80 MPH blast at least 1-2 times a month, which I'm sure certainly helps.
But I agree with others that this engine doesn't produce near the soot as HD engines, and I believe the 6 cyl Diesel was designed more with daily life in mind and not HD working truck needs and scenarios. Unless I never did ANYTHING other than short shuttle trips, I'd get the Dmax. But this vehicle engine combo really is meant to be a family road trip hauler and meeting the needs of the Dmax is zero issue then.

 

[JEP25]

Hi All,

Considering either the Yukon or Escalade with the 3.0L Duramax (have deposits on both ) This would be my first diesel, and I’ve heard mixed opinions on owning a diesel with intermittent driving habits.

Essentially in our new Covid work from home life, 80% of the time we average only a few miles per week, say 50-100 max. The other 20% of the time we’re hauling our family of 5 (dog included) either 10 hours north or south to visit family.

I’ve read in some of the forums that some seem to be concerned with the diesel and the DEF/emissions systems when it’s not driven consistently. Anyone out there have details or know whether this could be an issue for us with our driving habits on the diesel powertrain?

Thanks!!

I have over 14K on my GMC Yukon 3.0L. The fuel mileage for this pig is amazing, 28 hwy and 22 avg the rest of the time. I absolutely love this truck (engine, I wouldn't have purchased it if it was gas). It's also less money than the gas engine by about $1,600. I wouldn't overthink this, if you can get one, enjoy it.

 

[jqwiii00]

Hi All,

Considering either the Yukon or Escalade with the 3.0L Duramax (have deposits on both ) This would be my first diesel, and I’ve heard mixed opinions on owning a diesel with intermittent driving habits.

Essentially in our new Covid work from home life, 80% of the time we average only a few miles per week, say 50-100 max. The other 20% of the time we’re hauling our family of 5 (dog included) either 10 hours north or south to visit family.

I’ve read in some of the forums that some seem to be concerned with the diesel and the DEF/emissions systems when it’s not driven consistently. Anyone out there have details or know whether this could be an issue for us with our driving habits on the diesel powertrain?

Thanks!!

We have had multiple diesel vehicles, both GM and Jeep. The regen process is not frequent and simply requires you to drive 15 minutes +/- while it happens. I’ve never heard any noise or noticed any difference from normal driving. It’s really no biggie. I live both out Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel and my Duramax 2500HD… especially the range. Both are good for about 700 miles if I’m not towing a load.

 

[nfarios]

Great read! Thank you everyone for your inputs on driving habits with a diesel. I am on the verge of getting my Tahoe RST delivered. Last I was told by Chevy customer service was that it was under quality review. This being my first diesel I did some research and found a useful device that shows when the vehicle goes through regen. (

) I’m not trying to promote the device, but I believe that the ability to visually verify when it goes in to regen is useful.

 

[CTown Duramax]

You'll be able to tell when the Duramax is in regen if you're looking out for it. The idle will be a little faster and there will be a deeper tone to the exhaust. Sometimes there's a slight melted crayon smell.

This engine is really good as it is. IMHO, run it for a few months before wiring anything to it, thinking less is more.

 

[sqd pkl]

Hi All,

Considering either the Yukon or Escalade with the 3.0L Duramax (have deposits on both ) This would be my first diesel, and I’ve heard mixed opinions on owning a diesel with intermittent driving habits.

Essentially in our new Covid work from home life, 80% of the time we average only a few miles per week, say 50-100 max. The other 20% of the time we’re hauling our family of 5 (dog included) either 10 hours north or south to visit family.

I’ve read in some of the forums that some seem to be concerned with the diesel and the DEF/emissions systems when it’s not driven consistently. Anyone out there have details or know whether this could be an issue for us with our driving habits on the diesel powertrain?

Thanks!!

I am a diesel mechanic for a living and you have nothing to worry about. When the DPF first hit the market it was completely different than now. The engine can now do regens at low speeds or sitting still. DEF system has nothing to do with regen. DEF is mostly used at low speeds or idle to reduce Co2. You can also use Lucus Deep Cleen DPF clean now and then. Works very well! i use it in my dodge 5500 about every 3 tank because i idle ALOT! 132k miles and no DPF issues. I have more idle hours on the truck then drive hours. Think about all these 5500 series trucks that have PTO's on them to turn a hydraulic pumps say for a bucket truck. a lot of idle time and no issues.