To meet EPA pollution rules, most new diesel trucks are fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems that utilise diesel exhaust fuel (DEF).
What is a SCR system?
A catalyst reacts with engine exhaust to break down ecologically hazardous exhaust components in the SCR system. Injector nozzles, in a nutshell, spray controlled dosages of DEF into the exhaust. The DEF vaporizes and decomposes into ammonia and carbon dioxide, which mix with the nitrogen oxide in the exhaust to produce the harmless nitrogen and water byproducts.
First of All
DEF fluid is only for vehicles with the SCR system, therefore don’t try to use it on an earlier truck. Although this may seem self-evident, uninformed owners and even well-intentioned service station attendants and technicians at non-diesel shops have mistakenly assumed that because DEF is so wonderful for new diesel trucks, it must also be good for older diesel trucks.
Despite the fact that measures have been put in place to keep diesel fuel separate from DEF, it still happens: DEF is placed into the diesel tank by accident, or diesel is poured into the DEF tank by accident. When this happens, it’s more than a little annoyance: it can result in major damage and pricey repairs.
A fill port, a tank, and lines from the tank to the SCR and injection nozzles make up the DEF system. The dispensers should be properly labeled, and the DEF tank’s fill port, which has a blue cap, is designed to be smaller than the diesel tank’s fill port, preventing the diesel nozzle from being inserted into the DEF tank’s fill port.
Non-DEF chemicals are detected by SCR systems, which include built-in warnings. If non-DEF enters the SCR catalyst, the driver will receive a warning and a code indicating approaching SCR interruption.
What Happens If I Put Diesel into a DEF Tank?
Because diesel is lighter than DEF, it will float on top of it. If it gets inside the SCR catalyst, it can cause substantial damage, necessitating service or, worse, a (expensive) catalyst replacement. Before replenishing the DEF tank, it should be drained and thoroughly cleaned with deionized water. A single teaspoon of a foreign contaminant can contaminate a full tanker load of DEF.
What Happens If I Put DEF into a Diesel Tank?
You remove the fuel cap and open the fuel filler door, and your brain goes into automatic mode.
Putting DEF in the diesel tank is a simple error that could result in a truck being towed to the junkyard.
Because DEF is made up of urea and water, the entire tank of fuel becomes contaminated right away. Long-term implications will ensue if the engine is started and the diesel and DEF combination is introduced into the engine.
The DEF fluid crystallizes once the engine is started, causing irreversible damage… and the repair might cost as much as $12,000.
DEF corrodes and damages a variety of metals, including carbon steel, brass, aluminum, copper magnesium-nickel, and zinc.
What to do
If you realize you’ve made a mistake while filling your tank, don’t start your car. Several litres of AdBlue can be contaminated by a single drop of Diesel. You risk causing major harm to your vehicle’s SCR system if you start with an AdBlue tank full of Diesel.
If you start your car, it will start acting weirdly. To avoid causing extra damage to your vehicle, pull over as soon as feasible.
Call a professional
Contact a mechanic or a repairman as soon as you realize you’ve filled the AdBlue tank incorrectly. They will know how to handle the matter, whether or not you have started your vehicle: draining and cleaning the AdBlue tank, and replacing any necessary parts.
What happens if you put oil in the DEF tank?
Accidents sometimes happen, and even the most seasoned specialists make mistakes now and then. Consider the addition of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) to engine, transmission, or hydraulic oils by accident. While this isn’t as prevalent as DEF in diesel fuel, it has happened in our experience. If not addressed immediately, this error could cause substantial damage to your equipment.
DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) is a water-based urea solution used in contemporary Tier 4 Final diesel engines to minimize emissions. This liquid is added to exhaust gases to neutralize hazardous nitrogen oxides (NOx) before they reach the atmosphere. DEF fluids have been utilized in on-highway vehicle engines for a long time, and in off-road mining and construction equipment more recently.
What happens when oils are contaminated with DEF?
