...just realize, the truck's computer is logging all this activity...why tempt fate?

 

Wonder in the future, can you get computers with different personalities?

- Jewish mother

- Kadaffi Secret Police

- Homeland Security Screener

etc....

Each sends the same messages in different ways... lol

 

Yes, I certainly was ready to pull over and fill the tank if I felt or heard anything odd, if the CEL came on, or any other event that made me nervous.

And I'll say again, I am not ever going to advise anyone to just ignore the warnings and do what I did.

Finally, I completely understand the notion that some folks reading this may take my actions as irresponsible. It's just the way some of us are "wired". I'm wired in such a way as I will eventually do things just to see what happens, if things go as stated in the manual. As a "sort of long time poster" here I do things sometimes just to see what happens and report to all of you a confirmation of what happens as well. Some of us just love our trucks, some practically live in them, some just view it as a point A to point B vehicle and really don't care. All are good, somebody out there will benefit from this stuff.

 

Whee do you all get the best price for DEF?

 

One of the standard things I did with vehicles (on any vehicle that is not damaged by running the tank dry) is to do precisely that.

You can't do this with a modern diesel, because the injectors / pumps etc. will be damaged.

I would fill the tank completely to the brim, then log the reading of the gauge on a steady long highway cruise, and right down to the different warning levels.

I run it dry to see exactly how it fails in a controlled fashion.

When it is dry --- I take out my 5 gallon (carefully measured) can, fill it, and go to the nearest gas station and fill up.

That way, I know precisely how it behaves when it runs dry and what the warning signs are --- and I did this fully equipped, not in a hurry, and so on.

Now, you cannot run this equivalent test, because long before fuel runs dry, a modern Diesel will shut down the engine (most likely via the fuel pressure sensor, could also be via the fuel tank low warning).

But it is very important to have a "soft" failure so you know what to expect when a real emergency happens.


I, for one, completely agree with what you did to run the system down, and see how the software programmed shutdown of the vehicle works.

In fact, I applaud you for doing it, for you may uncover a software / implementation bug that few will trip because few people run the DEF down to find out.

Indeed, I just did exactly the same test on a different piece of equipment (a laptop) and discovered a doozie of a software / hardware / firmware bug in Windows 7 / ACPI.

So no, what you are doing is not irresponsible, but in fact, excellent work.

You are doing everyone a service by finding out if there is an obvious glitch in the Ford programmed power down.


BTW, the system is designed so that no harm is done by running the DEF down --- it just resets when you fill it back up.

Good work!


FYI, aircraft generally are never suppose to "run dry", and when they do, there is a set of safety devices that is suppose to help fly the plane in a emergency.

The system have only been tested, a) at the factory, b) in very few instances.

They worked.

I am not recommending the test be run by your average airline pilot with a payload... but it is comforting to know that that stuff do work.