DTC Cleaner, also known as DTC Eraser, Limp mode reset tool, OBD error code eraser or OBD limp mode reset tool, is irreplaceable bit of kit if you get stuck in limp mode. No other tool is that easy to use or that quick to bypass limp mode and instantly return your truck to full power. In this article we will explain how does it work and how it can benefit you in limp mode emergency. 

Every truck is equipped with a computer known as ECU. This is vehicle’s main computer, which receives signals from all the different components of the truck and controls all systems accordingly. Once a particular fault occurs appropriate signal is sent to the ECU , which in turn triggers limp mode. Problems which cause limp mode are usually associated with vehicle’s emission system, such as SCR faults, NOX faults, DPF faults.., but can also be caused by faulty engine sensors/components/wiring, transmission issues, dysfunctional brakes and clutch, or even low fluid levels…

From our experience, most common limp mode causes are faults/malfunctions within the emissions system. In EURO 5 standard trucks emission system components are NOX sensors and SCR (adblue) system. Should anything within the emission system break down, limp mode will be triggered. Limp mode affect on EURO 5 trucks is relatively mild as power is only restricted by a fraction, however this is not the case with EURO 6 trucks. Once limp mode kicks in EURO 6 trucks will be limited to 20MPH speed, which makes them very difficult to operate. One thing if your lorry is empty, but a completely different story if it is fully loaded. You will struggle even to get it to a safe place, never mind getting it back to your base or to your destination.. 

So what can you do to temporary reset/bypass limp mode allowing you to get to a safe location, back to the base or just to finish your trip safely. The answer is simple, Can Smart DTC cleaner will reset limp mode in your truck and get your truck back to full power within a minute! This handheld device is small enough to fit on your palm and requires no batteries and no skills to use. All you have to do is turn ignition on, plug device into OBD II port, wait for about 30-40 seconds and unplug/turn ignition off. That is it, your truck will no longer be in limp mode! This is only a temporary fix, it will not fix the problem with your truck, it will simply reset limp mode so that the vehicle can be operated on full power as normal. This will not last forever, limp mode will come back eventually, things like what faults are active and how long have they been active for will determine how long will limp mode reset last. In any case, you will always be able to reset limp mode with Can Smart DTC Cleaner, and you can use it as many times as you need to. 

Being the original inventor of this product and also the manufacturer, allows us to offer best, most advanced product of its kind available on the market today as well as very competitive pricing. Don’t risk being stuck in limp mode, please visit our DTC Cleaner shop at www.truckhelp.co.uk/shop or contact us for a trade quote for bulk orders.

This is an update to our file modification/re-mapping services. We have expanded our range and are now able to provide mapping services to most Construction and Agricultural machinery. We can offer a wide variety of maps such as SCR DELETE, DPF DELETE, NOX DELETE and others.. These services are available to most machinery, our latest additions include, but are not limited to: 

CATTERPILLAR: full range of maps available 

CLAAS: full range of maps available

NEW HOLLAND: full range of maps available

CASE: full range of maps available  

HITACHI: full range of maps available

KOMATSU: full range of maps available

JOHN DEERE:  full range of maps available

FENDT: full range of maps available

DEUTZ:  full range of maps available

Further to providing file modification/re-mapping services to our trade partners, we are now also able to supply flashing and diagnostic tools and protocols for new trade customers. As with everything that we do, we will be happy to show you the ropes and offer full tech support and advice. If you are experienced re-mapper and have all the tools needed we can provide you with best quality files at very competitive rate, or, if you are starting out we can guide you through the whole process – from getting the tools that you need to providing you with quality modified files and all tech support you will need. Give us a try, we will do our best not to leave you disappointed.  

We would like to introduce our latest feature – Can Smart adblue emulators with self-diagnosis function enabled. This will make adblue emulator installations much easier as installer will be able to quickly pin point the problem using self-diagnosis led light system on the emulator. The way it works is once you have connected adblue emulator and switched ignition on, you will see a number of led lights on the emulator light up. Each of these lights will indicate correct (or incorrect) SCR, NOX, CAN LINE.. connections. 

Although most of our trade customers are very knowledgeable about adblue emulator installation, and normally do not require any assistance, some novice installers may not get it right the first time, especially on more complicated EURO 6 trucks. That is where self-diagnosis function comes in really handy.

Let’s discuss some main adblue emulator installation points, and how self-diagnosis led system can help.

