Advice on pumping DEF needed.

[Winged_One]

Used a DEF hose at a truck pump today for the first time (my 13 Ford said it was below halfway). A frustrating experience.

Can I assume correctly that the nozzle is supposed to go in as far as possible (it gets larger half way up the nozzle)?

Then the frustrating part was getting the fluid to flow. You just barely pull up on the handle to get it to flow, but it constantly is cutting out. Finally able to get it to flow a bit continuously (put two gallons in) but I am sure I didn't fill it.

So paranoid about overfilling that I said good enough at 2 gallons (and then I was above 1/2 full per my truck).

Looking for advice/tips/tricks for using these pumps. What you got?

BTW, my experience was with a pump in South Dakota (Pilot), and cripes, they have the hose, behind a cover, and you feel like you have to rip the hose out of the machine's spring loaded rollup to get enough to reach the truck.

[nevadanick]

With the GM trucks, the DEF quality isnt an issue its the truck not reading it right. Mine did it the first week i owned it and was fixed and has never been a problem since and have put on 50k mi.

[FishOnOne]

I agree with Huntindog as I purchase my DEF in a container as well and choose to avoid the pump DEF. The savings don't justify the risk.

It seems like the GM truck owners complain more about contaminated DEF than the Ford owners and I'm not sure why, but again I feel that the container packaged DEF will provide me a consistent quality product.

[NC_Hauler]

45Ricochet wrote:
I guess I better get out more, I have yet to see a DEF fill pump within 75 miles of me. Of course the interstate is 60 miles away. I've seen it at Wally World though!

This station is right off I40 and I'm really not that far from I40 or I26....I actually lucked out and found it by looking up DEF dispensing station locations on the internet...now mind you, that is the ONLY one that I'm aware of in or around this area, but it works for me:)

[45Ricochet]

I guess I better get out more, I have yet to see a DEF fill pump within 75 miles of me. Of course the interstate is 60 miles away. I've seen it at Wally World though!

[NC_Hauler]

gmcsmoke wrote:
I know it may be hard for some to comprehend but there isn't a flying J around every corner.

By the way according to my DEF usage $4.40 vs $2.89/gal is $0.00155 more per mile and if I drive 15k per year I've spent $23.25 more on DEF.


Buying a truck every other year, then speding $60k to do so and *****ing about saving a nickel on DEF is priceless.

Mine isn't a Flying J, and it's not even out of my way...thus the reason IF I drive by it and I need to top off my DEF, it's on the way to work, It's a truck stop...nothing more, nothing less...Not trying to quantify why I'd rather do it this way, but it's cheaper and it's not out of my way...thus the reason that "I" will do it this way...not trying to talk anyone else into doing what I do or not..Original topic was "advice on pumping DEF....THUS, I've "PUMPED" the DEF from a pump dispenser at a filling station...THUS, my post...other than that...the rest is moot..

agree with one, talking about making a mountain out of a molehill:R

[Winged_One]

drfife wrote:
Save your 2 1/2 gallon DEF jug and refill it at the truck stop.

Thanks, this was helpful.

[Javi1]

I buy my DEF at the local Ford dealer in 2 1/2 gallon jugs. So far in 18K miles, many of which were towing a 7200 lb trailer I've purchased 4 jugs and still have 2/3's of the last one sitting in the garage. One of these days maybe I'll be at some truck stop when the warning flashes "Less than 1/2 Full" and I'll buy some at the pump or maybe not cause I fill the DEF before I leave on a trip and I've only seen that warning once. The one time it got low enough to show the warning was the first tank and I purposely allowed it to get that low so I could see how long it took. After the first time I no longer believed all the drama on the web about trucks shutting down unexpectedly because it used so much DEF.

I guess some folks just got to make a mountain out of a molehill to be happy.

[gmcsmoke]

I know it may be hard for some to comprehend but there isn't a flying J around every corner.

By the way according to my DEF usage $4.40 vs $2.89/gal is $0.00155 more per mile and if I drive 15k per year I've spent $23.25 more on DEF.


Buying a truck every other year, then speding $60k to do so and *****ing about saving a nickel on DEF is priceless.

[Huntindog]

As I originally said. It is your call.
For me, the risk reward ratio just isn't there.

