Where’s My Adblue Gone ? (2 Viewers)

[Kingham]

Jan 31st at 9 months old, my van was in at a Peugeot dealer for another matter and they advised me that the adblue needed topping up. The dash warning had not illuminated at that point, but as I was close to 5000 miles I instructed them to top it up and was charged for 7 litres.

I was surprised that they only managed to get 7 litres in as I thought the adblue tank has a 15 litre capacity.

Fast forward to this trip, 3.5 months later with a total of 8000 miles on the clock and my adblue dash warning is on ?

Very basic maths, if the tank is 15 litres, I’d used less than half of it in the first 5000 miles (assuming it was full from new), so should have been on course for nearer 10000 miles.

I’m also assuming my dealer will have filled it to capacity, to extract the most money out of me, as he sells it for more than he buys it, so why has it used nearly 15 litres in 3000 miles ?

A) A leak ?

B) A faulty warning light ??

C) Dealer charged me but didnt add any ???

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

C) dealer
How did they know it wanted topping up? There is no dip stick, no guage,just the warning light .when it needs some.

 

[Badknee]

I'm going for C)

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[Wh05apk]

Surely the tank will not be empty now? So you wouldn't have used 15 Lts I thought the warning light gave a few thousand miles warning anyway?

 

[DP+JAY]

Maybe when they topped it up they didn't reset the counter? Or doesn't it have one.

 

[andy63]

There is another option that the warning based on estimated consumption rather than a level but i suppose if that was the case the dealer would have had to do a reset when he filled it .. if he didnt need to because the light wasnt on that might explain why its come on now..

Bit like the oil changes on the transit... i get a spanner up but know ive done a service a little while ago..... its just estimating one is due because i didnt do a reset at the time of the change..
Andy.

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[Lenny HB]

Moral of the story- Never let a dealer do anything you can do yourself.

I go with C.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Had a similar issue with my new Citroen... warning light came on a lot earlier than expected, but then confusion as I could only get about 7 litres into a 15 litre tank, and then warning light came back on in less than 100 miles...

Took it to Citroen, who plugged it in, reset the sensor, said there was no problem...
On drive home [10 miles] warning light came on, yes there is a problem.
Back to Citroen, they diagnose & fix problem with the wiring loom... due to poor routing there had been some melting [on the manifold??] and some short circuiting had occurred.
Repaired under warranty [best part of two days], no further problems since then, touch wood.

I believe the initial warning - you have a range of 1000+ miles
Then a more insistent warning allows 500 miles.
And then it won't start once switched off.

 

[Kingham]

I'm liking the reset option, because if it turns out that C is correct, there will be bother

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[andy63]

Have you got anything you could stick in the tank to get a level...
Its supposed to be harmless to skin
Andy

 

[Kingham]

Have you got anything you could stick in the tank to get a level...
Its supposed to be harmless to skin
Andy

I'm not even going there

 

[Pausim]

Have you got anything you could stick in the tank to get a level...
Its supposed to be harmless to skin
Andy

Be careful what you stick in the tank, I believe contaminated adblue can cause expensive problems. Surprised to learn that there is no gauge, my Mercedes Hymer has one though it does involve a bit of scrolling through the display options.

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[autorouter]

Either it needs topping up, or it doesn't. Get some Adblue, top up the tank, and see how much was needed to fill it.

If a lot, you have an adblue system problem; if a little, you have a dealer problem.

Or am I missing something?

 

[Kingham]

Either it needs topping up, or it doesn't. Get some Adblue, top up the tank, and see how much was needed to fill it.

If a lot, you have an adblue system problem; if a little, you have a dealer problem.

Or am I missing something?

I think you might be missing something ?

If it takes a lot to fill it, it could be a system problem, or it could mean the dealer charged me, but put none in !

If it only takes a little, the light shouldnt be on, so likely a system problem, or requiring a reset, if there is one ?

 

[old-mo]

Don`t want to go of track... but....

What happens if the warning light comes on and you are low on Adblue and you carry on driving..?????

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[Kingham]

Don`t want to go of track... but....

What happens if the warning light comes on and you are low on Adblue and you carry on driving..?????

For around 1000 miles, nothing, but I think after 1500 miles, the engine won't start .

 

[Pausim]

I think the system is designed to allow you to keep driving because a sudden shutdown could be dangerous. However, when you stop it will not restart. I carry a can of adblue with me just in case.

 

[Pausim]

I find it hard to believe that some manufacturers haven’t incuded an adblue level gauge.

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[GWAYGWAY]

The tank has a sensor and it has loads in there even when the level light comes on, also when filling it you never know exactly how much is in there as you cannot see its level the flexible pipes stop at on point which is about three inches down, either that or or pours our over the top. Mine is horrible asit is tucked in the gap under the cown and the garage fillers do not get to it neither has it got a magnet to open the valve in the forecourt system.

 

[pappajohn]

View attachment 232694 I find it hard to believe that some manufacturers haven’t incuded an adblue level gauge.

