John Deere Power Systems FAQ

JDPS General Questions

WHO DO I CONTACT FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION?

The best source of information on our products and services is your local John Deere dealer. To find serial-specific John Deere engine and emissions information, download our free John Deere PowerAssist™ App (available on the App store and Google Play).

WHO DO I CONTACT FOR PRICE-RELATED QUESTIONS?

Price-related questions specific to engines should go to your authorized John Deere Power Systems dealer or distributor. To locate your nearest dealer or distributor, please use our John Deere Dealer Locator.

WHO DO I CONTACT FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE?

For technical questions about sales and installation of engines or drivetrain components, please contact your nearest authorized John Deere engine distributor. For technical questions about service or repair, contact your local, authorized John Deere dealer.

HOW CAN I OBTAIN TECHNICAL INFORMATION (OPERATOR'S MANUALS, PARTS CATALOGS & SERVICE/TECHNICAL MANUALS)?

You may order our John Deere technical manuals and parts catalogs through your local, authorized John Deere dealer or online at Techpubs.Deere.com.

I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING MY JOHN DEERE LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT.

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions at the John Deere Answer Center.

WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT DONATIONS?

To be considered for John Deere donations (equipment, funding, materials), please visit the John Deere Grant Guidelines page.

Sustainability

WHAT ARE THE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS AT JOHN DEERE POWER SYSTEMS?

Owners and operators of off-highway equipment continue to face ever-increasing demands for improved emission performance, fuel economy, and productivity. This is why John Deere is making strategic investments in electrification, renewable fuels, and other future-forward technologies. We offer a diversified range of powertrain solutions that will give OEMs and their customers a competitive edge in the off-highway market as they work to meet their productivity and sustainability goals.

John Deere has set ambitious sustainability goals for 2026 across our different manufacturing segments:

  • Offer an electric option in each Turf and Compact Utility Tractor product family
  • Deliver a fully autonomous, battery-powered electric ag tractor to the market
  • Deliver 20+ electric and diesel-electric product models in the Construction & Forestry division
  • Demonstrate viable low- and near-zero-carbon alternative power solutions by 2026

WHY IS JOHN DEERE PURSUING A DIVERSIFIED RANGE OF POWER SOLUTIONS?

At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to powertrains. There are applications where diesel power will continue to make sense, others where battery or diesel-electric will be ideal, and still others where renewable fuels will make the most impact.

John Deere is making strides now to invest in and develop the most cutting-edge, vetted solutions in each of these categories to ensure that it continues to be a trusted partner to OEMs. We recognize that it will take a variety of power sources to meet the unique needs of off-highway equipment applications. Both scalable battery power and viable renewable fuel options will be needed to meet power requirements across a range of equipment sizes.

As John Deere customers face increasing challenges that make their businesses more competitive and dynamic, we will build on our track record by creating and delivering customer value through technological innovation, engineering and manufacturing excellence, and a world-class dealer channel. These attributes uniquely position John Deere to anticipate, address, and outpace these challenges better than anyone.

Renewable Fuels

WHAT ARE RENEWABLE FUELS?

Renewable fuels include:

  • Gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, and propane
  • Alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, and butanol
  • Vegetable and waste-derived oils
  • Electricity 

These fuels may be used in a dedicated system that burns a single fuel or in a mixed system with other fuels, including traditional gasoline or diesel, such as in diesel-electric or flexible fuel vehicles.

Some vehicles and engines are designed for renewable fuels by the manufacturer. Others are converted to run on a renewable fuel by modifying the engine controls and fueling system from the original configuration.

WHAT IS JOHN DEERE'S POSITION ON RENEWABLE FUELS?

Petroleum-based fuels have been the industry standard for years primarily due to the lack of acceptable, cost-effective, and reliable alternatives. However, with growing interest in sustainable energy, renewable fuels are becoming more widely adopted and readily available. Within the variety of available renewable fuels, John Deere considers biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel to be the most promising ways renewable fuels will integrate into the heavy equipment industry.

The renewable fuels that John Deere is investing in include biodiesel, renewable diesel fuel, and ethanol.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable, oxygenated fuel made through transesterification of a variety of renewable resources such as vegetable oils (soybean, rapeseed, etc.) and animal fat. It can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. As a renewable, domestic energy source, biodiesel can help reduce dependence on petroleum imports.

Renewable Diesel Fuel

Renewable diesel fuel is a paraffinic fuel made by either hydrotreatment of renewable resources such as vegetable oils (soybean, rapeseed, etc.) and animal fat, or through a synthesis process such as gas-to-liquids (GTL). These biofuels offer a sustainable replacement for petroleum diesel fuel with comparable performance. 

Ethanol Fuel

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. Ethanol is widely used in spark-ignition engines, with the most common blend being E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline). With some engine modifications, ethanol can potentially be used as a fuel in compression-ignition engines.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE FUELS?

