Help-Diesel fuel in DEF tank-Minnesota

23521 Views 125 Replies 29 Participants Last post by diesel, May 13, 2016

Hammsshooter

Discussion Starter · Mar 31, 2016

2014 Cruze diesel. Don't ask how, BUT, my lovely bride put just a small amount of Diesel in the DEF tank(she says a cup) now we are "dead in the water" Tech says it got in the filter and basically the entire insides of the tank will need to be replaced and, wait, it gets better, none available. We'll be waiting a month for the parts. Dealer can find NO parts available in anywhere.
Any ideas on how to move forward? Is there a Chevy customer service hotline? I have a month or so to figure it out I guess.
Joe O

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IndyDiesel

· #2 · Mar 31, 2016

Hammsshooter said:
2014 Cruze diesel. Don't ask how, BUT, my lovely bride put just a small amount of Diesel in the DEF tank(she says a cup) now we are "dead in the water" Tech says it got in the filter and basically the entire insides of the tank will need to be replaced and, wait, it gets better, none available. We'll be waiting a month for the parts. Dealer can find NO parts available in anywhere.
Any ideas on how to move forward? Is there a Chevy customer service hotline? I have a month or so to figure it out I guess.
Joe O

I would do a salvage yard search and find a low mile CTD wrecked in the front and get one there. One site is car-part.com, not sure the def tank will be in the search criteria, just try a engine or something and find a place that has engines, probably has a car sitting as well.

Sure am glad it is your lovely bride and not mine. :grin:

Hope that helps.

MP81

· #3 · Mar 31, 2016

I've read about the DEF tank being a hard to find part...

...I'm still confused how she managed to do that...it's not exactly easy to access haha.

Reactions: 2

Tomko

· #4 · Mar 31, 2016 (Edited)

They must call the TAC line to get the part released.

I think someone bought one off eBay or Amazon.

I never heard of a filter in the DEF tank. Are you sure you're not being stroked?

The DEF tank inlet is too small to receive a diesel nozzle. Are you sure she did it???

My wife once filled gasoline into the oil filler neck of my then brand new $1,000+ Toro lawnmower.

Reactions: 3

Hammsshooter

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 31, 2016

Not being a mechanic and knowing the internal workings of a DEF tank, I questioned why it would not be rinsed and refilled but the diesel shop where the "accident" happened was going to do the repairs and said we would need to replace basically everything in the tank. I called my Chevy dealer, service department and they concurred that it would all need to be replaced. If I can get any info that I am being taken here, or perhaps simply inexperience with this problem and there is a better way to fix this I am all ears. The vehicle was never started, I don't understand why the tank couldn't be emptied and refilled, make NO SENSE to me.
My bride is VERY remorseful, it was her daily driver and she LOVES it.

Tomko

· #6 · Mar 31, 2016

Hammsshooter said:
Not being a mechanic and knowing the internal workings of a DEF tank, I questioned why it would not be rinsed and refilled but the diesel shop where the "accident" happened was going to do the repairs and said we would need to replace basically everything in the tank. I called my Chevy dealer, service department and they concurred that it would all need to be replaced. If I can get any info that I am being taken here, or perhaps simply inexperience with this problem and there is a better way to fix this I am all ears. The vehicle was never started, I don't understand why the tank couldn't be emptied and refilled, make NO SENSE to me.
My bride is VERY remorseful, it was her daily driver and she LOVES it.

You need to fill some information gaps here:

1) Who is servicing your vehicle? It doesn't sound like it's at a dealer.

2) Exactly how did this filling error occur?

3) What happened immediately afterwards? What is the sequence of events?

From what you've given us so far I have a feeling that you are not getting the full story.

Reactions: 2

MP81

· #7 · Mar 31, 2016

Tomko said:
The DEF tank inlet is too small to receive a diesel nozzle. Are you sure she did it???

She would have had to basically aimed the nozzle at it - and essentially sprayed diesel everywhere in the trunk - that is, after opening the trunk, lifting up the carpet, and removing the cap that says "Diesel exhaust fluid".

That would essentially be the same amount of (illogical) extra steps as, while at the gas station, popping the hood, and adding fuel to where you add oil.

Reactions: 2

Hammsshooter

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 31, 2016

It is at a truck stop, diesel repair shop. Trust me, my wife really did put about a cup or 2 of diesel fuel in the def tank( i understand how unbelievable this sounds). She realized her error and consulted the shop. Car was pushed aside where the plan was to siphon the tank, rinse and refill. Perhaps I misunderstood but I thought he said it got into a filter. When I contacted my chevy service department the service tech said it could gel or solidify with DEF which would require us to replace the tank.

