DEF HEAD BS

[EmpirE231]

So I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with the "def head" issue on our new to us RV. On the most recent trip to Glamis, I drive the 110 miles or so to red earth to fuel up... everything is fine, shut it down and fuel up. I go to fire it back up, and get check engine lights, a DEF light blinking on the dash... and I look at my fuel gauge / def gauge and the DEF is blinking red showing it is empty (but it is full) I start freaking out... drive over to the 91 pumps to get fuel for the toys and start debating whether we go home or continue... I shut off the chassis breakers, and start banging on stuff on top of the DEF tank... I fire it up 10 minutes later and everything is back to normal! Jam to glamis... all good. We fire up to head home and everything looks good... I make no stops and drive straight home... within 10 minutes into the drive, the DEF gauge went from full, down to 1 bar... but it was still green and no check engine BS. Made it home... park to unload! as soon as I fire it back up to move it and park it... all the BS comes back.

So.... Is this a DIY type of fix? or does it need to go into a shop? can a mobile technician fix this? what am I looking at to fix this BS $?

RV is a 2011 American coach revolution, spartan chassis, 450 cummins w/ 25k miles

 

[EmpirE231]

well just to update this... I spoke w/ spartan and they confirmed the codes are for the DEF level sensor. They say the whole DEF head needs to be replaced. Th part is $650 + shipping. Now trying to debate whether I DIY this thing, or have a mobile tech come do it (waiting on quote).

Looks like there is enough room to remove it without having to drop the tank, but who knows....

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Its plug and play, easy DIY. The big issue months back was that there were none to do covid production issues, not sure if that has changed though. Many people I know with Entegras keep a spare. When we bought our rig about a year ago the dealer was full of people living full time in their rigs because they were stranded for months waiting on them.

 

[EmpirE231]

Its plug and play, easy DIY. The big issue months back was that there were none to do covid production issues, not sure if that has changed though. Many people I know with Entegras keep a spare. When we bought our rig about a year ago the dealer was full of people living full time in their rigs because they were stranded for months waiting on them.

yeah crazy stuff... I've been reading all about the last few days. Thankfully the one that replaced my "generation" is in stock, and they fail less often than the newer ones that require all the chips... But of course it had to fail less than 1k miles since I got the thing!

looks pretty straight forward, just hoping with that clearance room, I can pull it out, without having to drop the tank out of the way.

with all these failures, DEF plastic bottles, tow trucks towing broke down rigs, shipping of new DEF heads around the world.... it really makes you wonder what the NET affect using DEF in the first place has on the whole "being green" thing. I would guess it's a NET negative.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

yeah crazy stuff... I've been reading all about the last few days. Thankfully the one that replaced my "generation" is in stock, and they fail less often than the newer ones that require all the chips... But of course it had to fail less than 1k miles since I got the thing!

looks pretty straight forward, just hoping with that clearance room, I can pull it out, without having to drop the tank out of the way.

with all these failures, DEF plastic bottles, tow trucks towing broke down rigs, shipping of new DEF heads around the world.... it really makes you wonder what the NET affect using DEF in the first place has on the whole "being green" thing. I would guess it's a NET negative.

Ive been quoted $4000 to reprogram to run without DEF. Nothing has to be changed on the coach, just the programming, the DEF pump and tank simply sits there dormant. Risky stuff for the seller and the owner, not sure I want to go down that road for $4000 and then run into issues when we sell it. Place that does it is in Wyoming.

 

[Icky]

Ive been quoted $4000 to reprogram to run without DEF. Nothing has to be changed on the coach, just the programming, the DEF pump and tank simply sits there dormant. Risky stuff for the seller and the owner, not sure I want to go down that road for $4000 and then run into issues when we sell it. Place that does it is in Wyoming.

My first thought was delete it, but 4k seems steep. Def wasn't required till 2013 if I recall correctly

 

[TimeBandit]

So how could you "fake" the def level, or lead the system into believing you have a full tank regardless of level?

Is there a test procedure? a resistance when empty and a resistance when full??

