Community Forums

Johnontheroad · 10-09-2020, 06:00 PM

When the red light comes on for fuel, I know I have at least 100 miles before getting concerned. Today, I got a yellow DEF level bar and associated dash warning.

Only some 10 miles down the road was a Wally World, pulled in, and bought 3 btls of DEF (Sale! $6.98/btl). Found my DEF tank would only take 7 gallons of DEF until full. So there was still some 3 gallons in the tank.

So if my DEF warning light ever comes on again I have lots of time to filler up.

Prairie Dog · 10-09-2020, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnontheroad

When the red light comes on for fuel, I know I have at least 100 miles before getting concerned. Today, I got a yellow DEF level bar and associated dash warning.

Only some 10 miles down the road was a Wally World, pulled in, and bought 3 btls of DEF (Sale! $6.98/btl). Found my DEF tank would only take 7 gallons of DEF until full. So there was still some 3 gallons in the tank.

So if my DEF warning light ever comes on again I have lots of time to filler up.

That’s funny, you really like flirting with low level lights?.....not really in my gene make up [emoji23]

Johnontheroad · 10-09-2020, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prairie Dog

That’s funny, you really like flirting with low level lights?.....not really in my gene make up [emoji23]

I seldom get to my idiot lights. But when I do, it’s nice to know what you really have in reserve. My Entegra has the most inaccurate level gauges of any coach I’ve owned.

rte154 · 10-09-2020, 06:39 PM

Someone may correct me on this, but I believe the system is set up to shut you down before it runs out of def. It will shut down when the gage tells it to, not when the def stops flowing. How much you would have left in tank is an unknown, so i wouldn't gamble on how far to go after the amber light comes on.

Gary.Jones · 10-09-2020, 06:44 PM

John

You definitely live on the edge............

I don't ever let either of my gauges get anywhere near empty.... somewhere about 1/3 on diesel, I am getting anxious and virtually never have let it go below 1/4 tank. And DEF rarely gets below half full. My biggest concern with DEF are the frequent reports of problems with the DEF head and sensors if you overfill or if you let it get too empty (Brobox's draining) triggering the need for a new DEF head (~ $900).

To each his own, but I just could not let fluids get that low....

Gary

Xmcdog · 10-09-2020, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

John

You definitely live on the edge............

I don't ever let either of my gauges get anywhere near empty.... somewhere about 1/3 on diesel, I am getting anxious and virtually never have let it go below 1/4 tank. And DEF rarely gets below half full. My biggest concern with DEF are the frequent reports of problems with the DEF head and sensors if you overfill or if you let it get too empty (Brobox's draining) triggering the need for a new DEF head (~ $900).

To each his own, but I just could not let fluids get that low....

Gary

Hi Gary,
I haven't heard of issues on overfilling he DEF tank. This is new to me.
Any further information?
Thanks for the heads up.

RVFunlovers · 10-09-2020, 07:58 PM

I am a long way from an experienced motor coach owner.

I try to keep my diesel between full and 1/2. Never know when I will need to run generator or aqua hot for a while. I add DEF every other or every third fill up. I have not let my DEF get below half. We look for a good easy access truck stop well before half a tank. Nice thing about a 150 gallon fuel tank is adding fuel at 1/2 tank is still not that often.

Good to know the sensor probably gives warning before it is really empty. Makes since that this happens. I appreciate you sharing that info.

I fill my diesel and DEF at truck stops but I keep a 2.5 gallons DEF jug in the basement. If I got the low DEF warning I would use it asap and probably be nervous about the warnings.

Gary.Jones · 10-09-2020, 08:10 PM

Jeff

The issue comes up in threads about people using the DEF fill on the driver side of the coach which sometimes leads some people on some coaches to over-fill their tank. You may have noticed, but its not all that obvious, that there is a line in the plastic tank near (but still a good deal down from the neck) that says its the "full line" and do not overfill. That is easy to see when you are adding DEF from 2.5 gallon jugs from the passenger side directly into the tank but if you are using the DEF pump at a truck stop and putting it in via the driver side DEF fill jack, then you are sort of at the mercy of what the system does before shut off.

