Blue DEF

[3Fivers51]

Just wondering about DEF for your diesel trucks. My dealer that I bought my truck from said just use Blue DEF and nothing else. I talked to another camper with a diesel truck and he said he buys the DEF from Wal-mart and it is not the 'Blue" Def and said it is quite cheaper. He also said that he has not had any problems with the Def he buys. Just getting opinions/facts from you diesel truck enthusiasts and see what you think. My nephew did mention to me that don't buy the DEF at truck stops at the pump because you don't know how long they have had it and also the the spigot could be dirty and he said you would need to make sure that spigot is clean!!!! Other than that I welcome anything to be said on this subject. Thanks so much!!! Bill

[ACZL]

I fill my DEF maybe 1-2x/yr. W/o looking at specific expiration dates, I may have old DEF in truck's tank, then add new/old DEF at fuel stop when I top off. Guess I'm in a bad situation. LOL Seriously tho, that is my case and ever since my '15 DEF required truck, I've filled up at truck stops w/o any problems. Any problem I did have was on the truck side of things (ie: DEF heater). If you do fill up at a truck stop, just wipe off end of nozzle before inserting it into your tank if tip of nozzle is a tad cruddy. However, more than likely it won't be due to high use of it.

[hondapro]

NRALIFR wrote:
Here’s a helpful item if you typically use the boxes or jugs of DEF. this is a Ford part, and you can order it on Amazon for about $10. It fits on any jug or box of DEF, and I *believe* the DEF fill ports on vehicles are all the same, so the o-ring on the dispensing end of the spout will make a seal when it’s pushed down into it. You can then turn the DEF jug upside down if you want and there will be no leaks. The DEF tank will fill until it’s full, and nothing will spill out. It’s a handy item.



:):)

This a great tool it works well.There are no leaks and it stops when full.
Remember to not overfill your DEF tank if you are in freezing temps, DEF will freeze.

[3Fivers51]

Thanks to everyone who offered their ideas/opinions/facts. I greatly appreciate all of them and it helps!!!

Bill(3fivers)

[NRALIFR]

Here’s a helpful item if you typically use the boxes or jugs of DEF. this is a Ford part, and you can order it on Amazon for about $10. It fits on any jug or box of DEF, and I *believe* the DEF fill ports on vehicles are all the same, so the o-ring on the dispensing end of the spout will make a seal when it’s pushed down into it. You can then turn the DEF jug upside down if you want and there will be no leaks. The DEF tank will fill until it’s full, and nothing will spill out. It’s a handy item.



:):)

[Diamond_c]

WM doesn’t make anything. Not oil not eggs not pants and not def. they buy in bulk at the manufacturer and have it branded with their own brand. As far as truck stop def goes if you go to a major truck stop that has a lot of fuel turn over then your def will be good to go as they will go through a lot of def also. I work for a fuel and oil distributor and I know how old the def that I buy is because I’m the one that drove to the manufacturer and trucked it back.

[Lynnmor]

rhagfo wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
DEF is DEF, buy whatever has the lowest price. I do have concerns with dirty nozzles at truck stops, but many use it with no problems. Walmart most likely has the best price on their own brand.

agesilaus wrote:
As noted DEF is DEF is DEF. It is all the same, save yourself some money and buy the $7 stuff from Walmart.

So you are both certified chemist that have tested all brands of DEF on all counts including purity.

The effects of less pure DEF likely will not appear right away, the same as using cheap engine oil will only build sludge which leads to issues down the road.
As often as I need to add DEF I will use a brand name.

Not a chemist, but I can read. Look up ISO 22241

[NRALIFR]

rhagfo wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
DEF is DEF, buy whatever has the lowest price. I do have concerns with dirty nozzles at truck stops, but many use it with no problems. Walmart most likely has the best price on their own brand.

agesilaus wrote:
As noted DEF is DEF is DEF. It is all the same, save yourself some money and buy the $7 stuff from Walmart.

So you are both certified chemist that have tested all brands of DEF on all counts including purity.

The effects of less pure DEF likely will not appear right away, the same as using cheap engine oil will only build sludge which leads to issues down the road.
As often as I need to add DEF I will use a brand name.

