DEF difficulties

[Kirwin]

Yeah me too didn't mean to steal your thread glad is seems to be working for you. Ken Irwin

When I started truck today def gauge still read under 1/4. After driving for 15 minutes (5F temp) gauge jumped almost to 3/4 so it must have thawed and is now reading what I put in yesterday. Heater must be working well.

 

[CThomsen]

Don't worry about the theft. All is good info as I plan on installing an aux. tank next summer-you guys can get the bugs worked out and it will be easier for me. Thanks

 

[mpaulson]

Opps, yea, 140 GPH. even at this flow, it should take too long to fill.

 

[CThomsen]

Left home Wednesday night at 9PM (13F) Got 8 miles into trip and got a message that said Service DEF System-See Dealer. Message stayed on EVIC for about an hour and then disappeared. No further problems during 1000 miles of driving. Added another 2.5 Gallons of DEF with no problems when temp was 40F. I am thinking the truck needed to regen and the def was still frozen and that was the reason for the message.

 

[Powder Extreme]

Def is used all the time (except when frozen) not just during regen. During regen extra fuel is being dumped in by the injectors during the exhaust stroke.

 

[Powder Extreme]

I cut the same line to put in a 45 tee for my pumped aux tank. I cut it just a couple of inches from the main filler neck using a tight access tubing cutter. You can buy a basic one at Home Depot for around 10 bucks (mine is a ratcheting style that is around $30) Seems worth it for all the time and hassle you will save even if you throw it away when done. Then some fuel hose and clamps, entire install was less than an hour. All done from under the truck without removing any parts at all.

When the pump is running, the fuel is actually being shot into the fuel filler neck because of the 45 tee, you can open the two filler flaps and see the stream of fuel. Not sure about the new Ram, but on my Duramax my aux tank was going in to the vent line which made it virtually impossible to fill the factory tank at a truck stop if I had used the aux tank pump at all that day. Evidently there was a low spot in the vent line that would fill with fuel and stop the tank from venting when trying to fill it. That would cause fuel to burp back out the filler neck even at the slowest of speeds. I would literally have to slowly put in 1/2 a gallon, wait a few seconds, 1/2 gallon, wait a few, repeat till the tank was full. 20 minutes of working the fuel nozzle by hand in below zero with the wind blowing sucks!

Now with the Ram going in to the filler neck, I've never had a problem

Cheers!

 

[mpaulson]

I was thinking of trying my mini tube cutter as well, less debris that way as well that gets into the tube to worry about. I have had a heck of a time finding a 45 degree tee and right now I have 90 degree tees. I'm going to do two tees, one for a vent that will be higher up on the vent line so that I can safely use the Geno's cap plug without inflating the tank if the small tank vent doesn't keep up.

 

[PMcCall]

We should be above freezing today and through the weekend... We will see if my guage starts working again It cant be full after 2 weeks of driving!

 

[Kirwin]

Actually it can. Mine didn't move for nearly 750 miles after i filled it up. Ken Irwin

 

[rscurtis]

We should be above freezing today and through the weekend.

Just a point of information, the freezing point of DEF is +12*F.

 

[PMcCall]

Tomorrow is 3 weeks and the DEF needle still hasnt moved from FULL. I'm creeping up on 1200 miles since fill up. something isnt right.....

 

[EDankievitch]

I go about 1800 miles before my gauage moves at all. then once it starts to move it drops like a stone.

 

[mwilson]

I am trying to confirm the following story from one of my other locations...

I was told this morning that a truck driver filled a 21 gallon DEF tank on a Freightliner Cascadia with............Wait For It........

Windshield Washer Fluid.........

It could well be true....

Mike.

 

[RikDavis]

I am at 1400 miles and mine hasn't moved. I think this is normal

 

[TCDiesel]

My guess is when it 10* or colder (If Full) it will not read correctly until all has un-frozen. I just cannot see how the gage can read the level when its frozen solid. When it does unthaw it will drop quickly.

 

[TCDiesel]

....................................

 

[TCDiesel]

I am trying to confirm the following story from one of my other locations...

I was told this morning that a truck driver filled a 21 gallon DEF tank on a Freightliner Cascadia with............Wait For It........

Windshield Washer Fluid.........

It could well be true....

Mike.

Its better then in the fuel tanks......HeeHee

 

[BIGNASTY]

I am trying to confirm the following story from one of my other locations...

I was told this morning that a truck driver filled a 21 gallon DEF tank on a Freightliner Cascadia with............Wait For It........

Windshield Washer Fluid.........

It could well be true....

Mike.

Maybe he thought that it had a methanol injection system on it, mistakes happen!! :-laf

Gezzzz a guy cant even screw up a $10.000 DPF system without some kind of ridicule now days!!

 

[Kirwin]

There''s a thread on this, no float in the DEF tank. It's a computer figuring out the level until the tank gets down to about 1/2 then a sono probe will begin measuring actual level. I'll see if I can find it. Ken Irwin

 

[MelvinPierce]

There''s a thread on this, no float in the DEF tank. It's a computer figuring out the level until the tank gets down to about 1/2 then a sono probe will begin measuring actual level. I'll see if I can find it. Ken Irwin

Yep, that is right. The first 40% or so of the gauge, is just a computer estimate of how much you have used. When it gets close to 1/2, then the actual reading takes place. There can be no gauge, because the ice when frozen would destroy. Think a float frozen into a solidy frozen tank, then, as you drive and it thaws, the gauge is frozen in a floating "ice cube". It would move around, and destroy any float and arm.