[Snipe89]

Hey all,

I’ve got an ‘18 Z71 CCLB 2.8 with 61k mi. All stock except a BMS catch can I recently installed.. so far so good. I’ve been following this forum for a while and I’m wondering, since I have no warranty, are there still any good tunes left out there for reliability?

Reading about people’s issues with EGR intake soot and SCR/DPF issues has me leery. Does emissions intact tuning really solve anything? Seems like less egr = more def = issues. But left alone, issues are inevitable anyway. I don’t really care about power too much as it’s got plenty for my 3500lb boat and trailer. It just hums and goes as is.

Most of the info I’ve read is from 2018-early 2019 when it sounds like there was a big event with EPA and tuners which may have changed things. Can anyone throw some pros and cons of current tunes out there for me to think about?

I’m seriously considering HD’s delete kit. No emissions = no problem. The thing I’m afraid of is now that Joe is in office, he’s probably going to dump a bunch of money into the EPA. If they mandate federal emissions testing for vehicle registration when they roll out their new big plan in April, it could put me in a bad spot if I’m deleted.

Anyone have any suggestions? I’m happy with the truck stock, but I’d rather not be left stranded on a fishing trip in bum nowhere. I’d hate to see this truck turn into an endless emissions related money pit.

Thanks all.

 

[oak1971]

As far as I know, the only tuning legally available in the US is emissions intact tuning. Duramax Tuner and Green Diesel being a couple I can recall off the top of my head.

 

[Snipe89]

Yep. Duramax Tuner is appealing to me since they have a mode specifically for towing. Do either of those reduce EGR, and if so, are they going to drastically increase DEF consumption? Is GDE a no-go for towing?

 

[oak1971]

Perhaps someone else can answer that. I only had the Duramax Tuner tune for a bit until the dealer erased it.

 

[Inacanyon]

Gde has low egt during normal usage and utilizes oe style derates for extreme circumstances

 

[Coloradorob]

It sure if anyone out there can shed some light on these guys but they ship to the usa
and I think you can flash back if things get bad down there.
I been thinking of going this route

2016-2021 Colorado/Canyon 2.8L Duramax Delete tuning

2016-2021 Colorado/Canyon 2.8L Duramax tuning Our custom tuning includes the EFI Live AutoCal V3 hand tool with our custom tuning for 2016-2021 Colorado/Canyon 2.8L Duramax.

hddieselsupply.ca

 

[Snipe89]

It sure if anyone out there can shed some light on these guys but they ship to the usa
and I think you can flash back if things get bad down there.
I been thinking of going this route

2016-2021 Colorado/Canyon 2.8L Duramax Delete tuning

2016-2021 Colorado/Canyon 2.8L Duramax tuning Our custom tuning includes the EFI Live AutoCal V3 hand tool with our custom tuning for 2016-2021 Colorado/Canyon 2.8L Duramax.

hddieselsupply.ca

That is exactly the kit I’m thinking. Just a pita if I have to replace the exhaust back to stock if that day comes. Does anyone have any indications to what the EPAs next move might be?

 

[CaliforniaCanyon]

That is exactly the kit I’m thinking. Just a pita if I have to replace the exhaust back to stock if that day comes. Does anyone have any indications to what the EPAs next move might be?

I ordered this kit last night. Was really leaning towards the Intact Tune which disables EGR but you leave everything in place, and reflashing to stock is simple. However that still leaves you with a mess of sensors with the potential to fail at anytime. I'm sure the EPA would have enacted a Federal smog mandate by now if they could. And I really hope that Congress will NOT give them the support to do so. Only time will tell, rollin the dice here.

 

[Coloradorob]

That is exactly the kit I’m thinking. Just a pita if I have to replace the exhaust back to stock if that day comes. Does anyone have any indications to what the EPAs next move might be?

At least you can put it back on. A lot better than having a brick sitting in the driveway.

I did email them and they said
Keep your old exhaust
Reinstall it before flashing back to stock
This is very important to be able to put it back in case you want to sell it or get caught up in emissions inspections...

 

[CaliforniaCanyon]

Yep. Duramax Tuner is appealing to me since they have a mode specifically for towing. Do either of those reduce EGR, and if so, are they going to drastically increase DEF consumption? Is GDE a no-go for towing?

I believe you would still have to go with a Canadian company to do an Intact tune that cuts off EGR and ignores the NOx levels. It will still run regen cycles to clean the DPF but nothing more than what's required to keep the system running. However intact tunes from the States, do have to remain compliant with EPA emissions levels. So you can get a tune for more power, it will do nothing for reliability. The pro's and con's are tough to weigh out on this one..

