# Has anyone filled DEF at a Truck Stop?



## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Folks,

I have a new MB GL350BT and it has a nice filling cap for the DEF next to the Diesel Fill. I suppose that would be the logical place to put it, no?

Has anyone here ever filled their DEF at one of those filling stations for DEF found at Truck Stops? Is it easy? How much does it cost?

Thanks!


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

I looked it up and Love's Truck Stops now has completed installing DEF Filling Pumps at all of their truck stops.

The price is now $2.69/gal at the pump. They also have the smaller containers.


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

That makes sense -- not hiding the urea fill but putting it somewhere where it actually can be used. I am sure someone somewhere will put in diesel fuel though.........:rofl:


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

ive been told that the fillers at truck stops dont have a small enough nozzle to fit in our fill port. I havent tried a truck stock so I dont know if thats always the case or not. IF the nozzle fit theres no reason that you couldnt do it. Filling urea in our cars is not as difficult or tricky as some would have you believe


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## BB_cuda (Nov 8, 2011)

A simple large funnel would likely suffice. The kind that you use for tansmission fluid with the bendable spout. Its not like you need to carry it with you as you wouldn't likely need but every 10 to 15 thousand miles. The diesel ford trucks have the DEF and fuel filler caps side by side under the fuel door. At least at the Houston car show a couple yrs ago, this was the case.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

There are plenty of stories of truckers putting Diesel in their DEF and vice a versa.

Either way it is a bad situation.

Nozzle diameters are different with the DEF being smaller than the diesel so you would not be able to fit the Diesel nozzle in the DEF hole.

I'll research the nozzles sizes a bit more. But so far it looks like nobady has filled up their DEF at a truck stop.


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## Tedj101 (Nov 24, 2009)

BB_cuda said:


> A simple large funnel would likely suffice. The kind that you use for tansmission fluid with the bendable spout. Its not like you need to carry it with you as you wouldn't likely need but every 10 to 15 thousand miles. The diesel ford trucks have the DEF and fuel filler caps side by side under the fuel door. At least at the Houston car show a couple yrs ago, this was the case.


The new 328d also has it under the fuel door. It is much smaller than the fuel filler and plainly marked. I don't think an owner would mistake either one. While a casual user might not understand the difference, you couldn't fill the urea tank with a fuel nozzle and a casual user wouldn't be trying to fill the car with urea. I don't see it as a problem - though literally no one but me has ever filled my 335d.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Looks like some DEF Tanks (in vehicles) use a magnetic safety that releases the internal valve in the DEF dispenser nozzle allowing it to flow. If you don't have that magnetic device, i.e. in your diesel tank, you cant accidentally put DEF in the Diesel Tank.

I have no idea if our older 335D DEF fillers could accomodate these DEF Nozzles or not.

I suspect my MB BT might work?

Looks like I might pay my local truck stop a quick visit to inquire.


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## DBV (Sep 21, 2008)

I would be interested to know, as we also have a 2013 GL350 and was curious if we could fill up with DEF at the truck stops.


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

It would be nice if this could be standardized -- like the fuel ports. All of a standard size, in a uniform location on the car (next to the fuel port seems ideal a la the new Ford Trucks and apparently the new 335d) to make it easy on everyone. This would of course deny the dealers a nice little profit center and of course keep them from spilling the corrosive urea all over the interior of the engine bay. We are going to have to live with the urea system so it might as well be standardized to make it as economical and easy to access as possible.:angel:


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Won't work. Our filler tube requires a special nozzle. Besides the flow rate is probably too high as well.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

I watched someone the other day use one of the fillers at a truck stop. I think he was in a Ford F350, I did not pay very close attention. My fear for whatever I would be pumping it into would be flow rates. I have used diesel fuel pumps that 18-wheelers use but on my F250 and the flow rates were extremely high.

I'd just buy the stuff at any auto parts store and put it in at home or if you prone to spilling things then just do it in the parking lot of the auto parts store.


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## BB_cuda (Nov 8, 2011)

Flyingman said:


> Looks like some DEF Tanks (in vehicles) use a magnetic safety that releases the internal valve in the DEF dispenser nozzle allowing it to flow. If you don't have that magnetic device, i.e. in your diesel tank, you cant accidentally put DEF in the Diesel Tank.
> 
> I have no idea if our older 335D DEF fillers could accomodate these DEF Nozzles or not.
> 
> ...


