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DEF in the cold

funwithfuel

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Komatsu has electrically heated DEF hoses. The tank is thawed by coolant. Komatsu has had issues with first gen sensors. Check error codes against field campaigns with your dealer friend. CA3868, I believe, is the code causing most grief over the last year.
 

funwithfuel

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We used to buy DEF in bulk. It was ok if you pumped directly into the truck, or machine, but if you filled jugs, it seemed to crystalize in the jug. If you only used part of a jug, you get the crystals, in the left over jug. Since we started buying jugs for the machinery, there is still a bulk tank for the trucks, no issues in the warmer weather. A lot of times, if the lines don't drain back into the tank, they will freeze over night. I know lots of guys that just shut down, and kill the master switch before the purge is finished. We have had a lot of issues with the gauge showing a full tank, when it's not full, and in winter, there are multiple drivers, so not always sure if they are full or not. Any trucks that are no longer under warranty, strangely enough their DEF tanks are full of washer fluid, and are trouble free.
And you don't get quality errors with windshield solvent? How'd you accomplish that?
 

funwithfuel

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Thanks for all the opinions, guys. My guy at the dealer says that the tank has an electric heater as far as he knows. Coaldust saying he's seen issues everytime a frozen tank was added to I think explains it.

What I absolutely can't understand and what pisses me off, is the machine would end up derating because I added fluid to the tank. I mean, WTF? You would think that they would have been able to figure THAT one out by now?
The computer recognizes this as "abnormal update rate" meaning the information changed too quickly so it thinks it's being tampered with.
 

funwithfuel

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I don't know. I was told base warranty was 2yrs or 2k hrs, whichever came first. Emissions, I thought, carried another year and 1k .
I'm not a warranty admin, just scuttlebutt I've been told.
 

BSAA65LB

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Check with your dealer on emissions warranty. On highway is typically longer than off road (industrial). 5 year/5,000 hour sounds like extended, not base.

DEF in diesel tank is like $40k oops on a Volvo industrial engine.

Water in diesel tank is a $30k oops……
 

Oxbow

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At least on Freightliner's when cold has screwed with the DEF system and codes, I remove the ground
cable for 10 minutes which will clear the DEF light. But our rigs come with auto start when drivers are
parked. And yes DEF warmed by coolant. We run Fargo/Grand Forks trucks don't shut down in the
northern tier during winter.

On a different note-Power Service 911 is only for gelled fuel, the standard Power Service in white jug
is for pre-treating.
On our equipment we shut the master off each evening, after the DEF purge is complete. Just a habit, but I hadn't thought about any effects on the DEF system.
 

Truck Shop

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On our equipment we shut the master off each evening, after the DEF purge is complete. Just a habit, but I hadn't thought about any effects on the DEF system.

Freightliners the late ones have a shut off just inside drivers door, but that doesn't
shut the whole system down mainly cab related power.
 

John C.

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All the iron I have looked at with a DEF system has a green light above the master switch. You are supposed to wait until the light goes off before turning off the master switch.
 

Oxbow

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All the iron I have looked at with a DEF system has a green light above the master switch. You are supposed to wait until the light goes off before turning off the master switch.
Ours is orange, but yeah.
 

cuttin edge

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And you don't get quality errors with windshield solvent? How'd you accomplish that?
Lets just say the washer fluid level never goes down, but if some government official was to check, the tank is full of something. Perhaps I should "DELETE" what I said.
 

cuttin edge

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Don't add washer fluid to a functioning system. DELETE that mental note. Perhaps I should DELETE the comment. Noticed I mentioned only in trucks with no warranty. DELETE any thoughts of doing that. Delete.. that is all
 

Shimmy1

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Don't add washer fluid to a functioning system. DELETE that mental note. Perhaps I should DELETE the comment. Noticed I mentioned only in trucks with no warranty. DELETE any thoughts of doing that. Delete.. that is all
Where do you find clear washer fluid?*************
 

cuttin edge

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Freightliners the late ones have a shut off just inside drivers door, but that doesn't
shut the whole system down mainly cab related power.
Yeah I noticed on our freightshakers, the ones that still have DEF in the tanks, you can hear the purge after you switch off. I just assumed it was air doing it.
 
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