Is all DEF the same?

[way2roll]

I had been buying BLUE DEF for the past year. "Gold star, premium, blah blah blah..." Recently at the auto parts store the clerk showed me they had FRAM Def. It was literally half the price. So I bout 2 jugs, put them in and have been running it now for over a month. Today at the same auto parts store someone was buying BLUE and I tipped him to my recent find. To my surprise, another clerk said not to buy the FRAM brand that it can cause issues? I was like, wha..? Then why are you selling it? In all my research everything says that DEF is DEF is DEF provided it has the right percentage of urea to water. I mean, it's just atomized into your exhaust to neutralize harmful emissions. So is fancy DEF any better than house brand stuff? What about DEF at the pump - who knows what brand that is.

[ktmrfs]

wanderingbob wrote:
When my wife heard about the DEF shortage she ordered 4 jugs from Walmart . Got it the next day , free delivery . I sure wish some one would tell her that there is a shortage of Snicker bars and Krispy Kreme donuts !

since DEF has a shelf life, unlike TP, I hope you've got lots of travel plans made or you'll end up dumping some. At room temp shelf life is 1-2 years, depending on who's info you trust.

[Cummins12V98]

opnspaces wrote:

way2roll wrote:
To my surprise, another clerk said not to buy the FRAM brand that it can cause issues?

I know nothing about DEF. But I love the way FRAM always gets kicked about like everything they make is bad.

They used to produce quality products once upon a time. Now they rely on their name and make cheap stuff. They bought a lot of Cummins engines in the 90's with their oil filters coming apart and clogging the cooling nozzles.

[opnspaces]

way2roll wrote:
To my surprise, another clerk said not to buy the FRAM brand that it can cause issues?

I know nothing about DEF. But I love the way FRAM always gets kicked about like everything they make is bad.

[Lantley]

wanderingbob wrote:
When my wife heard about the DEF shortage she ordered 4 jugs from Walmart . Got it the next day , free delivery . I sure wish some one would tell her that there is a shortage of Snicker bars and Krispy Kreme donuts !

Panic buying and hoarding will create the alledged shortage.
It becomes a self fullfilling prophecy

[FishOnOne]

Nv Guy wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:
I think the bigger story is the shortage of DEF due to Urea and China holding back shipments of this raw material. The next big story will be a shortage of fertilizer.

Shortage is in S Korea and Australia. Spreading "shortage" stories like this only creates panic buying.
No one on several other forums I frequent has reported not being able to find DEF. Even the poorly stocked Wal Mart near me has 3 different brands of DEF available.

I'll just put my blindfolds on and the problem will go away.

[4x4ord]

Maybe BLUE DEF is inoculated with Pfizer juice to prevent the spread of covid. Seems as though airplanes must not be using the inoculated DEF cause somehow they spread Omicron all around the globe while transporting only people who show a neg antigen test.

[wanderingbob]

When my wife heard about the DEF shortage she ordered 4 jugs from Walmart . Got it the next day , free delivery . I sure wish some one would tell her that there is a shortage of Snicker bars and Krispy Kreme donuts !

[Nv_Guy]

FishOnOne wrote:
I think the bigger story is the shortage of DEF due to Urea and China holding back shipments of this raw material. The next big story will be a shortage of fertilizer.

Shortage is in S Korea and Australia. Spreading "shortage" stories like this only creates panic buying.
No one on several other forums I frequent has reported not being able to find DEF. Even the poorly stocked Wal Mart near me has 3 different brands of DEF available.

[FishOnOne]

Lantley wrote:

haste maker wrote:
Go to Pilot/Loves/Petro/ or any other truck stop that has DEF for sale at the diesel pump...it's all good...the difference is the price...I have been driving a 18 wheeler for 50 years...way before the DEF thing...and I still drive a 18 wheeler & that's where I buy DEF...

I agree cheaper and easier to fill.
My DEF fill is under the hood! Thanks Chevy It a terrible location.
Filling from a gas station style pump makes it much easier and its cheaper to buy from the pumps.

I have to fill my parents Chevy truck since my Dad can no longer handle a 2.5 gal container while pouring into that spout. I'm sure he could handle it using a DEF pump at the gas station.

[FishOnOne]

ksss wrote:
I buy it in bulk from the CASEIH dealer. 60 gallons per trip, they come to my shop and fill it, I have a 100 gal DEF tank that I store it in with an electric pump. I keep it in the shop where it stays cool and out of the sun. I think the last time I filled it, it was just over a buck a gallon. I have no idea what brand it is but it works.

We have a similar setup for our farm equipment. Farming almost 2k acres requires a lot of DEF.

[Lantley]

haste maker wrote:
Go to Pilot/Loves/Petro/ or any other truck stop that has DEF for sale at the diesel pump...it's all good...the difference is the price...I have been driving a 18 wheeler for 50 years...way before the DEF thing...and I still drive a 18 wheeler & that's where I buy DEF...

I agree cheaper and easier to fill.
My DEF fill is under the hood! Thanks Chevy It a terrible location.
Filling from a gas station style pump makes it much easier and its cheaper to buy from the pumps.

[ksss]

I buy it in bulk from the CASEIH dealer. 60 gallons per trip, they come to my shop and fill it, I have a 100 gal DEF tank that I store it in with an electric pump. I keep it in the shop where it stays cool and out of the sun. I think the last time I filled it, it was just over a buck a gallon. I have no idea what brand it is but it works.

[haste_maker]

Go to Pilot/Loves/Petro/ or any other truck stop that has DEF for sale at the diesel pump...it's all good...the difference is the price...I have been driving a 18 wheeler for 50 years...way before the DEF thing...and I still drive a 18 wheeler & that's where I buy DEF...

[agesilaus]

There is no shortage of DEF around here except at Walmart, and I'not sure if that is still the case. All the other stores have pallet loads out on the floor.

[_1Flyboy]

62,000 miles on Walmart DEF; no codes, no issues…. As a side note I used to purchase Truckloads of “ No Brand Name “ antifreeze,but, was actually Prestone Brand…. Saved my customers a bunch of money…