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Old 02-22-2018, 04:15 PM   #1
denandannie
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I Nearly Had a Heart Attack

We were returning from an eight week trip, going west on I 70 when I exited the freeway for fuel. We were near Green River, Utah, and it appeared we were out in the middle of the boonies. I looked for the easiest fuel fill up and saw a trucker's station. I pulled in, got out to refuel, and then was met with a major dilemma. The fuel pump had two nozzles. One for diesel and the other for DEF. I picked up the green nozzle, thinking it was surely diesel, fiddled around with trying to get my credit card to work and then finally starting to pump fuel. After pumping about a half gallon, it looked like the DEF register was moving, not the diesel fuel register. I panicked. I immediately stopped pumping, put the nozzle back and left. I found another fuel station that was not so confusing and filled my tank.

I was nearly in coronary mode wondering if I had harmed the engine. I was hoping the diesel fuel would dilute the DEF, if indeed I'd pumped some into the fuel tank. Well, we traveled for another few hours before stopping for the night.

In hindsight, I found that had I actually pumped any DEF into the fuel tank, my engine would have been ruined when I started it. Fortunately, I hadn't, but it did make for some anxious moments while continuing west on I-70. If you've been in that area you know that would be one helluva place to break down.
 
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Old 02-22-2018, 05:16 PM   #2
mlh
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Knowing what these fuel systems cost and how fragile they are, yes that would be scary. Then you would be camped at the dealership for who knows how long. Not a very nice vacation.
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Old 02-22-2018, 06:54 PM   #3
dieselguy
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Bye Ned ... even if it doesn't have the HP and torque of newer trucks ... my ole 7.3 just becomes more and more valuable to me.
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Old 02-23-2018, 04:29 AM   #4
Phil P
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Hi

I now have 2 experiments going.

The 2005 Duramax that was water contaminated so bad the engine would not run. Washed the system out with diesel and changed filters. 8 months ago and it is still running.

Now the latest one a 2017 f350 contaminated with DEF driven until it wouldn’t run. Washed the system out with water and a mixture of baking soda and water then diesel. Went thru $69 of fuel filters and the unit is still running now 30 days.

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Old 02-23-2018, 05:14 AM   #5
K0LCB
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Most fuel nozzles are larger than DEF nozzles
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Old 02-23-2018, 06:00 AM   #6
WeBeFulltime
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When I get fuel I ALWAYS stop pumping after 1-2 seconds and remove the nozzle and do a "sniff test" to be absolutely certain that diesel is coming out.
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Old 02-23-2018, 06:19 AM   #7
JandC
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Can't be too careful. Last weekend 4 couples from our CG took off on a motorcycle ride. We all stopped at the beginning of the ride to fuel up. The guy across from me filled his Harley Ultra Classic with diesel. He caught it after adding a full 5 gallons but prior to turning on the key. Needless to say there was a delay while we siphoned his tank and put fresh gasoline in.

Yesterday I had the DW's car at a Shell station filling it up. A semi pulled in behind me, which shocked me in the first place since this was a regular gas station. Guy got out and pumped at least 5 gallons of gasoline before realizing it. He simply shut the pump off, ran his card again, and started pumping diesel into the same saddle tank. I didn't wait around to see how it ran when the idiot was finished.
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Old 02-23-2018, 06:36 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JandC View Post

Yesterday I had the DW's car at a Shell station filling it up. A semi pulled in behind me, which shocked me in the first place since this was a regular gas station. Guy got out and pumped at least 5 gallons of gasoline before realizing it. He simply shut the pump off, ran his card again, and started pumping diesel into the same saddle tank. I didn't wait around to see how it ran when the idiot was finished.
It's quite possible he's not an idiot. Have heard several times that some drivers, especially owner-operators, for some reason like to mix a small amount of gasoline with their diesel. Not sure the reason.....just saying!
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Old 02-23-2018, 07:00 AM   #9
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Or it could be that he doesn't own the truck and just doesn't care.
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Old 02-23-2018, 09:38 AM   #10
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In the winter truck drivers will sometimes thin the diesel especially if they are filling up in the south but headed north. Reduces chance of paraffin gelling. Not recommended but they do it
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Old 02-23-2018, 03:19 PM   #11
jcurtis934
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My 2012 f350 has a water separator to handle errant water in the fuel system. You should know if your truck does, where it is located, and how to drain the water...if needed. Not all states follow the green handle for diesel, so beware.
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Old 02-23-2018, 03:54 PM   #12
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I have to watch it, the BP station in town has green on the gas and black on the diesel. He say that is the way BP is.
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Old 02-23-2018, 04:20 PM   #13
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I have to watch it, the BP station in town has green on the gas and black on the diesel. He say that is the way BP is.
You must live in Iowa. I topped off my truck with gas one time because of the green handle on gas at the BP. I think it was about 15-20 gal in a 52 gallon tank. Started up and after a couple of miles in town, it started running VERY rough. Got to friends house and shut it off and wouldn't start again. Called a dealer (on Saturday) and they told where I could drop it off. It started after sitting (and gas floating back tot he top, I guess) and ran rough but got me to the dealer about 3-4 miles away. They drained the tank and added some sort of lubricant to the tank and filled it up. Ran fine for another 50-60,000 miles until I sold it. Guess I was lucky!
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Old 02-23-2018, 07:55 PM   #14
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In the winter truck drivers will sometimes thin the diesel especially if they are filling up in the south but headed north. Reduces chance of paraffin gelling. Not recommended but they do it
I ran a Peterbilt 379 with a Series 60 Detroit on a dedicated run Chattanooga to Chicago and return. 3 rounds one week then 2 rounds the next. We had tank heaters on the Petes but still added Power Service to each fill up per company's instructions. No gasoline for us!
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Old 03-08-2018, 10:37 AM   #15
MARK A
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Originally Posted by jcurtis934 View Post
My 2012 f350 has a water separator to handle errant water in the fuel system. You should know if your truck does, where it is located, and how to drain the water...if needed. Not all states follow the green handle for diesel, so beware.
Unless you put on an aftermarket filter, Your 2012 mid-frame filter will fill up with DEF and run it straight to the engine and grenade the pump.
They test for DEF contamination and if found your emissions warranty is toilet paper. About a 9k bill to you.

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Old 03-08-2018, 09:01 PM   #16
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I had a new 1984 Dodge Ramcharger pulling a 30' TT through the Rockies. Lost power and found a Dodge dealer with a few vehicles and a 2 bay garage. Stopped and told of my problem. He said he could adjust the flat land 360 V8 but would need done again when I left the mountains. Instead he suggested adding some diesel to each tank of gas until I got closer to sea level again. It smoked as he said it would but power returned. Ran that vehicle 120,000 miles without a problem. I'd certainly not try that with any engine today.
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