CAN LINE Connection:

Adblue emulator will communicate with vehicle’s ECU via Can lines (canbus) Emulator needs to receive and send constant signals indicating/emulating SCR/NOX system performance as if it was working as it should even though these systems will be disconnected after adblue emulator is installed. Therefor it is very important to connect can lines correctly. You will have two led lights on the emulator next for can line connection diagnosis. Should connection be correct, you’ll see a light next to ‘’[OK] Can line’’ light up. Should connection be not correct, you will see ‘’[PROBLEM] Can line’’ Knowing that there is a problem with can line connection, you should first try swapping can lines over (can-hi with can-low) in most cases this will be the answer to the problem. If this did not help and you still have a PROBLEM light on, you should inspect your can lines making sure they are ‘live’ and not broken.

SCR Disconnection:

In order for adblue emulator to perform properly, after installation you will need to disconnect SCR system or at least some of its components, depending on truck make and model. Emulator will be sending signals to the vehicle ECU, which would normally be sent by SCR system, so it is important SCR system is disconnected. If it is not, ECU will receive double signals which will cause errors codes. Should SCR disconnection be done correctly, you will see [OK] SCR disconnected. IF SCR is not disconnected, or disconnected incorrectly, you will see [PROBLEM] Disconnect SCR.  

These are only some of the benefits self-diagnosis adblue emulator system can offer. It gives the installer instant connection diagnosis and makes it clear what needs to be corrected in case of incorrect connection.

The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020 at 23:00 GMT ending almost half century of membership. From this date and time, the UK and the EU entered a transition period. It was agreed that during transition period the UK is no longer a member of the EU, but will remain a member of single market and customs union. Transition period has ended at 11pm on 31 December 2020 and the UK has left the single market and customs union with immediate effect.

As a result of UK leaving the single market and customs union, new rules apply to things like travelling and doing business with the EU. For customs purposes, the UK is teated as any other third/non-EU country as of 1 January 2021 and customs procedures and formalities now apply to trade between the UK and the EU. 

So what has changed with buying adblue emulators or other our products?

AdBlue emulator and other product prices after Brexit:

Our prices will no go up. In fact, we are making our prices better. We have started a few mass production lines at the end of last year, which allows us for making our cost lower. Such savings will be in turn passed on to our trade customers who will enjoy much better prices in 2021 especially on our main products such adblue emulators.

UK CUSTOMERS

We will try to do our best to hold a small stock of adblue emulators, OBD Error code scanners and other of our most popular products at our UK base, but our main warehouse is now based in the EU and therefore most parcels will be posted from the EU. We will do our best to post UK customer orders from our UK stock, in which case nothing will change, you will still receive your order quickly and there will be no additional cost. However, if we do not have your item in the UK stock, it will be posted to you from our EU base. Orders from our EU base will be posted with DHL Express service. As of yet we have not had any delays or additional charges such import duty, vat etc.. reported by our customers. Parcels are getting to the UK within 2 working days. However, these are uncertain times indeed, and this could change anytime.

In summary, we may post your order from our EU stock if product is not in stock at our UK base. As a result you may incur additional charges such as import duty or VAT. You, the customer, will be solely responsible for any such charges. 

NORTHERN IRELAND CUSTOMERS

In accordance with the agreed Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, EU customs rules and procedures generally continue to apply to goods entering and leaving Northern Ireland. Therefor, nothing has changed for our customers in Northern Ireland, at least not so far. Our products such as adblue emulators, nox emulators and error code cleaners will be delivered the next working day via DHL Express service and there will be no additional charges or customs paperwork required for your goods. We do not know what will future hold, but for now, we have not had any extra charges or delays reported by our NI customers.

EU CUSTOMERS

Nothing will change for our EU customers. Your orders will be posted from our EU base so most countries within the EU will enjoy same rapid next working day delivery and no extra charges whatsoever. Just as before, customers that are VAT registered will pay no VAT on their orders, subject to providing a valid VAT registration number.              

THE REST OF THE WORLD

Nothing will change for our customers in the rest of the world. Your orders for products such as adblue emulators will be posted from our EU base so you will enjoy same fast delivery via DHL Express and no extra paperwork or other formalities due to brexit. Customers will also pay no VAT as their orders will be going for export outside the EU.

Limp mode, also known as limp home mode, is a feature in all trucks, which activates once the vehicle’s ECU detects a fault. In trucks, this happens mostly due to a fault with emissions control system. So it may be a failure of one or more SCR system components, NOx sensors, DPF or anything else within the emissions control system.  Once fault is detected, ECU will give you a certain number of hours/miles/starts before limp mode kicks in. When it does, the engine’s power will be limited until the fault in question is rectified.

