DEF Disaster

[Fgholl]

Recently, we traveled from Florida to Gatlinburg and back. We got to Valdosta, Ga on the way home. Needing fuel in our 2019 Ram 3500 diesel, we pulled into a Pilot and fueled. As we were leaving a message popped up on the dash telling us we had low def and would be limited to 5mph in 200 miles. We returned to the pumps and attempted to add def from the pump. The message would not go off. We called several emergency numbers and all said get it to a garage. We found a nearby campground and headed for the garage the next morning. They analyzed the problem and told me our def was contaminated with diesel. The solution...replace the entire def system to the tune of $3000. This Pilot was the only place we purchased def and a Ram fuel filling setup makes it impossible for me to cross contaminate. I filed a complaint with Pilot but, of course, they said their system was infallible and I couldn’t prove that it was their fault.
Needless to say, I’ll be buying my def in containers so that I can personally fill my def.

[WhittleBurner]

OUCH! can you claim this on your insurance?

[Thorvald]

Buy one of the DEF refractometers from Amazon. They are quite cheap now and perfect for checking the DEF first. I carry one with me everywhere now.

[SolarPoweredRV]

Pilot says it is your fault, you say the Ram Fueling/Def system is just as infallible as Pilot says their system is.

How sure are you that you are correct?

Do you have receipts from your Def fill up?

If Diesel was mixed into your Def tank, it had to have come from the fill up at that Pilot, otherwise, your problems would have happened before you arrived at that Pilot.

File a small claims court case against Pilot and get them to give you the video footage of your filling session along with their complaint records from that station one week before and one week after your fill up date. I am willing to bet you are not the only one that filed a complaint !!!!

If there is more than your complaint, their system is NOT as Infallible as they think !

Good Luck !!

[Bungy]

Another good reason to do the def delete....

[orbiker]

Buy one of the DEF refractometers from Amazon. They are quite cheap now and perfect for checking the DEF first. I carry one with me everywhere now.

Tell us more about the DEF refractometers please. KEN

[Rozcoking23]

A def delete can lead to a $30k fine and impound of vehicle in CA.

[huntindog]

Recently, we traveled from Florida to Gatlinburg and back. We got to Valdosta, Ga on the way home. Needing fuel in our 2019 Ram 3500 diesel, we pulled into a Pilot and fueled. As we were leaving a message popped up on the dash telling us we had low def and would be limited to 5mph in 200 miles. We returned to the pumps and attempted to add def from the pump. The message would not go off. We called several emergency numbers and all said get it to a garage. We found a nearby campground and headed for the garage the next morning. They analyzed the problem and told me our def was contaminated with diesel. The solution...replace the entire def system to the tune of $3000. This Pilot was the only place we purchased def and a Ram fuel filling setup makes it impossible for me to cross contaminate. I filed a complaint with Pilot but, of course, they said their system was infallible and I couldn’t prove that it was their fault.
Needless to say, I’ll be buying my def in containers so that I can personally fill my def.

This is why I do not use pump DEF.
If the person at the pump before you for some reason managed to get Diesel on the DEF pump nozzle...... Perhaps by mistakenly putting in his full diesel tank..... You will get contamination.
For me, the cost savings vs. the risk cost of a repair just isn't favorable.

[traveldawg]

Call me a skeptic, but..... The DEF light came on BEFORE returning to the pump to get more DEF. So there was an issue BEFORE pumping DEF from the Pilot station.

It's very likely too late, but a sample of the DEF that the dealer analyzed would be the place to start checking. I'm leaning toward an invalid diagnostic from the dealer's shop or cross-contamination within the truck's systems (the later seems quite unlikely). Not that I totally trust Pilot (or any other fuel station).

I don't know if RAM's have a DEF gauge or if they keep you guessing (you know - like an older GM that keeps you guessing...), but how much DEF was left?, how much put in?, and was it really low to begin with?

I sure hate to hear you had to shell out big bucks in this case. I once put in gas instead of diesel in a truck while towing - not a good experience even tho I caught the mistake before restarting the engine.....

[Thorvald]

Tell us more about the DEF refractometers please. KEN

Sure can do, first understand I’m a nerd so actually testing DEf before I use it is fun to me lol! I’m a proud owner of a new Ram 3500 that has the dreaded CP4 fuel pump so I’m taking every single precaution I can to ensure nothing bad goes into this thing (Hot shots secret EDT treatment with every fill, using same gas station all the time when possible, taking photos and receipts, etc).

I don’t use the DEF at fuel pumps nor do I use any third party DEF, I buy it straight from the Ram dealers as it has a date code in English, is good for a 2 year shelf life and I can test it before I use it. Also have receipt from a Ram dealer in case of a warranty claim. It’s just not worth the risk to save $9 from Walmart or some other place. DEF is cheap, servicing the system is not!

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Motor City Mechanic has a good pair of videos on DEF and the various testers. Just don’t but the fancy tester if you can’t afford it, they are mostly made in China and are the same unit. So you can find the same one for $20-30 without a carry case. But I do like the one he uses as it has the case and other bits. Skip the test strips, they are garbage same as pool test strips. It’s very easy to use and only takes a moment.

Tech talk #8 Part 1/2: Everything you need to know about DEF fluid

https://youtu.be/Tvh7-KhGlzo


Tech talk #8 Part 2/2: Everything you need to know about DEF fluid

https://youtu.be/yBGlx4XefrM