Diesel truck

Got # 1 fuel and treatment in fuel but how about the Def fluid in the cold. Anyone having trouble with this up at LOTW or anywhere with this?

Not yet. There should be a tank heater. If it freezes they say it should only take a few minutes to unthaw.

Hopefully it thaws. Not unthaw.

Never had a problem with DEF. I think it does freeze at 11F. But your truck will start fine if the DEF is frozen. The DEF tank has a heating element in it and it will melt quickly when the truck is running.

Do not use any sort of additive in the DEF tank. Also leave some room in the tank. If completely full the expansion from freezing can break the tank.

For LOW I would add some power service or howes additive to reduce the risk of the fuel gelling. Follow the directions on the label.

I would also try and fill the DEF tank with a box product from a auto parts store. I don’t trust the DEF at the pumps. But thats just me.

BTW, a balmy -31 this morning here in I-Falls.

Always buy at parts stores

Thanks everyone going to be traveling home to LOTW today from Ne. Like I said got good fuel and treated but always worried about the Def crud

Well after 50,000 miles I had my first bad experience with my 2018 2500 Ram.

I did everything right. Treated the fuel for the bitter cold up north the last couple days, parked the shack and turned the truck off. Didn’t touch it or try starting it.

It sat for four days, with temps as cold as -30.

This morning I set an alarm for 4:00 am and went and plugged the truck into the generator.

At 8:00 am I hopped in it, the dash said -10, the gauges showed the oil and coolant at 100°.

I let the glow plugs cycle, hit the key and it started right up…..with a check engine light

Two seconds later a message came across to “service DEF system, see dealer”.

I let the truck warm up for 15 minutes and we hit the road. A little ways down the road another message popped up “vehicle will be limited to 5mph in 150 miles”….

Great….the good thing was we only had 141 miles to get home.

The bad thing was the dealer said they couldn’t get it into their shop until January 13th!?!

I called a local shop and they said they could get it in tonight to thaw out, and said the codes would have to be cleared to be able to drive it again (best case scenario).

We made it home with 9 miles left on the ticker.

Once home, I shut the truck off, unpacked the shack, and unhooked to drive it to them (it’s now 18 degrees out).

I fired it back up to leave, and the check engine light was off, the messages were gone, and everything was back to normal.

On the way home I contemplated restarting the truck, but was scared it would automatically go into limp mode.

Big worries turned into no worries once it thawed itself out. And glad to see everything cleared without having to bring it in.

Hope this might help someone else out in the future.

It is pretty irritating that some of those codes dont clear themselves while driving and you have no idea whether restarting is going to just reset it or not.
I am sure that was a nerve-wracking drive, but sounds like it went about as good as expected. Getting stranded is no joke.
I was thinking about getting a half ton diesel for my next truck, but the DEF and the fact that my driving style these days just dont seem to make sense for one. The thought of the insane high fuel economy is great, but the fact I take short trips mostly seems like it would be a bad mix.

Funny I just mentioned DEF freezing as one of the complications of a diesel in the other thread on this topic. Glad you made it before it derated you. Hoping your purge system is working properly so the lines don’t freeze and break. Tank freezing is not that big a deal but if it fails to purge and then freezes you will be in for a ride.

Where you guys buying your DEF?
I never buy box def only fill up at truck stops and have never had a problem.
Btw – I rarely plug the truck in. It was -33 in Outing this past weekend and she started right up.

I’ve always run def from the pump too. It’s the same thing, just in bulk.

Trucks across the country put millions of miles a day on pump DEF.

As for plugging in, I rarely do it too. But when I’m on the lake and need to be 100% certain that it will easily start, it’s absolutely foolish not too. Not worth the risk when you need to be home.

I’ve started my truck in -25 without plugging in at home before, but boy does she ever moan.

There were LOTS of truck hoods open on the lake this weekend (even some gassers)…. simply plugging in four hours before attempting to start would have solved a lot of their problems.

We made it back up to LOTW with no troubles this weekend. Had a jug of Def in box of truck and it was frozen this morning. I have decided to trade mine in. It’s a 2018 mega cab Laramie with 50,000 + miles. Don’t pull anything heavy enough to need it anymore. Traded for a 2022 loaded dodge gas burner for 2900.00 and my diesel. Crazy truck market right now, they really want these used trucks