I find it hard to believe some manufacturers can build an engine which is Euro 6 rated without ad blue... And others can't.
Is it a cost thing or do they only have apprentices in their research and design departments

 

[Camdoon]

Renault Master base and the AdBlue is on the drivers door locked/protected by a flap secured by the door as many vans do with fuel on the passenger side. The tank holds 20l and the warning light comes on at half full which allows a 10l container to be used. The AB indicator has replaced what was presumably the temperature gauge so very straightforward to manage. There is something about putting the fuel in with the engine running as it will take some time to register but apart from that very straightforward.

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[autorouter]

or it could mean the dealer charged me, but put none in !

Yes that could have happened, but unless you're very persuasive that opportunity has passed. Mind you, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to complaining.

My point was, if you have no gauge, the only way to monitor consumption is to log how much it takes to refill, and the mileage at each refill.

 

[Pausim]

I find it hard to believe some manufacturers can build an engine which is Euro 6 rated without ad blue... And others can't.
Is it a cost thing or do they only have apprentices in their research and design departments

My understanding is that Euro 6 has more than one phase of introduction and that some manufacturers who avoided adblue for the first phase are having to reconsider for subsequent phases. Also the alternatives such as Fiat’s recirculating exhaust gas system seem to have problems. We know other systems are being worked on but the ones I have read about all involved exhaust additives. I haven’t had any adblue problems in nearly 3 years and it seems a small price to pay to avoid poisoning my grandchildren.

 

[pappajohn]

Well, you may be right... I don't know.
What I do know is at some point in the near future it will be found that ad blue isn't the all hallowed saviour it's meant to be..... It will release some sort of pollutant in its own right... .They just haven't found it yet.
There's only one way to stop pollution.... Stop the cause and ban All fossil fuels

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[denisejoe]

Volvo truths ran without adblue at the last firm I worked for they were all off road they never stopped if you run out just pee in tank

 

[ymfb]

My understanding is with the Peugeot you have 1000 miles first warning and 500 second. No gauge, but why would you if yo7 have that much warning.

 

[Pausim]

I think of warning lights as a back stop. I check my adblue gauge from time to time and sometime after it has dropped below half I pour in 10 litres, at a time that suits me. I would also know if the fluid level was dropping unusually quickly or if a dealer was taking the piss rather than putting it in my tank.

Perhaps the question should be where “where’s my adblue gauge gone?” When I am next looking at purchasing a vehicle with adblue I will certainly be checking that it has a gauge. It may not be essential but it certainly provides peace of mind.

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[Cheshirecat57]

My understanding is that Euro 6 has more than one phase of introduction and that some manufacturers who avoided adblue for the first phase are having to reconsider for subsequent phases. Also the alternatives such as Fiat’s recirculating exhaust gas system seem to have problems. We know other systems are being worked on but the ones I have read about all involved exhaust additives. I haven’t had any adblue problems in nearly 3 years and it seems a small price to pay to avoid poisoning my grandchildren.

Hope I can shed light
Straight answer is - It depends
Its a mass and power thing
In relation to trucks, to meet ever harder EU Emissions levels, there were 2 routes available to manufacturers
EGR- Exhaust Gas Recirculation, where the exhaust gases are re-circulated back into the engine and burnt again. Some side effect are higher engine temperatures and premature wear/failing

SCR- Selective Catalytic Reduction- where a catalytic agent (Ad Blue) is injected into the exhaust gases prior to expulsion- Side affects are complicated and unreliable ad blue systems

On trucks you could meet Euro 4 ( intro 2006 for HGV) solely by one or other system. Euro 5 was harder for both and Euro 6 was only reachable by a combination of both

Move forward to Vans and , for example only, Euro 6 could be met by Ford Connects by EGR yet Transits need ad blu at the heavier weight.

FIAT have managed using only EGR but they know that going forward they will need Ad Blu to meet future tougher legislations
PEUGEOT either couldn't meet E6 without SCR or have decided that as its coming down the line anyway, so they will adopt now
Both systems have their ups and down sides, but Ad Blu is safer to the motor, but far more complicated and prone to glitches- ergo failures

Interestingly, if you buy ad blu for trucks in 1000 litre quantities- its 30p a litre - ish

In this case I would brim fill it myself and do 1000 miles and brim fill again- then you know what the vehicle in question is using( or not)

 

[tonyidle]

"EGR works by recirculating a portion of an engine's exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders. This dilutes the O2 in the incoming air stream and provides gases inert to combustion to act as absorbents of combustion heat to reduce peak in-cylinder temperatures. NOxis produced in a narrow band of high cylinder temperatures and pressures."

That's taken from Wikipedia to save me some typing. The main point is that exhaust gas is inert, doesn't contribute to combustion in any way, and lowers combustion temperatures. Great for reducing NOx but not so great for combustion efficiency. And it eventually clogs the intake manifold and valves with the filth that should have left via the exhaust.

Adblue is added downstream of the engine so has no effect on the engine at all or on its efficiency or longevity. It is used inside a cat to strip NoX from the exhaust gases.

 

[Purple2]

Just thought for the hell of it at 4500 miles I would top mine up and it took about 5-6 litres.

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