Tier IV Emissions Standards

[D&B Mack]

Anyone having issues with the new Tier IV engines? Specifically, we are having a problem with our Hitachi excavators. We are changing fuel filters often, sometimes as soon as 50 hours.

 

[Bill Becker]

YES!!! And also on Tier III equipment. My F750 was in the dealer for 25 days for the "Service Engine Soon" light, stumped their technicians. Only had 8K miles on it. Trouble in the pumps and return lines and the fuel flow through the filters was restricted. I now change the fuel filters every other oil change on all my equipment or sooner if I suspect a problem. It seems the fuel pressure is very critical on the newer equipment plus I believe the quality of fuel is not as good as it was before Ultra Low Sulfur fuel became mandatory. I know equipment dealer technicians who are having to make field calls on Tier IV machines that quit running due to emissions controls shutting the engine down or idling. They have to connect a laptop to diagnose the problem and sometimes fix it in the field because they can't move it or get a tow truck to it. I had 2 chippers belch smoke and reduce engine rpm shortly after refueling them this past winter. Had to change the fuel filters and siphon some fuel out of the bottoms of the tanks.

My 15 - 20 year old equipment with mechanical fuel injection and no emissions controls rarely fails plus fuel consumption is 1/2 to 2/3 that of the new equipment.

 

[D&B Mack]

We are finding that the companies who used 'fuel cleaning' to meet the Tier IV standards are the issue. Other manufacturers who worked with the tail end (cleaning the exhaust) or made their machines more fuel efficient, don't seem to be having all the problems. But our issue is now, the additional cost of maintaining the previously described machines. Even though most are still in warranty, dealer is claiming it is our issue and is charging us for service calls. But when every other piece of equipment out there is running off the same fuel and in the same conditions, I don't see how it is 'our' issue.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

Tier 3 and 4 standards were pushed through before the bugs were worked out on the American brands. These systems are far from acceptable and we will be struggling with them for a while. It occurred to me that the Japanese and Germans have been producing low emission diesel engine longer then anyone else so that might be a solution. Another solution for you guys outside of California is to buy good used. I will take a 2000 JD 4045 engine over a new tier 3 or 4 engine any day and will put money on the fact that the 14 year old JD will be running long after that brand new Cat engine has been scrapped.