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Adding Diesel Exhaust Fluid - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
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Adding Diesel Exhaust Fluid - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
With the DEF gauge in the red zone, it was time to add some diesel exhaust fluid to our 2014 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. Here's how it went.
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So if the filler line gets clogged, is it a "DEF jam"?
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I'll see myself out...
Only 8 gallons? Is that the mos' DEF you can get in there?
So... the engine that is less than half the size of the other needs 45% more DEF? Doesn't really make sense. Also, having to pay $64 in fluid on a 5,000 mile vehicle doesn't seem very cool. Most people wouldn't be even reaching their first oil change and doing themselves would only cost half that and that's with Mobil 1.
If the 8 gallons every 5,000 miles is considered "normal", you're talking about $1,280 every 100,000 miles. That's significant.
@ kirkhilles1, although I get your point, in the end you are talking about less than the cost of one tank of fuel over 5,000 miles, rather insignificant as the same cost increase would be realized by someone with a slightly heavier foot who averaged slightly worse gas mileage
Most of the large truck stop type gas stations sell DEF right at the diesel pumps for just under $3 a gallon. No need to buy it at the auto parts store for more than twice the cost in single gallon containers.
Diesels are more fuel efficient but they require more maintenance than gassers. DEF and fuel filter changes are regular items and the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is a whopper.
At 5:00 AM here, I'm not doing any math right now, but I'm figuring with the little extra "goodies" needed to appease the EPA, any savings from mileage realized in a diesel are negated on dolphins, trees, polar bears, etc...
autozone ripped them off where i work it is 11 dollars for 5 gallons of the stuff. also i am putting my money on the 3.0l in the 1500 having a larger tank to make the goal for the DEF fluid to last until your next oil change wich was not realized by edmunds for the very first oil change. This is a passenger vehicle that will likely spend the vast majority of it's time commuting and doing regular driving around town just like any other vehicle and i am wagering that chrysler believes that most of the people who will chose this engine will be first timers to owning a modern diesel vehicle so the large tank is just to lesson the frequency of regular maintenance items. the larger trucks are used at least half of the time for work purposes and most of the people who buy 2500 and 3500 diesels are seasoned diesel owners and know the ins and outs and are used to checking the fluid and also they stop for gas much more frequently so running low of DEF is not the end of the world because they see a gas station 2-3x as many times as the 1500 would
Good points brought up by bassrockerx.
If you guys didn't live in the barbarian land of California I would say see what it would take to remove the DEF system. Maybe convert it to Water-Methanol injection for more power.
Lovely idea, no wonder oil burners have such a lousy reputation.
Sounds like a real high price to pay. Amazon will ship for free at about half that price. Or you can buy a VW and get it filled for free the first 48k miles.
http://www.amazon.com/BlueDEF-DEF002-Diesel-Exhaust-Fluid/dp/B004O80QP8
We need to teach a class in "Not Paying Retail" at Edmunds HQ
misterfusion & ahightower - HAHA!!!
$8 dollars for a gallon of DEF! That is almost offensive, you've got to use that ipad and wifi hotspot to make sure you're not getting ripped off! Pilot has it right at the pump for about $2 bucks a gallon, and Amazon has 2.5 gallon jugs for $12 with free shipping.
The book says it holds 5.5 gallons. Look at the bottom right side of the picture you posted. The whole part about not knowing how much DEF it held is just pointless. It would have been more useful information if you would have filled the tank and told us how accurate the 5.5 gallon number is. By the way, of course it's going to cost 3 times as much when you buy it in single gallon containers.
This article should read like, “Putting def in was no big deal. I pulled up to the DEF pump at the local truck stop and added 5 gallons of DEF which cost $13.75”.
When I got my Jeep Grand Cherokee with an Eco Diesel, it had only been filled up 1/2 way with the DEF. I asked the salesman about it, and the dealership then filled it up. The 8 gallons are supposed to last about 10,000 miles, which coincides with the oil change interval.