Why DEF tank is so hard to getmto. - Page 2

hkreck · 08-17-2012, 01:04 PM

Papap, I had the same issue except my 2013 Solera has the DEF tank under the hood easy to get to. But like you I didn't know how much to put into the tank. My Son in law finally told me just to fill it up to the cap and not worry about too much in it as it doesn't hurt anything being too full. I was lucky that he told me about the DEF before I went on my last trip, just outside of Houston TX my DEF light came on. If he hadn't told me about it I would have been wondering what the H%$^ to do.

papap · 08-17-2012, 01:25 PM

i just hate over filling it and spilling it on driveway. LOL

hkreck · 08-17-2012, 01:31 PM

I hear ya. I haven't had it happen yet but my S-I-L says it smell bad if you get it on you.

Superchief · 08-17-2012, 02:13 PM

It just like peeing on yourself - same smell :-)

hkreck · 08-17-2012, 04:26 PM

Well I'd rather not do that either.

philipmorris · 08-17-2012, 04:53 PM

Might take the shock off the DEF bay and put it on the water tank area and have a win win situation. Got a Safety Recall Today to replace the IOTA ITS-50R transfer switch and to be replaced with one from FR. it says continued use without replacing this switch can cause a fire.

Phil57 · 08-17-2012, 05:05 PM

I took mine in and it was ok. You might call the dealer and check the brand. They switched sometime in November of 2010
But I would check for sure.
And we just switched topics?

wnytaxman · 08-17-2012, 05:27 PM

Under the heading of "For What It's Worth," we were just at both the Berkshire/Charleston factory in Elkhart and the Entegra factory at Middlebury and owners of both companies rigs have the same complaint. In the case of Entegra it is not Freightliner who did it that way but Spartan. I'm sure there is some logiclal engineering reason for the location, but I have no idea what it might be, other than proximity to the engine. On over the road trucks the DEF is located next to the engine. Same on our MH's but the engine is in the back.

philipmorris · 08-17-2012, 06:09 PM

Mine just happened to be at my local RV repair guy any way somI faxed him the letter and he is taking care of it for me.

philipmorris · 08-17-2012, 06:15 PM

Taxman, it's not the location that is the trouble but the lack of thought for how you would put the DEF into the tank. It would have been very easy to have a fuel door there to fill the tank or at very least a wider rather than taller tank so the filler port would be lower. A little common sense would have gone a long way.

billygo3251 · 08-17-2012, 06:30 PM

What is DEF?

philipmorris · 08-17-2012, 06:42 PM

Diesel Exhaust Fluid, urea mixed with water for emission control.

Phil57 · 08-17-2012, 06:44 PM

Diesel exhaust fluid

Phil57 · 08-17-2012, 06:45 PM

Got beat because I can't type.

Davidlow630 · 11-14-2012, 02:39 PM

I turned my coach around to come in from the other side when there were no truckers on a Sunday at a Flying J just to find out that the nozzle for the diesel/def is larger than the 13 gallon tank spout opening. I spend between $14.00to$19.00 per container and it was less than $3.00 per gallon at the pump. I wish they could put it on the drivers side with a larger opening for the nozzle.

Superchief · 11-14-2012, 06:58 PM

Davidlow630,

Are you sure you were using the correct nozzle? The DEF nozzle is in the pocket door next to the diesel pump. It is a small nozzle designed to fit in the DEF tank. You need to slide the pocket door up to get to the nozzle. The first time I went to fill my DEF tank at a Pilot Station from the bulk tank, I almost put diesel fuel in the DEF tank. Luckily the diesel nozzle would not fit and when I asked for a funnel and explained what I was doing, they showed me where the DEF nozzle was.

Phil57 · 11-14-2012, 09:47 PM

I have a good friend that is GM at a Cummins shop and had a customer fill his
diesel tank with DEF.Several thousand dollars later he was back on the road. I guess it ran a ways down the hi way and died. Thing is he didn't even use Def but this was cheaper. It all seems so clear and easy after we do dumb things never while we do them.

mjracsj · 11-14-2012, 10:00 PM

And we wonder why truck drivers are made nervous by us on the road and dont respect us at truck stops :/

fschambe · 11-15-2012, 05:55 AM

I look at the truck stop DEF as being inferior because it changes so many hands to go into a trucker's tank. When the system is dumping it by the tank full it is ok for the bulk fluid like in a truck which probably burns a tank at a time diesel and DEF. For our engines, they may be more sensitive, so that is why they made the spout smaller, to ensure that we don't try to use the crap DEF at a truck stop.

EJM4 · 11-16-2012, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fschambe

I look at the truck stop DEF as being inferior because it changes so many hands to go into a trucker's tank. When the system is dumping it by the tank full it is ok for the bulk fluid like in a truck which probably burns a tank at a time diesel and DEF. For our engines, they may be more sensitive, so that is why they made the spout smaller, to ensure that we don't try to use the crap DEF at a truck stop.

They are no more sensitive. All DEF is manufacture to same specs. The pump nozzle is smaller so that drivers do not try to jam the high speed diesel pump into the DEF tank.

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