With 32 years in the grocery business I see how the public treats the bulk food containers. It is far from clean. But there are people that want it for the few cents savings they are getting..
As for myself, I wouldn't eat that stuff if it were free. Bulk is bulk. Even if the public is perfect,,,, and they are far from it, bulk is often far from fresh, and mixed with different batches. If something goes wrong, there are NO individual manufacturing codes to track the problem, or code dates.... It is simply a mystery where the problem originated from.

But hey in 100K, you may save 160-200.00 over my costs..

I hope you do.

[NC_Hauler]

NC Hauler wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
I don't think that the savings are worth the risks of contamination on a pickup sized rig. Contaminated DEF will make the truck throw a code, and cause a trip to the dealer. I would rather pay for the sealed jug at Walmart, NAPA etc. 22.00 for 5-6 thousand miles isn't the end of the world.

:h..I'd much rather pay $2.89 a gallon as opposed to $5.50-$7.00 plus a gallon and mine is at a truck stop, each diesel island has the Blue Def pump..as stated, no big deal, took cap off, pumped in two gallons and that was over 2400 miles ago...no problems, no issues...I will keep paying the lesser amount as long as I can. I do have a 2.5 gallon jug "just in case", but don't see any reason in paying an inflated price, and haven't heard about "contaminated" DEF anywhere..heck, I've heard more about diesel being contaminated with water than I've heard about pumping bad DEF.

Just on the last page you stated a little over 11.00 for 2.5 gallons....About 4.40 a gallon.

Has hyper inflation suddenly kicked in? Hyper inflation DEF

I've purchased ONE, (1) jug (2.5 gallons) of Blue Def for $11.00...I've looked around at more than several places and seen it priced from $11 to $14 for a 2.5 gallon jug....I have topped off my tank one time at a truck stop, (very clean DEF dispensing station I might add, or I wouldn't have gotten it there)....$2.89 a gallon and it was as easy as could be to do it...no big deal at all..

I DID read my owners manual, something "I've" personally done for years on end when purchasing a new vehicle and no where did it say to "steer clear" of filling stations that dispense DEF and NOT to use these stations..so that part of your point I don't understand..I really wasn't born yesterday... To each his own, IF I get some bad DEF, I will report it, but having been to this one and only one filling station and having put over 2500 miles on my truck since I put two gallons in, then guess it was ok and I paid $5.78 to do it and so far all is well.

More and more Filling stations are starting to dispense DEF at their establishments, I will try to get the best deal I can when purchasing DEF....I'v'e also heard of some purchasing the 2.5 galllon jug of DEF and it was bad....so what are you going to do then....you say it's possibly bad at the pump and I've also read where some was bad out of a brand new jug that was bought off the shelf.??

as far as the math, glad you're chasing me around the forums to see where I might trip up:)
I divided 2 gallons into $11 to $14 on the prices I had seen for 2.5 gallons....my bad, should have divided by 2.5 instead of 2...my bad...guess that's the difference between me and you, I'm just human, I'm going to make mistakes....$2.89 is still cheaper, and as to how much I'll use over the miles I put on the truck, that remains to be seen...I can't see that far down the road at this point.

[NC_Hauler]

Huntindog wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
I don't think that the savings are worth the risks of contamination on a pickup sized rig. Contaminated DEF will make the truck throw a code, and cause a trip to the dealer. I would rather pay for the sealed jug at Walmart, NAPA etc. 22.00 for 5-6 thousand miles isn't the end of the world.

:h..I'd much rather pay $2.89 a gallon as opposed to $5.50-$7.00 plus a gallon and mine is at a truck stop, each diesel island has the Blue Def pump..as stated, no big deal, took cap off, pumped in two gallons and that was over 2400 miles ago...no problems, no issues...I will keep paying the lesser amount as long as I can. I do have a 2.5 gallon jug "just in case", but don't see any reason in paying an inflated price, and haven't heard about "contaminated" DEF anywhere..heck, I've heard more about diesel being contaminated with water than I've heard about pumping bad DEF.

Just on the last page you stated a little over 11.00 for 2.5 gallons....About 4.40 a gallon.

