DEF short life

No.
Besides if they quit making DEF Trucks today they will b around for a while on the used market.

 

too bad they just can't do what cars once had. catalytic convertors and air pumps. although, the air pump went away with the introduction of the injector.

 

Not being a rip at all - but what do you mean mistake? Was something hinky about the older regen system with a DPF? I'm serious b/c I just got outta a Nat w/ the old regen (no DEF) with a Cummins ISX 15 and it was great. Never had a lick of trouble and not having to do the DEF thing was cool. Darned good pulling engine and descent mileage too. Got into this Casscadia with a Detroit 15 and DEF and have had several issues with the lights and stuff telling me it's gonna derate because of no DEF in tank and the tank being full, which my DM and breakdown said was common and just run it til it derates and they'd send somebody to get me. It might fix itself. Half the time it did, half the time it didn't. Thankfully mine did but like I said I never had any issues - that I actually believed with the Nat ISX and regen.

Now I did have the shop at a terminal tell me the reason I was getting the intermittent check engine light on the Nat was because I let it run out of DEF so they were having to do a parked regen and I needed to make sure I never let it run out of DEF again (laprop hooked up to the truck and quite serious). It didn't use DEF, and I was pretty amazed at that comment but I didn't call him what I was thinking. I played dumb. "I didn't think this one used DEF. I didn't see any DEF gauge and I couldn't find the DEF tank. If you'll show me where it is I'll gladly keep it full. I don't want to tear nothin' up. Show me please." I didn't bother to tell him I read the operator's manual and more likely the DPF just needed changing. What would have been the point. I'm just a driver too dumb to keep the DEF tank from running dry. He couldn't find the (no-exsistent) DEF tank either. "I'll be. It DOESN'T use DEF". That's why I say I didn't believe it when he said there was a regen problem. BTW the check engine light didn't come on again after doing a parked regen. LOL. That's all it needed and somehow the light that tells you, you nee to do one just didn't come on.

So please share as I'm curious what the issue was. I had other drivers roll their eyes at: Oh you got one of THOSE with the regen. That sux. But I never had a problem. Maybe I just got lucky but I've had a lot more problems with the Freightliner / Detriot / DEF than I ever did with the Nat / Cummins / DPF & regen.

Thanks.

 

No. Too much money on DEF and their systems maintenance. Think about it from a business standpoint. They probably have the technology to put in a fixed system to accomplish the same level of emission reduction does but that would be a one time sale and then just repair parts and maintenance. With a DEF system they make money selling a product the truck has to have that get used up and has to be replaced. Kinda like GE having the bought the patent and locked it up to a light bulb that will burn for 20 years kinda thing.

That's just my conspiracy theorist's take. LOL.

 

The next step is to eliminate the cooled EGR and relying on the DEF/SCR to eliminate NOX. Then you'll see a return from fewer repairs/breakdowns.