Here's a little pointer if ya wanna save money.
DEF fluid is basically ammonia.
So .... If you use one gallon of ammonia to 1-1/2 gallons of distilled water mix it's the same thing.
Never had any problems with def contamination 👍
It will save you money. Dollar tree for the ammonia and a grocery store usually sells distilled water around 88 cents a gallon which would cost around $2.70 as opposed to $9-$16 at the truck stops or farm stores

 

I'm all about saving money, but that one time where I dont get it right, would be costly. A 2.5 gallon jug here is $14. I know its cheaper if you have a station with a DEF pump. For something I buy about every 5 months, I'm not going to cut corners.

 

At most truck stops with Def pumps it costs $2.80 per gallon. They also sell the gallon and 2.5 gallons jugs, but at the price you suggest.

 

I've had no problem with doing that on the def side and I use it about twice a month

 

Unfortunately, this will not work and owners should not try this because it will result in DEF system failure.

DEF is actually made of 32% urea and 68% de-ionized water. So right off the bat it's not distilled water, it's de-ionized.

Second, urea is not straight ammonia. It is synthesized from a chemical process of ammonia and carbon dioxide.

I'm all for saving money, but this is not one of them.

 

here is another way to think about it. You are currently in the middle of a fuel system failure caused by contaminated fuel. Because the service station sold you contaminated fuel, you are able to go after them to cover the costs of the failure. Now, lets say you get a contaminated DEF situation, that will set a CEL. If you are using your homebrew, you are on the hook for those repairs. If you buy from a station, etc and can prove that it was contaminated, once again, you can go back to them for payment.

these new trucks/powertrains are not like those of old where adding tranny fluid to the oil to quiet lifters, and burning used oil as fuel, or adding some gas/kerosene to the diesel in the wintertime, etc are things that used to work in the old days. These new machines are operating a much smaller tolerances, and as you know failures add up quickly.

 

I use the Supertech from Wally World. $7.88 for 2.5 gallons. The pumps at the truck stops are a good deal but every one I've tried locks the pump with the nozzle fully inserted and splashes out if I pull the nozzle out far enough to get the pump to work.

 

I appreciate the tip but, DEF is probably the cheapest thing you'll ever buy for your truck and the potential risk is not worth it.
"PENNY WISE POUND FOOLISH'

 

Ditto. After spending 49K on my truck, I'll not risk it for a few dollars savings.

 

Here is the formula for DEF. $10 bucks to drive 3 to 5 thousand miles...pretty cheap!

 

I used the Wal Mart DEF on a recent trip from Alabama to Washington State and back without any problems. Was a total of 7800 miles round trip.

Will continue to use Wally World DEF. Each jug comes with a new spout.

 

I didn't know they sold it. But I had bad fuel from Murphy USA in Effingham Illinois... Insurance covers it but it's $9K to repair it 😲... I might go back to the def fluid. Never had any problems with the distilled water and ammonia mix though for 20K miles

 

I haven't had any problems with this mixture for 20K miles now as far as def is concerned.

 

I will stick with the API certified DEF from Wal Mart, Ford, Auto Zone, Oreily's etc. Some price to pay that covers 3K to 5K miles on a 10K - 12K dollar engine.

 

I have used Peak blue in my truck for 5 yrs, and never had a problem. 13.95/2.5 gal @ Tractor Supply. Anyone who puts "Stupid Stuff" into their DEF tank deserves what they get.