 

[Snipe89]

I ordered this kit last night. Was really leaning towards the Intact Tune which disables EGR but you leave everything in place, and reflashing to stock is simple. However that still leaves you with a mess of sensors with the potential to fail at anytime. I'm sure the EPA would have enacted a Federal smog mandate by now if they could. And I really hope that Congress will NOT give them the support to do so. Only time will tell, rollin the dice here.

Congrats - to be honest I probably won’t be far behind you there. They way I see it, more emissions testing would be a slick way for the new administration to generate revenue.. and climate change is getting absolutely beaten to death again just like it was with Al Gore. They’re going after the f’n grocery store freezers... www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/02/15/these-gases-your-grocerys-freezer-are-fueling-climate-change-biden-wants-fix-that/

 

[CaliforniaCanyon]

Congrats - to be honest I probably won’t be far behind you there. They way I see it, more emissions testing would be a slick way for the new administration to generate revenue.. and climate change is getting absolutely beaten to death again just like it was with Al Gore. They’re going after the f’n grocery store freezers... www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/02/15/these-gases-your-grocerys-freezer-are-fueling-climate-change-biden-wants-fix-that/

I moved out to Nevada to have freedoms and not have to worry about this stuff. But if they're already hitting grocery store freezers wow! It's definitely a gamble with the Harris, I mean Biden administration taking over. Really hope the red states would give too much push back for testing at the Federal level. I googled it but nothing came up. You would think congress would need to approve something like that. And with most States being rural, it doesn't seem very likely.
I'm sure in 10 years they'll realize all the shipping of new emissions parts and millions of plastic jugs of DEF, and early engine replacement, maybe didn't help the environment. Remember when plastic was supposed to save the planet? No more paper packaging, cups or plates because were cutting all the trees down. Now oops, back to paper, too much plastic in the ocean that will never decompose, paper will now save us from plastic. Wouldn't be surprised if that ends up being the story with some of the modern diesels.

 

[Coloradorob]

Congrats - to be honest I probably won’t be far behind you there. They way I see it, more emissions testing would be a slick way for the new administration to generate revenue.. and climate change is getting absolutely beaten to death again just like it was with Al Gore. They’re going after the f’n grocery store freezers... www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/02/15/these-gases-your-grocerys-freezer-are-fueling-climate-change-biden-wants-fix-that/

Yes it does seem to be the only option.
From what I have read our intact diesels are cleaner than gas engines.
And now there is talk of adding a DPF type of soot capture device on gas burning engines too.
But manufacturers need to find a better way to reduce pollution.
Dumping dirty abrasive soot into the intake of a motor is absolute insanity.
why run an air filter?
Then put a catalytic converter in the exhaust and another built into the DPF to keep the heat up when diesel is injected. Oh yeah let’s not forget to push the exhaust through the SCR
Back Pressure in the exhaust is bad for a diesel.
Now let’s add to this mess a bunch of the cheapest sensors money can buy.
A heater element in the DEF tank and a heated line from the tank to the DEF injector. A real weak point for us in the North.
This all makes a delete a great idea.
But here is why I am a little hesitant. What if an injector goes bad and takes out the motor?
No warranty
Also, I don’t want the extra HP that comes with the tune. One way they get the extra power is to raise the common rail fuel pressure. That puts big pressure on some what poor quality fuel injectors.
For me I want the delete but not the tune. Leave the power level where it is for longevity.
I personally believe these little 2.8s are already at 80% of there reliable power level.
Also, the transmission tune these tuners have come up with allows the engine to run at a very low rpm. The stock transmission tune already runs very low. My truck will run at 1400 rpm and you can feel every piston firing. The only thing I find interesting in the transmission tune is a better use of the lockup torque inverter. Lugging any engine is a Bad thing. Locking the torque inverter as much as possible is a great idea.
So I am torn ...
I know a delete is one of the best things I can do to my truck.
But on the other hand I can see myself being burnt without a warranty by the poor quality that is known as GENERAL MOTORS....
Let the flaming begin.........

 

[Coloradorob]

I moved out to Nevada to have freedoms and not have to worry about this stuff. But if they're already hitting grocery store freezers wow! It's definitely a gamble with the Harris, I mean Biden administration taking over. Really hope the red states would give too much push back for testing at the Federal level. I googled it but nothing came up. You would think congress would need to approve something like that. And with most States being rural, it doesn't seem very likely.
I'm sure in 10 years they'll realize all the shipping of new emissions parts and millions of plastic jugs of DEF, and early engine replacement, maybe didn't help the environment. Remember when plastic was supposed to save the planet? No more paper packaging, cups or plates because were cutting all the trees down. Now oops, back to paper, too much plastic in the ocean that will never decompose, paper will now save us from plastic. Wouldn't be surprised if that ends up being the story with some of the modern diesels.

