DEF Level Warning - Why so early?
Thread Starter
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4wd Low
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
Likes: 3
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
DEF Level Warning - Why so early?
Short background , I’m on my 6th F series. Just took off on a RV trip with my new (2500km now) 2023 F250 KR. We drove ~500km so far on this trip and I had been watching the DEF level which got down below 40%. I have gotten repeated warning notice of low DEF level and now I’m at 34%. I brought DEF with me for this trip so refilling is not an issue but it has been annoying to have the warning come on repeatedly, not just when starting the vehicle, but while I’m driving.
Am I alone on finding this an issue?
Am I alone on finding this an issue?
Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 166
Likes: 66
From: Loveland CO & NTB NC
You're the Lone Ranger from where I'm sitting. My F-250 doesn't go through much DEF unless I'm towing, then it goes a lot further than 500KM before any warning come up! How did you go through that much DEF in 500 KM? Was it low to start with? My DEF dash warning comes with 500 miles to DEF empty, then an update to that figure with every truck start. After the initial 500 miles to go warning, I no longer get any while operating. Mines a 2018. You should have bought an older truck?!
Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 74
Likes: 20
Short background , I’m on my 6th F series. Just took off on a RV trip with my new (2500km now) 2023 F250 KR. We drove ~500km so far on this trip and I had been watching the DEF level which got down below 40%. I have gotten repeated warning notice of low DEF level and now I’m at 34%. I brought DEF with me for this trip so refilling is not an issue but it has been annoying to have the warning come on repeatedly, not just when starting the vehicle, but while I’m driving.
Am I alone on finding this an issue?
Am I alone on finding this an issue?
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 2,044
Likes: 1,336
You're the Lone Ranger from where I'm sitting. My F-250 doesn't go through much DEF unless I'm towing, then it goes a lot further than 500KM before any warning come up! How did you go through that much DEF in 500 KM? Was it low to start with? My DEF dash warning comes with 500 miles to DEF empty, then an update to that figure with every truck start. After the initial 500 miles to go warning, I no longer get any while operating. Mines a 2018. You should have bought an older truck?!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 104
Likes: 56
Others can jump in but if you are towing, your DEF usage is way higher than just driving around empty. The truck does a calculation with projections on usage based on most recent consumption data. It may be assuming you are going through a lot of DEF so distance to empty is greatly reduced, according to what it thinks your are going to do. Given that, it is telling you that DTE will be coming up fast, at your current consumption rate.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 802
Likes: 197
From: Tupelo, MS
This has been discussed a lot on this and other forums/groups. Ford made a change in 2020 in regards to how much def the trucks use and since then the trucks use significantly more def than prior years. When I'm towing our rv with my 21 450 I fill up with def every other fuel fill (stock 48 gallon tank) with no low def warnings. If I don't just about the time I get back out on the freeway from a second fuel fill mine will start screaming at me 500 miles to empty on def. My 18 250 was good for 5k miles towing a smaller rv on a tank of def. 10k miles unloaded on a tank of def. My 21 450 is around 2200 miles on a tank of def unloaded.
4wd Low
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 13
Likes: 2
My 2024 F450 starts barking at me when I have 500 mi left on the def tank. It tells me to refill soon.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,477
Likes: 4,971
Yup, the low DEF warnings are EXTREMELY IRRITATING!!!
500 miles to empty when towing on my truck starts before the gauge is even at half, then next comes after another 69 miles, then after another 50, then after 40 more.
Started carrying an extra 2.5 gallon jug just to stop the stinking warnings until the next time I fill at the pump.
On my old 2015 RAM, warnings didn't start until 200 miles to empty, then each 50 after that, but not nearly as annoying as my F250.
And, I would run my RAM all the way down to nothing before re-filling, no way I could stand to do that in my Ford.
500 miles to empty when towing on my truck starts before the gauge is even at half, then next comes after another 69 miles, then after another 50, then after 40 more.
