DEF info

[Gasman 2]

Something to read on these cold winter nights. I know most you guys are in short sleeves and 80 degree weather.

https://www.truckinginfo.com/1013470...120E8795901I5D

[jenandjon]

We go through several hundred gallons a year. Its stored in a bulk tote in the shop. Messy stuff. Every time you spill a drop it will leave white crystals.

[Prairie Dog]

Any real difference between Blue DEF (standard) vs Blue DEF (Platinum). Saw them in the store today and wondered what the diff was.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Prairie Dog

Any real difference between Blue DEF (standard) vs Blue DEF (Platinum). Saw them in the store today and wondered what the diff was.

I watched the video, JMO: With the research I have done with DEF sensor problems, the Diesel Particulate Filter needs to be serviced at 450,000 miles. Some chassis manufacture have this programmed into the DEF system and why readers are purchased by truckers to do forced regeneration and there are a few work arounds for DIY servicing with a code reader that will clear codes.

JMO the "Platinum" is a "buy me" label for those that do 450,000 miles a year and have to worry about the DPF.

[Rollin101]

Originally Posted by Prairie Dog

Any real difference between Blue DEF (standard) vs Blue DEF (Platinum). Saw them in the store today and wondered what the diff was.

Probably couple dollars difference!

Actually looks to be about triple the price of Walmart def.

[darjacob]

The platinum DEF does exactly what it's designed to do - separate you from your money.

[Ann n Gene]

Originally Posted by darjacob

The platinum DEF does exactly what it's designed to do - separate you from your money.

As does Blue DEF over Walmart house brand. It is all the same. JMHO

[R.Wold]

I bought one of these to check the “quality” of my def. With all the problems I’ve had with the system, the def has always tested good. Not to say it doesn’t go bad, but since I don’t use overheated, previously frozen, or out-dated def, this device primarily serves as a rule out, to give me something to do, and provide one more specific item to document as I deal with this situation. It’s called a refractometer - my vintner neighbor recognized it immediately.

By the way I didn’t read that whole thing - does it cover decoding the date codes? Hope so. One more insane aspect to this dilemma... If not you better look it up and learn it.

Also I’ve read reliable reports that def freezes at 12*F. Not 11. Minor and irrelevant point except that it illustrates that there is conflicting and incorrect information out there (don’t know which one here is right) to go along with all the myopic policy, inadequate engineering, poor manufacturing.

[R.Wold]

Ok so I just learned something. I didn’t know why the year was indicated as the year plus 1, and I didn’t know why the Julian date was backwards. Now I think I do: it’s the expiration date.

So yes you can “de-code” this by subtracting 1 from the year code and reversing the Julian date to determine when it was produced, as many have suggested, or you can just make sure that the date listed (making sure to reverse the Julian) hasn’t arrived yet. Because it’s the “expiration date”

So here it is explained (again) and it finally makes sense to me - I think.....

There are always going to be two letters or numbers at the beginning of the code, which is the blending facility code, The third and fourth number of the code is the year +1. The fifth, sixth and seventh numbers of the code are the days left in the year, or reverse Julian date. So if the code says 257 for example, that would mean it was made on the 108th day of the year.. April 18th."


For the date code (on the box):

GA153590089

There are 4 groups of numbers:

GA: The designator of the plant that manufactured the DEF
15: The year of manufacture plus 1, so this DEF was made in 2014
359: 365-359 = 6, so the 6th day of the year, or January 6th.
0089: The batch code.

So this box of DEF was made January 6th, 2014.

This is also helpful

Tip #1: Don't buy old DEF jugs. When buying DEF in jugs, look at the code: find a jug with the current year, or next year in the 3rd and 4th spaces and the highest three digit number you can find in the 5th, 6th, and 7th digits. Store it in a cool location out of the sunlight.

Because....if you buy def with a year code of 19, it wasn’t made in 2019, it was made in 2018 and is expired. Even if you buy def with a year code of 20 it was made in 2019, so buyer beware...

And:

Tip#2: Buy DEF from stores that are likely move a lot on inventory, have controls on inventory age, and are air conditioned. Not that it is a guarantee, but big name outfits are likely a good bet.

I still don’t get the reversed Julian other than it’s how many days were left in the year when they made the def. But do it that way?

And this is interesting and may be useful:

The shelf life chart- this will give you an idea of how long after manufacturing, the Blue Def will last:

1. At 50 degrees F =/- gives you 36 months
2. At 77 degrees F. +/- gives you 18 months
3. At 88 degrees F gives you +/- 12 months
4. At 95 degrees F +/- gives you 6 months
5. At 104 degrees F +/- gives you 2 months

The key point is that you really have no way of knowing how a given supply of def was stored for its entire life. It may only be 6 months old but may have spent 2 of those months at over 100*. So....buy the most recent def you can find and hope.

[brobox]

Buy Walmart brand DEF, date is clearly printed on the jug, end of problem. Walmart has such a high turn over no problem with how old it is.

[Gary.Jones]

Eveen better.... put regular miles on your coach, and fill your DEF tank with DEF direct from the DEF dispenser at truck stops.....

If you keep a spare tank in the basement like many of us do, use it frequently and keep buying more WalMart DEF tanks to replace the one in the basement....

Gary

[R.Wold]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Eveen better.... put regular miles on your coach, and fill your DEF tank with DEF direct from the DEF dispenser at truck stops.....

There are two very different camps on this - one says the high volume means it’s never old so it’s fine; the other says there is too much chance of contamination so don’t use bulk DEF.

I’ve had problems twice after using bulk DEF so that may or may not have contributed to the situation - No way to tell for sure, but one thing you can do is use only very new box DEF.

If you keep a spare tank in the basement like many of us do, use it frequently and keep buying more WalMart DEF tanks to replace the one in the basement....

Keeping spare DEF is fine but it should be stored inside if temps climb above the 80’s. No offense intended and I don’t want to be disagreeable, but according to the temp storage chart above, storing it in the basement, especially in Summer, when most people use their coaches would be asking for trouble.

Gary

I’ve put 14,600 miles on my coach since buying it in June 2020. I started having problems after about 8,000, coincidentally, or not, right after I used bulk DEF.

I had a new DEF header installed at Velocity Truck Center in Las Vegas on Nov 25th, but the problem reoccurred that day about 89 miles later, and I was back in derate. So back to Velocity, Thanksgiving in their parking lot, a forced regen and some extra system priming the next day, and after all that, it seemed to be ok.

I went on my way to Richmond Va, being careful to use box DEF, but somewhere along the way, about 4500 miles later I got lazy, decided “this is stupid”, used bulk DEF at a Loves, and on Dec 4 in New Mexico, the problem reoccurred. Fortunately that time it cleared itself. No derate like last time.

So I thought all was well but on Dec 25th, one month and 6000 miles later it did it again and it’s been sitting ever since in derate waiting for an appointment at the local Freightliner shop.

So I’m going with my theory posted above: “myopic policy, inadequate engineering, and substandard manufacturing” and I will religiously buy fresh box DEF.....after I get this thing fixed. Again!

Either that or buy something very nice with pre ‘07 emissions and forget all about this like some bad dream. It’s unfortunate because I really like my coach, but I just saw a Monaco Dynasty Bishop IV for sale locally that would have done nicely. Unfortunately it sold before I could even look at it.

But the point of this rehash of my travails de DEF (other than some no-so-helpful catharsis) is that the coach wasn’t sitting around with old DEF in it, I put on more than a few miles on it (average 2,500/month) and buying bulk DEF HAS coincided with my emissions system problems.