There are a variety of advantages to using biofuels, including renewability, reduced carbon emissions, cost savings, reduced maintenance needs, and more.

The biggest advantage of biodiesel and renewable diesel is their renewability, as they are made from materials such as plants and cooking oils. As a renewable, domestic energy source, biodiesel can help reduce dependence on petroleum imports. Biodiesel is also nontoxic, biodegradable, and suitable for sensitive environments.

Use of biodiesel and renewable diesel can result in improved lubricity, zero aromatics, and minimal sulfur. Biodiesel also has a favorable energy balance — the difference between the energy produced by 1 kg of fuel and the energy necessary to produce it — of 3.2 to 1. This means that a gallon of biodiesel provides users with 3.2 times the energy it takes to produce it, which is a higher ratio than most renewable fuels offer.

Renewable diesel is a hydrocarbon fuel like petroleum diesel, so it can offer many of the same benefits. However, its advantage over petroleum diesel is that it has lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a well-to-wheel basis.

WHY DOES JOHN DEERE SUPPORT THE USE OF RENEWABLE FUELS?

Economic uncertainty, rising oil prices, and increasing CO2 levels are underlining the importance of renewable fuels and accelerating the adoption of technologies that integrate non-traditional fuel sources.

John Deere supports the use of renewable fuels because it recognizes the importance of biofuels to our customers and to the environment. Investing in renewable fuels also delivers value from a long-term economic standpoint, as well as environmental, energy security, and rural development standpoints.

ARE THERE ANY DRAWBACKS TO USING RENEWABLE FUELS?

Though there are many advantages to renewable fuels, there are still some challenges when it comes to widespread adoption. To start, there are a wide variety of renewable fuels available. Determining which fuel is most compatible with the engine and power requirements of the application can be challenging. There is also still a need for an expanded infrastructure to support broader accessibility for renewable fuels.

For more information on your engines' compatibility with renewable fuels and what solutions are right for you, please contact your nearest authorized John Deere engine distributor.

HOW IS JOHN DEERE INVESTING IN RENEWABLE FUEL TECHNOLOGY?

John Deere is committed to offering more sustainable energy solutions without compromising engine performance through our investment in integrating renewable fuel technologies.  

To support our goal of providing differentiated powertrain solutions, John Deere has made an equity investment in ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a growing start-up dedicated to the development of clean engine technology. ClearFlame's solution enables low-carbon fuels like ethanol to be easily integrated into compression-ignition engines, offering a more sustainable solution without compromising engine performance.

WHICH JOHN DEERE ENGINES CAN BE USED WITH RENEWABLE FUELS?

  • Stage V engines operated within the European Union can use biodiesel blends up to 8% (B8).
  • Final Tier 4/Stage IV and Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines can use biodiesel concentrations up to 20% (B20).
  • Tier 3/Stage III A and lower tier engines can use up to 100% (B100) biodiesel.
  • Biodiesel must meet the standards set by the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) D6751 or European Standard (EN) 14214.

All John Deere engines can use renewable diesel fuel:

  • Renewable diesel fuel (paraffinic diesel fuel) can be blended with petroleum diesel or used at 100% (RD100).
  • Renewable diesel fuel must meet the standards set by either ASTM D975, EN 590, or EN 15940.
  • Currently, Stage V engines operating in the EU can use blends of renewable diesel fuel (EN 15940) up to approximately 30% with an EN 590 fuel. The final blend must still meet the requirements of an EN 590 fuel.

For more information, visit our Renewable Fuels page.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASTM D6751 AND EN 14214?

ASTM International is a standards group consisting of technical experts from producers, users, consumers, government, and academia. ASTM standards are commonly recognized in the U.S. and Canada. ASTM D6751 identifies specifications B100 must meet before being blended with petroleum diesel, typically in blends up to B20.

The European Union EN 14214 specification is similar to ASTM D6751 but is somewhat more stringent in some elements of the specification. The other difference is that EN 14214 was developed with B100 in mind, and ASTM D6751 was developed with blends up to B20 in mind.

Electrification

WHAT IS JOHN DEERE'S ELECTRIFICATION STRATEGY?

John Deere sees a growing demand for battery power solutions for off-highway equipment and vehicles as more countries establish emissions standards.

Within its electrification strategy, John Deere is prioritizing the electrification of equipment that is most impacted by current and anticipated regulatory actions. This includes equipment that could rely solely on batteries as a primary power source, such as turf equipment, compact utility tractors, small tractors, compact construction equipment, and some road-building machines.

WHY DID JOHN DEERE INVEST IN KREISEL ELECTRIC?

Deere & Company has acquired majority ownership in Kreisel Electric, a battery technology provider based in Austria. As a leader in cutting-edge battery products engineered specifically for off-highway industries, Kreisel is uniquely equipped to provide battery power solutions that offer superior performance and a longer lifetime.

