DEF for new truck

[Lucky Dog]

 

[Brendanspapa]

My new truck ( Ram 3500 ) is diesel. So - DEF is also in the picture. However - there is SUCH a wide range of prices between different brands. Examples ...... Kleen DEF - $56/ 2.5 gal. Blue DEF - $17/ 2.5 gal. For those of you, in the know. Is this price difference justified?

DEF is DEF. Just like salt is salt.
DEF is 32.5% urea in pure water, no other ingredients, nothing! Anything else is fancy containers and “feel good“ marketing.
The only concern is shelf stability. It degrades over time (months) if it is stored in an environment where the temperature is above about 75°F. The only way to be safe is to buy from a place that sells a lot of it and turns their inventory.
if you want to be absolutely certain, buy a tester and check the condition before you put it in your vehicle.
Don’t ask how I know.

 

[Hay Dude]

View attachment 4844311

It should say “Saving the environment one plastic non-recyclable jug at a time”.

This DEF nonsense is so stupid.

 

[Buppies]

Oosik I believe you will really enjoy the truck my 19 has been very reliable still conformity 120000 miles. I buy DEF at pump quarles fuel network as well as fuel. Fuel is 47 cetane

 

[Shopmaster]

I've seen entire pallets of Blue Def that are garbage. Not sure if they sat in a warehouse too long or what. But over the course of a week numerous fleet vehicles & equipment all went down one right after the other. What a joke! Ship our non DEF machines overseas to run poorly / non maintained for years and years yet we get this junk. Something has to give.

 

[Buppies]

Trucks name is Blue Boy my wife came up with the names now with dementia sadly she cannot. Cars names are Trouble Maker and Lucifer Lucy for short

 

[Stu Cozza]

I can somewhat agree with that. It all depends on how much DEF they move.

I use Peak BlueDEF, priced at ~$14/2.5 gallon jug at Costco and have experienced no problems. They apparently sell a lot of it as the date codes are quite current. That brand has a date code marked on each box. I have a recent jug stored in my basement and will be adding it to my truck sometime next month, once my DEF level drops to ~1/4 full.

Here is how you decipher the Peak BlueDEF manufacturing date code:
2033260167816
2033 = the bottling plant
26 = the year plus one, so 2025+1=2026; just subtract a year from the 26.
016 = Julian date (how may days into the year)
7816 = the batch number

Per this example the def was made on 1-16-2025.

Many years ago, I used some of the (SuperTech) brand DEF (no date code on packaging) from Wal-Mart; within a couple of hundred miles my DEF injector became covered with crystals. The dealership fixed it under new vehicle warranty and I never used that stuff again. Granted that incident was "one in a row", and maybe I could use that stuff again.

Beyond that, there is a ton of wrong information online, scattered in with some valid information. I avoid Faecesbook (aka, VoteBook or What'sTheBest?Book) for anything that matters, but there are some truck/engine specific Internet forums (i.e., RamForums.com, TurboDieselRegister, etc.) that have some good information.

 

[Jtschnel]

DEF is DEF. Just like salt is salt.
DEF is 32.5% urea in pure water, no other ingredients, nothing! Anything else is fancy containers and “feel good“ marketing.
The only concern is shelf stability. It degrades over time (months) if it is stored in an environment where the temperature is above about 75°F. The only way to be safe is to buy from a place that sells a lot of it and turns their inventory.
if you want to be absolutely certain, buy a tester and check the condition before you put it in your vehicle.
Don’t ask how I know.

I agree, buy DEF and diesel from a place that sells a lot of it. This advice was given to me a number years ago with diesel when we bought our first motorhome and again when DEF became required. I always attempt to purchase both from larger prominent truck stop brands knowing they pump a tremendous amount of both. For the DEF I carry onboard just in case, I often pick it up from Walmart as the prices are about the best I've seen across the country. There are often less than at the pump, enough that they seem to run out of stock frequently. I also use DEF in my pickup from larger well know truck stops as well. Never had a problem with the DEF ... with the DEF sensor head equipment that was a different story for a few years but was due to equipment not the DEF.