I agree. What a joke some of this idiotic crap is. The last thing we need to be doing is cutting down trees. And let it be known that it’s not us disposing of plastics in the ocean but it is the 3rd world..
And what a joke when they talk about pollution. In the last 5 years I have purchased 3 washing machines. The quality is so bad that they don’t last. And it’s only me and my wife. We throw out more today than ever before.
There isn’t enough lithium to replace all the gas and diesel vehicles. And lithium is real dirty to mine.
Years ago GM was planning on building hydrogen powered vehicles. If anyone remembers they were going to be a hydrogen platform with what ever body you wanted on top of it.
Where is the hydrogen platform from GM now? GM is such a poorly run company. I swore years ago that I would never purchase another GM but I was really taken by a small diesel that gets amazing fuel mileage.
GM will discontinue the little 2.8 (another stupid GM move) just when the USA is run by a green president. A President that is about to rejoin the Paris Accord and implement a carbon tax that will drive the price of fuel though the roof.
Say good by to full sized truck sales.
Say hello to people saying we want the little diesel back........ GM idiots....

I bet GM will reinvest in hydrogen now that Toyota is renting hydrogen powered cars in Vancouver.....
Vancouver has had hydrogen powered busses for years.

Update
BC Transit's $90M hydrogen bus fleet to be sold off, converted to diesel.

 

[Snipe89]

Yes it does seem to be the only option.
From what I have read our intact diesels are cleaner than gas engines.
And now there is talk of adding a DPF type of soot capture device on gas burning engines too.
But manufacturers need to find a better way to reduce pollution.
Dumping dirty abrasive soot into the intake of a motor is absolute insanity.
why run an air filter?
Then put a catalytic converter in the exhaust and another built into the DPF to keep the heat up when diesel is injected. Oh yeah let’s not forget to push the exhaust through the SCR
Back Pressure in the exhaust is bad for a diesel.
Now let’s add to this mess a bunch of the cheapest sensors money can buy.
A heater element in the DEF tank and a heated line from the tank to the DEF injector. A real weak point for us in the North.
This all makes a delete a great idea.
But here is why I am a little hesitant. What if an injector goes bad and takes out the motor?
No warranty
Also, I don’t want the extra HP that comes with the tune. One way they get the extra power is to raise the common rail fuel pressure. That puts big pressure on some what poor quality fuel injectors.
For me I want the delete but not the tune. Leave the power level where it is for longevity.
I personally believe these little 2.8s are already at 80% of there reliable power level.
Also, the transmission tune these tuners have come up with allows the engine to run at a very low rpm. The stock transmission tune already runs very low. My truck will run at 1400 rpm and you can feel every piston firing. The only thing I find interesting in the transmission tune is a better use of the lockup torque inverter. Lugging any engine is a Bad thing. Locking the torque inverter as much as possible is a great idea.
So I am torn ...
I know a delete is one of the best things I can do to my truck.
But on the other hand I can see myself being burnt without a warranty by the poor quality that is known as GENERAL MOTORS....
Let the flaming begin.........

Yeah pretty much. It’s too bad. I spoke with Jason Hackman about this, who basically said the ideal tune we are talking about ( delete with no power boost ) does not exist.

Overall I trust the injectors, with some care, more than the emissions systems. I think people are on to something by running John Deere fuel protectant to prevent water pooling in the fuel rail. Poor fuel + emulsified water + degraded fuel filter + 30,000psi = blown injector. I run stanadyne but I’ve heard it’s “old tech” and I may switch to the JD stuff which was designed for our emissions systems in mind.

I’ve also read of a company called Exergy who is willing to remanufacture our LWNs injectors. I’ve thought about getting them rebuilt after I tune, it’s just expensive. I like this trucks size and how it drives so much I’m maybe willing to throw some money at it.

Exergy Performance

Providing design, testing, and application engineering services and products.

www.exergyperformance.com

 

[Coloradorob]

Yeah pretty much. It’s too bad. I spoke with Jason Hackman about this, who basically said the ideal tune we are talking about ( delete with no power boost ) does not exist.

Overall I trust the injectors, with some care, more than the emissions systems. I think people are on to something by running John Deere fuel protectant to prevent water pooling in the fuel rail. Poor fuel + emulsified water + degraded fuel filter + 30,000psi = blown injector. I run stanadyne but I’ve heard it’s “old tech” and I may switch to the JD stuff which was designed for our emissions systems in mind.