Limp mode can be problematic, in most cases your truck will only go at a speed of about 20 miles per hour, such drastic is the engine’s power reduction. In trucks this can be especially bad if the vehicle is loaded at the time making it practically impossible to carry on driving safely.

There is not much you can do about limp mode when it is activated. The problem has to be fixed and relative error codes cleared before your truck will return to full power. However, something can be done. We are proud to present our Emergency Limp Mode reset tool, which will always get you out of trouble with limp mode. This is very simple plug & play tool which simply plugs in to the OBD port inside the cab. The way it works is the tool will automatically scan, detect and delete any inactive error codes from the truck’s ECU once plugged in, all you have to do is turn ignition on. Deleting the error codes will result in limp mode timer re-setting and giving you a new countdown until it kicks in again. Your vehicle will return to full power and if limp mode kicks in again after some time, you just reset it again. With SMART DTC emergency limp mode reset tool you will be able to complete your journey on full power no matter how far away you are from your destination.

We have developed a wide range of Limp Mode Reset tools for most European trucks. Full range, photos and specification can be found via link below:
Shop

Remapping is a process of replacing/modifying manufacturer’s default/original settings/maps by downloading the original ECU file, modifying it and then uploading it back to the truck’s ECU. On some vehicles this can be done with OBD FLASH tools such as KESS, on others you would need to connect directly to the ECU using BENCH FLASH tool such as K-TAG.

Is remapping safe?

Remapping is safe as long as it is done by experienced and reputable company/person. Can Logic smart file service will not affect you engine’s reliability or anything else in the vehicle. Our remapping service comes with guaranteed results and full warranty.

Is remapping same as chipping/chip tuning?

Yes, remapping is also known as chipping, chip tuning and ECU tuning.  All of these are processes of installing, replacing or modifying manufacturers default software/maps in vehicle’s ECU.

Can remap be detected?

In most cases, no, remap would not be detected by diagnostics. Some details/changes may be seen, but not necessarily what exactly was changed.

Can you reverse remapping / Remove remap?

Yes, remap can be reversed to original state by uploading the original file on to the truck’s ECU. Can Logic remapping software is fully reversible and your truck can be returned to default settings at any time.

HGV remapping tools, what do I need to download/upload ECU files?

There are various different tools available on the market today. As well as original tools there are also many cheaper, Chinese made versions. Most popular tools used in today’s market are K-TAG (bench flash) and KESS (obd flash) these are made by Italian company Alientech. Chinese copies obviously sell at a fraction of the cost of original tool, but for top quality performance original tools would be recommended.

So basically, you will need a ‘flash’ tool, which is able to read, write, download and upload ECU files/maps on the vehicle you are working on. You will also need relative protocols/software, which would cover the vehicles you are planning to work on.  

Which trucks can you remap?

We are able to remap most Euro 5 and Euro 6 trucks as well as other heavy transport and machinery. Can Logic can remap most construction transport and plants, agricultural transport and plants, mining machines and a variety of other heavy transport/machinery. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions in regards to your specific remapping needs.

Which remapping services do you provide?

We can offer a wide range of remapping services as well as bespoke maps tailored to your precise requirement. Our remapping services include, but are not limited to, the following:

SCR DELETE

NOX DELETE

EGR DELETE

DPF DELETE

SPEED LIMIT DELETE

POWER MAP

ECONOMY MAP

Please get in touch to confirm possibilities. We will need to know some vehicle details like make, model, engine and ECU type, what tool are you using for downloading the file… Easiest way to request your truck-remapping quote is by filling out the form via link below:
Online File Modification

European emission standards for truck and other heavy-duty vehicle diesel engines are normally known as Euro I, Euro II, Euro III, Euro IV, Euro V and Euro VI. Starting with Euro 1 standard in 1992 the main aim was to reduce pollution and in turn improve air quality within the EU.

Euro I standard was introduced in 1992. Euro II standard followed in 1996. Both these standards were voluntary and were not enforced.

Euro III standard was introduced in 1999. This introduced a separate nitrogen oxide limit. 

Euro IV standard was introduced in 2005. 

Euro V standard was introduced in 2008

Euro VI standard started in 2013/2014

European emissions standards in trucks are the set limit of maximum values of harmful emissions that are allowed to come out of the exhaust. To fight pollution and for reasons such as health and air quality, the regulated emissions are:

  • Oxides of Nitrogen
  • Particulate Matter
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Ammonia

Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards have mainly concentrated on reducing particular matter and oxides of nitrogen emissions. These trucks would normally have emissions control system consisting of all or two of below components:

EGR (‘exhaust gas recirculation’ this will reduce Oxides of Nitrogen emissions by adding cooled exhaust gas to intake air)

SCR (‘selective catalytic reduction’ system, this will reduce Oxides of Nitrogen emissions by adding ammonia (adblue) to exhaust system)

NOX (‘oxides of nitrogen’ nox sensor removes oxygen and breaks down the nitrogen oxides to provide a reading, this reading is then sent to truck’s SCR system which can then adjust itself to reduce NOx levels)

Most common combination in Euro 5 trucks is SCR + two NOx sensors. 

