Great video sir. Yeah, today was the first day putting def in my new and first diesel using a def pump. Put def right in the fuel tank. 😵💫 I started the engine because I have a digital display and couldn't see the def gage without starting the truck. I immediately realized my mistake and I'm really kicking myself.
@@DownsizingMakesCents I called the dealership and they immediately said its "ruined' without even looking at it. I don't know if that's a California thing or not but I had it towed to the dealership and my insurance and the dealership are acting like it's the end of the world.
I’m retired from the automotive industry and spent the last 16 years at a Ram dealership. Your video is spot on! When the catalyst system for diesels was first rolled out it was a nightmare for customers and dealers. Most of the problems were from software issues. All manufacturers had a hard time with regeneration so there were a lot of unnecessary check engine lights. And so many people put weird stuff in their DEF tank. I’ve seen diesel fuel, gasoline, plain water and who knows what in those tanks. And of course DEF in the fuel tank is so easy to do. By the time I retired a couple years ago emission problems with diesels where about the same frequency as gasoline engines. A certain percentage of everything breaks so you still see the occasional problem but the systems are much much better. I own a diesel truck by the way. Yes you can delete all that stuff but it can cause even more problems. A lot of the shops doing the deletions have no clue what they’re doing. Some are really good but I’ve seen some real disasters. And it’s illegal. Just my 2 cents!
Hey Randy thanks for sharing your considerable experience. Many people have commented on deleting their emmissions systems. I would consider it for myself, I would be afraid of voiding the warranty, having even more diesel problems, and getting in trouble with the law. I have seen many videos about the companies that specialize in deleting, getting busted. Thanks again for sharing your advice. Larry
I have my first diesel and I have a procedure: only one cap off at a time and I avoid the gasoline + diesel lanes and only fill in either a truck lane or a dedicated diesel lane designed for passenger trucks towing trailers. No distractions is critical.
Great tips. Unfortunately, when not towing, sometimes on the road, you get diesel where you can - especially when looking for a good price. We almost always use truck stop when towing
Our Chevy Duramax DEF port is under the hood. Many Chevy drivers complain about that location but I’m glad for the very reasons in your video. Great job!
Thanks for the good tips. The first thing i tossed after buying my 2018 Ram 3500 6.7 was the plastic fill caps. I bought on Amazon metal magnetic ones colored appropriately and well marked.
I’ve never had an issue fueling 10 years with our trucks. But in 2019 we bought a new rig that requires DEF. I get DEF 90% of the time at the Truck Stops where we fuel. I test the DEF before putting it in my tank…. Several times the DEF did not make spec and we did not take it. I test def in the box as well and have never found a bad box yet.
Thank you so much Larry and Alice. Great tip! I didn’t know about the Def for diesel fuel. Never had diesel but my brother had and my ex’s uncle did. Glad to know this. Thank you so much! Have a great night! And week and see you both soon! Stay safe.
back in the day all diesel was green dispenser now they are black at sum stations just to keep us guessing and now def dispensers. pro tip for your def system: DELETE IT/bypass EGR . Def will crystalize and you will not now it and gunk up system. ive seen deleted engines and there is NO smoke . Its all about money
I made this mistake. 2019 2500 after putting def nozzle into diesel tank i realized my mistake quickly I quickly remembered not to put ignition switch to start or u will have major problems. I called my mechanic and he sent a tow truck I had just put 30 gallons of diesel fuel into my tank. My mechanic was not happy draining it. long story short he cleaned the tank out and put two new fuel filters on and I was good. Listen to this guy it can and will happen if ur day dreaming. Good luck
Just replaced the turbo on my Ram yesterday. I was also relieved of my obligation to ever buy DEF again. It could pull a freight train now, and efficiency is better
Thank you!! This was very helpful. We just got our first diesel truck, Ram 3500 for towing a 5th wheel. I was confused about which type of kind if DEF to use. Thank you for making it clear.
Glad we could help. When Larry had several hospital stays, I had to fill up with diesel for the first time. I was so worried I would put it in the DEF container. But Larrys labels helped
Yea I just poured about two seconds worth of def into my 21’ diesel gladiator. Realized it and googled. Thank god I didn’t start it. Waiting on a tow now.
