Code P203E / Service DEF System message

[R.Taylor]

Driving home and the EVIC says to service the DEF system. Checked the code..... P203E, Reductant Level Sensor Circuit Intermittent / Erratic. Oddly today is when I filled the DEF tank with close near 5 gallons of fresh DEF. I wanted to use up as much stuff in the tank before I filled it up again. It was at 1/4 tank when I filled it... Just touching the red zone on the DEF gauge. I cleared the code and I'll keep an eye on it, With 8500 miles on it I should not be getting any "service" messages gosh darnit. Hopefully it's just a one time thing and resolves itself.

 

[sag2]

If it comes back at least your under warranty. The tank/sender is pretty expensive, like $1,000+.

 

[R.Taylor]

Code came back today minutes after I drove off. Had to drive 170 mile round trip, as I’m 40 miles into the trip.... EVIC display says truck is going to only go 5mph after 150 miles and to see dealer for def service.

Great, now I’m home with only 23 miles left before getting screwed because the dealership is 24 miles away.

I cleared the P203E half way through the trip but it came right back on and the countdown had not reset.

All because I filled the DEF tank from 1/4 to full??? Any trick out there other than possibly having to call a tow truck?

 

[TFucili]

Still learning this system myself, but I assume this code is unrelated to a DEF quality issue?

 

[R.Taylor]

Still learning this system myself, but I assume this code is unrelated to a DEF quality issue?

It's something to do with the tank level sender. What a crock of BS to derate the truck over a piece of smog equipment let alone a level sender. Looks like tomorrow I'm gonna have to keep both fingers crossed and see if I make it.... Going to call now and see if I can get a loaner since I have MaxCare otherwise I'm screwed again. Being Friday tomorrow I'm betting I'll be out of a truck till at least Wednesday.

Wondering if I should drain out some DEF....

 

[sag2]

It has nothing to do with you just filling it with DEF. It's too late to do anything but fix it correctly. The only way to clear the message is flash it or fix it. And flashing only gets you another couple hundred miles.

 

[R.Taylor]

I drained off about a gallon.... No more P203E code but the countdown is still on.....15 miles left till 5mph. Service advisor said it might clear itself out, Going to attempt to get to the service department in the morning.

Very disappointed at whoever thought up the idea to derate the vehicle speed because of a DEF system error.... It's not like it's a safety issue. Christ.... They could have at least made it 55mph.

 

[R.Taylor]

I have 12 miles left on the warning.... Going to attempt to get it to the dealership, 24 miles away. Should be an interesting drive. The P207e code has not come back, When I explained to my service advisor what happened and that I cleared the code and it has not come back she said just drive it and it might clear itself out since the code is not coming back. Left the batteries disconnected for 12 hours... That did nothing.

Not happy with this derate nonsense over the DEF system.... It's not like It's spewing coronavirus out of the tailpipe endangering and infecting everyone behind me.

 

[sag2]

You can be pissed at the lawmakers who make these rules and have no idea of the consequences. The manufacturer just has to live by them.

 

[Ozymandias]

It's all about the environment. To force you to go to the dealer to have it fixed. With 55mph quite a lot of people would just drove on and leave it like it is.
Dont blame Ram for it, it is the EPA that wanted it that way, all new cars are built that way.

Only thing different to Europe, ours derate at "the next stop" after the said milage, not in the middle of the interstate or in a tunnel or somewhere horrible.

Please tell us if it really derates spot on after the countdown went to Zero.

 

[Ozymandias]

You can be pissed at the lawmakers who make these rules and have no idea of the consequences. The manufacturer just has to live by them.

Do you know if they really derate at Highway speeds?

 

[AH64ID]

Only thing different to Europe, ours derate at "the next stop" after the said milage, not in the middle of the interstate or in a tunnel or somewhere horrible.

Please tell us if it really derates spot on after the countdown went to Zero.

According to my '18 Diesel supplement it will not derate when it hits 0 miles, but rather the next time you stop/start the engine, idle for more than an hour, or refill the DEF tank.

 

[R.Taylor]

So.... When it hit 0 miles the message changed to "5mph Max Speed on Restart, Long Idle or Refuel", No change in speed or power availability. So then I just mashed the pedal to the floor and at 102mph the EVIC message went away, Usually when it would pop up with the countdown I'd have to hit any of the 4 EVIC nav buttons on the wheel to have the message go away... But at 102mph it went away by itself, Hmmm. I went to the "messages" on the EVIC and the "Service DEF" message was gone. Drove the remaining 12 miles to the dealer and when I pulled up I shut down the truck and plugged in my reader.... No P203E code... It still had not been back since yesterday. So then I started it up and drove down the blvd and back.... Full power, No derate no nothing, 100% normal truck. Pulled back up, shut it down for a few minutes, Fired it back up and drove around the block again. No codes, no messages, no derate. So I went into the service department explained all this and the "tech"came out and said he'd seen this before and said it was most likely from being overfilled and since I drained a gallon out... The level sensor stopped giving an erratic signal code. Since the code was not present when it hit the 0 mile mark it cleared the derate and that's why the EVIC message went away on it's own. So..... I made an appointment for the 16th for the valve body recall and the "engine calibration" recall and they'll check out the DEF system to be sure it's okay.

On another note... I also asked the tech if he's had any bad CP4 trucks yet, He said yes and pointed to 2019 3500 with 12000 miles on it and a bad CP4 which took out the whole system....but also said they were running red fuel. He didn't say anything else and I didn't want press on. I don't think there is any difference other than red dye in off road fuel than on road fuel... It's all the same ULSD, correct me if I'm wrong please. I wonder if FCA will deny warranty work due to red fuel.

 

[Ozymandias]

Thanks for the information, derate at restart sounds way better then derate at highway speed. So it's similar to ours.

Only one thing, ours escalate it more, after she limited speed, it will show another countdown to "Engine off at xxx Miles".

 

[EDankievitch]

That’s gonna be a tough one to explain to the cops....
“Officer I had to run the truck up above 102 mph to clear the codes and get the DEF system working normally again.....“
The judge will be asking you if you have a Flux Capasitor also before they lock you up..

 

[R.Taylor]

That’s gonna be a tough one to explain to the cops....
“Officer I had to run the truck up above 102 mph to clear the codes and get the DEF system working normally again.....“
The judge will be asking you if you have a Flux Capasitor also before they lock you up..

No CHP spots in my work route plus not many cars.... Safely doing 102mph for about 10 seconds.

 

[R.Taylor]

That’s gonna be a tough one to explain to the cops....
“Officer I had to run the truck up above 102 mph to clear the codes and get the DEF system working normally again.....“
The judge will be asking you if you have a Flux Capasitor also before they lock you up..

No CHP spots in my work route plus not many cars.... Safely doing 102mph for about 12 seconds.

 

[AH64ID]

The dealership shouldn't care about red dye as it's just #2 with dye added, nothing else special about it.

That being said, I've seen some pretty nasty red dye from the tanks on the farms it was used in. Filters should catch all that thou, should.

 

[JR]

Agreed, there is zero difference between off-road fuel and highway besides the dye. We have several CM2350 ECM 6.7 in cranes that run nothing but dyed fuel. That's the default response you will get if you run dyed fuel, warranted or not. Aside from legality it's an easy way out.

 

[sag2]

When I was working the only time I gave an owner a hard time with Red fuel is if they lied to me, or if they were an A-hole. Other than that it really is just #2 with dye.
Once you threatened to call the tax police in they generally got really nice. Most times the $10,000 fine is worse than the repair costs.