Now, I have never had the problem with overfilling (however I just started using truck stop DEF after getting the EFS card), however, quite a few owners on the forum have had problems with their DEF head going bad (~$900), and some have reported that it seemed to occur for them if the DEF tank was overfilled. Others like Brobox reported that his DEF head failed when he drained his tank to try to get rid of much of tank of "very old" DEF that had been sitting for a long time. Those may be guesses or "wives tales" from people trying to find blame or "the cause" after the fact, but so many people are having DEF head failures that it is eliciting a lot of hypotheses. .

However, I try to be careful, and even if filling from the driver side, I tend to have the passenger side compartment open and walk back and forth to try to keep the DEF level below the "full" line.

Gary

Motang · 10-09-2020, 08:10 PM

Risky, I don't go there!

Gary.Jones · 10-09-2020, 08:16 PM

Pat

Unsure where you don't go....

Gary

Motang · 10-10-2020, 05:30 AM

Running things so low that warnings come!

Mr.Mark · 10-10-2020, 06:03 AM

My DEF filler is just under the Diesel filler on my coach (Driver's side).

The DEF nozzle is SO sensitive and it clicks off so easily. In almost 59,000 miles of driving this coach, I only found one station where the DEF nozzle worked well (I think it was in Florida).

I usually fill the DEF when the gauge shows about 1/2 which is every other fill-up on Diesel.

I can go about 800 miles when the diesel tank shows half. The lowest I've let the diesel get down to was close to 1/3 tank. I knew that there was a LOVES up ahead where I had made a planned to stop so I wasn't too nervous about it.

Once, I did overfill the DEF and it just ran out the overflow, no problems or lights. I'm more careful now.

Oh, and another thing is that my fuel fillers are about 1/2 way down the side of the coach. So, if a trucker doesn't pull up far enough, I can't reach the pump.

Safe travels,
Mark

garysfb · 10-10-2020, 07:46 AM

I had been in the habit of filling the DEF when the third green light went out leaving roughly 1/4 tank. Until one day when an odd set of circumstances left me with having to fill diesel at a Marathon gas station with no DEF. OK, no problem, I'll get it next fill up.

Then the last green light turned yellow, time to worry since we were on a long stretch with no filling stations. BTW this was before I started keeping a spare jug in storage. A couple hundred miles later the yellow turned red

About that time an old ma and pa truck stop with DEF showed up. Filled the DEF tank and all was well. Now I carry the spare jug and fill with two green lights.

Gary, interesting you bring up going around to the passenger side to check the level. Never thought of that

I'm going to check the level now at 4, 3 and 2 lights to see exactly where the level is.

One last note, John mentioned 10 gallons. I seem to remember filling to 12 gallons when I let the level slip all the way down. Haven't looked for the tank size in the specs, anybody know?

Rollin101 · 10-10-2020, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysfb

I had been in the habit of filling the DEF when the third green light went out leaving roughly 1/4 tank. Until one day when an odd set of circumstances left me with having to fill diesel at a Marathon gas station with no DEF. OK, no problem, I'll get it next fill up.

Then the last green light turned yellow, time to worry since we were on a long stretch with no filling stations. BTW this was before I started keeping a spare jug in storage. A couple hundred miles later the yellow turned red

About that time an old ma and pa truck stop with DEF showed up. Filled the DEF tank and all was well. Now I carry the spare jug and fill with two green lights.

Gary, interesting you bring up going around to the passenger side to check the level. Never thought of that

I'm going to check the level now at 4, 3 and 2 lights to see exactly where the level is.

One last note, John mentioned 10 gallons. I seem to remember filling to 12 gallons when I let the level slip all the way down. Haven't looked for the tank size in the specs, anybody know?

Tank size now is 15 gallons, previously I believe it was 10 gallons.