AbBlue?

[Pausim]

I wait until the gauge is down to half and top up when convenient soon after. Today it dropped to half and I filled up at a pump after a few hours more driving, it took 9.47 litres.

The Fiat manual says not to use AdBlue additives. It also says use of non regulation AdBlue will invalidate the guarantee.

 

[Emmit]

As per the OP, today in Stafford at either Home Bargains or B&M, 10 lts of Adblue was £7.
(Sorry, I didn't know which one was which.)

 

[Emmit]

.

 

[BikerGraham]

Koppersbeat Your van may be among those in the Stellantis adblue fault compensation program. Have a close look to this link.
Vehicles manufactured between January 2014 and August 2020, up to 210,000 kilometres

Urea Tank Compensation Platform

Stellantis extends voluntary contribution policy on Urea Tank cases

www.stellantis.com

As a 2016 vehicle I doubt they will contribute much if anything and that will also be based on whether or not it has been serviced by a dealer.

I enquired about this last year and basically as the van was 7 years old the contribution was worthless and even if they did the hourly rate is way less than a dealer charges. I think I read some comments that you still have a big bill.

 

[poisondwarf]

Slightly related to this, I'm about to purchase my first vehicle which requires Adblue. Is it ok to keep topping up from a store purchase container, or does the solution deteriorate over time. How long can it be kept for?

I have a van that uses adblu.
2021 Peugeot Boxer van, 2.2 engine.
10 litres of Adblu approx every 4000 miles.
2/3 motorway driving, other third normal roads.
25 to 30 thousand miles per year.

I buy 10 litre containers of adblu from the likes of Aldi, or wherever else it is around 11 quid for 10 litres.

I wait until the dashboard asks for an adblu top up, at which point it will usually take 10 litres to top it up.

So I never keep a part opened container of adblu.

 

[Bruteforce]

I have a 2016 Citroen Relay camper.Last week the Check Ad Blu light came on as well as the engine management light. My tank is full,10L. I am in France and so I headed for the garage La Clinique Du Camping Car in Villers Bocage.They fixed my Airbag Computer problem in June. They said they couldn’t do anything as it is a known problem with Citroens and requires the removal of the adBlu tank etc.etc. and is a huge expensive situation !

I have a 2018 Peugeot boxer and last month U had to have a new adblu tank fitted. The engine management light came on along with an adblu warning. The total cost quoted by Stallantis was about £1200. I contacted Peugeot customer care and they contributed 80% of tye cost of tye tank. I had ti pay about £350.

 

[our poppy 5]

Not exactly related, but why do they call it ad blue? It’s a clear liquid, urine based, it should be called:-
Add yellow or AdPee! Ok this is getting silly. I knew I couldn’t take it seriously.

If you don’t like adding adblue you can have your computer remapped, and stop using it, on a recent chat with a mechanic friend who owns a diesel repair shop, he said it cut his fuel consumption by 5% but it’s easy for him to turn it on and off by remapping, if you pay for it it’s over £500. And it’s illegal!
So whenever you go for a MOT it’s needs to be turned back on. This becomes a very expensive exercise.
The mech also said emission tests, on his 2.3 Diesel did not change when it was on from when it was off!

I bet there is some internet evidence proving me wrong, you watch..

 

[BikerGraham]

Not exactly related, but why do they call it ad blue? It’s a clear liquid, urine based, it should be called:-
Add yellow or AdPee! Ok this is getting silly. I knew I couldn’t take it seriously.

If you don’t like adding adblue you can have your computer remapped, and stop using it, on a recent chat with a mechanic friend who owns a diesel repair shop, he said it cut his fuel consumption by 5% but it’s easy for him to turn it on and off by remapping, if you pay for it it’s over £500. And it’s illegal!
So whenever you go for a MOT it’s needs to be turned back on. This becomes a very expensive exercise.
The mech also said emission tests, on his 2.3 Diesel did not change when it was on from when it was off!

I bet there is some internet evidence proving me wrong, you watch..

AdBlue is a trade name but it has stuck. A little like Hoover was for vacuum cleaners.
Might have something to do with at one time, May still be the case, there was a blue coloured lawn feed made commercially that was around 28% urea. Urea is high in nitrogen and a food source for plants. Back in the 90’s I worked for a company that, among many other things., used it make it. Adblue of course is 32.5% urea solution.

Also anyone that has a delete does not need to keep having it switched on and off for the MOT. It passes.

