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"DEF" HEAD FAILURES? QUESTIONS! RESPONSES!

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Jabber Jaw

RVF Supporter
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
738
Location
St. Augustine Fl
RV Year
2020
RV Make
Newmar
RV Model
Canyon Star 3710
RV Length
38
Chassis
Ford F-53, 26,000GVWR
Engine
Ford V-10
TOW/TOAD
2017 Gmc Terrain & 2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR-2
Fulltimer
No
Have been reading in other "Forums" about the rapidly growing issue of "DEF" head/sensor failures! It seemingly keeps growing!

Has it affected you?

How long were you unable to use your coach?

Why is continuing to grow?

Are you uneasy in planning travels because of the situation?

Is there a solution?

To me, it is absolutely disgusting that folks have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, even to a million dollars, for a product they cannot use, or are afraid to use!

What say you, especially those affected by this ridiculous situation?
 
Two weeks ago our mobilehome park where I store my Ventana was under evacuation caused by the Tamarack Fire. I went to get the coach out of the shop and as I started backing out onto the driveway my check engine light came on and then the turn off engine warning came on and it went into lock out. My cement drive is somewhat steep and I didn't have enough power to get it back into the shop. My thinking was if the fire swept thru that possibly the metal building would help with some protection vs sitting out in the open. Anyway I let it sit about twenty minutes and restarted the coach and was able to get it back inside the shop. At that point I figured I've been wanting a new Dutch or Mountain so what ever happens happens. After a little urging from my wife the next day I did a little off-roading and snuck back into the park and with check engine lite still on I got it out and 20 miles to my local shop. sure enough with a new apx 500 mile def head it was again throwing codes.
We had not seen the sun for about three weeks because of all Calif. fires so after resetting the codes we took off to Coos bay for a week to get where we could breath., Returning home we crossed from Arcata Ca. to Redding Ca. on hwy 299 along the Trinity River. Its a very narrow and curvy highway and it did it again. Luckily I coasted onto a tiny pullout and had to sit to let it re-set itself. I drove it about 500 miles home with the check engine light on. I don't have any clue of what to do. It cost about 100 bucks to get the codes checked and re-set so is this just the new normal to be able to travel a few hundred miles at a time?
Anyone know what the program would cost to be able to clear the codes ourselves?
If I wasn't thinking of selling the coach in the future I'd just strip the system down and let my kids worry about it down the road.
 

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We're full timers and fortunately hasn't affected us yet! Will be a mess if/when it does. EPA needs to allow Cummins and other manufacturers to code the derate from occurring until there's a fix and/or end to the supply problem.
 
Christ almighty. Imagine being stuck on the side of the road with a derate and no toad while a wildfire approaches.
 
The problem I see with the polls around the interwebs on DEF head failures is it is not answering the question. Someone asks and posts a poll about DEF HEAD FAILURES but people that are having any related system failure are skewing the numbers as it's not a DEF HEAD FAILURE. There are other elements of the emission and engine such as DPF filter issues, or some other issue with the DEF/DPF system, such as I briefly had which was a voltage irregularity that cleared. Be careful what you read, RVers that have failures, some of which may not be smart on the difference in the issues, are skewing the stats on people trying to get numbers on DEF HEAD FAILURES.
 
In late February while staying in SW FL, my CEL illuminated showing fault codes indicating a failed DEF head. I had just started my coached to move it from one site to another. Spartan shipped a new DEF head which was installed a week later.
 

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