I’ve also read of a company called Exergy who is willing to rebuild our LWNs injectors. I’ve thought about getting them rebuilt after I tune, it’s just expensive. I like this trucks size and how it drives so much I’m maybe willing to throw some money at it.

Exergy Performance

Providing design, testing, and application engineering services and products.

www.exergyperformance.com

I to am very impressed with the size and the amazing ability of this truck. I had 4 Rangers in a row before this Colorado. The Rangers got really bad fuel mileage. Approx 20 mpg. I had good luck with them but the tow rating wasn’t very good. And they were small.
The new Ranger seems like a good idea but at best 24mpg and from what I have read a screaming gas engine when pulling a load is not my liking..
Have you seen the pictures of what our injectors look like just before failure?
they are scoring fairly badly from what looks like to soft a steel and or lack of lubricant in today’s fuel.
I used Every day diesel since new and now am trying Amsoil all in one treatment. But I can’t tell or prove ether actually does anything to lubricate the injectors. How can such a small amount of additive actually do anything when mixed with 20 gal of fuel?
I have read that in 2019 GM may have changed mfg of the injector. Is there any proof of this?
I have a 4300 lb travel trailer that I pull with my truck. But in the back of my mind I always have this spooky feeling I am going to have an issue that has the truck at a dealership waiting for a part that doesn’t exist while thousands of miles from home. There is so many horror stories out there When it comes to GM service of our diesels.
When it comes to the EGR delete tune I have read claims of much less regens and that makes sense now that I did the EGR restriction. Turning off the EGR would raise EGTs and that would raise the DPF temperature and burn off soot while driving.

 

[Snipe89]

I to am very impressed with the size and the amazing ability of this truck. I had 4 Rangers in a row before this Colorado. The Rangers got really bad fuel mileage. Approx 20 mpg. I had good luck with them but the tow rating wasn’t very good. And they were small.
The new Ranger seems like a good idea but at best 24mpg and from what I have read a screaming gas engine when pulling a load is not my liking..
Have you seen the pictures of what our injectors look like just before failure?
they are scoring fairly badly from what looks like to soft a steel and or lack of lubricant in today’s fuel.
I used Every day diesel since new and now am trying Amsoil all in one treatment. But I can’t tell or prove ether actually does anything to lubricate the injectors. How can such a small amount of additive actually do anything when mixed with 20 gal of fuel?
I have read that in 2019 GM may have changed mfg of the injector. Is there any proof of this?
I have a 4300 lb travel trailer that I pull with my truck. But in the back of my mind I always have this spooky feeling I am going to have an issue that has the truck at a dealership waiting for a part that doesn’t exist while thousands of miles from home. There is so many horror stories out there When it comes to GM service of our diesels.
When it comes to the EGR delete tune I have read claims of much less regens and that makes sense now that I did the EGR restriction. Turning off the EGR would raise EGTs and that would raise the DPF temperature and burn off soot while driving.

The 2.8 Colorados torque profile reminds me a lot of my old first gen Durangos. I bought two of them back to back, both with the 4.7 V8, and later a third gen Dakota 3.6 V6 before this truck. I drove my second Durango to 290,000mi before I sold it. Those things were mechanically bulletproof, everything was practically rusting off and it just kept driving. In fact, I woke up one morning with a massive pool of engine oil in my driveway, and on removal of the pan, I noticed some heavy rusted areas of the pan looked translucent. The damn thing had rusted so badly that I could poke through it with a screwdriver. I never had any major engine issues, some minor electrical problems, just maintained it well. They had great handling and so much power available. The Dakota was too sluggish and it had issues pulling my boat, I didn't keep it for long.

No, I haven't seen pictures of the injectors. Shoot me a link if you have them.

I think using additives does make a difference - watch this video

Some additives such as stanadyne and hots secret increase the lubricity of fuel quite a bit. Surprisingly Howes faired worse than most. I think it's cheap assurance that fuel won't be the cause of my engine catastrophically exploding someday.

Yes, I believe turning off / restricting the EGR does increase EGT's which is probably good for the DPF, but I've read the system compensates for increased nox levels by dumping 3-4x the normal amount of DEF into the SCR. This introduces it's own problems with sensors. I think GM got borked by warranty claims due to the EGR system the last 5 years and they are making changes. In the new Silverado's 3.0 ecodiesel, I read they have reduced the EGR usage but increased DEF/fuel ratio from 1-2% to 6-9%. Since it has a 24gal tank, imagine using 2.1gal of DEF per fuel tank. Yikes. You'd think they would take into account the environmental impact of all those blue jugs!