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[BikerGraham]

I have a 2018 Peugeot boxer and last month U had to have a new adblu tank fitted. The engine management light came on along with an adblu warning. The total cost quoted by Stallantis was about £1200. I contacted Peugeot customer care and they contributed 80% of tye cost of tye tank. I had ti pay about £350.

That is interesting. Do you have contact details for who you discussed this with st Peugeot ?

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

I filled out MAN TGE up with AdBlue before we came away on holiday, we'd had the van from new and it took 20litres to fill and had over 14000miles on the clock when I filled it. That works out at around 700 miles per litre of AdBlue are yours greedy or is mine particularly frugal?

That all fits gomo12 we also have T-Roc which we haven't had for enough miles to check AdBlue usage of yet but you cheer me up into expecting those type of figures from that, not least the 50+ MPG average fuel consumption from the car.
The LWB Auto 177ps TGE is doing just 30+MPG average over 15000miles with the odometer corrected as well as I can with satnav calculations by the way.
Thanks.

My VW Crafter, with the same engine as yours was showing 17,000 miles to refill when I collected it from the dealer (who had topped it up apparently), it increased to 17500 miles. Now 2000 miles later it is reading 16500 miles adBlue. I added some anti-crystal treatment as it looks like it will be in the tank for a while.

 

[heliart]

100% worth adding Wynn's Crystal Clean and Protect to the shop bought container for storage and before use. One of these does 15L. https://www.wynns.uk.com/product/crystal-clean-protect-125/

Plus, advice I've had from a Fiat dealer is to not keep the tank full all the time. Better to fill once the warning light comes on. Something to do with level calibration etc. You hear a few stories of AdBlue tanks needing to be replaced due to crystallisation and ECU issues.

 

[Ian_H]

100% worth adding Wynn's Crystal Clean and Protect to the shop bought container for storage and before use. One of these does 15L. https://www.wynns.uk.com/product/crystal-clean-protect-125/

Plus, advice I've had from a Fiat dealer is to not keep the tank full all the time. Better to fill once the warning light comes on. Something to do with level calibration etc. You hear a few stories of AdBlue tanks needing to be replaced due to crystallisation and ECU issues.

Did you ask the fiat dealer about the additive? The fiat manual is pretty clear that they tell you not to use additives in adblue. Would this affect a warranty claim?

 

[VXman]

If you don’t like adding adblue you can have your computer remapped, and stop using it, on a recent chat with a mechanic friend who owns a diesel repair shop, he said it cut his fuel consumption by 5% but it’s easy for him to turn it on and off by remapping, if you pay for it it’s over £500. And it’s illegal!
So whenever you go for a MOT it’s needs to be turned back on. This becomes a very expensive exercise.

The MOT doesn't measure NOx levels which is what Adblue reduces. The government were looking into carious aspects of MOT's a few years ago and emissions were one of those aspects. From the government report in Jan 2024...

"The MOT test currently does not include a direct examination of the performance of NOx control systems on the vehicle and we understand that this can be difficult to fully assess without the engine under load. We would welcome any views or research on methods that could be applied within the MOT test to assess the performance of NOx control systems on both diesel and petrol vehicles."

Changes to the date of the first MOT test and research into other MOT enhancements

www.gov.uk

Of course there is the children to think about

 

[heliart]

Adblue tank filling should be the same as the washers .kept full all the time

Did you ask the fiat dealer about the additive? The fiat manual is pretty clear that they tell you not to use additives in adblue. Would this affect a warranty claim?

It's a good point, but could they even tell? If you do a little Google searching, the Wynn's product gets some very good reviews, even solving some issues with the AdBlue pump and level sensors even after an error had been logged in the ECU. Crystalisation is a problem for sure, and IMHO anything that prevents this in the filler/tank/pump can only be a good thing.

 

[poisondwarf]

100% worth adding Wynn's Crystal Clean and Protect to the shop bought container for storage and before use. One of these does 15L. https://www.wynns.uk.com/product/crystal-clean-protect-125/

Plus, advice I've had from a Fiat dealer is to not keep the tank full all the time. Better to fill once the warning light comes on. Something to do with level calibration etc. You hear a few stories of AdBlue tanks needing to be replaced due to crystallisation and ECU issues.

I have also read somewhere about adblu level calibration, which means that you should wait for the vehicle to tell you.when it needs a top up.

 

[The Saints]

Plus one for the Wynn's AdBlue additive.

We use it in our Citroen car and the Fiat MH. So many threads about crystallisation on every vehicle forum on the net. Just do what you can to prevent it.

