DEF Shelf Life!

[jjr1314]

Just a quick tip for those that are new to Diesels with all of the newer emission controls. DEF apparently has a shelf life and using anything other than DEF bought from the dealer may void your warranty.
I have a 2011 Duramax and recently had a message on the DIC stating Diesel Exhaust Fluid Quality Poor. Unfortunately I ended up in Limp Mode before I could make it to the 1st Dealer.
I tried to get a service appointment at the dealer I purchased the truck from but they were backed up with recall work. So off to Dealer #1. Dealer #1 was absolutely no help what so ever. They stated that since I had used DEF from an Auto Parts store and not from a dealer they would not cover any of the repairs under warranty. They also said the only fix was to replace the entire DEF Tank to get rid of the supposedly bad fluid. I said no way, put my truck back together and I would be by to pick it up.
Dealer #2 (where I purchased the truck from). Sorry if I am breaking forum rules here but when service is good I think we owe it to them to give them credit. Dave Sinclair Buick GMC is the place I will go for service from now on. I did some research prior to the appointment and was ready to argue my points to them. No need to. They said that they have in the past had problems with GM covering DEF problems in the past but would do everything they could to get it covered. They even said they would contact a regional GM Service Rep on my behalf. They called today and said that it was covered. They tested the fluid and it was good. Turns out it was a bad NOx sensor. It was not the fluid after all but I think I will be keeping better track of where I purchase DEF from.

[jjr1314]

Good info Bionic Man I will look into that. Thanks

[nevadanick]

I have a 2011 GMC and the only DEF related problem i have had was when it was a week old. It has never had DEF from the dlr other than the first tank. Heat and sunlight are its enemy. Its so common place now that i am not sure you could even buy any that has been sitting long enough to go bad.

[Bionic_Man]

Manguson-Moss Warranty Act allows you to purchase DEF from any source, just as it would oil, filters, or other items. They can't disallow warranty based upon where you bought DEF.

Magnuson-Moss

[blofgren]

Thank you for taking the time to post your experience. As much as I don't own a Duramax I am a new owner of a 2013 Ram 3500. This is my first truck with DEF so I am also very inexperienced with the ins and outs of the DEF issue.

I only have 2500 kms (approximately 1500 miles) on my truck so far and I topped off the DEF tank recently from a bulk tank at a truck stop. It took 13 litres, or roughly 3 gallons of DEF. I was quite surprised at how much it took, but I think that it was not full when I bought it new from the dealer. The DEF gauge was not on full when I picked up the truck and I have read that the gauge reading is inaccurate at best on these trucks. I will see how it does now that I know the DEF tank is full.

I must say though that the lack of diesel exhaust smell and soot all over my garage is very nice!

[jjr1314]

The manual only states that if you do not use GM fluid the fluid must be API certified and ISO***** compliant. The only reason that I am considering purchasing from the dealer is so I will have records to go back on so the next time this happens it will be covered. I do not put that many miles on the truck so I will just have them top it off when I get my free oil changes there.

The only reason I am posting on here is to make others aware of the potential problems with the Duramax and the warranty. If you belong the the Duramax forum you will find a ton of info on this issue. Hope this helps someone out there.

[jjr1314]

Yes the problem was apparently the NOx sensor but if they would have determined that the fluid in the tank was bad GM apparently would not have covered the issue under warranty. I am not a 100% sure but I think that burning poor DEF will cause the sensor to fail. I was really p/o when I found this out. I was ready to put the truck on the selling block and head to another manufacturer or back to a Gasser. But cooler heads prevailed and I was able to get it fixed for now. Hope the DEF light stays out.

[agesilaus]

There is nothing in the manual that I recall about buying DEF from the dealer. So I think you were being lied to. As someone who used to buy 50% Urea (DEF is 30% Urea) by the truck load several times a week, I can say that the hotter you keep your DEF - the faster it will break down to ammonia. If you open a bottle and a sniff takes your breath away and makes your eyes water for 5 minutes, then that bottle is degrading to ammonia. But that is what happens in the truck so ammonia won't hurt the truck it may just make the DEF a little less effective.

[jjr1314]

From what I can gather from online research, which we all know is not always the most reliable, DEF has a shelf life of 2 years when stored at 86 Degrees F. As the temperature increases the shelf life shortens. Here are the few of the numbers that I could come up with.

32* : Infinite
50* : 75 Years
68* : 11 Years
86* : 23 Months
95* : 10 Months
104* : 4 Months
122* : 1 Month
140* : 1 Week.

The problem comes in when the big box stores leave the DEF in their warehouse at who knows what temp for an extended period and then place it on the shelf for you to buy. I would think that most truck stops would end up using their fluid in the tanks fairly regularly so it may be a safer to buy from them than at your local Wally World.

[ricatic]

...you sure you didn't take the truck to a Ford dealer by mistake...that kind of treatment is typical Ford style customer dis-service...

DEF is a product mixed to industry standards...it's all the same formula...denying warranty coverage for DEF purchased at a location other than a GM/Ford/Ram dealership would be tantamount to denying warranty for using an engine oil other than their house brand...

...coincidentally, I am currently in Iowa building a truck stop. The diesel fuel is unbranded. We just installed a 7500 gallon DEF underground storage tank. The diesel islands have dispensed DEF at each diesel dispenser. The DEF is provided by Diamond DEF. If warranty denial as shown by the crooked dealer he Op visited, why are bulk DEF sales so successful?

.as we bury all these tanks, they have to be filled to 95% capacity with product to keep the tanks from potentially floating...looks like this DEF and all the fuel will be over 90 days old before we pump a gallon out of the tanks...shelf life?????

Regards

[Sport45]

Huh?

If I'm reading this right the problem was a bad NOX sensor and had nothing at all to do with the shelf life of DEF.

Glad it worked out for you. Sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself.