X15 noise and lack of power on a hard pull.

[Waterloo]

(12-25-2019 )Jrloar Wrote:  

(12-25-2019 )tree98 Wrote:  30K mile oil changes, 2.79 rears, and that auto $hitter lugging you down all the time, your engine is being greatly abused. You don't have to believe it but it's a fact.

I listen to everything that I hear. Like I say. I am a mechanic but not specifically Cummins. I came here because you guys run them. I haven’t. There is times I would take the word of drivers over a mechanic. How much does a mechanic drive the engines. And like stated. No load rev is totally different than pulling 80k up a 9% 2 mile grade. Sitting in neutral the engine makes no noise. However if the truck misses a gear and it revs to catch it again I can hear it. It is much snappier when the computer does the rev though

Air compressor? That’s possible I guess. I could unhook the air intake to the compressor and see if the Sound changes. I do have one problem, in my mind it’s valve train noise. So it’s hard for me to look someplace else. However I came here to get thoughts and advice. So I will try the air compressor.

Get under that valve cover and redo the overhead. It is easy to screw up if it is not given ones undivided attention, I just did mine, twice. I finished up and started her up and had a ticking sound... Never discovered what I had missed, but got right back in there and redid the job. Tick went away. Best to do it yourself, that way you know it is done properly. I would not trust a shop to do an overhead, other than Mr Hagg...

Engine work, you are better off doing it yourself, there are not many shops out here that know spit about these motors. This site is a testament to that.

[Ricky]

(12-25-2019 )Jrloar Wrote:  

(12-25-2019 )tree98 Wrote:  30K mile oil changes, 2.79 rears, and that auto $hitter lugging you down all the time, your engine is being greatly abused. You don't have to believe it but it's a fact.

I listen to everything that I hear. Like I say. I am a mechanic but not specifically Cummins. I came here because you guys run them. I haven’t. There is times I would take the word of drivers over a mechanic. How much does a mechanic drive the engines. And like stated. No load rev is totally different than pulling 80k up a 9% 2 mile grade. Sitting in neutral the engine makes no noise. However if the truck misses a gear and it revs to catch it again I can hear it. It is much snappier when the computer does the rev though

Air compressor? That’s possible I guess. I could unhook the air intake to the compressor and see if the Sound changes. I do have one problem, in my mind it’s valve train noise. So it’s hard for me to look someplace else. However I came here to get thoughts and advice. So I will try the air compressor.

I have a 08 ISX and I have to say sometimes my air compressor is so loud, like it's throwing a rod. It comes and goes, not just when pumping air. And it's really not that old, maybe three years. But it has gotten worse lately. Might put another on by summer. If it fails will it damage the engine???

[Mattman]

Does the X15 engines use the two piece spring loaded gears like the ISX15?

Not sure what kind of noise they could make it one of the springs were to break

[Waterloo]

(12-25-2019 )Ricky Wrote:  

(12-25-2019 )Jrloar Wrote:  

(12-25-2019 )tree98 Wrote:  30K mile oil changes, 2.79 rears, and that auto $hitter lugging you down all the time, your engine is being greatly abused. You don't have to believe it but it's a fact.

I listen to everything that I hear. Like I say. I am a mechanic but not specifically Cummins. I came here because you guys run them. I haven’t. There is times I would take the word of drivers over a mechanic. How much does a mechanic drive the engines. And like stated. No load rev is totally different than pulling 80k up a 9% 2 mile grade. Sitting in neutral the engine makes no noise. However if the truck misses a gear and it revs to catch it again I can hear it. It is much snappier when the computer does the rev though

Air compressor? That’s possible I guess. I could unhook the air intake to the compressor and see if the Sound changes. I do have one problem, in my mind it’s valve train noise. So it’s hard for me to look someplace else. However I came here to get thoughts and advice. So I will try the air compressor.

I have a 08 ISX and I have to say sometimes my air compressor is so loud, like it's throwing a rod. It comes and goes, not just when pumping air. And it's really not that old, maybe three years. But it has gotten worse lately. Might put another on by summer. If it fails will it damage the engine???

Was it installed properly? There is a procedure that requires lining up the gears where they make contact in regards to balance. I installed mine at the house, made sure to line everything up according to Quickserve, very quiet, with very little Cummins knock.

[Felonygtp]

Change your fuel filter. I have noticed that ours vibrate and knock with the stock 10 micron filter. Put a 30 or 50 micron on it and problem goes away. You know it's time to change the filter when it starts "thumping" again.

