Staying alert when fuelling up

DEFs such as AdBlue and GoClear are used in a post-combustion process to lower exhaust emissions from diesel fuelled engines.

DEFs are not fuel additives, but a catalyst that is added to the exhaust gases, so if they are placed directly in a tractor’s diesel tank, serious damage to your vehicle can occur. Rural Insurance specialists, FMG, reminds its customers that commercial vehicle policies do not cover damage to fuel and engine systems caused by DEFs.

In the case of agricultural contractors, currently in a season with limited or newly trained staff, workloads are high, and they are always under pressure to complete jobs in a limited time frame. So, the cost of adding DEF directly to the diesel tank goes beyond vehicle damage, to the loss of time and productivity, especially if it happens in the middle of the season.

Palmerston Northbased Case IH dealership TransAg has seen this issue many times, so has created a simple tip which anyone can adopt to avoid the issue.

“DEFs are stored in a small tank and, just like diesel fuel, are part of the daily service regime, meaning the driver must ensure it’s kept topped up. To try and avoid the issue, we’ve been painting our tractor fuel caps bright yellow/orange - the universally recognised colour for diesel - to trigger a reminder and try and eliminate any confusion,” says Brian Lett from TransAg. “By contrast, DEF tanks are always fitted with a blue filler cap”

“It’s a simple yet effective action that TransAg have taken, so we wanted to share it so others could benefit from adopting it and help prevent making this avoidable mistake,” says Rosie Blackwood, FMG’s commercial segment manager."

www.fmg.co.nz/advice