@@gooddays2484 yikes- but it could have been worse. Larry made a 3D cap that reads “pay attention” and it’s red Wish I could send pic to you. Maybe he should sell them on his Etsy and EBay stores 😉
Thanks. Larry is so serious when he does these types of videos. Gas prices in Canada are aging us 😬 plus all the tax. But we are seeing some amazing places, Alice
Great video Larry. Many people don't realize the extra work that is required to maintain a diesel engine. Diesel trucks are excellent workhorses. I've been driving diesels work trucks for over 26 years now. Mostly MDT's , Internationals, Freightliners etc. and all of these vehicles were pre-DEF, the newest being a 2014. However, one of our newer (2015) smaller F-550 bucket trucks does use DEF, and it's been problematic. Almost always it was something to do with the emissions. Even the 2014 International has had DPF problems. Diesels can be very finicky. Lately the company has been buying the F450's with the new 7.3l gas engine almost exclusively now. It's a super strong engine and it tows the trailers just great. I'm impressed to the point of probably not upgrading my next truck to a diesel. But rather a new 7.3l with a 4:30 rear end. If it can take a 16k trailer up the Ike Guantlet (TFL truck 7.3l Ike challenge) it should easily be more than enough for our future RV. Thats not set in stone yet, but it's sure looking that way.
I had never owned a diesel vehicle before this, and the extra maintenance and the associated cost takes some getting used to. The torque in our truck is insane, i and we only have a 3:43 rear end. If we had the 4:10 that would be extreme. You make a good case for gas, i would love to see a side by side comparison of the two. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Larry
i just made this costly mistake , i just wasnt paying attention , thank god for full coverage and good insurance , the total on the estimate for repair from the dealership is 21k. they are replacing the entire fuel system . Ill never do that again
Wow im sorry this happened to you, I have a huge fear of this mistake. Are you saying that your car insurance paid for the repair or did your car warranty pay for it? I really want to know. I 3d printed a gas cap for my truck that says “Pay Attention” it really helps me make sure i concentrate on any diesel activity that could cost thousands.
Lots a great points and very detailed. I fill my DEF at home so I'm usually not distracted. I agree with becoming complacent when fueling. We do it all the time so it's second nature. I have 3 different fuels I get on my way to the desert. 40 gallons of premium gas in my trailer. 20 gallons of VP in race cans in the bed of my truck. Top off my truck with diesel too. Don't forget your Hot Shots Secret EDT to save that CP4. Add to that the kids running around and double checking the load before we head down the long 6% grade. While it's not always possible to avoid distractions, staying focused is key. I play it out in my head before I even get to the stop. I even do a checklist on my phone sometimes. All you have to keep telling yourself is that a simple mistake could at the very least cost you thousands. Could be the lives of you and your family in the worst case scenario.
Wow you have a much more complicated fueling situation than us, we just have gas for the generators and Diesel for the truck. I 3d printed a plastic cap for my diesel fill that has “Pay Attention” printed on it now. One more step to help me remember. I now have a brain deficit because an illness i had a year ago so I have to be extra careful not to screw up not. Larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents I'm all for signs and directions. I'm the kind of guy that reads the manual from front to back before I dive in. 20 years in the DoD will do that to you I guess. Sounds like you're doing everything right. I had to teach myself since my friends just told me to hook and go lol. Not good advice. Anyway, you're doing great! Have fun and be safe 😁
Have you tried using the Walmart brand of DEF? It’s certified by the American Petroleum Institute and it’s approximately $7.00 for the 2 and a half Gallo container. I’ve used it since December and have had no ill effects from it. Great video as always Larry!
Hey Robert, Most of the time we get DEF at the pump for around $3 per gallon. But I had no idea that the walmart brand was so inexpensive, I will have to check it out. Thanks Larry
Industry standards for DEF manufacturing, quality, transportation, storage, etc are detailed in ISO 22241. As long as a container advertises their product meets these standards it should be fine, regardless of price. Diesel aftertreatment specialist make a respectful income by maintaining and repairing DEF systems. Speaking from experience, most DEF system faults are from failed components, software strategy, or gross contamination- filling DEF tank with diesel, hydraulic oil, or other fluid. I use a refractometer to measure specific gravity, it is extremely rare that I see concentration deviate more than 1.5%.
