DEFinitely Low - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
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DEFinitely Low - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
The Diesel Exhaust Fluid in the Edmunds 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is running low.
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Maybe it was that burnout shoot you guys had us comment on... This would definitely concern me. Nearly empty after only 5k miles? There's people that would go through that in a few months. Wouldn't you have noticed if it wasn't on 100% when you bought it? Sounds like it needs to go straight to the dealer for some bend-over servicing.
Doing some reading and it appears that it only comes from the factory with 1/2 tank and the dealer is supposed to top it off. I bet since its a somewhat unusual thing that they didn't know to do that. I'd make sure to get at least a half tank comp'ed.
according to your introduction pics, you had 3/4 of a tank at 1250 mi. assuming it was full when you took delivery, 5k mi for the whole tank would even add up.
Do DEF vehicles stop working if DEF goes empty?
I would like a definitive real world answer to this question. So go ahead and drive the Ram until the DEF is out and see what happens.
The DEF sites seem geared toward trucks more so than "passenger" vehicles but I suspect it's all the same.
"If the truck is allowed to run out of DEF the engine's power is reduced, a solid red warning will be displayed and the vehicle speed will be limited to 5 mph until the DEF tank is refilled."
discoverDEF.com FAQ
Apparently VWs won't even start if you run the AdBlue tank dry. (automobilemag.com)
This is what Chrysler's service manual says in reference to the DEF:
"The driver will be notified when the level of DEF drops below approximately 2.5 gallons.
The first level warning displays the message "Engine Will Not Restart in XXXX mi DEF
Low Refill Soon". If the vehicle is driven too long with low DEF, the message “Engine Will
Not Restart in XXXX mi Refill DEF” will be displayed. And finally, “Engine Will Not Restart
Refill DEF” will be displayed if the driver continues to operate the vehicle without refilling
the DEF tank. At that point, the engine will no longer restart if it is shut off. A minimum of
2.5 gallons of DEF will need to be added in order to be able to restart the engine."
Oh sure, check the manual. Where's the fun in that?
that was photoshop