It's not as though AdBlue or any additive is a huge expense.

We only buy it from a pump, never buy it in a container as you don't know how long it's been sitting around. And it's only €0.79 a litre.

Truckers are always filling up there so a quick turnover.

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[LaurenceM]

They usually have use by dates in them - normally about a year. Need to be kept out of sunlight and in lower temps too.

Slightly related to this, I'm about to purchase my first vehicle which requires Adblue. Is it ok to keep topping up from a store purchase container, or does the solution deteriorate over time. How long can it be kept for?

I think the prime issue is with allowing it to mix with air which crystallises the fluid. That’s why the filler usually tells you to fill it right up. Once the lid is screwed on then there isn’t much likelihood of any significant qty of air getting in .. there may be a tiny amount allowed in the design of the tank breather ( otherwise a vacuum would form )
I don’t think containers parked outside for a reasonably modest time period are liable to deteriorating.

 

[poisondwarf]

It's a good point, but could they even tell? If you do a little Google searching, the Wynn's product gets some very good reviews, even solving some issues with the AdBlue pump and level sensors even after an error had been logged in the ECU. Crystalisation is a problem for sure, and IMHO anything that prevents this in the filler/tank/pump can only be a good thing.

Maybe use the Wynn's stuff every other adblu fill?

 

[roxburd]

I was sure it saw a thread about AdBlue and miles to a tank or maybe litre....

Anyway. On the way back from Suffolk to the Garden of England the AdBlue warning light came on.

Rather than get ripped off at the She'll on the approach to the Orwell Bridge I looked at other stations... a BP near Colchester showing it on the signage below diesel... £1.399 a litre!!!

Today at Home Bargains got 10 litres for £7.99. Yes it's heavy. Yes it's harder to pour....

It took a fraction under 10 litres to be up the filler.... so based on my notes, 230 miles to the litre.

That should get me to Peñiscola where it was €0.39 a litre last November....

Sound about right?

In my 2021 Ducato-based McLouis Fusion 331, I'm getting an average of 266 miles per litre of AdBlue - pretty dismal. And getting the fluid from a 10 litre container into the filler is a bloody nightmare, too. I've had to make up a bespoke funnel to get it past the anti-syphon flap.
Google's AI Overview says:
A 2021 Ducato, being a commercial vehicle, will use AdBlue at a rate of approximately 1 litre per 350 to 600 miles, though the exact usage depends on driving conditions and engine size. You can expect to use AdBlue as roughly 3 to 6% of your diesel fuel consumption.

 

[Carpmart]

Golly… pleased my old engine is pre Adblue…

 

[379inca]

My VW Crafter, with the same engine as yours was showing 17,000 miles to refill when I collected it from the dealer (who had topped it up apparently), it increased to 17500 miles. Now 2000 miles later it is reading 16500 miles adBlue. I added some anti-crystal treatment as it looks like it will be in the tank for a while.

Similar to you. From new my ad blue range started at 16000 miles over time rose to 19000 miles and after now covering 15000 miles still shows a range of 14000 miles. At least now it is giving me volume required to fill which only started to show at 13500 miles. Like you my van runs at 3800 to 4000kgs in touring trim.
Surprising how vehicles are so different.

 

[Pausim]

Did you ask the fiat dealer about the additive? The fiat manual is pretty clear that they tell you not to use additives in adblue. Would this affect a warranty claim?

Yes it says in another part of the manual that using non regulation AdBlue can invalidate the guarantees. The manufacturers of the system specify the AdBlue formulation and I have no intention of adding snake oil to it.

 

[treblid]

And getting the fluid from a 10 litre container into the filler is a bloody nightmare, too. I've had to make up a bespoke funnel to get it past the anti-syphon flap.

Do you not use the special flexible filling tube that comes with the container? They are normally under the rear label in a moulded recess.

 

[Mark1965]

I was sure it saw a thread about AdBlue and miles to a tank or maybe litre....

Anyway. On the way back from Suffolk to the Garden of England the AdBlue warning light came on.

Rather than get ripped off at the She'll on the approach to the Orwell Bridge I looked at other stations... a BP near Colchester showing it on the signage below diesel... £1.399 a litre!!!

Today at Home Bargains got 10 litres for £7.99. Yes it's heavy. Yes it's harder to pour....

It took a fraction under 10 litres to be up the filler.... so based on my notes, 230 miles to the litre.

That should get me to Peñiscola where it was €0.39 a litre last November....

Sound about right?

Hi to everyone in this thread.

