So I bought a F350 in January and it turned 5000 miles last night. At 4500 it started bugging me to add DEF so I started the grand adventure of getting DEF in Big Lake, TX. (I was camped 6 miles North and working 12 miles north for 10 days)
First stop was the truck stop and the pumps weren't working. Second stop was the little Texaco which advertised two jugs for $13.99. Took a pair up to the counter and it was almost $30..."oh no, two for 13.99 is for two gallon jugs. We sell 2.5 gallon jugs. Still want it?"
Er, no.
So made a stop by Walmart last night on my run back to the house and bought 2 jugs for $17. Filled up and we're good, right?
The gauge got confused somehow. It came up to a quarter, then full, then a half. Then slowly dropped back to near zero.
"299 miles! Refil DEF NOW"
It's full
"150 miles of DEF left, refil now OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!" (Pretty sure that's an exact quote but I was getting pretty peeved so maybe not)
Then at 99 miles to empty it started in on "speed will be limited to 50 mph if you run out" every 6 blasted miles
Mrs Freqz was googling furiously since it was 10:00 at night and the consensus seems to be "it gets confused sometimes. Take it in for a reset or just drive it for awhile ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"
A lot of good that will do me at 11:00 at night when I'm still 50 miles from the house. With a full DEF tank
Stopped at a truck stop outside of Ft Worth thinking maybe topping the tank would do it. Pulled into the truck lanes and purchased eighty cents worth of bulk DEF. A repeat of the full, 1/4, 1/2, empty routine.
19 miles to empty on the DEF.
Just after the I20/I30 split the highway was closed in 15 minute intervals according to the sign so I put it in park and waited. It was a little chilly so I just put it park and idled.
The DEF gauge jumped to 1/4, then 3/8, then 1/2, then full.
Never heard another peep from the computer. So to fix your emissions system you just need to idle for 10 minutes. Sheesh.