John Deere is releasing software updates for its construction, farm and forestry equipment that will give owners more time before the engines shut down due to emissions aftertreatment faults.
The new software is aligning with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s revised guidelines released in September concerning empty diesel exhaust fluid tanks or sensor failures causing engines to lose power, or “derate.” The voluntary guidelines address off-road machines as well as on-road trucks with diesel engines and faults for selective catalytic reduction.
Deere notes that under previous guidelines DEF- and SCR-related faults could idle machines within four hours of a detected fault.
“While those systems met EPA emission requirements in place at the time, customers often need more time to diagnose issues, obtain parts, coordinate service and safely finish the work already underway,” the company says.
The issue has been more pronounced for highway truckers and farmers, but derate also affects construction and forestry equipment.
Instead of idling after 4 hours of a detected fault, operators of nonroad equipment get longer warnings and gradual drops in torque. No change in torque would occur for the first 36 hours under the new guidance. Then there would be a 25% torque reduction. At 100 hours, torque would be cut in half.
Powered byDeere’s updated software will give customers about 20 hours to address the issue before derate occurs, the company say. If not addressed in that time, instead of dropping to idle, the machine will decline to about 30% power.
Deere says it worked with the EPA and the industry to achieve “a more practical approach that would support emissions compliance while reducing unnecessary disruption for customers.”
The company said it began releasing the updates in November, two months after the new EPA guidelines were announced, and will continue to do so through 2027. It expects that by the end of this year, about 80% of the updates will have been released. Those with connected machines will be prompted with the software updates. The updates can also be installed at a Deere dealership or the company’s Operations Center Pro.
“In practical terms, that can mean a farmer has time to finish a day's work before scheduling service, a contractor can complete a critical task before returning equipment for repair, or a forestry crew can better plan maintenance without losing productivity in the middle of a job,” the company says.
The updated software also delivers improved DEF quality diagnostic performance, according to Deere.