@@DownsizingMakesCents I always buy the Walmart brand and here is why…. Walmart sells 20 to 1 their brand over Blue DEF and it is always the freshest DEF on the shelf, I test every container and it has always been spot on!
Always very careful and soul e check which nozzle I have in hand - our Silverado 3500hd DRW has the two right next to each other which makes it a bit more anxious
When Larry was in the hospital, I drove the dually a lot, and had to fill. It made me very nervous. But the labels and watching him make this video - plus I help edit - I felt more confident 🤗
I’ve run diesel trucks for 21 years about 2 months ago I put DEF in my fuel tank on a 2020 ltz 3500 cost me 6500 dollars just a stupid mistake just wasn’t paying attention but good video thanks
Since Larry’s illness, I’ve been driving and filling up the dually. It only takes a distraction. Can happen to anyone. I tried to out reg in - luckily since I was hitting the button for diesel with the gas pump in my hand, it wouldn’t fill Sorry it was a costly mistake for you - that’s why some people like the DEF fill to be away from the diesel fill
Good advice. I purchased a Ford F150 diesel and most people probably don't associate a half ton truck with diesel. I should probably put a warning label on the fuel door in case someone tries to put gas in it for me. Thanks
this will help allot of people understand def systems, thanks you know I just got my 3500hd Chevy in march, i do love it but I have tried to exclusively use the pump def, the amount of waste these box def fill jugs is unreal, the cardboard, plastics jugs and everything end up in landfills, can believe the amount of waste this stuff creates just to inject some water and pig piss onto an exhaust stream.... ugg and not to mention the cost of the dpf components themselves..... add 7k to any new truck what a shame the private truck owners have to do this. I think we should be able to fill up the empty jugs at service stations....you know eh....
Paul, unfortunately not every place has gas stations with DEF - we are in an area in Nova Scotia with no big gas stations. We fill at truck stops when we can - the ones in jugs are back up, Alice
I put DEF in my wife's 2020 GMC. GMC doesn't put a gas cap on that truck. Being in a hurry I put DEF in the dsl tank while in idle to watch the dash reading. It cost over 18,000.00 in parts & labor. MAKE SURE YOU PUT IN A CLAIM THROUGH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. IT COMES UNDER YOUR COMPREHENSIVE @ DOESN'T COST YOU ONE CENT. THATS WHAT I WAS TOLD.
Could you imagine the look on our parents faces if we were kids and told them "in the future we are going to buy 8 dollar a gallon water for our diesel muffler" so we dont hurt our 10 thousand dollar exhaust system.
It is unfortunate that adds so much cost to a diesel truck. I think the manufacturers could find a way to make it less expensive but they dont have an incentive to. Larry
So far 4 years in I love the diesel, it pulled us up some really steep mountains last year, no problem. I just wish diesel was cheaper than gas like it used to be years ago. Larry
I do not have a diesel truck yet. I had never heard of that, thank you. I do get tired, rushed, and distracted. I am surprised there are not at the pump safeguards and on the truck. Does DEF make it smell better? I feel sick when i smell diesel trucks. I know there is nothing i can do about the smell of the fuel, but i sure hope the exhaust smell is better. The engine noise is obnoxious, too. I REALLY hate having to get a diesel, but guess there is no choice in order to be safe. Thanks so much.
the great thing about all of the emissions changes to diesel trucks is it virtually eliminates that diesel smell. I hate the smell of diesel. I had a bad experience on a fishing boat where the wind blew taht diesel smoke on us for hours, made me so sick. The engine noise is more that a gas truck but you dont notice any difference while driving, the cab is very sound proofed. larry
I purchased my 2017 Ram 3500 6.7 Cummins with EGR delete. No DEF filling ever. Our Rig is 20,000lbs and I get around 9-11mpg depending upon terrain. 18-22mpg not pulling.