I am a Class 1 Articulated HGV Driver in modern language CE1. I would like to add my knowlege of AdBlue (Urea) that is used to reduce Nox at the point of combustion to meet the current Euro6 Emission controls.

Firstly: We always top up using our in yard Adblue pumps after every journey (Daily) This has no adverse affect on the Adblue System. Example: trip of around 250 miles with around 43000kg total weight in our 500bhp trucks usually uses no more than 10 to 15 litres.

Secondly: Crystalization occurs where the Adblue drys out in the fresh air, this can be around the filler cap and certainly around the nozzle end on a dispesnsing pump at a Fuel Station. It basically goes hard but can be removed easily.
Thirdly: Having used this Pigs Urine ( Adblue) since it inseption for Euro6 Emissions, i have never had any Adblue Crystalize in the vehicles holding tank with the cap on! Make sure your cap is on tight and give it a wipe around it to remove spilt liquid before it drys to the white crystals!

I also have a 2022 Fiat Ducato PVC that i have covered 22k miles in so far all over Spain/France/Italy and i doubt i have put any more than 40 litres of AB in its entire life.
Most of my mileage is long periods of 60/70 mph ( where premitted). You will use more in towns and cities where the engine is under more load and stop start etc (hence what it was invented for)!

Most delears are not experts on Emission Control Systems, Refer to your Manufactures Handbook etc, overall dont panic about buying it from a pump/container its all the same. I usually find the best deals are the 10 litre bottles from Aldi etc.
Forecourt Garages will always charge the earth as they do with ScreenWash etc. My Local Shell Garage wants £18 for 5litres of screenwash! Its less than a fiver in the supermakets..

Most important Dont Run Out!!

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[Mark1965]

Do you not use the special flexible filling tube that comes with the container? They are normally under the rear label in a moulded recess.

I have never come across an anti syphon device in any vehicle adblue tank/filler neck. The filling nozzle supplied with the containers is tapered to fit inside all adblue tanks including my Artic Truck! Who is going to want to syphon Pigs Piddle out of a tank!?

 

[yorkiebar]

I also have a 2022 Fiat Ducato PVC that i have covered 22k miles in so far all over Spain/France/Italy and i doubt i have put any more than 40 litres of AB in its entire life.
Most of my mileage is long periods of 60/70 mph ( where premitted). You will use more in towns and cities where the engine is under more load and stop start etc (hence what it was invented for)!

That's low usage compared to what I experience. Our 2024 auto Ducato seems to pop up the low level warning i.e. 50% (!) approx every 2000 miles. It takes 10L of AdBlue when this happens. Assuming this is a constant usage thing then with 22k miles we would go though approx 110L of AdBlue !
I am very conservative with my driving style too, cruising speed is just over 60 mph in 9th on the auto @ 1500 rpm.

 

[PlymBob]

200 miles per litre average over last 2 years on 2023 Ducato 160 bhp. Only ever fill up from a pump, try to do so before warning light comes on, so after 25% down.

 

[yorkiebar]

200 miles per litre average over last 2 years on 2023 Ducato 160 bhp. Only ever fill up from a pump, try to do so before warning light comes on, so after 25% down.

That's bang on our usage stats.

 

[PeterCarole29]

I filled out MAN TGE up with AdBlue before we came away on holiday, we'd had the van from new and it took 20litres to fill and had over 14000miles on the clock when I filled it. That works out at around 700 miles per litre of AdBlue are yours greedy or is mine particularly frugal?

Our last van a 2021 Renault Master it used as little as yours now our fiat drinks it

 

[Mark1965]

That's low usage compared to what I experience. Our 2024 auto Ducato seems to pop up the low level warning i.e. 50% (!) approx every 2000 miles. It takes 10L of AdBlue when this happens. Assuming this is a constant usage thing then with 22k miles we would go though approx 110L of AdBlue !
I am very conservative with my driving style too, cruising speed is just over 60 mph in 9th on the auto @ 1500 rpm.

I am about 2000 rpm at 70mph with the 6 speed manual box.
I never keep an accurate record of filling the AB or Fuel to be honest its what it is (needed).
I had the first service last year at Adams Morey and i queried the AdBlue useage as i was concerned the Guage on the digital display was not working (showing full never dropping) but i still topped up with the odd 5 to 10 litres now and again for peace of mind.
Adams Moray told me the same as i posted in my main post on this AdBlue thread. In fact they could tell me how much Adblue and how many times i had topped up using their computer diagnostics. Basically leave it alone until the notification informs you that AB is required.