DEF Sensor Simulator – Quick Build – DEF Sensor Simulator

 

[Lucky Larry]

So I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with the "def head" issue on our new to us RV. On the most recent trip to Glamis, I drive the 110 miles or so to red earth to fuel up... everything is fine, shut it down and fuel up. I go to fire it back up, and get check engine lights, a DEF light blinking on the dash... and I look at my fuel gauge / def gauge and the DEF is blinking red showing it is empty (but it is full) I start freaking out... drive over to the 91 pumps to get fuel for the toys and start debating whether we go home or continue... I shut off the chassis breakers, and start banging on stuff on top of the DEF tank... I fire it up 10 minutes later and everything is back to normal! Jam to glamis... all good. We fire up to head home and everything looks good... I make no stops and drive straight home... within 10 minutes into the drive, the DEF gauge went from full, down to 1 bar... but it was still green and no check engine BS. Made it home... park to unload! as soon as I fire it back up to move it and park it... all the BS comes back.

So.... Is this a DIY type of fix? or does it need to go into a shop? can a mobile technician fix this? what am I looking at to fix this BS $?

RV is a 2011 American coach revolution, spartan chassis, 450 cummins w/ 25k miles

Just curious, did you buy the coach down in Yuma?

 

[EmpirE231]

Just curious, did you buy the coach down in Yuma?

Yes I did.

 

[Lucky Larry]

From the HVAC guy ? If so, beautiful coach. We looked at the one the guy had on the boards here. I was in the middle of a real estate deal and when that was done, hit him back up and it just sold the day before.

 

[EmpirE231]

From the HVAC guy ? If so, beautiful coach. We looked at the one the guy had on the boards here. I was in the middle of a real estate deal and when that was done, hit him back up and it just sold the day before.

Yep that’s the one!

 

[Lucky Larry]

My wife loved that rig & was bummed when it was gone. Thanks to you I’m down in Texas looking at one with re-grooved tires.
Also caught your other post about driving in the wind. Didn’t realize it was your post but it stood out as wind gusts supposed to be up to 60 mph near El Paso /Las Cruces. And driving Yuma to Riverside far easier than New Braunfels to Riverside.
DEFinitely hope you get your DEF problem figured out.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I was wondering if you got your DEF head replaced and if you had to drop the tank or not. I'm starting to have the same issues with my 2011 Revolution you describe with the def tank being full and the LED gauge jumping form a quarter full to full? TIA

 

[EmpirE231]

I was wondering if you got your DEF head replaced and if you had to drop the tank or not. I'm starting to have the same issues with my 2011 Revolution you describe with the def tank being full and the LED gauge jumping form a quarter full to full? TIA

hopefully getting replaced this week. All faults issues went away for a while, and then it gave me the same scare last trip... but then was fine on the way home and has been fine since then.... but just gonna have it swapped out since I already have the part.

 

[Bullet Bob]

hopefully getting replaced this week. All faults issues went away for a while, and then it gave me the same scare last trip... but then was fine on the way home and has been fine since then.... but just gonna have it swapped out since I already have the par

 

[Bullet Bob]

Ok thanks. Mine started acting up over the weekend and wanting to get mine done before it quits completely and leaves me stranded. Would you have the part number and does the tank have to be dropped? TIA

 

[EmpirE231]

Ok thanks. Mine started acting up over the weekend and wanting to get mine done before it quits completely and leaves me stranded. Would you have the part number and does the tank have to be dropped? TIA

I'll get the part # tonight. It looks like there is enough room to do it without dropping the tank... but would be tight! ... I am assuming dropping the tank will need to be done.

 

[575cat]

Should buy a spare it will happen again .

 

[Bullet Bob]

Ok Thanks. I was just looking at mine and it looks like it is going to be a PITA unless you can take off the inner fender in the wheel well and access it from there.

 

[EmpirE231]

Ok Thanks. I was just looking at mine and it looks like it is going to be a PITA unless you can take off the inner fender in the wheel well and access it from there.

Part # and price, ordered directly from Spartan.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Thanks I'm going to get mine replaced before our next trip.

 

[EmpirE231]

Should buy a spare it will happen again .

Spartan claims these older units do not fail as often as the 2016 and newer models.... but here we are lol

 

[Bullet Bob]

Yea from what I understand these only sense the level of the DEF and the temperature. The 2016 and up sense the level, temperature and the quality of the DEF. Like your original post says its a bunch of BS.