 

[Coloradorob]

The 2.8 Colorados torque profile reminds me a lot of my old first gen Durangos. I bought two of them back to back, both with the 4.7 V8, and later a third gen Dakota 3.6 V6 before this truck. I drove my second Durango to 290,000mi before I sold it. Those things were mechanically bulletproof, everything was practically rusting off and it just kept driving. In fact, I woke up one morning with a massive pool of engine oil in my driveway, and on removal of the pan, I noticed some heavy rusted areas of the pan looked translucent. The damn thing had rusted so badly that I could poke through it with a screwdriver. I never had any major engine issues, some minor electrical problems, just maintained it well. They had great handling and so much power available. The Dakota was too sluggish and it had issues pulling my boat, I didn't keep it for long.

No, I haven't seen pictures of the injectors. Shoot me a link if you have them.

I think using additives does make a difference - watch this video

Some additives such as stanadyne and hots secret increase the lubricity of fuel quite a bit. Surprisingly Howes faired worse than most. I think it's cheap assurance that fuel won't be the cause of my engine catastrophically exploding someday.

Yes, I believe turning off / restricting the EGR does increase EGT's which is probably good for the DPF, but I've read the system compensates for increased nox levels by dumping 3-4x the normal amount of DEF into the SCR. This introduces it's own problems with sensors. I think GM got borked by warranty claims due to the EGR system the last 5 years and they are making changes. In the new Silverado's 3.0 ecodiesel, I read they have reduced the EGR usage but increased DEF/fuel ratio from 1-2% to 6-9%. Since it has a 24gal tank, imagine using 2.1gal of DEF per fuel tank. Yikes. You'd think they would take into account the environmental impact of all those blue jugs!

You did good with those 4.7 v8s very impressive
That guy does a real good job reviewing products on you tube. He spends a pile of money buying items to test. I have 2 bottles of Hot Shots. And still have some Amsoil all in one on the shelf.
I was amazed by how much DEF the new 3.0 uses. I figured GM wanted to reduce the amount of soot being forced into the intake . Proof that soot is bad for the motor and GM know it..
I was trying to find out how Ram was getting such good mileage out of there 3.0 v6 diesel but no luck.
Very spooky when you check out the GM 3.0 with a variable oil pressure oil pump running in hot dirty oil. And no thermostat but a rotary electric valve that directs coolant to where ever the ECU decides it should go. 0-20 oil that runs in a very hot running motor. I think GM went to far with all the possible failure points on that motor. All aluminum head and block.

 

[Devan coss]

Hey all,

I’ve got an ‘18 Z71 CCLB 2.8 with 71k mi up in Wisconsin. I bought it with 60k on imported from Canada. All stock except a BMS catch can I recently installed.. so far so good. I’ve been following this forum for a while and I’m wondering, since I have no warranty, are there still any good tunes left out there for reliability?

Reading about people’s issues with EGR intake soot and SCR/DPF issues has me leery. Does emissions intact tuning really solve anything? Seems like less egr = more def = issues. But left alone, issues are inevitable anyway. I don’t really care about power too much as it’s got plenty for my 3500lb boat and trailer. It just hums and goes as is.

Most of the info I’ve read is from 2018-early 2019 when it sounds like there was a big event with EPA and tuners which may have changed things. Can anyone throw some pros and cons of current tunes out there for me to think about?

I’m seriously considering HD’s delete kit. No emissions = no problem. The thing I’m afraid of is now that Joe is in office, he’s probably going to dump a bunch of money into the EPA. If they mandate federal emissions testing for vehicle registration when they roll out their new big plan in April, it could put me in a bad spot if I’m deleted.

Anyone have any suggestions? I’m happy with the truck stock, but I’d rather not be left stranded on a fishing trip in bum nowhere in Minnesota. I’d hate to see this truck turn into an endless emissions related money pit.

Thanks all.

Duramax tuner from what I have seen has figured out to get max power and less soot and regents with all intact tunes

 

[terryjm1]

The EPA tuner crackdown came years into the Trump / Pence presidency. Tuning became the rage before and survived well past the Obama / Biden presidency. I don’t know what is going to happen but it doesn’t seem like what party‘s president is in office matters. My impression is that commercial trucking is more likely the target for shutting down tuners. There is such a small percentage of passenger cars/trucks tuned I doubt there will ever be enough incentive to come after the relatively few individual owners of little trucks and cars. The dollars it would cost to enforce isn’t in the same universe of the benefits possibly gained in reduced pollution. There are very much bigger “offenders” to dedicate those resources to for much greater gain. Commercial refrigeration is just the kind of “bang for the buck” that makes sense. But, they aren’t going to come check your deep freeze you keep your deer meat in.