So, if i wanted to pump DEF into a plastic storage container, it wouldn't flow? My thought is to avoid the high flow by putting the DEF into a dedicated container and then transfer the contents into the car in a much slower way (pour a little bit and wait for it to burp, pour a little bit more .....). I would use the "adapter" that someone in another thread suggested where you use the 1/2 gallon VW urea bottle with the bottom but out and use it as a funnel.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

BB_cuda said:


> So, if i wanted to pump DEF into a plastic storage container, it wouldn't flow? My thought is to avoid the high flow by putting the DEF into a dedicated container and then transfer the contents into the car in a much slower way (pour a little bit and wait for it to burp, pour a little bit more .....). I would use the "adapter" that someone in another thread suggested where you use the 1/2 gallon VW urea bottle with the bottom but out and use it as a funnel.


Why not just buy it at a parts store or even a Walmart in the bottles? It is dirt cheap at either place and could then transfer it into the bottle that allows you to easily get into the car's tank. I know the parts store near my house routinely has a pallet of the stuff sitting out with a discounted price on it.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

The trucks apparently don't have such a larger DEF tank either.

I read something like 20 liters which seems rather small. Suggested they would have to fill up on avereage 5 times a year.:dunno:

I agree, since we only would need to add this stuff about once every 10-13k, just buy it at local auto store in the appropiate size you want to handle. 2 1/2 gallons seems about right with one of those smaller ones to transfer to the tank.

I bought the extended maintenance so it is still on BMW nickel, but I didn't on the MB and they want to charge a small fortune to fill the DEF, something in the $200+ range as I understand it.

I also think there are several dispenser companies making the DEF stations and each has it's own type of system, like the one with the magnetic sensor. You can get the sensor seperately and slip it over the nozzle and stick it in your tank (if the nozzle diameter allows).


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## scootle (Jan 1, 2011)

Snipe656 said:


> Why not just buy it at a parts store or even a Walmart in the bottles? It is dirt cheap at either place and could then transfer it into the bottle that allows you to easily get into the car's tank. I know the parts store near my house routinely has a pallet of the stuff sitting out with a discounted price on it.


I guess I need to check my local Walmart a little harder... didn't know they carried DEF! :thumbup:


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## Tedj101 (Nov 24, 2009)

scootle said:


> I guess I need to check my local Walmart a little harder... didn't know they carried DEF! :thumbup:


Yeah, Walmart had a full page ad in either Car & Driver or 
Autoweek about a month ago which advertised Castrol Edge in 5qt. bottles at a very good price ($17? I"d have to go to a store to check whether it is actually LL04) and 2.5 gallons of DEF in bottles (about $12 as I recall). I was really surprised to see the DEF in a big ad from Walmart!


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

I am sure it is because of all the pickup trucks that use the stuff. But regardless I know they have stocked DEF for awhile now.


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## wxmanCCM (Feb 17, 2010)

I've filled up a 2.5 gallon "Blue DEF" container at truck stops several times now. I then siphon the DEF from the container into the 335d DEF tank as required.

One issue I've encountered with respect to filling the container at the truck stop is that the truck DEF dispenser continuously shuts off. Takes 10 minutes to fill a 2.5 gallon container when it should take less than a minute. Apparently there's a "misfueling" device on the DEF pumps to prevent DEF from being dispensed into the fuel tank?

Has anyone found a way around this dilemma?


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

wxmanCCM said:


> I've filled up a 2.5 gallon "Blue DEF" container at truck stops several times now. I then siphon the DEF from the container into the 335d DEF tank as required.
> 
> One issue I've encountered with respect to filling the container at the truck stop is that the truck DEF dispenser continuously shuts off. Takes 10 minutes to fill a 2.5 gallon container when it should take less than a minute. Apparently there's a "misfueling" device on the DEF pumps to prevent DEF from being dispensed into the fuel tank?
> 
> Has anyone found a way around this dilemma?


Just buy the jugs as you need it? Sounds like a hassle to deal with the pumps. After all you're only filling once a year at most.


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