Euro 6 is obviously is the most complex emission control system to date. Some manufacturers claim it offers a range of ecological advantages such as up to 99% reduction in particulate matter, up to 97% reduction in Oxides of Nitrogen and other emission reductions..  This comes at cost, Euro 6 SCR, Nox or DPF systems are extremely expensive to repair and unfortunately not as reliable as one would hope for.. Other potential downsides would be Euro 6 trucks will consume more adblue and some fleets have reported higher diesel consumption as well. To put it simply, Euro 6 trucks have the most stringent emissions control system to date, but this most certainly come at a price of much higher maintenance cost.

Euro 6 truck emissions system normally consists of three or all 4 components below:

EGR (‘exhaust gas recirculation’ this will reduce Oxides of Nitrogen emissions by adding cooled exhaust gas to intake air)

DPF (‘diesel particulate filter’, this will filter out soot particles from engine exhaust gas, when filter is full it will increase temperature to burn soot out, this process is known as ‘re-generation’)

SCR (‘selective catalytic reduction’ system, this will reduce Oxides of Nitrogen emissions by adding ammonia (adblue) to exhaust system)

NOX (‘oxides of nitrogen’ nox sensor removes oxygen and breaks down the nitrogen oxides to provide a reading, this reading is then sent to truck’s SCR system which can then adjust itself to reduce NOx levels)

So far Euro 6 is the latest and most advanced emission standard in trucks. Nobody is yet talking about Euro 7 standard, and no manufacturer has announced any dates as of yet. It is very hard to predict when will the new Euro 7 standard arrive or what will it be like..

Apart from Chinese adblue emulators ( so called 9 in 1 emulator, 8 in 1 emulator or 7 in 1 emulator…) which states that these will work on almost any vehicle (J) there are not many universal adblue emulators out there. Due to demand, we have now developed, tested and finally produced universal adblue + nox emulators for Euro 5 standard trucks. Just as any can smart adblue emulator in our range, these are top of the range emulators offering full adblue and nox system disconnection. The only difference is that it carries all programs for all truck makes and automatically recognises the system (and switches to required mode dependant on vehicle make/model) within 1,5 seconds of turning ignition on! Can Smart Universal adblue emulator can be removed in the future and re-installed to any other vehicle. It is suitable for the following vehicle makes and models:

 

DAF EURO 5 (CF75, CF85, XF105)

VOLVO 3-SERIES EURO 5 (FH, FM, FMX, FE, FL)

RENAULT 3-SERIES EURO 5 (MIDLUM, MAGNUM, PREMIUM)

IVECO EURO 5 (EUROCARGO, STRALIS, TRAKKER)

MAN EURO 5 (TGS, TGL, TGM, TGX)

SCANIA EURO 5 (P, R, S, G) (Please note, in Scania’s can connections are taken from the engine bay therefore you will need to extend wires from the emulator or buy Scania extra wire harness from www.canemu.com )

 

 

Universal Euro 5 adblue emulators are available to our trade and retail customers at affordable price. Please get in touch should you have any questions, or if you are interested in placing your order.

 

On Euro 6 standard trucks SCR, NOX, DPF systems are very complicated and it is practically impossible to produce single emulator suitable for all of the makes. There are some exceptions, for example most Volvo, Renault and UD trucks run the same SCR system, which means one emulator would be suitable for all of these trucks. But there are also many points to take into consideration, such as is the vehicle equipped with retarder (trucks with retarder will need slightly different software to those without retarder) Another thing to consider is that smaller models (town trucks) such as Volvo FL/FE or Renault D, would also have a different program to their big brothers, (Volvo FH/FM or Renault T) Proper Euro 6 emulators, such as our Can Smart range, are developed precisely for that particular vehicle and there will be no warning lights on your dashboard.

Every little thing is considered with our emulators, for example smaller ‘town trucks’ would have smaller adblue tank to the one in big/long distance trucks hence the emulator has to be programmed accordingly to ensure no error faults coming up…

 

So even though all of these vehicles have the same SCR system, there are numerous variations to take into account when purchasing suitable adblue emulator for Euro 6 vehicles. Please make sure to do your research and be sure the emulator you are buying is suitable specifically for your vehicle before paying for it, especially if we are talking about Euro 6 standard vehicles. Be sure to quote as much tech info as possible about the vehicle as this is very important. Retailers who will reply there is no difference one emulator would suit all Volvo trucks (or any other make) are lying to you, this is simply not possible.

