The popular DD13 Gen 5 builds upon its previous iterations. Image: Penske
Great fuel efficiency, reduced running costs, exceptional performance and reduced total cost of ownership combine to make Detroit’s stable of engines a winning choice.
Whether Detroit’s DD13 engine or the DD16 – which is the biggest, most-powerful truck engine ever built by Detroit – the brand’s range of engines are built to go the extra mile, even in the most trying conditions.
Released in 2021, the popular DD13 Gen 5 builds upon its previous iterations, bringing further improvements in fuel consumption and an increased compression ratio.
Penske is the authorised distributor of Detroit engines across Australia and New Zealand.
As Detroit business manager at Penske Australia, Bob Gowans, explained, “Each new generation of the DD13 has seen a 2-3 per cent improvement in fuel consumption. Additionally, with each iteration of that engine, we’ve been able to improve the driver experience and reliability even further.
“The DD-series of engines are a very advanced platform. Rather than being a modification of an existing engine platform, the DD13, 15 and 16 were engineered from the ground up, with fuel economy being a major factor in its design.”
When the engine range was created, it was designed to future-proof against future emissions standards, exceeding the then latest EPA10 standards.
“At Detroit, we built an engine to cope with the newest emissions requirements but we also had visibility of what the future would look like in terms of reducing emissions further,” added Bob.
“This made it possible to create an engine platform that didn’t just do what was legally required, but also delivered greater driveability and class-leading fuel consumption.”
Detroit’s engines have already proved they can last a long time out in the field, delivering great fuel consumption even in very harsh conditions.
“More low speed torque provides the ability to hold gears on hills as well as better launch acceleration. Coupled with the right axle ratio, the side effect of that is that the engine is turning slower than previously, reducing friction and fuel consumption further,” explained Bob.
When it comes to emissions, Detroit doesn’t just look at the regulated emissions – NOx and particulates – but also at greenhouse gas emissions, which is becoming more and more important to its increasingly environmentally conscious customers.
“Put simply, the less fuel you burn, the less greenhouse gas emissions there are, so we are already in a great position with our range of engines,” Bob said.
Every Detroit DD engine is also compatible with renewable diesel such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), without affecting the engine’s maintenance requirements and with no modifications needed for the vehicle. “That’s as standard on every single DD-series engine.”
Fuel isn’t the only liquid cost operators face; “We’re meeting the latest emissions requirements without using a huge amount of AdBlue, typically 3-4 per cent of fuel usage. The latest iterations of the DD13 and DD16 engine also have hugely increased operating periods between regeneration and reducing the time taken to complete one while driving – in many operations, customers will save downtime by never having to do a stationary regeneration.
All of Detroit’s engines have an integrated Jacobs engine brake, which offers engine brake performance of more than 550hp in the DD13 and 650hp on the DD16 – reducing the reliance on service brakes, thus keeping them fresh for emergency usage. “It avoids unnecessarily wearing things out,” said Bob.
“In order to keep the engine reliable and for a longer fruitful life, Detroit engines are designed so they don’t need a mid life rebuild or refresh. They are designed to last.”
But when the time does come to replace engine parts, Detroit recommends always going for the genuine option.
“Whether that’s due to damage or maintenance requirements, at Detroit we tell customers about the advantages of using genuine parts wherever they can,” said Bob.
All Detroit engine spare parts have a one-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. These parts aren’t just designed to fit the engine, they are the exact same parts that are used to build the engine at the factory, with the same quality control.
In addition to that, Detroit offers its own range of coolants and oils, which are designed to meet Detroit engine requirements and are suitable for other engine makes and models.
“Detroit’s range of genuine coolants and oils are engineered to help protect parts of the engine from premature wear and keep it running a long time into the future,” explained Bob.
“They are specifically designed for Detroit engines in Australia. Our engine oils and long-life coolants have been tested extensively in Australian road trains in some of the harshest conditions to be certain that they can protect Detroit engines in our unique operating environment. The latest FA-4 oil is factory fill across all trucks currently fitted with a Detroit engine, and offers a significant fuel saving over older CK-4 oils.
“Likewise Detroit PowerCool coolants are thoroughly tested in Australia and designed to prevent any internal corrosion over their whole life, which is absolutely critical in protecting the range of metals in a modern engine.”
