Freaked out over def problems posted..help!!

[sumjoe]

wanting to go back to full time living.
had been looking at dodge duallys and 35" artic fox...
looking at used diesel trucks until i started looking at all the problems with def systems..i will not delete.

i can't afford to spend 75k to 100k and then sit on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck.

am i over thinking this or what...does anyone else throw up their hands and say forget it as i am doing ?.

your imput appreciated...what are my choices

[Palmeris]

Have 140k on my 2014 f450 with zero def issues. Fresh def not letting it sit and get stale is the key. So is keeping the trucks systems maintained fuel filters water separators drained and oil changes.

I also put in 2 pints of schaeffer molly ep at every oil change and 4 oz of opti lube summer at every fill up of my 65 gallon tank.

[tuffr2]

Agree with keep the DEF fresh. I had a 2012 F-450 6.5 years with only one early 'Limp mode' def warning in xx miles. The issue was fixed with a laptop. Then I had zero issues. The truck was used 50% of the time to tow a 15,500lb 5th wheel.

But before I would buy a diesel truck I would check out the Ford 7.3 gas engine. If that truck would work then I would forget about diesel.

Now if you are towing heavy, then yes I would buy the diesel. The new diesel engines are great at towing with (technical term) gobs of power.

[NevadaNick]

1 suv, 4 pickups and 2 dp motorhomes since 2011 with over 500,000 mi combined and have never been stuck on the side of the road.

[wolfgolden]

We started with a 2013 Ram 3500.
It didn't take long for random Def alerts to pop up and freak us out.

The Ram always got us there but did start the 100 mile countdown with def issues several times, always going away by itself before going into limp mode.

Two dealers were unable to indicate any definitive issues and wanted to throw parts at it at our expense.

We traded for a new Ford and no longer worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

[jrollf]

Can't speak to Dodge specifically, but my understanding is the majority of the DEF/Regeneration issues have to with pickups that are used as short distance city daily drivers. Trucks used to pull trailers down the highway the majority of the tine have less problems.

This is due to the short distance unloaded city type of driving is not condusive to getting the engine completlely warmed up and the regen cycles are often not as effective and often get cut short by the short commutes.

[Dieselguy4]

2017 F350 20000 miles. Only put in def from truck stops. My truck only comes out of the garage to tow my 41 ft Fifth wheel. I keep the def and fuel tanks full. Not allot of miles but it is 4 years old now

[Gammel]

You hear the horror stories. The hundreds of thousands of
happy owners are too busy livin' large to chime in.

[deserteagle5]

Originally Posted by Gammel

You hear the horror stories. The hundreds of thousands of
happy owners are too busy livin' large to chime in.

^ This!

A lot of diesel pickup owners around here and I've yet to hear of anyone with major problems.

[vroom_vroom]

Originally Posted by Palmeris

Have 140k on my 2014 f450 with zero def issues. Fresh def not letting it sit and get stale is the key. So is keeping the trucks systems maintained fuel filters water separators drained and oil changes.

I also put in 2 pints of schaeffer molly ep at every oil change and 4 oz of opti lube summer at every fill up of my 65 gallon tank.

Another Schaefer fan! Crazy how good there products are and most have no idea they exist.

[Skilletface]

When possible use the truck stop DEF pump and top your tank off when you need a couple to three gallons. A key factor in DEF is to keep it fresh, don’t buy a jug unless it’s going to be added right away.
The weak point in DEF is when stored at temperatures above 85 degrees ferihenhight for long periods, it will start to degrade. One more reason to run these things at operating temperatures often.
If you must purchase a jug go inside the store and make the purchase, check the date code an acceptable shelf life is two years if stored properly.

[4x4ord]

Some people buy older diesels to avoid the emissions all together. Some run their truck till they have an issue with the emissions equipment and then spend money deleting. Some just suck it up and fix things as they come up and some keep their trucks under warranty. If your real lucky you can buy an older emissions equipped truck and not have any issues.

[JMonroe]

The nature of forums in general is people needing help looking for it. What you see here, or elsewhere, is not indicative of the vast majority. Go to the power train forums and you'll see people reporting transmission issues, appliances and systems, toilet problems. You get the point.

We're now on our third rig utilizing DEF. The first two were new, total of about 60k miles between them. Our current rig is ten years old, shows about 26k miles on the odo. Knock on wood, we've suffered no DEF related issues to date. I use DEF I pick up at Walmart, works for me.

I suggest you buy what you want, taking DEF off your list of concerns.

[Super Thirty]

I’m on my second diesel truck and had two DEF issues in approximately 75k miles. -40F and my DEF froze was the first and trying to get DEF when Covid first hit as it was being hoarded. Poor design of the def heating system on my older diesel was the cause of the first and as for the second……. ? I know people who have deleted with success and I know some that haven’t had success with the delete. Deleting is the owners personal choice and not having any personal experience because I haven’t deleted any of my trucks I won’t recommend one way or the other. I usually buy def a couple jugs at a time unless I’m travelling and have not had any problems. My current truck is a 2019 Ram 3500 and it has worked like it should. If you want a diesel I wouldn’t be scared of the DEF.