You definitely benefit with extra power and mileage with the deleted emissions system, but that voids the powertrain warranty. I dont know much about diesel engines so I rely on the warranty for big repair expenses. Larry
I have just bought a diesel VW and I had no idea you had to put this product in, as the dealer told me nothing! How often do you have to put some in? If i drive a thousand miles how much would the car use? Basically how often do I have to fill up, or will I be told when it needs refilling?
Glad we could help. If it saves one person some stress and money, then it’s worth it. We learned a lot researching for the video - so added bonus 😉 Alice
Dang I like that cabin in the background. How do you tow that? lol Good move going with the upgrade DEF. I would do the same thing as well. Go cheap and you always end up paying for it. That date stuff is insane. They need to just stamp a real date on there. lol Ouch that sucks for your friend man. Where is your tags for the DEF and fuel. Come on Larry. lol Great stuff. We are looking at getting a diesel truck. This is helpful.
William, you are so right. Use the upgraded and check that insane expiration date. Even with the hassle, we love our diesel truck. And that cabin in the background? The best place to be in Tennessee 🤗 Alice
I made that mistake I’ve been driving trucks for a while,tied and distracted i put it in my my feul tank and didn’t realize until i started the engine and started driving,five miles are so the engine die,i felt like dumbass😢
I have 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I am almost panicked by the DEF thing. Never imagined having a diesel but circumstances brought me to it and actually like the vehicle. I went to the Jeep dealer as I did not understand this DEF thing. They told me that it was very pricey and that it would be in excess of $300. dollars to service the tank. My gauge shows less than half full of DEF and I am traveling soon do not want to take any risked of damaging the engine. Should I have the dealer do this or as your excellent video indicates perhaps I just need to fill the DEF tank with the fluid you use. Seems like a less expensive way. The vehicle runs beautifully I am just concerned about th level of DEF. Thanks for a great explanation. Would appreciate your recommendation.
@@DownsizingMakesCents try South Carolina just got 6 gallons for $12.66 But glad I found the place Get 500 miles for a for tank instead of spilling it out the jugs and never topping off for long trips…. Be safe Bro
Good info. Thank you. Do you have a video about your Ram truck and why you chose that brand? I am researching 1-ton duallies and I'm leaning towards the Ford F-350 or 450. I would like to know your thoughts.
Thanks. There are two videos - very early in our channel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N26LHcVXjNU.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YtfvfzSPjoQ.html
Both are great trucks. I’m a Cummins fan but I have to give credit to the 6.7L Powerstoke but man o man once you drive a rig with the turning radius of a F-450 and F-550 you won’t want anything less.
Plus the the F Series the fuel door is huge so the ports are spread out nicely, not like the dodge were you open it's and it's like you walked in on step sis stuck in the laundry machine. The 6.7 PS also has the best mpg.
Purchased my 2020 Chevy 3500 Duramax 6 months ago. (DEF fill is next to diesel fill on 2020 and newer as opposed to under the hood)I have not put DEF in the fuel tank...yet. I am so paranoid about doing this, I am hypervigilant when filling my tanks. I did run into something called diesel premium last week and did not know what it was or if it was compatible with my truck. I put the "regular" diesel in then I was worried about it until I burned up the tank.
they should not call it diesel premium, it causes too much confusion between premium gas. One grade of diesel is good for me. We are in canada now and the pump handles are sometimes yellow and sometimes green for diesel. I really stop and pay attention here especially. I think chevy should have kept the DEF under the hood. thanks for sharing your story. Larry
im sorry i bought a newer truck rhe def system on my spinter works as it should but on the ford it is not good lots of trouble and lots of cash delete it asap if you want to keep the truck past 100k
I am really hoping that if I take care of it, maintain it properly and make sure that I run it hard occasionally to burn out the DPF, hoping to get several hundred thousand miles for for the emissions stuff goes bad, Lar
I recently had to fill the truck myself because Larry is extremely I’ll and is going back into the hospital. I’m glad I knew about this I doubled checked. His stickers helped. Thank you for supporting us Alice
Are you able to refill the DEF container at the pump or buy a fuel can to use? We’ve gone back and forth about upgrading to a 3/4 ton but will probably get a gasser for our less than 7000 pound rig.
@@DownsizingMakesCents I have a new Ford and it has a gauge, I've got about 2800 miles on it so far and just at half on the DEF gauge now so about 5 to 6k per tank on mine maybe.
