DEF additive

[chaosh1]

It all ads up if your retired, I would rather save that money an spend it on something I can personally enjoy...

I can respect that.

For me walmarts quality is mediocre at best. This mean I don't shop there, instead I shop at Costco, high turn over great quality. This means I can be sure it didn't sit on a shelf for months. (This Costco has as many visitors as Disneyland on a daily basis). They carry the Blue Def Plat. My time is worth way more then driving to some other store for one item to save a few bucks. I actually had no idea the cost until you stated it, because i don't look nor care. If I need or want it, I just get it. I'm sure that could change in retirement.


The other part to that is I only use 1 box a year...

 

[GTyankee]

I just had a thought ..

I have about 3 to 4 gallons of several year old DEF in my Ram Ecodiesel, mixed with about the same amount of much newer DEF.
I have room to pour another 5 quarts into the tank & i have that much Tractor Supply DEF still in jug.

So the old DEF is not in Storage & it is constantly mixed with newer DEF.
I wonder how that works

 

[2003F350]

I know of hot shot owner who put almost 489K on one truck, 390K on another both used truck stop Def with no reported Def deposits..

It's kind of a crapshoot on the DEF system, some people have good luck, others don't, and so far I've seen nothing that correlates.

My GUESS is that hot shot guys, and anyone who drives/tows a lot, has fewer issues because the DEF injector is CONSTANTLY working, it's never sitting and allowing the DEF to dry up and plug it up (have you ever noticed if you spill it, DEF dries white and kinda sticky?). If your diesel sits a lot or makes primarily short trips and isn't getting up to the right temps, you may start having problems more often.

Again, that's my opinion based on what I know about diesels and the associated systems, and what I know from the few people I know who have had DEF issues. My neighbor has a Duramax, he's had the DEF system replaced once and the DEF heater replaced 2-3 times, but he never drives it - it just sits there. On the rare occasions he does drive it, he is just running 5 miles or so up town. His dad daily drives his Powerstroke, but again only drives up town most of the time, and has had the DEF system replaced 2-3 times. My FIL's last Powerstroke he drove over 100k on before he traded it in, and never once had a DEF issue - but then he typically was driving a minimum of 20 miles every day and pulled a 43' toyhauler with it.

I'm the first person I personally know who has a CTD with a DEF system, so we will see how things shake out - but I daily it back and forth to work about 30 miles each way, so I'm not terribly worried about it.

 

[NotSoFast]

Thirty miles to work each way may not be enough to keep your DPF happy. It seems that you have to get that filter good and hot, not just to a normal operating temperature, to bake the deposits out. If your commute is up a 6% grade and you have a load, well that might do it. Winter seems to be worse.
When I used my truck just because I liked the 4WD in snow for 15 mile trips into town, I started to get regens and clogging. (Thirteen feet of snow here in Flagstaff last winter.) Taking it to the dealer and getting manual regens helped a little. But hooking up the trailer and towing at 75 mph. put the issues to rest.
The modern exhaust filter systems are built to handle the hard work that the engine is built for. But they will clog up if you don't get them up to their operating temperatures, which they don't reach when you just get the radiator to boiling.

 

[Jbinramona]

I have not heard anyone speak to how long the different brands of DEF last. I am a retired full timer. I pull a 45’ toy hauler with my ‘16 Ram 3500 dually, 33,000lbs down the road.

I can state with certainty that truck stop PUMP DEF lasts much longer than everything else.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Burla]

That site that i posted, reads that the water is just a carrier.
It evaporates when it sprays into the heat of the exhaust system.
Then the actual chemicals break down & do what they are designed to do

Do you need DEF or can we just Pee in the DEF tank? Isnt PEE the same thing as DEF? I guess DEF is actually concentrated *****, maybe boil some PEE and put it in the tank to get proper urea?

Cant say
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LMAO, wow on what these people have done to their internet.

*****

.

 

[DodgeDude99]

I have a neighbor that just bought a baby Duramax. He has a 'friend' who keeps selling him 'home made DEF,' and he's offered it to me.

My understanding urea is essentially pee, I’m curious as to how he is making it.

 

[2003F350]

My understanding urea is essentially pee, I’m curious as to how he is making it.

I have not looked into it. All I know is, for industrial uses, urea is gathered from pigs.

Urea is...related to pee, but it is not 'essentially pee,' from my understanding of urea. From what I can recall, urea is the 'base liquid' of pee, while ur!ne is urea + all the garbage a body needs to get rid of.

However, my understanding of it is from a college biology class years ago, so if the definition has changed then my understanding is no longer accurate.

 

[lpennock]

My understanding urea is essentially pee, I’m curious as to how he is making it.

