What is it with DEF?
Just what is the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) ? What does it do and why do I need it? This is my first diesel and I never heard of it.
Forum Discussion
32 Replies
- It Is not urine the chemical is "UREA"
As stated earlier do not use urine that is aprox 98% water, the chemical formula is(NH2)2CO
navegator Gonzo42 wrote:
Then how would I know whether I am required to use it? I haven't seen anything in the manuals.
It would be in your manuals and your truck would have a separate tank for the DEF. Tell us what truck you have and someone on here will know
edit- Just looked at your previous posts. A 2007 sprinter MB diesel probably doesn't use DEF but I am not sure. Somebody else will have to chime in.- Then how would I know whether I am required to use it? I haven't seen anything in the manuals.
- Urea the active component of DEF has been in use for couple of hundred years. It is a organic compound in urine....but has been synthesized since 1922. Ain't enough cows to keep up with demand :B
Some of the other uses besides lowering NOx in diesel exhaust:
A stabilizer in nitrocellulose explosives
A component of animal feed, providing a relatively cheap source of nitrogen to promote growth
A non-corroding alternative to rock salt for road de-icing, and the hardening of ski-resort terrain park take-offs and landings
A flavor-enhancing additive for cigarettes
A main ingredient in hair removers such as Nair and Veet
A browning agent in factory-produced pretzels
An ingredient in some skin cream, moisturizers, hair conditioners
A reactant in some ready-to-use cold compresses for first-aid use, due to the endothermic reaction it creates when mixed with water
A cloud seeding agent, along with other salts
A flame-proofing agent, commonly used in dry chemical fire extinguisher charges such as the urea-potassium bicarbonate mixture
An ingredient in many tooth whitening products
An ingredient in dish soap
Along with ammonium phosphate, as a yeast nutrient, for fermentation of sugars into ethanol
A nutrient used by plankton in ocean nourishment experiments for geoengineering purposes
As an additive to extend the working temperature and open time of hide glue
As a solubility-enhancing and moisture-retaining additive to dye baths for textile dyeing or printing
Yep....folks have been eating it, smoking it, bathing with it, drinking it, primping with it, brushing with it, drinking it for decades.
We used to inject it into the burner flame pattern on commercial boilers to lower stack NOx emissions.
It was a new system.........proto type and I had to learn all about the stuff. Learned more than I cared to know. - Believe it or not it is basically urine (but don't piss in your tank). It treats the diesel exhaust to reduce pollution to meet EPA standards.
- The way it came to the market by engine was based by how many engines the engine manufacturer produced. Ford was one of the first as they make few diesel engines by the numbers. (mostly for their pickup line.) Cummins was able to hold off as they made quite a number of engines. Think about the pickups as well as the over the road trucks. They are also big in the industrial line like marine, generators, well pumps etc. So in the big picture it was something that the federal government phased in by mandates. Engine manufacturers had to make a certain percentage of their production line meet the mandate. With that said, it is a far more efficient way of meeting the emission standard than some of the other ways that were previously used. It is by far a less power robbing way of doing the same thing.
Further, there are FleetPride truck part company's across the united states selling that DEF for around $10.00 or less per two gallon container. It does pay to shop the product. Don't spill it as its nasty when it dries. - By "big rigs", I'm refering to commerical tractors such as Freight Liner, International, etc.
TucsonJim wrote:
I bought my first diesel truck last year. It uses DEF. It's easy to find, and it is used for Selective Catalyst Reduction. That's a fancy term for pollution control. All diesels use it now, even new big rigs.
It's easy to find in most parts stores, truck stops, and even some gas stations. I get about 1100 miles per gallon of DEF. It costs me about $16.00 for 2.5 gallons at the local parts store. It's even less expensive at WalMart.
Here's a website that can give you some background:
SCR and DEF
Depends on your definition of "new big rigs."
Our 2012 3/4 ton Ram with the Cummins 6.7L diesel doesn't require DEF. But I understand the 2013's and newer do require it.
We were lucky to get it in December 2012.