I’m not a chemist, but I have a DEF refractometer and use it to check the DEF that I buy in jugs, and keep at home. Cheap DEF, expensive DEF, new DEF, old DEF, BlueDEF or Supertech DEF, if the refractometer says the urea is 32.5%, it will do it’s job in your exhaust system. DEF doesn’t get used in, burned by, consumed by, or run through the engine, so you don’t have to worry about any sludge buildup there.

Because DEF is a legally required pollution control fluid used in literally millions and millions of Diesel engines, the urea used to produce DEF is already extremely pure, pharmaceutical grade. The only other substance in DEF is deionized water.

Diesel Exhaust Fluid doesn’t degrade nearly as quickly as people assume. For example, at 86°F, DEF has a shelf life of a year. BUT REMEMBER: Don’t equate shelf life to spoiling like food, as DEF will not “go bad”. It will lose some effectiveness, and the SCR will dose at a higher rate, but it won’t “go bad.” If maintained at a constant temperature, DEF manages to stay for several months. For example, at 74°F Diesel Exhaust Fluid has the shelf life of 44 months.

My garage supply cabinets get zero sunlight, and rarely if ever exceed 85 degrees. I don’t stockpile it, but I’ve usually got a 2.5 gallon box or jug of it my garage. I make note of the date code on it when I buy it. It’s always used up in less than a year.

When my truck says the DEF tank is less than 1/2 full, I pour in 2.5 gallons when I get home, and buy a new jug the next time I’m able. If we’re on a long trip and it gets under 1/2 full, the next time I need to stop at a Walmart I buy a jug or box and dump it in. I have never used the bulk pumps because there’s never a convenient one when I need it. I’m not driving miles out of my way to buy such a low usage item in order to save what? About a dollar a gallon?

Finally, ONLY product that adheres to the ISO 22241 specification and is licensed with the API can be called Diesel Exhaust Fluid…all other products are simply Urea Solutions to various concentrations and cannot be called Diesel Exhaust Fluid.

:):)

[_1Flyboy]

The WM DEF meets all manufacturers requirements; I make my own coffee at home but if your $7 coffee is better enjoy it...I’m sticking to my inexpensive coffee & WM DEF so with the savings I can travel wherever I want to wherever I want....

[azdryheat]

rhagfo wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
DEF is DEF, buy whatever has the lowest price. I do have concerns with dirty nozzles at truck stops, but many use it with no problems. Walmart most likely has the best price on their own brand.

agesilaus wrote:
As noted DEF is DEF is DEF. It is all the same, save yourself some money and buy the $7 stuff from Walmart.

So you are both certified chemist that have tested all brands of DEF on all counts including purity.

The effects of less pure DEF likely will not appear right away, the same as using cheap engine oil will only build sludge which leads to issues down the road.
As often as I need to add DEF I will use a brand name.

So, you are the DEF expert? lol

I use the cheapest. Never an issue.

[Campinghoss]

Answering your question directly, I have always used Peak DEF from wally world. I refill my tank when it shows 1/2 on my gauge. The def from wally will fill it right back to the full mark from the 1/2 mark.

[routeforty]

:B :B :B

[routeforty]

I always thought that the blue was off road DEF-like red diesel is off road diesel :h

[MNRon]

I have over 150,000 on my 2013 Silverado. Prefer to pump at truck stop because gets *full* and is cheaper. But have probably put in ~half of the DEF I’ve used from the blue boxes because of convenience. I usually have one in the back of truck when hauling 5er and often have ‘recycled’ it by filling tank and empty DEF container at truck stop.

[rhagfo]

Lynnmor wrote:
DEF is DEF, buy whatever has the lowest price. I do have concerns with dirty nozzles at truck stops, but many use it with no problems. Walmart most likely has the best price on their own brand.

agesilaus wrote:
As noted DEF is DEF is DEF. It is all the same, save yourself some money and buy the $7 stuff from Walmart.

So you are both certified chemist that have tested all brands of DEF on all counts including purity.

The effects of less pure DEF likely will not appear right away, the same as using cheap engine oil will only build sludge which leads to issues down the road.
As often as I need to add DEF I will use a brand name.

[Bionic_Man]

DEF has an expiration date, as well as temperature storage requirements. If it is stored in an area that is too hot or too cold, the shelf life decreases.

The best way to get fresh DEF is to buy it in bulk from a high volume truck stop - at the pump. As an added bonus, you can fill your tank 100% each time (not guessing how much you have used), and it is also the least expensive way to buy.