Hammsshooter

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 31, 2016

I am NOT making this **** up, aren't you married? They never cease to amaze!
Joe O

Reactions: 5

Hammsshooter

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 31, 2016

It would not surprise me that neither shop would know the best repair. My chevy dealer is woefully ignorant of anything about the Cruze diesel and doesn't much care. As far as the shop where it is at, I'm sure it's the first Cruze diesel they have ever seen in there lives.
I'm sure they are learning at my expense.
Joe O

diesel

· #11 · Mar 31, 2016

The reason is likely that diesel fuel is thicker and has oil, wax, etc in it that will coat everything. I don't think it would be possible to rinse it out and get everything out. The only possible way would be to use some sort of solvent to rinse everything out, to get all the oil and wax out of there, but even then, it might have made it into the lines at that point. A tiny amount of that could likely screw up the injector as well and I believe that's a $1000 part on its own. Wow. Good luck!! If it's not too prohibitive with labor cost, you could always try the flush with solvent approach, but it would be something that would not leave a trace of solvent or diesel behind.

Tomko

· #12 · Mar 31, 2016

Hammsshooter said:
I am NOT making this **** up, aren't you married? They never cease to amaze!
Joe O

After 23+ years of the nose ring I have concluded that you can't live with them and you can't make it look like an accident.

Reactions: 1

Tomko

· #13 · Mar 31, 2016

Hammsshooter said:
It would not surprise me that neither shop would know the best repair. My chevy dealer is woefully ignorant of anything about the Cruze diesel and doesn't much care. As far as the shop where it is at, I'm sure it's the first Cruze diesel they have ever seen in there lives.
I'm sure they are learning at my expense.
Joe O

You need to get a competent diesel tech on this right away.

Where in Minnesota is the car?

Gator

· #14 · Mar 31, 2016

I hope you not meaning couple cups of DEF in the diesel tank, it's around 80% water 20% fertilizer and will gum a diesel motor up, I don't even see from a diesel nozzle getting much diesel in the DEF tank without making a complete mess off the trunk

IndyDiesel

· #15 · Mar 31, 2016

Gator comment seems plausible. How would a lovely bride even know there is a def tank under the cardboard cover? Yikes either situation is a nightmare for a CTD

Gator

· #16 · Mar 31, 2016

I'm scratching my head on this one, the DEF nozzle needs magnets in the fill neck to work unless from a prefilled jug. If it's her daily driver I'm sure she knows where to fill the Diesel, did she get a low DEF light and doesn't know what DEF is? I do know we have two tractors (semi trucks) that have to be rebuilt because a driver dumped a jug of DEF in the diesel tank

Reactions: 2

IndyDiesel

· #17 · Mar 31, 2016

You could buy a new antifreeze checker so it's clean and put into the def tank and extract some fluid if the hose is long enough and inspect the color of the fluid, I think def fluid should be clear or almost look like water, if it has color in it bride probably did put diesel in def tank. I think all diesel fuel has some color to it, maybe green?

Gator

· #18 · Mar 31, 2016

That's possible, diesel and water will not mix and the diesel would go to the top in the DEF tank. But if DEF is put in the diesel tank it will go to the bottom off the tank.
This is why I'm scratching my head on this one. Said it's at a truck stop and is possible if she got a low DEF light and bought a prefilled jug and accidentally poured some in the diesel tank but the other way being high speed pumps I'm almost at is this a true problem.

Hammsshooter

Discussion Starter · #19 · Mar 31, 2016

The Car is at the Hasty Truck Stop, about an hour north of the MSP area. My dealer is Schwieters Chev. in Cold Spring MN. Trust me there is Diesel in the DEF tank. I was hoping when I called the dealer for a second opinion they would want the car there but they seemed very comfortable letting someone else handle this repair. Wouldn't know where to start in the search for a GOOD diesel mechanic who would know how to handle this situation.
Joe O

Cruz15

· #20 · Mar 31, 2016 (Edited)

I dont see why you cant just clean it out. It injects straight into the exhaust a little diesel wont hurt anything!!!
Take tank out, add some isopropyl swish around empty repeat 12 times.
Install.
Edit after the ISO use De ionized water 3 times full and let soak 35 mins.
I would just do it myself.

Reactions: 1

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