DEF

thirtydaZe wrote:
Ram '13 have a gauge.

2006 they didn't :B

We have had a couple of customers who have had problems. Their problem has been the gauge that monitors the amount of DEF in the tank has failed, so the computer thinks the tank is empty. The default for the computer is to systematically govern the maximum speed. Both of these failures have occurred a long way from a dealership and they have had to have their rigs towed and then wait for a couple of days for a new set of sensors. On a personal note, I hate the DEF. We have people discarding those boxes in the trash and with the box in the trash, you can get about 1 additional trashbag in a can. I would say our garbage volume has increase a good 5 to 10%. Not the end of the world, but I wonder if many of the advantages of cleaner air are being offset by a lot more waste in the landfills.

Ram '13 have a gauge.

I don't know which DEF equipped trucks don't have a gauge. The Ford has a gauge that says OK, Less than half, or when it gets around the 500 miles to empty mark it pops up a reminder every time you start the truck. Some idiots put DEF in the fuel tank and that can be a bit of a PITA. :) If you start the truck with DEF in the fuel and call the dealer you could be stuck with a $15000 bill. When I did it, I realized what I was doing before starting the engine so I pumped the tank out and even spent a couple hours to remove and flush it. I left the contaminated fuel sit for a while in a barrel to settle out and then pumped off the top to feed it to my old Duramax. So the episode never cost anything but it was a PITA.

Lynnmor wrote:
The DEF is not a big problem. The only PITA is that they don't have a gauge so that you know how much is in there. It just complains when you are about to run out.

On my 2012 Chevy you use the monitor button and scroll thru some checks and DEF shows up.i think I was getting low at about 6500m..Its as easy as adding windshield washer fluid.

The whole DEF thing gets blown out of proportion. In reality DEF consumption is on average ~1 gallon per 1000mi driven. The DEF tank on my 2012 GMC is somewhere between 5-6 gallon and I fill about every 5-6K miles or every oil change. Not a big deal and the cost is minimal. With the improved mileage it pays for iteself...

WIth that said there are some guys having problems with DEF sensors or low quality DEF reading putting their trucks into limp mode.

gmcsmoke wrote:

Geeze I am sorry that you already know every thing there is to know about everything....The rest of us ask questions so we can make informed decisions.....

My tank is 5 gallons. Its not a problem. Usually when changing oil we fill def tank. Really a simple thing. We get very good fuel milage on our 2011 Ford.