[Camstyn]

(12-24-2019 )Jrloar Wrote:  Lots of questions. First, a little on my background. I am a double ASE master certified mechanic. However I will admit. I am in no may factory certified in any make. Just really good general non specific background

Not a driveline noise. Not tires. Not anything but from the engine. I did however get a video of it and in person it’s worse than the video shows. As far as maintenance on these trucks goes. If they ever needed anything it was replaced new. They are greased every 15k and oil every 30k. All full synthetic. They do overheads every 250k. Truck is at 299,850 miles at the moment and it is in as good of shape as new. centromatics on al 6 positions. Does not use but a quart of oil between changes. Not a drop of Coolant (Going by there records). Don’t build up access coolant pressure. Has what may be a very slight miss under heavy load. Fuel economy running 80 across TX from Del Rio to Joplin MO was 6.79 mpg. With 7k in a dry van Running tx 277 and I44. That’s in the vicinity of a 750 mile run.
Rear end gearing is 2.79

As far as manually shifting. Not that easy. I don’t know how much time you have in an auto. But if it don’t like what you want to do. It simply laughs at ya and does as it pleases any way. I can make it downshift only when it’s at a set RPM range. Otherwise it just beeps at ya. Then if it desires your RPMs are to high. It lets off the throttle for you. You truly have little control. And it’s not just this one. I know for a fact Paccar, Freightliner, and International work almost identical. I’ve ran all of those. Although the 12 speed in the FL works the best of the group. All the others including the one behind my X15 now are 10 speed.

Not sure what I missed. But I’ve been thinking. The overhead was ran about 30k ago according to the shop. I honestly think the screwed it up and set it wrong. They told me I’m the only one that has complained of noise like this and they have about 225 of the trucks. The lease 10 of them and the rest are company drivers. My thing is if I’m paying for the truck and “decide” to complete the lease then I don’t want a truck that hammered it’s self to death. Or I don’t want to pay for a catastrophic repair when I told them about the noise.

I made the fallowing video several hours ago while going threw Cumberland MD on I-68.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaaE5doQ...e=youtu.be

I guess what I’m looking for is reassurance that what I hear is without and doubt a problem and me making them fix it would be justified Keep in mind I told them it had a noise the day after I got this unit. And I’ve only had it for three weeks now.

I recommended the manual shifting because I spent 6 months in a 2016 Pete with 18spd Eaton autoshift and while shift points etc were programmed in auto mode, it wouldn’t override the manual mode to drive it your own way. Perhaps that is a “safety” setting that they can change in the software? The one I drove you could control shift points between idle and around 2000rpm in all gears.

Can’t help you with the noise unfortunately.

[Rawze]

(12-24-2019 )Jrloar Wrote:  ...

oil every 30k. All full synthetic.

...

Rear end gearing is 2.79

What others are telling you is solid... Take a moment to actually believe them... I will not allow bad information on this forum, there is too much of that on the internet already.

YES,. you are heavily abusing that engine!! -- YES, the red engine maker seems it could not give a s$hit if it dances the liners out of it because of it, as long as it makes it barely through that warranty period. THE ISX ENGINE and its mid-stop liner design and shortened rod length ABSOLUTELY HATES 1/3 or more POWER BEING APPLIED TO IT BELOW ABOUT 1400 OR SO!!!!!-- PERIOD!!!--- AND IT WILL CUT ITS OVERALL LIFESPAN IN HALF BY DRIVING HARD BELOW ABOUT 1350 OR SO LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME!!! -- ENGINES WITH SHORT PISTON ROD LENGTHS DO NOT LIKE HIGH TORQUE AT LOW RPM'S, ITS JUST A FACT!!!

Because of this and that you have an auto-S#itter AND... You have horrible, engine lugging rear ends ... AND you are driving it 70+ or even faster, BEATING IT TO DEATH! .. I don;t see you staying in buisness very long... you are abusing your equipment plain and simple, and ruining your fuel economy (your number one expense) and seem to be hell bent on doing everything the wrong ways like the rest of the 85% of the failing, struggling complete moron O/O's out there who think they can own a truck and somehow get more money by drive the piss out of it instead of actually managing costs and doing things the right ways. <-- good luck with that business strategy --- IT DOES NOT WORK LONG TERM-- YOU ALWAYS LOOSE YOUR ARSSE!


-- YEAH...IT IS THAT BAD, AND SO IS HOW YOUR TREATING THAT TRUCK, ITS ENGINE, AND ITS HORRIBLE SPECS. - ITS A 500K MILE THEN THROW AWAY SPEC'D TRUCK -- BECAUSE IT WILL BE DONE FOR IN ANOTHER HUNDRED OR TWO - K MILES (IF IT EVEN MAKES IT THAT FAR) OR SO AND YOU WILL BE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT PUKING COOLANT, ETC. AND CRYING ITS COSTING YOU $25,000 OR MORE TO FIX IT BY THE TIME IT HAS 600K MILES ON IT IF YOUR LUCKY, AND MAYBE IT ONLY LASTING 400~ishK BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TORTURE YOU ARE DESCRIBING!!!!


ALSO: YES, your engine is being abused by only changing oil every 30k miles and your fuel mileage is down in the 6's -- There is a chart you absolutely should go by for oil change interval based on fuel mileage... to keep the thing from carbon-packing itself to death and for maximum longevity without wasting money on oil changes too often... Here is that chart...

