Love message from my truck "Service DEF system See dealer"......

[Bug Out]

I plan on a 2K RV trip in 2 weeks. I wait till the DEF tank is almost empty ( tried adding fluid to 1/2 tank once and got a CEL) and add 5.3 gallons from Flying J to it this morning. 4 hours later, "BING" comes on the love note....


Thankfully its not a CEL, just a message. What does this mean? I hope its not a trip to the dealer and , "Hello Ed....We will service your DEF system for $699...". That would be the end of my RV trip and vacation.........With only 25K on the clock I thought I didnt have to worry about emission junk till 50K+.

This is a carbon copy of my last trip. 2 days before, CEL comes on....."air intake heater fault"....Thankfully it let me do the trip and back before I had to take it to a dealer..LOL

Any input or experience with this message and remedy, please feel free to chime in..

Thanks in advance.

 

[E7mack96]

If it is not serviced within a certain timeframe, the truck will go into a 25% or so reduction and then an EPA mandated 5 mph limp mode.

 

[Bug Out]

so is this a every 25 K service? I wonder if its under warranty or out of my pocket???

 

[Bob4x4]

f there is a part failure it will be covered at a minimum of up to 3/36.If the fluid you added is bad it will be on your dime.Def can be tested with a refractometer for correct concentration and test strips for hc contamination

 

[gsbrockman]

If the fluid you added is bad it will be on your dime.Def can be tested with a refractometer for correct concentration and test strips for hc contamination

The OP will have some recourse with Flying J I'd imagine.

 

[Bug Out]

I would like to think Flying j would have fresh DEF...

 

[tony1461571]

The OP will have some recourse with Flying J I'd imagine.

Ok, this will be my first time using the DEF fluid. Where can these test things be gotten how much is the cost, and how often do you have to test the DEF fluid? Also does this apply to what is bought in the store, or what to look for in this product in the way of defects.

 

[Bug Out]

Its times like this I wish I would have kept my 05 dually...As much as I like the 13', sometimes its a PITA.....

 

[AEdelheit]

Is your upcoming trip the one you were asking about California highways in your other post? I passed a truck and trailer that kinda looked like your profile pic last week heading through Petaluma on Hwy 101, was wondering if it was you.

 

[DAN V]

If the DEF system is this much of a PITA I will think about a used truck. No newer than a 2012. granted I like the new trucks but maybe a '12 would be my cutoff for a newer truck when I am ready.

 

[Bug Out]

AEdelheit, not me. I'm "supposed" to be up there on June 15th, but if this issue is very costly or takes more then a week to fix, I'll have to cancel the vacation....I'm going to call my local "Dealer" today and see whats involved in the latest DEF issue.

Dan v, this is the second issue I have had with DEF. Both instances happened after putting new fluid in the tank. First case was, I had about 1/2 a tank of DEF in the truck and a new gallon in the garage. I decided to pour the new gallon into the tank. In doing do, it apparently set off a CEL code of some sort. It, putting new in with 2 month old DEF stirred it up. I cleared the code, if I remember and it went away.

If this "service DEF system" if some sort of regular maintenance and is not too costly, oh well. If this turns out to be some sort of regular high priced "colonoscopy" the dealer gets to perform because of DEF, I will have to seriously give some thought to going back to gen 3's and getting a daily driver vehicle or just getting out or RV'ing for good. I love the truck but 95% of the time its a point A to B vehicle that a 40 MPG car could handle.

 

[MelvinPierce]

I really do NOT think it has anything to do with adding fluid. I have added MANY times, no problem. Have you checked again after sitting over night? I have had messages that clear themselves, and go away, after shutting down the truck. I have a '14 DRW.

 

[Wingate]

Personally cant see it being a scheduled maintenance message. ive been running DEF since 2010 on my Ford service truck... theres really no scheduled maintenance involved. Ive cannot begin to guess how many hundreds of gallons of DEF ive ran thru it and the only issue i ever had from the DEF system was the in-tank module failed once.
DEF CAN get old, and sunlight along with temperature affects it greatly. We have always let the dealer fill ours at OCIs.
If I have to have any between oil changes I always look for one of the major brands at the auto parts stores, make sure the box isnt damaged and its not covered in dust. The have a "Use By" date on them and if you dont pour it all in, DO NOT store it in the bed of your truck and/or remove it from the cardboard box, thats the sunlight protection.

 

[Bug Out]

Actually the service that system message went off this morning on the way to work. I'm going to call the dealer anyhow but for now I'll leave lying dogs lie.....

 

[gsbrockman]

Actually the service that system message went off this morning on the way to work. I'm going to call the dealer anyhow but for now I'll leave lying dogs lie.....

Maybe it needs TSB 18-010-14 performed......
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hcbtfwate...dule, MIL Illumination P208D and or P202E.pdf

 

[PMcCall]

if you put 5.3 gallons of DEF in, you were pretty much empty and thats probably why the message appeared. I have had 4 CEL notices since february. So far only 2 of them lasted one drive home or to work. Of the other two, one was for a bad ammonia sensor and they couldnt ID the issue on the other one, they reset it and it never came back on. Warnings of all sorts pop up and after you run a while they seem to correct themselves. Its often just a comm error between the brain and the part. I saw a post somewhere where if a CEL comes on for a fault condition and it corrects itself, the light will go off after 5 start cycles of no fault. Its just part of these new vehicles... they are no different that having to deal with stupid crap fro your PC from time to time

 

[Too Tall]

The manual mentions nothing about periodic maintenance on the DEF system. Cummins claims it added 10% better fuel economy by using it because they can run the engine leaner. Previously, they were injecting more fuel to burn more of the soot however this used more fuel and more unburnt fuel washing the cylinder walls and contaminating the oil. This is what I read, I have no personal knowledge of this other than my 2014 4 x 4 is getting 26 mpg plus indicated.

 

[MattandLana]

If the DEF system is this much of a PITA I will think about a used truck. No newer than a 2012. granted I like the new trucks but maybe a '12 would be my cutoff for a newer truck when I am ready.

Hi Dan, I have no personal experience yet because my truck is still at sea, but remember that many many thousands of vehicles from many manufacturers are running DEF and have been for years. It might be new to some of us (me included) but it's established technology. Also, remember that these forums by their very nature tend to highlight problems. As others have noted, folk rarely come online to post: "Yep, still no issues, all going great here." So a forum amplifies the problems and makes any vehicle sound worse than it really is. (I say optimistically, because I've already shelled out for mine!)

 

[DAN V]

Yeah I know it sounds like it is a bad system. I sometimes think it is a bad decision when the Govt gets involved with all the EPA mandated stuff clogging the truck up. Just have 2 post my opinion. I would love to buy a new truck but don't need one right now. More important things to worry about right now. I see you are in PI. Are you in the Navy or just live there?

 

[Badunit]

If it is not serviced within a certain timeframe, the truck will go into a 25% or so reduction and then an EPA mandated 5 mph limp mode.

This emissions stuff is the main thing that turned me against getting a new diesel. Within 200 miles of the message, your truck becomes useless. It becomes useless not because it can't run but because the EPA says it is not allowed to run. 200 miles is not very far when you are on a trip. Same thing if the DEF tank gets too low. On no highway and few roads can you "limp home" at 5mph, nor would you want to. It is more like "limp off to the side of the road" mode.