Kevin Rutherfrauds $200000 Signature glider truck has complete engine failure!!!

https://www.facebook.com/MicroBlueTrucking?fref=ts

Track My Truck Update:

Let's just say, since the beginning, the performance of this engine has not made any logical sense. And what we mean is the following:

1) Since the beginning, the most frustrating part of this puzzle is simply, no matter what changes have been made, mileage always decreases. So in essence, we can make it "worse", but cannot make it any "better" Absolutely no changes either mechanically or from an ECM standpoint have had a measurable, long term effect.

2) It runs rich at all times, even at idle. Which in itself, unusual for a diesel engine.

3) It gets great fuel mileage pulling light, but when the engine is under load, it falls on it's face.

4) Engine performance is inconsistent. On a recent run from Connecticut to Arizona, pulling an empty flatbed, the truck logged 10.4 mpg. from CT to Missouri and then suddenly dropped to 8.3 mpg from MO to Arizona. With the exception of a brief headwind condition, conditions were consistent.

From the very beginning, we have suspected that something other than turbos or ECM's has been the key player in the equation. Again, no hardware or ECM changes has had any measurable effect. And at this point we have verified every component in the engine is correct and in good shape (cam type, head, injectors and cylinder pack selection for example). So that leads to something external, to which there's three things we will be looking into:

1) External sensors. We know for example, if the engine thinks it's 0 deg. outside when it's actually 90 deg., it will go into an over-fueling mode. That would actually produce exactly the same results we've seen.

2) Wiring harness. Whenever you have that many wires going into one box, there is an opportunity for something not being right. Perhaps something that sends the engine the wrong information.

3) Wiring installation. With that many wires that need to be installed, there is always the chance that the "red" wire got plugged into the "blue" socket for example. Again, that may possibly send the engine the wrong information.

Since we've exhausted all the physical/mechanical/tuning options, we will now turn to the above and search for clues. This will take time and is not an easy task. However Jeff and Kathy are up to the challenge as is Terry. We don't plan on quitting, no matter what.

 

Heading into prevailing winds & crossing the continental divide is not consistent conditions.

And they are running the same perkins diesel engine used by my apu -- it burns about 1/3 gallon per hour. With 3 days between fill ups, that might mean 12 extra gallons of diesel burned by the diesel generator/AC between MO & AZ compared to the cooler run between CT to MO...

 

Don't forget there are hills once you get to New Mexico and Arizona. What you gain on the downhill does not make upwhat you lose on the uphill. I think they mean well, but in the end, no matter that they are "certified master contractors", they lack the experience to know what's what.

 

I would've just bought a glider. Whole hellva money for mpg's dancing around in their heads can you say I drank the kool-aid. These people are way to invested to abandon the ship, like most hard lessons in life only father time will teach this lesson.

 

I think they are someones golden goose. Someone hit the lottery but it wasn't the truck owners

 

What I find most interesting, is that that this $200,000 truck with all it's MicroBlue treatment, gets the same fuel economy as my 20 year old truck with with MicroBlue in only one wheel.

 

Which wheel - the 5th wheel?

 

you microbluded your 5th wheel? sorry, couldn't resist.

 

I had it in the steer and drive axles. I saw no improvement in fuel economy and therefore had no reason for keeping them.
I will most likely remove the last one at my next brake job.

 

Micro blue, FASS, Turbo 3000 (D!), air filter......
If you just do all that, you'll get 10 MPG! (if you follow the rivers down hill, of course)