Ad Blue

[Anton8]

Hi.

Just had the Ad Blue warning notice appear telling me I have 1500 miles left in the tank. Any ideas how much the tank will take to top it up? What is the best one to buy? As it is so corrosive should I take it to the Audi dealership to have it done?

Tony

[Steve Q]

Hey Tony, the systems are very sensitive and easily over filled. My wife has a jag xe and we always get the dealership to top it up as the xe is known to have adblue system issues. This has saved us more than once as the dealership can't blame us if it goes wrong with being over filled or wrong adblue topped up if you see whst I mean. On my wife's jag the level sensor has been reset twice FOC. 

I know a fellow member who had a caddy van topped up and overfilled the tank and vw tried to charge him a fortune. But it transpired he overfilled it because the sensor said it needed topping up. 

[K3v]

I think the a6 had two sizes of adblue tank, a larger one could be specced as an option.

My car had the same warning and I just added 10 litres that i bought from shop. I think there is a minimum that the system will recognise when filling up, 6 litres iirc.

[Anton8]

Hi 

Thanks for the replies. Going to the dealership on Thursday to purchase the ad blue, and if I make out I am helpless, perhaps they will do it for me. 

Tony

[Stevey Y]

1 hour ago, Anton8 said:

Hi 

Thanks for the replies. Going to the dealership on Thursday to purchase the ad blue, and if I make out I am helpless, perhaps they will do it for me. 

Tony

Hi Anton the tanks on our models hold at least 17litres 10litres normally shuts it up, its easy to do and unless you put HGV Adblue in you can't go wrong all brands for cars are twenty-five percent Urea and seventy five percent water, yes good old H2o, it is not corrosive and is easily dispersed with tap water it will stain cotton clothing as the bleach in the Urea [urine] will attack the dye.

You can't overfill the system as there is no level monitor as the usage is monitored via an ECU calculation per litre of fuel burnt, I always fill mine until it comes out of the filler neck, then wash the cap under a tap and refit the cap then wash the whole thing inside the filler cap with a watering can, job done, sometimes it won't even take the fuel 10litres this is where the ECU has over calculated the usage.

Steve.

[Anton8]

Hi Steve

The way you explain it, it seems quite straight forward. Golf comp. cancelled for tomorrow due to weather, probably give it a go. Will let you know.

Tony

[K3v]

It is easy, the 10l bottle I bought from Halfords came with a spout that fits, just pour it in slowly and jobs a good un.

The hardest part is getting the wheel brace out from the boot to undo the filler cap. 

 

I've just bought my car and adblue was a new one to me. I'm crossing my fingers I haven't got a problem with mine as in 3000 miles of owning mine I have just put my second 10l bottle in last week. 

 

[coupe4]

hi guys,when opening the adblue cap the top of the reversible screwdriver is also a 17 and its handier to get at instead of the wheel brace[ye probably knew this anyway!]greg.

[K3v]

22 minutes ago, coupe4 said:

hi guys,when opening the adblue cap the top of the reversible screwdriver is also a 17 and its handier to get at instead of the wheel brace[ye probably knew this anyway!]greg.

I'll put my hand up and say I didn't know that! 

Thanks for the tip. 

[Steve Q]

4 hours ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi Anton the tanks on our models hold at least 17litres 10litres normally shuts it up, its easy to do and unless you put HGV Adblue in you can't go wrong all brands for cars are twenty-five percent Urea and seventy five percent water, yes good old H2o, it is not corrosive and is easily dispersed with tap water it will stain cotton clothing as the bleach in the Urea [urine] will attack the dye.

You can't overfill the system as there is no level monitor as the usage is monitored via an ECU calculation per litre of fuel burnt, I always fill mine until it comes out of the filler neck, then wash the cap under a tap and refit the cap then wash the whole thing inside the filler cap with a watering can, job done, sometimes it won't even take the fuel 10litres this is where the ECU has over calculated the usage.

Steve.

How odd I know a fellow member Definitely had an issue of an overfilled tank. 

 

6 hours ago, Anton8 said:

Hi 

Thanks for the replies. Going to the dealership on Thursday to purchase the ad blue, and if I make out I am helpless, perhaps they will do it for me. 

Tony

In my wife's case jag top it up for free. 

[Anton8]

Hi

Went to the Audi dealership for my Ad Blue, guess what, "out of stock" Might have it in before Christmas, give us a ring.

Some members may know I am a part time driver for a multi franchise dealer. So I went to the stores. "Got any Ad Blue?" Of course, was the reply, I could do 20 litres for £20.00 to you. Do you want it put in? Yes please. Anyway 10 minutes later job done. It took 15 litres so I was pleased I bought the 20 litres. Should have gone there in the first place.

While I was there got a job delivering a new car to Leeds on Friday, so, money in the bank as well.

Tony

 

[Steve Q]

Glad you got sorted 🙂

[Stevey Y]

On 12/7/2021 at 12:24 PM, Steve Q said:

Hey Tony, the systems are very sensitive and easily over filled. My wife has a jag xe and we always get the dealership to top it up as the xe is known to have adblue system issues. This has saved us more than once as the dealership can't blame us if it goes wrong with being over filled or wrong adblue topped up if you see whst I mean. On my wife's jag the level sensor has been reset twice FOC. 

I know a fellow member who had a caddy van topped up and overfilled the tank and vw tried to charge him a fortune. But it transpired he overfilled it because the sensor said it needed topping up. 

Hi I can understand Jaguar having this problem as their software programs are abysmal along with the wiring and Can Gateway protocols ask any AA-RAC technician and they will tell you they hate working on them, as for the VW Caddy thats an ECU strategy program fault, I have come across this before with my mates Mazda 6, every time it came up for a service just before the due milage the DPF blocked light would appear which meant they had to force regeneration it at every service, we broke the cycle by forced regeneration before the service due came on and the blocked light still appeared and I finally worked out that it was part of the software programming so they could charge for the extra work as well as the special Low Saps oil at £70 for five litres, we got the DPF strategy programmed out and the core removed and guess what 9k later the blocked light appeared again just before the service due light, so how can something that has had the restriction removed be blocked, Transits have Adblue problems so do a lot of other makes, why, because clever old Audi, BMW, Mercedes all have heater elements in the Adblue tank to stop the stuff from crystallising when cold.

Steve.

[Steve Q]

2 hours ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi I can understand Jaguar having this problem as their software programs are abysmal along with the wiring and Can Gateway protocols ask any AA-RAC technician and they will tell you they hate working on them, as for the VW Caddy thats an ECU strategy program fault, I have come across this before with my mates Mazda 6, every time it came up for a service just before the due milage the DPF blocked light would appear which meant they had to force regeneration it at every service, we broke the cycle by forced regeneration before the service due came on and the blocked light still appeared and I finally worked out that it was part of the software programming so they could charge for the extra work as well as the special Low Saps oil at £70 for five litres, we got the DPF strategy programmed out and the core removed and guess what 9k later the blocked light appeared again just before the service due light, so how can something that has had the restriction removed be blocked, Transits have Adblue problems so do a lot of other makes, why, because clever old Audi, BMW, Mercedes all have heater elements in the Adblue tank to stop the stuff from crystallising when cold.

Steve.

I'd forgotten about the crystallisation. 

Regarding that Mazda that's really naughty. I can see down the line the next "emissions type scandal" will be regarding manufacturers charging for work that's not required etc. 

I have to say regarding my wife's jag, it's been reliable up to this point (touch wood). It's a 17 plate with 42k. And very economical.