• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

2018 Ford diesel def fluid

Twisted Steel Performance

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Messages
3,983
Reaction score
7,586
Location
Pauline, SC
I have been driving this service truck for a year now, it has 77k miles. I filled up the def tank when they gave it to me, it hasn't used a drop of DEF fluid in 30k miles, no codes or lights lit on the dash... Anyone know what's up? I'm not complaining, all the other diesel's use a lot of it, this truck runs great and has a clean exhaust pipe...
 
I guess that is a good thing? I would be inclined to have a peak underneath just to see if the DEF tank actually has lines going to a DEF injector on the exhaust system. if so and if you acquired it used, could have someone before you changed some parameters in the ECM essentially deleting it but not removing any of the parts?

I can't remember what year DEF was introduced but it may have gotten all the parts installed but have an prior years ECM programming that thinks it's not there. still factory programming so that it will always pass emissions testing. don't ever take it into Ford or allow a ECM update like all the makers like to do.
 
it could be just a mean clean machine! how often does it go into a regen? other thing is the DEF concentration of the fluid. we have issues all the time with the concentration sensors in the tanks on the trucks and equipment here at my work. they set a code and the shop just replaces the sensors. me being in the parts department has always thought and wondered "has anyone thought to check the DEF fluid to see it it's watered down or contaminated rather than just replace the sensor" you may have just filled the tank with a really good batch of DEF that has a higher urea content. maybe it uses less in that case?
 
Can't tell about a Regen, it never has a light on the dash or anything. The def tank is full to the top just like when I filled it a year ago .
I heard of a guy that had his shut off somehow.
So his never regens.

Is there any possibility that could have happened without your knowledge?

I know of another that had that happen at a dealership.
 
You should be able to go online to ford dot com (I think you have to signup for an account) enter the vin and you should be able to see all of the dealer service history and if any recall work was done. if you see anything in there about an ECM update or reflash that might indicate the dealer did something unintentional for the DEF to stop working.

I have heard stories in the past where a car maker found a bug in their software that somehow disabled things on vehicles, once they discovered it they would put out a recall. VW did one that was by design intentional on the diesels to fool the emissions testing. they paid dearly for that mistake.
 
You should be able to go online to ford dot com (I think you have to signup for an account) enter the vin and you should be able to see all of the dealer service history and if any recall work was done. if you see anything in there about an ECM update or reflash that might indicate the dealer did something unintentional for the DEF to stop working.

I have heard stories in the past where a car maker found a bug in their software that somehow disabled things on vehicles, once they discovered it they would put out a recall. VW did one that was by design intentional on the diesels to fool the emissions testing. they paid dearly for that mistake.
Kind of the scenario of the one that I heard got messed up at the dealership.
A tech accidently messed it up. And accidentally shut the egr off t the same time
 
Back
Top