You can buy dry urea from any place the sells bulk fertilizer. Mix with distilled water in the right proportions and you have DEF.

Problem is fertilizer grade UREA may not be pure enough to keep contaminates out of the system that could cause issues with the system.

 

[tjfdesmo]

Wally World @ $8.88. TSC @ $9.99. Check date code, and good to go. No BS required.

 

[lpennock]

My understanding urea is essentially pee, I’m curious as to how he is making it.

Urea is in Pee but DEF is most likely synthetic urea that is made from natural gas.

Urea - The Chemical Company

Urea is a raw material used in the manufacture of many chemicals, such as various plastics, urea-formaldehyde resins and adhesives. It is also essential for making feedstock, glue, fertilizer, commercial products, and in resin production. Specifications Urea Prilled Spec TCC – Click Here To...

thechemco.com

 

[nlambert182]

I only use truck stop DEF. Turns over much more often. It does seem to last a lot longer than the box kind... dunno why that is.

 

[GTyankee]

Is DEF fluid pig *****?

Definitely Not! DEF fluid is made of 67.5% demineralized water and 32.5% urea. Urea is not exactly the same as *****; it is just one of its components. So, no human or animal ***** can be used in diesel engines.

?? whoever wrote that, is wrong, in that DEF is Injected into the Exhaust System, it has nothing to do with the Engine itself

. Urea (NH2CONH2)​

Urea is the primary active ingredient in DEF, comprising about 32.5% of the solution. It is a nitrogen-rich compound derived from natural sources, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide. Urea plays a vital role in the SCR process by breaking down NOx emissions into nitrogen and water vapor through chemical reactions.

 

[truck2014]

Is DEF fluid pig *****?

Definitely Not! DEF fluid is made of 67.5% demineralized water and 32.5% urea. Urea is not exactly the same as *****; it is just one of its components. So, no human or animal ***** can be used in diesel engines.

?? whoever wrote that, is wrong, in that DEF is Injected into the Exhaust System, it has nothing to do with the Engine itself

. Urea (NH2CONH2)​

Urea is the primary active ingredient in DEF, comprising about 32.5% of the solution. It is a nitrogen-rich compound derived from natural sources, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide. Urea plays a vital role in the SCR process by breaking down NOx emissions into nitrogen and water vapor through chemical reactions.

Wow , sure getting an education here on DEF . I’ve run the regular old Def for the past 10 years on my 2014 . I had couple issues early on the DEF system , some warnings no real issue , had it in on warranty cleared the codes , and I went on . Shortly after the issues the SCR recall , after that around 8 years ago , would have to look to be certain never a problem. I only average a bit over 7k miles a year . I use my truck mostly to tow a fifth wheel.

I just about have to echo the same on the snake oil comments , and I’d sure would have to see a side by side test in the same vehicle to see any benefits , or having less issues with one over another. I’ll stick with the plain stuff , not a believer in additives anyway, never used any .

 

[BWL]

We run a lot of def through the fleet. Most of the issues we've had are with the pumps and heaters on the system. As long as it isn't expired and you keep the nozzle clean and dust off anything that might fall in before you open the cap then clogs shouldn't happen from anything but freezing. We go through 3 pallets or so a month of the stuff for all our off road equipment so it would take a lot of convincing to switch to platinum. 80 jugs per pallet. You do the math. We get a decent price as a bulk customer. Because the sites are so far apart, it freezes and we worry about contaminants re-using containers we just use the jugs.

 

[David Oakes]

Do you need DEF or can we just Pee in the DEF tank? Isnt PEE the same thing as DEF? I guess DEF is actually concentrated *****, maybe boil some PEE and put it in the tank to get proper urea?

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LMAO, wow on what these people have done to their internet.

As I understand it, human ***** has maybe 3% urea in it. Horse ***** (which is exactly what DEF smells like) has only a little more, maybe 5%.

DEF needs 32.5% urea (+/- 1% by the parameters of most DEF sensors). That can only be done using pure urea.

As for people having problems with their scr and dpf burns, they aren't running their vehicles long enough. It literally doesn't take much more than going highway speeds for 10 mile or so for regens to happen when needed.

Short, slower drives will cause the dpf to fill up fast, but as long as the vehicle is regularly taken to highway speeds (55 mph or higher), it will regen.

 

[calkid]

My 2015 has almost 250k with no issues and my 2021 has almost 80k without issues. All I ever use is the Walmart brand. I'm convinced that picking a brand, any brand, and sticking with it is the answer. The only people that I've talked to that have DEF problems buy from anywhere and everywhere. IMHO, changing around all the time is hard on these poorly designed systems. I chose the Walmart brand because I travel a lot and there's usually one along my, but I always have several jugs with me. Just my 2 cents.