Has hyper inflation suddenly kicked in? Hyper inflation DEF

I've purchased ONE, (1) jug (2.5 gallons) of Blue Def for $11.00...I've looked around at more than several places and seen it priced from $11 to $14 for a 2.5 gallon jug....I have topped off my tank one time at a truck stop, (very clean DEF dispensing station I might add, or I wouldn't have gotten it there)....$2.89 a gallon and it was as easy as could be to do it...no big deal at all..

I DID read my owners manual, something "I've" personally done for years on end when purchasing a new vehicle and no where did it say to "steer clear" of filling stations that dispense DEF and NOT to use these stations..so that part of your point I don't understand..I really wasn't born yesterday... To each his own, IF I get some bad DEF, I will report it, but having been to this one and only one filling station and having put over 2500 miles on my truck since I put two gallons in, then guess it was ok and I paid $5.78 to do it and so far all is well.

More and more Filling stations are starting to dispense DEF at their establishments, I will try to get the best deal I can when purchasing DEF....I'v'e also heard of some purchasing the 2.5 galllon jug of DEF and it was bad....so what are you going to do then....you say it's possibly bad at the pump and I've also read where some was bad out of a brand new jug that was bought off the shelf.??

[Huntindog]

NC Hauler wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
I don't think that the savings are worth the risks of contamination on a pickup sized rig. Contaminated DEF will make the truck throw a code, and cause a trip to the dealer. I would rather pay for the sealed jug at Walmart, NAPA etc. 22.00 for 5-6 thousand miles isn't the end of the world.

:h..I'd much rather pay $2.89 a gallon as opposed to $5.50-$7.00 plus a gallon and mine is at a truck stop, each diesel island has the Blue Def pump..as stated, no big deal, took cap off, pumped in two gallons and that was over 2400 miles ago...no problems, no issues...I will keep paying the lesser amount as long as I can. I do have a 2.5 gallon jug "just in case", but don't see any reason in paying an inflated price, and haven't heard about "contaminated" DEF anywhere..heck, I've heard more about diesel being contaminated with water than I've heard about pumping bad DEF.

Just on the last page you stated a little over 11.00 for 2.5 gallons....About 4.40 a gallon.

Has hyper inflation suddenly kicked in? Hyper inflation DEF

[Huntindog]

I said for pickup sized trucks....We really don't use very much.

And I would be shocked if the big rigs do not have some sort of filtration system built in. Obviously if a system is much larger, and designed to handle contaminants that may find their way into a tank, then the cost savings of purchasing in volume vs. the smaller risk because of a protected system may well make sense.

Just do the math, even at the inflated figures that were given here... How much will you save over the life of the truck? How much will one visit to the shop cost to fix it if it is a problem?

[45Ricochet]

Huntindog wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
I don't think that the savings are worth the risks of contamination on a pickup sized rig. Contaminated DEF will make the truck throw a code, and cause a trip to the dealer. I would rather pay for the sealed jug at Walmart, NAPA etc. 22.00 for 5-6 thousand miles isn't the end of the world.

:h..I'd much rather pay $2.89 a gallon as opposed to $5.50-$7.00 plus a gallon and mine is at a truck stop, each diesel island has the Blue Def pump..as stated, no big deal, took cap off, pumped in two gallons and that was over 2400 miles ago...no problems, no issues...I will keep paying the lesser amount as long as I can. I do have a 2.5 gallon jug "just in case", but don't see any reason in paying an inflated price, and haven't heard about "contaminated" DEF anywhere..heck, I've heard more about diesel being contaminated with water than I've heard about pumping bad DEF.

You are paying too much for your jugs then. My cost has consistently been a little over 4.00 a gallon.

I have seen many pumps that are handled by the public. Lets just say that I'm convinced that they
are far from clean.. Read your owners manual for more info on this.

It won't be covered by warranty, and the expense will make the sealed jugs seem like a bargain.

I don't believe that any of the domestic pickups have any filtration setups at all for contaminated DEF.. The systems absolutely rely on it going in pure.

It's your call.

Not to mention a GM fill location is under the hood, not very convenient for a island fill that the big truck stops supply. Not sure having not owned one but I suspect the big truck stops that supply DEF to OTR truckers is not contaminated or stale.
Just me but price difference for the same stuff matters. Bottom line is your paying for the jugs and the jugs to be filled at a factory.