WHO IS THE COMPLETE MORON WHO TOLD YOU 30K OIL CHANGES ARE OK!!!-- AND DON'T SAY THE RED ENGINE MAKER -- THEY ARE TELLING PEOPLE THAT 50K IS OK THESE DAYS, JUST TO MAKE THE MEGA-FLEETS HAPPY, BUT THEY KNOW DAMN WELL THOSE ENGINES WILL NOT MAKE IT PAST 500K (barely thru the warranty)LIKE THAT!!!, it carbon-packed to f$k and beyond, cams wiped out, and all the complaints people see with them will all be setting in at once!.

Quote:If your average fuel mileage every 10,000 miles is ...

less than 5 MG -- Change your oil every 8,000 miles or so.

5 - 6 MPG -- Change your oil every 10,000 - 12,000 miles or so.

6 - 7 MPG -- Change your oil every 12,000 - 15,000 miles or so.

7 - 8 MPG -- Change your oil every 15,000 - 18,000 miles or so.

8 - 9 MPG -- Change your oil every 18,000 - 22,000 miles or so.

above 9 MPG -- Change your oil every 22,000 - 28,000 miles or so.

These recommendations are based on more than just engine wear alone. They are based on getting the most engine life vs the cost of oil changes themselves, and the fact that soot and other deposits are going to keep building up in your engine more rapidly than you can flush them out. A bypass oil filter system can extend this, but not by the claims they are making. You would be good to get an extra 8,000 - 10,000 miles on your oil before having to change it anyways. That is my experience on it, and is what I tell others that ask about these types of systems, etc.

ALSO, - You are doing nothing but completely wasting your money if your using synthetic in that thing... I have seen more overhead cams wiped out when people use synthetic than I even have with people using regular rotella-t, delo- or delvac w/ a gallon of 80/90 gear lube added in. -- Just because some moron told you somewhere that synthetic is superior, does not mean it will be any better in your enigne application at all.


-- Lastly, don't let those certifications go to your head... I know of hundreds of people who are certified who can't even hold a screwdriver properly, or even know how to use a damn torque wrench, nonetheless a dial indicator and other specialized tools / methods needed to maintain these modern engines properly any more. - Hell, most of the certified trained cummins techs in the OEM shops are beyond completely clueless any more.

-- If your still reading this,.. then perhaps all this has now been put into its proper un-filtered perspective for you, and now you are finally ready to learn how to own a truck in today modern age of trucking, and move forward...


-- if you want to still keep that terrible truck,.. and make the most of the hand you were dealt so far ...

FIRST OF ALL,.. DO 3 OIL CHANGES IN A ROW AT 3K INTERVALS OR SO TO UN-DO ALL THE GODDAMN SOOT BUILDUP IN THAT ENIGNE FROM THE OIL NOT BEING CHANGED OFTEN ENOUGH.

---- GET THAT GADDAMN TRANNY RE-PROGRAMMED TO MAKE IT RUN UP IN THE 1850+ RPM RANGE BEFORE IT SHIFTS!!!...

---- GET THOSE LIFE, AND FUEL SUCKING REARS OUT OF IT AND PUT SOMETHING HALF DECEN IN IT LIKE 3,55'S OR 3.79'S.

--- RUN YOUR OVERHEAD VALVER ADJUSTMENT AGAIN... DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.

-- rEGISTER YOUR TRUCK ON QUICKSERV.COM AND GET ALL THE FREE MANUALS AND PROCEDURES YOU NEED.

--- STOP driving it below 1400 or so when you need more than 1/3 on the feul pedal...it is killing the life of that enigne.

AND>>>>>

That bulls$it cummins garbage you posted is VERV VERY misleading... LOOK AT IT CLOSELY!!! -- even that spec sheet shows clearly that at 1000 rpm's the engine is only able to make ...

450-SA (#1) == tops out at 259HP for only the first 30 seconds, then drops back to a whopping 217HP because it is being lugged to death.

450-SA (#2) == tops out at 245HP for only the first 30 seconds, then drops back to a whopping 217HP

450-ST (#3)== tops out at 259HP for only the first 30 seconds, then drops back to a whopping 231HP

450-ST (#4)== tops out at 245HP for only the first 30 seconds, then drops back to a whopping 217HP

450 (#5)== tops out at 259HP, and yes,.. is being lugged to an agonizing death.

SURE AS HELL they will meet those horrible specs... but sure as hell it will eat the liners out of it too!.--- Good-old false / mis-leading advertising at tis best... show what the HP is at 1650 rpm's .. the followed by how far down you in rpm it can be abused and still last --- MAYBE--- barely thru the warranty to mis-lead you into thinking that thing is actually 450HP all the way wond to the botton like an ignorant fool.

[Mattman]

My data plate says 450hp at 1800rpm
1650 torque at 1000rpm.
I am not an expert but I try to do like Rawze was saying if engine gets down to 1300rpm and starts to lug I drop a gear or split that gear down.

Thought of a dropped liner scares me.