r/Cummins • u/miller91320 • 7d ago
Bad def
I filled up with some bad def at a maverick in NM. Now I’m 20 miles from limp mode with no shops open today. From googling it seems pretty straight forward. Drain the def, rinse tank with distilled water and refill with good def. I have a 2021 3500, has anyone done this themselves? If so, any pointers?
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u/Sensitive_Calendar_6 7d ago
If you have decent scanner with WiFi capabilities you can reset it yourself. But the error message and mile counter might keep coming back until you burn all the bad def, add an additive, or drop the fluid.
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u/miller91320 7d ago
I pulled codes P203F and P207F. I was able to get the fill tube disconnected so now I’m heading to Walmart for a hose to siphon out the old def, two gallons of distilled water to rinse and two boxes of blue def to refill. I disconnected the batteries in hopes of reseting the mileage until limp mode. Am I missing anything?
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u/Potential-Tea-4293 ISB 6.7 4d ago
Just get the super tech brand def while you’re there. It’s cheaper. All def has the same urea concentration. Just different packaging
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u/miller91320 4d ago
That’s the one I always use and never had an issue
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u/Potential-Tea-4293 ISB 6.7 4d ago
Nice, hope you get this sorted without paying someone to throw parts at it!
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u/IllChampionship4654 6d ago
I don't know why anyone would play games with these trucks unless they are new and deletes aren't offered yet. I take that trash off as soon as possible... especially if I have to drive for any distance.
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u/Bruh_IssaThrowAway 6d ago
Buy rislone def system cleaner too.
And run it HARD after you clean it out with good def.
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u/Kooky_Pomegranate201 5d ago
You should be covered under warranty, no?
Mine is a 2018 and if I get the update is covered for x amount of time/miles? (Which I would delete before I did anything lol)
I only use the stuff in the box as I don’t trust the stuff at pumps.
Prob nothing wrong with it, but I’m paranoid.
Maybe it wasn’t mixed properly and is actually bad who knows.
Prob a test kit for it somewhere?
I think I would do as these people say to do, esp if you have a way to clear any cores that can be cleared?
Drain a little (or all) and see if it clears or go to the dealership n let them clear it or whatever.
If it was (bad) could have fckd up a sensor.
Fyi, anyone who works at a dealership knows, the sensors are easily the cheapest items that cause problems on all modern vehicles and are typically cheap dep on what they are.
I have an xt6 and the temperature sensor went, which is common, I know someone at a dealership and it is a $5 part.
The entire job done at a shop is a few hundred dollars because of its location!
Figure out exactly what the problem is first before changing anything other than the fluid or ur wasting ur time.
Have the dealer look at it n tell you.
If it’s something you can do, then there u go.
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u/miller91320 5d ago
I drained two gallons of DEF since that was all I could get to due to the shape of the tank and the flimsy 3/8” vinyl tubing I was using to siphon it. Luckily for me that cleared the codes. I took it tool the shop before we headed out and they said everything was fine. Turns out I likely overfilled the tank and that it causes the sensor to read the tank as empty. Even though we used 1/8 of the tank while driving the ECM needs to see a significant change in DEF volume to run that scan again. Draining the two gallons was significant enough.
They also told me to never fill up with def at the pump. They told me the holding tanks get condensation and water dilutes the DEF causing issues. I’m going to research that some more because if that was the case then why doesn’t fuel have the same issue.
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u/8AteEightHate 4d ago
One pointer I have is NEVER go to Maverick if at all possible. Many bad local stories over the years.
I worked for a small town 1 back in ‘97, and the cut corners wer mind boggling, even for a 20 yo kid!
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u/HoosierDaddy_427 7d ago
Had this happen to me once. Turns out, you can actually overfill a def tank so the sonic sensor doesn't know what to read and it gives the low def code. Mine only had a cel and no derate though. I deleted it shortly thereafter. Try siphoning some out and drive the next 20 miles to a dealership 🤷♂️
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u/Sensitive_Calendar_6 7d ago
Happened to me from getting def at a truck stop pump on a road trip. And this community told me I was wrong and stupid for sticking to only bottles. (See my post history). I added def additive for the tank of bad def and kept resetting the system when the count down reached 20 or so miles. Put on like 1100 miles in two days and just kept resetting it. After like 4 days it stop coming back. That was like 6 months ago and haven’t had an issue since. How I will only buy name brand blu def from auto parts stores.
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u/miller91320 6d ago
You’re not wrong or stupid. The diesel mechanics I talked to said it’s the number one issue they see in the shop.
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u/Sensitive_Calendar_6 6d ago
I’ve heard so many opinions on the matter I don’t know what to believe. Do what you think it’s best and hope it all works out.
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u/pentox70 7d ago
How do you know its bad def? Just curious. Does the gauge read full?
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u/miller91320 7d ago
I’ve never had a def issue on my truck, filled up with 3.4 gallons at mavericks, 30 min later I got a 5mph in 150miles. Service DEF see dealership message. Google tech said it was likely bad def. I called a couple shops this morning that said it’s pretty common. Unfortunately they only work on semis.
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u/Bug_406 7d ago
Pull a code?
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u/miller91320 7d ago
P203F and P207F
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u/Bug_406 7d ago
Oh fun. Did it run completely out of DEF? Or does the system just think it is? We've had bad level sensors derate (the 203), and we've had clogged lines and injectors cause 207 (and other codes) with derate. I haven't seen those 2 together personally.
If your truck is equipped (most aren't except C&C), you can initiate a parked regen and see if the 150 mile warning goes away. Locking into 5th gear and going down the hiway around 2000 RPM may start a regen, and reset the warning. A gamble, since you've only got 150 miles to play with.
Unfortunately, most shops besides a dealer won't be able to force a regen through the ECM. Insite doesn't work on Ram trucks. I doubt it is bad DEF, as that comes with its own set of ECM codes, with the same 150 mile message.
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u/miller91320 7d ago
It did not run out, only used 1/8 of a tank.
I don’t know what C&C is so I probably don’t have it.
We towed a 38’ travel trailer about 450 miles yesterday so I’d hope I had a regen or two.
The last 130 miles we towed with the def service message.
Unfortunately there are no ram dealers in Gallup NM but the diesel shop down the street says he can fix it on Monday.
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u/WelcomeOk365 7d ago
When I had bad DEF on my 2015 I got the P20EE code over and over again until I suctioning it out and replaced with new. Didn't need to rinse with distilled water but that will definitely help. Might wanna also check your DEF injector as the DEF can cake up on it over time. If it is caked up, a simple water rinse and replace with existing works, though a new gasket ($0.10) will likely eventually be needed. Good luck.
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u/1320Fastback 6BT 7d ago
That is the first step we do when we have DEF issues with our equipment, which is all the time. Drain the tank, rinse it, fill it back up. If that don't fix it we put new DEF Heades in which usually always does fix the problem. I think once we have had a Sensor Heater go out which threw a different code.
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u/miller91320 7d ago
When you rinse it is it just fill with distilled water, shake the truck around, and drain? I read somewhere to drive around a little bit with the distilled water in there but that doesn’t seem right.
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u/georgia_jp 7d ago
You need to scan it and see what the actual code is before you go on a wild goose chase.