After he flushed the gas tank out, some def was still in there, when he put new fuel in and started the truck some of the residual def made its way into the fuel filter. I should have explained that better, Larry
You don't need to take the jug out of the box. The black valve should be up and it won't suck the jug in. You make it look so much harder than it is. No table should be needed.
That’s a great question, I wouldn’t want old def to mess up the emissions system. I hope somebody here can answer that question, I will look it up. Since we traveled extensively right now we always have fresh DEF in the tank but when we settle down that will change. Larry
That MFR date code on the box is asinine - they should reprogram the printing software to fix that. IMHO they made it difficult to interpret deliberately.
I worked in the chemical industry for a while, it’s likely SAP or some big ERP managing their manufacturing, labeling and shipping and yeah a simple report or interface code change could out it in, well, a normal date format like mm/dd/yyyy for expiration date. Even if it’s some old thing like MAPICS or BPCS it is not a hugely difficult thing… yeah I think it’s intentional frankly…
@@DownsizingMakesCents Yep! Turn the jug 180🙃 and have the breather on top. It will fill smoothly and it's easier and quicker to Stop filling when the tank is full 🤗
There are a bunch of reasons to stay away from diesel but in the end, they last longer and pull harder than a comparable gas. DEF is here to stay for OTR and people like me. Larry
Hey, we saw you at Mira but didn’t recognize you, otherwise we would have said hello. We’re full timers as well and heading across Canada soon. How long are you in NS?
Hey, you still here? We leave tomorrow- headed to Cape Breton National Park for a couple weeks. I can’t remember where next 🤣 Sorry we missed you. I wasn’t out and about that much because I hurt my back. But we had a great day out today. Message me on IG 🤗 Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents we’re not in Cape Breton anymore. We did go to the highlands for a hike. We did the Skyline Trail, very pretty and very crowded. Worth the long drive. If you’re camping at the national park, you probably can only fit in either Cheticamp or Broad Cove. Cheticamp is very cramped with no privacy. Broad Cove is a lot better. By the way, we don’t have any social media but if you have an email address, we’d love to stay in touch. You never know, our paths may cross again! Good luck with your travels!
Sorry we missed you. We definitely want to do the Skyline Trail. We should have an email on our RU-vid about us section. We will be in Canada at least through September so who knows. Alice
I wouldn’t want be towing with a gasser up a long mountain accent out west, like we did last year plus the exhaust brake really helps on the decent. Larry
How toxic and how much waste is there with the plastic containers and the production of this? This feels like one of those fancy new gas can with the nozzle that pours everywhere. SMH
The thing is you don’t have to add DEF very often - at least not with my truck. It’s Not very expensive (not compared to the truck or camper) and it’s not a big chore. If you’re an absent minded person that often makes these kinds of mistakes maybe don’t get a diesel.
David, as we show in the video, it’s not an uncommon mistake. The friend we mentioned is an engineer who also runs major companies. You don’t have to be “absent minded” just human. Mistakes happen. We just hope we can help others not make a costly mistake. If people chose not to buy, go, or do something because a mistake might happen, that wouldn’t be much of a life. It’s great to hear you are so confident. Have a great weekend, Alice
When I purchased my gently used 2016 2500 HD Silverado last year I was a bit perturbed that I had to “pop the hood” to add Def…not so much anymore. With having to go half way around the truck to add it; my chances of putting it in the fuel tank go way down👍🏻. Now, making sure I don’t pick up the regular handle…that’s still a constant worry…but with the color coded diesel handle I can at least tell all the wacko environmentalists that I’m really a “greenie”‼️🤣🤣🤣
Opting for a printed receipt of pumped fuel gives you legal proof incase stations tank is compromised with water or other contamination. A brief sniff test of the nozzle after a quick pull & release (think chemistry class smell test, not a Scarface snort) is also a good practice to check if you’ve selected the wrong handle or if a tanker driver accidentally delivers gasoline into the stations diesel tank.
Rick, we definitely see the advantage of having the DEF under the hood. And yes, still need to be careful. It’s happened to more people that are willing to admit to it 😉 Alice