Since 2014, Kreisel has been a leading innovator focused on the development of immersion-cooled electric battery modules and packs for high-performance and off-highway applications. The company has a differentiated battery technology and battery-buffered charging infrastructure, and it currently serves a global customer base across multiple end markets, including commercial vehicles, off-highway vehicles, marine, e-motorsports, and other high-performance applications.

Off-road use will require special battery design and consideration around performance, durability, and thermal management. More frequent peak power and output will require higher cooling capability and more robust cell chemistry for such harsh working conditions as dust, dirt, fluid exposures, and vibrations. It will also require higher standards for electrical connectors and battery housing. Kreisel technology can address all these challenges.

John Deere also anticipates that battery technology requirements will differ by vehicle segment. Having a skilled battery technology provider who can help to develop different voltage level solutions expands the possible applications.

Next Generation Engines

HOW WILL JOHN DEERE POWER SYSTEMS MEET STAGE V EMISSIONS STANDARDS?

As both an engine and machine manufacturer, John Deere boasts a remarkable 1 billion hours of global experience with diesel particulate filter (DPF) technologies — this extensive knowledge is the foundation of the proven emissions solutions provided to OEM customers. We have employed DPF technology since Interim Tier 4/Stage III B.

We continue to lead our customers seamlessly through the upcoming Stage V transition, thanks to our global, field-tested experience. This valuable experience on hundreds of internal and external OEM applications has resulted in a tested DPF solution that increases uptime and offers the day-to-day reliability and durability users have come to expect from John Deere.

We continuously develop and test technologies to meet emissions regulations and refine our aftertreatment packages based on our field-proven solutions. For Final Tier 4/Stage IV regulations, we added a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to our PowerTech™ engine platform in engines 56 kW (75 hp) and above.

HOW DO STAGE V EMISSIONS STANDARDS DIFFER IN THE EU?

The European Union's Stage V emissions regulations limit particulate number (PN) in addition to particulate mass for all engines from below 19 kW to above 560 kW power bands. Because of this, engine manufacturers will need to limit ultrafine particulate emissions through the use of DPF technologies. The Stage V regulation also requires engine manufacturers to measure the regulated gaseous emissions output while the machine is in real operating conditions.

WILL DPF TECHNOLOGIES IMPACT END-USER OPERATION?

Aftertreatment technologies are transparent for end users. Regeneration cycles are a part of normal operation and are used as part of a strategic exhaust temperature strategy. During regeneration, John Deere engines monitor and control exhaust temperatures to ensure optimized efficiency of the aftertreatment system. The optimal or "burn off" temperature helps keep the system clean.

Under normal operating conditions, the aftertreatment system will take care of itself without intervention or impact to the operation of the equipment. Allowing the system to run through the cleaning or regeneration processes without intervention will provide operators the performance and productivity they have come to expect from John Deere engines.

HOW WILL EMISSIONS PACKAGES IMPACT OEM EQUIPMENT DESIGN?

In most cases, OEM customers currently using a John Deere engine with a DPF won't have to reengineer machine design to meet Stage V requirements.

In addition, the engineering integration team at John Deere Power Systems works to make sure our engines and aftertreatment systems can be properly integrated with OEM equipment. We have been using DPF technology since 2011, and we're well-positioned to help OEMs easily transition to Stage V-compliant packages.

We have extensive experience with the development and integration of DPFs in both John Deere and OEM equipment, with more than 1 billion DPF operating hours in the field.

WHICH JOHN DEERE PRODUCTS ARE STAGE V CERTIFIED?

John Deere Power Systems continues to lead our OEM customers seamlessly through the emissions transition with a lineup of engines that have received Stage V certification. This includes variable-speed engine families below 56 kW (75 hp) and above 130 kW (174 hp), as well as its constant-speed engine families. The industrial engine Stage V lineup from John Deere offers ratings from 36 kW to more than 500 kW (48 hp to more than 670 hp) with displacements of 2.9L through 18L.

WHICH JOHN DEERE STAGE V ENGINES ARE ROHS/ROHS2 COMPLIANT?

John Deere will offer a lineup of Stage V-certified engines that will be EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances 2 (RoHS 2) (Directive 2011/65/EU) compliant for OEM applications in the EU market — assisting OEMs in preparing their machines to meet the RoHS 2 Directive.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT JOHN DEERE NEXT GENERATION ENGINES?

Leveraging the best John Deere technologies in new ways to meet both market and customer demands, John Deere Next Generation Industrial Engines deliver new levels of reliability, durability, flexibility, and serviceability for a wide array of heavy-duty applications.