DEF is a water-based fluid that reacts badly with oils. When DEF is added to engine, transmission, or hydraulic oils, it can cause an emulsion or layer separation within the reservoir. This can result in inefficient oil flow as well as damage to the oil pump and other system components. Under pressure and high temperatures, water-based fluids tend to flash off into steam, which means they provide poor lubrication and cause systems to operate ‘rough.’ This might lead to deposits or excessive wear over time. DEF contamination will also increase corrosion rates, which will be most noticeable (and harmful) on soft metals like those found on gearbox clutch plates. Finally, the presence of water in any oil promotes oil oxidation, causing the oil to degrade more quickly than usual.
DEF contains a substance called urea in addition to water (DEF is approximately 67.5 percent purified water / 32.5 percent urea). This is a basic molecule that neutralizes acids (it’s similar to urine). Oils contaminated with a trace amount of urea would presumably become a little more basic, but not enough to cause noticeable degradation. If DEF was added over time, you might notice a shift in acidity levels, but most problems are caused by one-time mishaps.
How can you detect DEF contamination using oil analysis?
The presence of high water levels in your oil sample findings is the most evident evidence that DEF has polluted an oil system. The Karl Fischer test (more sensitive/accurate) or the Crackle test (more basic) can both be used to confirm water pollution.
Unfortunately, neither test can determine if the water comes from DEF contamination or another source, such as humidity, damaged seals, excessive idling, or running an engine too cold. However, if the oil sample contains two separate layers (for example, free-standing water at the bottom), a refractometer may be used to confirm the water/urea mixture.
What should you do when oils are contaminated by DEF?
If you think that DEF fluid has polluted your engine, transmission, or hydraulic oil, you have several options:
- To get to the water layer, drain some oil from the bottom of the tank. This will eliminate part of the DEF (i.e. bleed and feed approach)
- Collect an oil sample and send it in for testing this will aid in determining the severity of the problem.
- Examine when your next oil change is due and, if necessary, schedule one sooner.
- Examine and rectify the underlying causes of the problem – further training or redesigned work methods, for example.
Is AdBlue the same as DEF?
DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid), often known as AdBlue, is a non-flammable, non-toxic, colorless, and odourless fluid. It’s kept in a special tank in your automobile and injected into the exhaust system to purify the emissions. SCR Technology necessitates the use of DEF in addition to a new generation of catalytic converter.
Can diesel motors run without AdBlue?
By breaking down dangerous nitrogen oxides, AdBlue helps newer-model diesel vehicles fulfill emissions limits. If you have an AdBlue tank in your diesel automobile, the engine is programmed not to start after you run out of it.
The good news is that one litre of AdBlue can get a car to travel over 1,000 kilometers. Cars usually have tanks that store at least 10 litres of fuel. So a single tank should last you at least six months.
It’s a different story for trucks. They often travel longer distances and are less fuel efficient, consuming roughly 1 litre of AdBlue every 70 kilometers.
Due to their age, about half of Australia’s trucks do not use AdBlue. Australia’s truck fleet is 15 years old on average, compared to 13 years in Europe and less than 10 years in Germany. Furthermore, Australian emission regulations are less strict than those in the European Union.
We may have to rely on these older trucks in the worst-case scenario, if no solution is discovered and AdBlue supply runs out. Newer trucks could be reprogrammed to emit far more pollution. However, this is a challenging technical challenge that will necessitate temporary adjustments to Australian emission limits.
That is a path that no one wants to go. As a result, the federal government has formed a taskforce to address the issue.
Is DEF bad for diesel engines?
While the water and urea mixture is excellent for the environment, it can cause crystals to form, which can clog fuel filters, damage aircraft engines, and cause engine failure. DEF is sprayed directly into exhaust systems and should never be used as a fuel additive, diesel or airplane.
What neutralizes DEF fluid?
That’s why, starting in 2010, all diesel trucks were required to have systems dedicated to putting DEF to use. Diesel Exhaust Fluid, which is made up of 32.5 percent urea and 67.5 percent de-ionized water, is sprayed into a vehicle’s exhaust system to aid in the breakdown of NOx emissions, converting them to harmless nitrogen and water. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Urea is a type of urea. You’re on the right brainwave if that sounds oddly like ‘urine.’ When a body metabolizes protein, it produces urea, an organic molecule. (We do, in fact, excrete it as pee.) However, despite DEF’s moniker, “Diesel Exhaust Fluid is really constructed of commercial-grade ureasynthetic ammonia and carbonand is referred to as “pig urine.”
