Roger75201
Member
Don't have a Heartland but I got to the Forum from a Google search on DEF Fluid problems. So this post is kind of a shot in the dark but hope it may help someone avoid my problem. Have a 2011 Chevy 3500 tow vehicle and have had many/ most Def sensors replaced at same GMC dealership. Two weeks ago getting ready for a two week trip to northern Arkansas a "Exhaust Fluid Low" message appears. I was going to fill the DEF tank anyway and I put all of one 2.5 gallon and emptied half of another-partial . Thought DEF tank had to be close to being full. On the second leg of the trip-approx. 550 miles from home I get a "coolant fluid low add coolant fluid". I now believe this was the 900 mile DEF fluid low message instead. I pull over and add a small amount of coolant and assume that the coolant sensor was just being very sensitive and go on. On third leg of trip while in the Ozark Mountains on blind S curves with grade I get a second "coolant fluid low add coolant fluid" message. Before I could find any place to pull over the engine shut down. I'm in 5-7% grade. Never had a DEF fluid message. Never had a warning light. Never went to 55 mph. But I ran out of DEF fluid at 700 miles on the trip with starting with the DEF tank at least 75% or more full. We are sitting on this blind curve two lane road and thankfully we had a cell signal. Called tow truck and state trooper. Limp to a pull off. Tow guy brings DEF fluid and resets codes. Shuts down again. So we find a Chevy dealership and they replaced the exhaust gas temp sensor and performed the regen to get the sensors set.
So we are home and I am searching on forums etc about Chevy DEF tank problems. Going to Dealer soon. But it seems to me that beyond the obvious of multiple DEF tank issues that GM has maybe my dealership never fixed my DEF sensor problems in the past. Coolant low message?? No DEF fluid low with mileage?? The only reason I bought the truck was to haul my 5th wheel.
Maybe this is a one-off but who knows.
So we are home and I am searching on forums etc about Chevy DEF tank problems. Going to Dealer soon. But it seems to me that beyond the obvious of multiple DEF tank issues that GM has maybe my dealership never fixed my DEF sensor problems in the past. Coolant low message?? No DEF fluid low with mileage?? The only reason I bought the truck was to haul my 5th wheel.
Maybe this is a one-off but who knows.