In a word, NO. Adblue emulators are strictly illegal to use on the roads of the UK or any other country within the European Union. Although it is not against the law to produce, sell, buy or keep in possession, adblue emulators are not legal to use in any vehicle. Adblue emulators are irreplaceable gadget for trucks being used or going for export to where no adblue is not available and no euro emissions standards apply. Also, Adblue can freeze up in especially cold climates, adblue emulator can stop the vehicle’s performance being impacted. Again, adblue emulators can only be used in countries where no European Emission standards are in force.

 

Operators/drivers should think carefully about installing adbblue emulators in their vehicles, which are used on UK roads. This may have serious consequences.

In 2017, the DVSA announced that it will start checks for emissions cheating devices or modifications as part of roadside enforcement stops.  It is a criminal offence to use a vehicle, which has been modified so that it does not meet its intended design emissions standard. The DVSA can issue roadworthiness prohibitions with a 10-day requirement for any non-compliant vehicle to be returned to its original emissions condition, a failure to do so runs the risk of attracting fines, which can be issued for both operator and driver.

So in summary, adblue emulators are illegal to use in any vehicle, which is being used on UK roads. By using adblue emulator, your vehicle will potentially be emitting up to 2,5 times more harmful emissions over the official level. Use of adblue emulators threatens to undercut responsible and compliant operators and also damages the environment and public health.

 

There were numerous warnings from senior Traffic commissioners published during 2018 and 2019. They welcomed the steps being taken by the enforcement agency to identify vehicles which emissions cheating devices. Vehicle check for adblue emulator presence is now a part of routine vehicle inspection process at roadside.

AdBlue liquid is a mixture of urea and deionised water which is injected into a vehicle’s selective catalytic reduction system to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels, converting exhaust emissions into a far less harmful mix of nitrogen and water vapour.

Adblue offers environmental advantages to running vehicles to cleaner emissions standards.  There are also commercial advantages such as cheaper vehicle excise duty, increased fuel efficiency (claimed by the manufacturers) and avoiding the London LEZ charge.

Leaving the above advantages aside for the moment, there is also a downside to this. Obviously, adblue cost money, which the operators are paying on top of their fuel cost. This is however by far not the worst of it, the worst is adblue systems are extremely unreliable and stupidly expensive to repair. If we take Euro 6 standard trucks for example, should any of the major adblue system components fail, you are probably looking at 3K – 15K bill to get that sorted. Looking at such facts, it is clear that the downside of adblue system outweighs the benefits of it by some distance, hence, over time, suppliers to the commercial vehicle industry appear to have found their own ways to disable the adblue system.

There are a few options available at present to disconnect the adblue systems. Adblue emulators are one of the most popular option. The main component of Adblue emulator is circuit board (PCB), which is normally encased within a plastic or metal box, or simply wrapped, or heat-sealed in conduit. PCB is preloaded with SCR software for required vehicle model. Emulator would normally be connected to earth/negative, power/positive and also to vehicle’s CAN lines. After installing the emulator, power to SCR system would be disconnected by removing a fuse or cutting through wires. Now, once the vehicle is started the emulator would kick in sending signals to the ECU via can lines imitating/emulating fully functional SCR system performance. Therefor, the ECU would ‘’think’’ scr system is working as it should and would not bring any error codes or limp mode even though the the SCR system is disconnected. Adblue liquid will no longer be consumed once adblue emulator is installed. Due to this, if running the vehicle on the emulator for some time, you may expect to find some problems with the SCR system, should you choose to remove the emulator in the future. For example, It is common for components such as adblue injector to fail after not being used for long periods of time. Emulators are also available for specifically nox sensors and dpf, and there are also emulators, which would disconnect the lot.

Although most demand comes for adblue emulators for trucks and other heavy transport, there seem to be a lot of interest from light vehicles/cars/vans as well. There are also various adblue emulators available for construction, agricultural and other industry special heavy transport.

Another option to disconnect adblue is by downloading the ECU file, modifying it and uploading back on to the vehicle’s ECU. There is no need to do anything mechanically to the vehicle or disconnect anything, basically everything stays the same, just the file is modified. A wide variety of file modification services are available, such as:

Power map, Adblue delete, DPF delete, EGR delete, NOX delete and many others…