To put it another way, the urea and water in DEF heat up and produce ammonia. The NOx emissions are subsequently neutralized as the ammonia breaks down. The tail pipe emits fewer harmful substances, allowing everyone to breathe a little better.
What is a DEF delete?
A diesel deletion entails removing the DEF system, the catalytic converter, and the DPF, and replacing the exhaust with a new one. A tuner will also be required to reprogramme the vehicle’s ECU (engine control unit). The soot-clogging concerns are eliminated after a diesel deletion is performed.
Does the brand of DEF matter?
Buying a vehicle with a diesel engine necessitates some more maintenance on your side. Diesel fuel cars, for example, require the addition of diesel exhaust fluid, which helps to reduce pollutants while allowing the engine to function smoothly.
For the vehicle to run, DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) must be present in the DEF tank (which is separate from the fuel tank). The Valvoline Diesel Exhaust Fluid case of two bottles is our preferred DEF since it has a high level of purity that exceeds other brands. Continue reading our buying guide to learn more about diesel exhaust fluids.
When a vehicle burns diesel fuel, NOx (nitrogen oxide) is produced. The production of smog in the atmosphere will be aided by NOx gases.
The selective catalytic reduction system, or SCR, collects diesel exhaust fluid from the vehicle’s tank. It combines with the exhaust that the car produces as it drives. The nitrogen and oxygen emissions are created when the diesel exhaust fluid reacts with the NOx gases.
A blend of deionized water and urea will be used in every DEF product. The ratio of deionized water to urea is around two-to-one. Every drop of diesel exhaust fluid will be a distinct blue color, which should serve as a warning before you put it to your gas tank.
In some diesel automobiles, the manufacturer will advise you to use a specific brand of DEF. Following your truck manufacturer’s suggestions is nearly always a good idea.
DEF is generally offered in one-gallon or 2.5-gallon bottles, while some are up to five gallons in size. You can buy large containers of 55 gallons or 275 gallons of diesel exhaust fluid, depending on how much you need. These are largely geared for small businesses.
The amount of purity in the product is the major factor that distinguishes different DEF brands.
DEF fluids must all meet an international standard as well as EPA regulations that assess the fluid’s purity. Only purchase a DEF that complies with ISO 22241. Occasionally, low-cost bottles of fluid will claim to be DEF-compatible. They are not DEF, however, if they do not also meet the ISO 22241 standard.
The quantity of contaminants in diesel exhaust fluid, such as zinc or aluminum, is regulated by the EPA. These contaminants will be substantially below the EPA standards in higher-quality DEFs. Impurity levels in lower-quality DEFs may be just below or equal to the EPA guidelines.
In addition, the EPA mandates that DEF makers utilize medicinal urea rather than agricultural urea.
Because diesel exhaust fluid comes in a variety of quantities, it’s a good idea to evaluate the price per gallon of different manufacturers. You’ll pay between $4 and $8 per gallon in a consumer-size container (up to five gallons). Per gallon, larger containers will be slightly less expensive.
A. DEF is only required in newer trucks with a selective catalytic reduction system. Diesel vehicles manufactured in 2010 and later require the use of DEF.
A resounding no. DEF isn’t a type of gasoline additive. Instead, it reacts with the engine’s exhaust to minimize pollution. The diesel vehicle’s DEF is stored in a separate tank, not in the gas tank.
This product is one of the best on the market if you’re concerned about the purity of your DEF.
What we like: Meets or exceeds all diesel exhaust fluid standards. The bottle’s shape makes it simple to add fluid to your tank.
This brand is a popular choice among diesel car owners because to its low per-gallon price.
What we appreciate about it: It successfully matches all of the DEF standards. The bottle has a fill tube, which makes it easier to use.
What we don’t like: If the tube isn’t correctly attached, the bottle may leak a little.
Our opinion: Delivers the purity and materials you’d expect from a reputable DEF manufacturer.
What we like: The bottle has a convenient design that prevents leaks while you fill the tank with fluid.
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Is AdBlue a pigs urine?
AdBlue is a highly pure synthetic urea and demineralized water solution, not pig urine. While urea is present in pig urine, it is present in considerably lower concentrations than many other components.