Started carrying an extra 2.5 gallon jug just to stop the stinking warnings until the next time I fill at the pump.
On my old 2015 RAM, warnings didn't start until 200 miles to empty, then each 50 after that, but not nearly as annoying as my F250.
And, I would run my RAM all the way down to nothing before re-filling, no way I could stand to do that in my Ford.
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Brett Foote
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,239
Likes: 4,255
From: Kaysville Utah
These newer diesels. Calculate your DEF usage and the most recent worst usage.
If you run empty, You will get 800-900 mpg of DEF. Towing Heavy, Figure around 300 mpg DEF for my truck. Just depends how hot your EGTs are and how the computer forecast it forward.
If you run empty, You will get 800-900 mpg of DEF. Towing Heavy, Figure around 300 mpg DEF for my truck. Just depends how hot your EGTs are and how the computer forecast it forward.
Cross-Country
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 54
Likes: 54
Yup, the low DEF warnings are EXTREMELY IRRITATING!!!
500 miles to empty when towing on my truck starts before the gauge is even at half, then next comes after another 69 miles, then after another 50, then after 40 more.
Started carrying an extra 2.5 gallon jug just to stop the stinking warnings until the next time I fill at the pump.
On my old 2015 RAM, warnings didn't start until 200 miles to empty, then each 50 after that, but not nearly as annoying as my F250.
And, I would run my RAM all the way down to nothing before re-filling, no way I could stand to do that in my Ford.
500 miles to empty when towing on my truck starts before the gauge is even at half, then next comes after another 69 miles, then after another 50, then after 40 more.
Started carrying an extra 2.5 gallon jug just to stop the stinking warnings until the next time I fill at the pump.
On my old 2015 RAM, warnings didn't start until 200 miles to empty, then each 50 after that, but not nearly as annoying as my F250.
And, I would run my RAM all the way down to nothing before re-filling, no way I could stand to do that in my Ford.
If I get the warning, while towing, at greater than 1/2 DEF tank, the mileage countdown has begun and will not stop even if I'm no longer towing and consumption is way down. This results in the 50mph limit kicking in with almost 1/2 tank of DEF. It's a little bit ridiculous.
Thread Starter
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4wd Low
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 11
Likes: 3
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
To add to that...
If I get the warning, while towing, at greater than 1/2 DEF tank, the mileage countdown has begun and will not stop even if I'm no longer towing and consumption is way down. This results in the 50mph limit kicking in with almost 1/2 tank of DEF. It's a little bit ridiculous.
If I get the warning, while towing, at greater than 1/2 DEF tank, the mileage countdown has begun and will not stop even if I'm no longer towing and consumption is way down. This results in the 50mph limit kicking in with almost 1/2 tank of DEF. It's a little bit ridiculous.
Yup, the low DEF warnings are EXTREMELY IRRITATING!!!
500 miles to empty when towing on my truck starts before the gauge is even at half, then next comes after another 69 miles, then after another 50, then after 40 more.
Started carrying an extra 2.5 gallon jug just to stop the stinking warnings until the next time I fill at the pump.
On my old 2015 RAM, warnings didn't start until 200 miles to empty, then each 50 after that, but not nearly as annoying as my F250.
And, I would run my RAM all the way down to nothing before re-filling, no way I could stand to do that in my Ford.
500 miles to empty when towing on my truck starts before the gauge is even at half, then next comes after another 69 miles, then after another 50, then after 40 more.
Started carrying an extra 2.5 gallon jug just to stop the stinking warnings until the next time I fill at the pump.
On my old 2015 RAM, warnings didn't start until 200 miles to empty, then each 50 after that, but not nearly as annoying as my F250.
And, I would run my RAM all the way down to nothing before re-filling, no way I could stand to do that in my Ford.
Glad to see that I’m not crazy and this has actually happened to others. So I totally agree, SO DANG IRRITATING. I wonder is there a FORSCAN way to stop or fix this?