in the colder climate these truck and truck using DEF are a pain the DEF constantly frozen ....my dad had a 2017 eco diesel and as soon as the warranty ended he got rid of it, if you get one faulty sensor you have to change the whole part its a money pit ... in four years he change the DEF thank twice and change the exhaust once because of faulty sensor and froze the DEF twice... great fuel millage if you are not pulling anything.
For our climate, I used to joke that I should get on with designing a "block"-heater for DEF systems, as I don't know of any other automotive fluid that is designed to freeze....
Could just run a Webasto, but I don't know if these 1500's have enough space for one.....
I'll say it again - I'm glad that Chrysler has provided this 3.0L diesel option to our market..... while some on here make full use of an F550's capacity, many examples just in this thread of people who this truck is a good fit for. Generic comments below, based on equipment I spend time around (medium duty+), but the only other thing I've heard about this ED is some years having timing gear problems.
DEF tanks, senders, heated lines - all can have problems..... again, what other automotive systems are
supposed to deal with freezing water ?
Big problems with the DEF tank senders on larger equipment (Truck, Bus)..... to the point that Cummins came out with an software patch - engine still shuts down if you are out of DEF, but the patch dials down/off Warnings/Faults when the Sender reading is wonky. The issue was bad sealing/potting for the electronics that sit on top of the Sender...... Huge problem for Big Truck/Bus, as there was only ONE company making these senders.
DEF pumps ($$) and doser/injectors can and do fail. Heated DEF lines can and do fail...... Pro-Tip - if you need a DEF Line, just order every one on the vehicle (assuming you can return unused ones) as many manufacturers have abysmal aftertreatment documentation......
More than one set of (fuel) injectors have been ruined by people filling fuel tanks with DEF (wish I was making this up.....), and I don't want to think about the other way-round scenario.....
Browsing wikipedia just now..... "
At airports, where DEF can sometimes be required for diesel ground service vehicles, its labelling and storage must be carefully managed to avoid accidentally servicing jet aircraft with DEF instead of fuel system icing inhibitor, a mistake that has been attributed to multiple in-flight engine failure and grounding incidents." The air you are hyperventilating is much cleaner, while everybody on the plane is placing bets on how good a glider-pilot the Captain is......
DEF and DOC cans can and do fail, and at a minimum, will need cleaning/testing. NOX, Temperature and Particulate Matter (not sure if the 3.0 ED has one) Sensors do fail. Coolant lines run all sorts of extra places (DEF tanks, EGR coolers).... more failure points, and cross-contamination damage possibilities.....
And there is all the added wiring (soy-based mice entrees) and connectors these modern systems need.... more $$$, more failure points.... that not-just-any Tech is great at fixing.....
All modern diesels deal with the above ^ issues. Some have little/no impact if you never deal with Winter temperatures; many are just kicked down the road if you Buy or Lease New every few years.
Check Engine comes on in a modern diesel ? Get it scanned
That Day..... Don't Wait, as you'll probably pay more if you do......
Rgds, D.