John Deere next generation engines are designed for easy integration and offer simple maintenance so that users can stay on the job longer. They also provide operators with lower operating costs and meet EPA Final Tier 4 and EU Stage V emissions regulations. Our next generation engine lineup includes the JD4, JD14, and JD18.

DO THE NEXT GENERATION ENGINES REQUIRE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF)?

The JD18 does not require DEF. The JD4 and JD14 have SCR systems.

WITH ALL THE NEW EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE TECHNOLOGY, HOW CAN I BE SURE MY ENGINE IS WORKING PROPERLY?

When OEMs choose a John Deere engine and it's equipped with telematics from an authorized John Deere dealer, their customers can experience John Deere Connected Support™. The customer-focused solution combines connectivity, data, analytics, and technology into innovative digital tools so John Deere dealers can help keep customers' equipment running.

I STILL HAVE MACHINES THAT OPERATE IN REGIONS NOT IMPACTED BY STAGE V REGULATIONS. WILL JOHN DEERE BE ABLE TO MEET MY ENGINE REQUIREMENTS?

John Deere provides a full lineup of engines that meet most emissions requirements. Please contact your nearest authorized John Deere distributor or dealer for details. 

Emissions

WHAT IS MY ENGINE'S HORSEPOWER RATING AND YEAR OF MANUFACTURE?

You can find the power ratings and build date of your engine using the John Deere PowerAssist™ App available for iOS or Android. You may also sign in to the Engine Information Search in our Parts and Service section. You will need a valid user ID and password to access this site.

WHERE DO I FIND ENGINE EMISSIONS CERTIFICATES?

You can find emissions certificates for your engine using the John Deere PowerAssist™ App available for iOS or Android. You may also sign in to the Engine Information Search in our Parts and Service section. You will need a valid user ID and password to access this site.

WHERE DO I FIND CERTIFICATES FOR MY NON-CERTIFIED ENGINE?

We do not have emissions certificates for non-certified engines. However, we do have engine power ratings and emissions data for OEM engines. Contact your nearest authorized John Deere distributor or dealer for details.

Performance

DOES A COOLED EGR-EQUIPPED DIESEL ENGINE HAVE A HIGHER INTERNAL COMBUSTION TEMPERATURE THAN AN SCR-EQUIPPED ENGINE?

As its name implies, John Deere cooled EGR technology cools and mixes measured amounts of exhaust gas with incoming fresh air to lower an engine's peak combustion temperature, thereby reducing most engine-out nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Remaining particulate matter (PM) and NOx emissions are reduced to acceptable levels downstream of the engine using an exhaust filter and an SCR catalyst, respectively. The exhaust filter traps and oxidizes PM while low levels of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injected into the exhaust stream ahead of the SCR catalyst reduce NOx emissions to an acceptable level.

In contrast, engines equipped with only the SCR technology utilize an engine calibration that operates at higher combustion temperatures in order to reduce PM to acceptable emissions levels within the engine. This places additional heat on internal components of the engine and creates more engine-out NOx. To reduce these higher levels of NOx downstream of an engine, larger amounts of DEF are injected into the exhaust stream and combined with the exhaust gasses in the SCR catalyst to reduce NOx emissions to an acceptable level. John Deere cooled EGR engines actually have cooler internal engine combustion temperatures than SCR-only engines. Cooled EGR engines do place more cooling requirements (higher heat rejection) on the cooling system. However, John Deere has adopted new cooling system designs and variable-speed fan drives that meet these cooling needs in the most efficient method possible. With the addition of SCR for Final Tier 4/Stage IV, optimized John Deere Final Tier 4 engine calibrations will utilize lower cooled EGR flow rates than Interim Tier 4/Stage III B, reducing the engine's heat rejection. The optimized John Deere Integrated Emissions Control system approach for Final Tier 4/Stage IV enables cooler engine combustion temperatures. The Integrated Emissions Control system of cooled EGR, an exhaust filter, and SCR results in higher power density, higher peak torque values, improved levels of engine durability, lower diesel fuel consumption, and the lowest DEF consumption. The net result is world-class total fluid economy.

HOW DOES THE POWERTECH PWL 4.5L ENGINE REDUCE PM WITH AN INTEGRATED EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A DOC AND SCR?

Through extensive combustion optimization and aftertreatment development, John Deere achieved levels of PM emissions reduction and performance in the 56 to 104 kW (75 to 140 hp) power range that enabled removal of the DPF for Final Tier 4/Stage IV.

The development of a new combustion system, associated changes in engine calibration, and the optimized Integrated Emissions Control system allow the PowerTech™ PWL 4.5L engine to achieve engine-out PM levels near zero. Any remaining PM is then oxidized passively in the DOC without the need for regeneration.

With the no-DPF Final Tier 4/Stage IV emissions technology solution, the PowerTech PWL 4.5L engine achieves customer performance expectations, improves engine packaging, and reduces cost.