The other thing I do is try to refill when the tank gets to half full. I figure if I did get some questionable DEF someplace, it'd hopefully be diluted with good stuff from the next place.

 

[ReRide]

I bought a new 2025 F350 Powerstroke a few months ago and I see the book says get DEF with this spec: WSS-M99C130-A. Then I think maybe all DEF pretty much meets this requirement? I was concerned to be sure to use DEF that meets the spec, but maybe all DEF already meets Ford's spec?

 

[dstriplett]

Not every truck stop, I paid $35 for a box of def at a station in Billings, Montana, I use the Mudflap app so I was filling up where the semi’s fill up, but there was no def at those pumps

Interesting. I've never filled up my truck at a truck stop that did not have DEF at the pump. In NC here.

 

[Tippper]

It should say “Saving the environment one plastic non-recyclable jug at a time”.

This DEF nonsense is so stupid.

some facts:

Engine Type	Carbon Emissions (lbs/gallon)
Non-DEF Engine	Approximately 22.38 lbs
DEF Engine	Approximately 19.64 lbs

This is per GALLON of diesel so it makes a significant difference.

Also - Engines equipped with DEF systems reduce NOx emissions significantly.

 

[Hay Dude]

some facts:

Engine Type	Carbon Emissions (lbs/gallon)
Non-DEF Engine	Approximately 22.38 lbs
DEF Engine	Approximately 19.64 lbs

This is per GALLON of diesel so it makes a significant difference.

Also - Engines equipped with DEF systems reduce NOx emissions significantly.

I’m fully aware the emissions are lower, thanks.

What we are annoyed with is the plastic DEF containers are not recyclable, which is unhealthy for the environment.

 

[92blacksunshine]

some facts:

Engine Type	Carbon Emissions (lbs/gallon)
Non-DEF Engine	Approximately 22.38 lbs
DEF Engine	Approximately 19.64 lbs

This is per GALLON of diesel so it makes a significant difference.

Also - Engines equipped with DEF systems reduce NOx emissions significantly.

Your "facts" kinda depend where your information...

Hmmmm...

 

[RayIN]

I don’t think it is. I buy the WalMart brand. Cheap. $9.99/2.5G.
Made in USA.
Never had a problem in 6 years and 73,000 miles.
Just make sure it’s sealed.

ALL DEF sold on the open market must by law meet strict formula regulations, regardless of cost.
ref: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/SB-10051649-7535.pdf

 

[RayIN]

±

right, where you are. Locally, def is $4.95/gallon at the pump. 55 gal barrels from my local supplier are $165

ref: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/SB-10051649-7535.pdf

 

[Tippper]

I’m fully aware the emissions are lower, thanks.

What we are annoyed with is the plastic DEF containers are not recyclable, which is unhealthy for the environment.

Yes, that sucks. I always buy from bulk tanks at busy stations. Much cheaper and faster. No plastic waste then

 

[Tippper]

Your "facts" kinda depend where your information...

View attachment 4846626View attachment 4846627


Hmmmm...

With SCR and DEF handling NOx post-combustion, engineers can optimize diesel combustion for fuel efficiency rather than sacrificing it for NOx reduction. This optimization can reduce CO₂ emissions slightly by enabling more efficient engine performance, making DEF a contributor to broader climate goals even when it isn’t a primary greenhouse gas reducer.
Only newer engines that take advantage of SCR and DEF handling post combustion.
Earlier DEF engines did not engineer this.
But the newer engines have 10% approx less CO2 emission

 

[RayIN]

The only thing about truck stops is, when a motorhome fills with fuel, then the driver must pull forward to fill the DEF tank, due to tank locations.

Yes, that sucks. I always buy from bulk tanks at busy stations. Much cheaper and faster. No plastic waste then.

 

[dbritt]

My new truck ( Ram 3500 ) is diesel. So - DEF is also in the picture. However - there is SUCH a wide range of prices between different brands. Examples ...... Kleen DEF - $56/ 2.5 gal. Blue DEF - $17/ 2.5 gal. For those of you, in the know. Is this price difference justified?

How can you have 22 pounds of carbon in a gallon of diesel that probably weighs 6 pounds?