Mechanics lack of knowledge regarding shutdown events, codes etc??

This has happened to me at LEAST three times that I can remember, NO EXAGGERATION:

“Stop Engine” warning light comes on....engine shuts down....I note the time EXACTLY and either limp into the shop or get towed in. I tell the mechanic exactly what time the “stop engine” light came on and he says “yeah okay, well it’s either THIS OR THIS OR THIS.”

HUH???? I gave you exact time of the event, and somehow this is NEVER recorded in the computer? So you are WITHOUT EXAGGERATION not sure whether it’s a low coolant sensor or EGR failure or high DPF outlet warning that shut down the truck in the middle of the road???

Why does the computer show all the codes from the last time the codes were cleared but doesn't tell you which is which??

2009 Cascadia, Detroit Diesel 60 Series

 

Sorry about the lack of truck info - I forgot. Detroit 60 Series, 2009 Cascadia.

Maybe this is true in general for most trucks, but this has not been the case with my truck. Each time I get the “stop engine” light, it ends up being one specific thing that shut the truck down, and no one ever knows what it is, because there are three or four faults listed as recent faults, so we all have to guess. This is the point of what I’m saying. For example, one time it was the low coolant sensor gone bad, twice or more it was EGR valve, and twice I think it was high DPF temps. EACH OF THESE TIMES mechanics told me they were just guessing at the cause, since there was more than one fault listed in the general directory of recent faults (it’s not actually called that, I don’t know what they call it.) So my problem is, each time a specific event shut down the engine at a specific time of day, and I can’t understand why this specific event can’t be noted in the computer! I mean obviously the computer knows what did what at what specific time, so why can’t it note that for us to see?

 

Sorry my truck, Detroit 60 Series 2009 Cascadia

 

Yeah this is what I'm wondering - maybe mine does this too but the mechanics are just jerking me around, because the less I know the more money they can make having me fix crap that doesn't need to be fixed. When you say you can read them (with date and time) is this off the dash or with dealer software?

 

If it told me the time I could figure out which of the many "recent" codes was the one that actually shut down the truck. And if it's a problem that persists I obviously don't drive it, but sometimes in the past the truck would shut down for reasons that would go away, like high dpf temps that only lasted a second and then I wouldn't get another one for a month