DEF leak?

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Paveltoboggan

Junior Member
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Nov 1, 2024
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Manteca CA
Ram Year
2019
Engine
6.7 Cummins
Hello all. I joined just now to hopefully get some answers before being gouged at the dealership. I have a 2019 Ram Cummins 2500 with 51k miles. I recently discovered I have def leaking out of somewhere around the circled part of the pic. I find crystallized def around that thing daily. When I first found it, def was everywhere. I’ve never found it on the ground under the truck though. My def guage still reads full and I’m not throwing any codes. Performance is also good. So, is this some sort of overflow issue? I have been topping it off since I bought it. I’ve recently read I should let it sit below full. Or, is that a “get ready for a light Christmas” problem.
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Grams

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Texas
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6.7 TurboDiesel
Stop topping it off and let the tank level get down to 1/4 or so before topping again. Why? Because DEF goes bad when subject to high temps like you have sitting in the CA sun. (also buying DEF and storing it at home for long periods is equally not the best idea… Google is your friend.)

As for the crystals…. those are likely a small “seep” if the tank level is not being affected. The crystals will dissolve with the water hose if it bothers you. Wash ‘em off….and wait to see if they re-appear, and how soon and how much. Then you’ll know if you really have a concern.

Read the details of your owners manual if you want to know more reasons to not keep the DEF tank constantly full.
 

chopperman1

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Military
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Peoples Republic of Massachusetts
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5.7L HEMI
Never top off the tank. Run it down as low as possible and fill with fresh DEF. By topping of you are continuously diluting your new "fresh" DEF with old. Shelf life of 1yr.
 
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