Adblue

[anni]

Thanks to the advice on here - I didnt try and add the adblue myself but went back to the local Skoda dealer.  Even the manual says better to do this.....but.......I find the local chap that always serves me so frustrating as he maintains I said things I havent - and constantly talks up expenditure being evasive.  On this occasion it was really your better off with Skoda Adblue (I had bought the Asda version)  ....3 x I said but they all have the same ISO standard....then he just moves the reason on to some other spurious detail 'they can vary with different ingredients'.  Then another chap comes out - we have a similar conversation with him not answering the question put to him.  I buy the Skoda Adblue and he walks over to my car and tries to put it in the diesel cap instead of the boot.  At this point he decided to ask the mechanics to do it.  So a few minutes later all done.  I try again to ask how do I know when its nearly full to avoid overflow - 'oh know its ok they didnt spill it'  is the response - 'well they did but wiped it up'  .....crikey am I in a parallel universe??    So I reckon next time I have to find another dealer that can have a 2 way conversation........    However curious about the display:  the last 500 miles went down so quickly over about 4 weeks - is that just the calibration?  I will keep an eye on how quickly it goes down now.......... and do you start putting the adblue in as soon as the display lights up as its been flashing for ages telling me how many miles to go?  (I thought that was just normal) ........ maybe I should just find a good local garage that can have a coherent conversation?

[gumdrop]

I used to buy my AdBlue from a VW parts supplier the price then was very reasonable and I also had two types of dispenser.

One dispenser came with a small cap and probe the other was a long tube and cut out automatically when the tank was full.

(actually they both did)  I think the VW parts supplier advertised on e-bay.

[Urrell]

This is the cheapest way of spillproof filling.
You Just need the smaller bottle then decant from larger container into it.
 

 

[Ootohere]

AdBlue is Adblue and it licensed to be manufactured by whoever.   None is better than someone elses.   

 

German Trademarked,  It is what got VW in so much trouble and it was BMW & Daimler and VW with a cartel trying to have small Adblue tanks for the USA that ended up with the Defeat Devices and the looming death of Diesel Passenger cars.

[idleness]

56 minutes ago, Urrell said:

This is the cheapest way of spillproof filling.
You Just need the smaller bottle then decant from larger container into it.
 

 

That is exactly what I do.

 Cheapest 1.8L bottle was from Toyota on eBay

 

I lied it's £1 cheaper on Amazon 

https://amzn.eu/d/2GqnG9R

 

then just fill as needed 

Edited 19 February by idleness

[ApertureS]

3 hours ago, anni said:

Thanks to the advice on here - I didnt try and add the adblue myself but went back to the local Skoda dealer.  Even the manual says better to do this.

Not sure who advised to take to a dealer for an adblue topup? Very easy to do yourself. And the manual will tell you to take everything to the dealer!

 

The best option you have is - check on the dash the fill quantity, go to a truck stop/HGV petrol station and they have it on pump, fill the exact amount on the dash (not overfill), pay the bill, drive away happy knowing youve not been overcharged by the dealer.

 

For what adblue actually is and its 'ingredients' - it is Urea CO(NH)2 + H20 and as long as it says ISO 22241-1 on the bottle, it is the exact same stuff whether it is branded Asda, Skoda, Ferrari or anything else.

Edited 19 February by ApertureS

[anni]

1 hour ago, gumdrop said:

I used to buy my AdBlue from a VW parts supplier the price then was very reasonable and I also had two types of dispenser.

One dispenser came with a small cap and probe the other was a long tube and cut out automatically when the tank was full.

(actually they both did)  I think the VW parts supplier advertised on e-bay.

thanks sounds sensible - just keep imagining it going wrong and flooding the boot.....

[Bexhillian]

If you can add salt or rinse-aid to your dishwasher, you can do your own AdBlue refills.

My filler point is the boot floor and I use the big container/small container method (every 7000 miles or so).

AdBlue is mildly corrosive. If you spill anything on the boot floor, clear it up immediately.

The AdBlue pump at my local BP petrol station is in the HGV pumps area, so I guess it will discharge at a fair old rate - personally I would avoid it.

[gumdrop]

Anni, Bexhillian is right you do need to clean up any spills straight away. 

Kitchen roll is good, with a sealable plastic bag for the used stuff.

[anni]

On 19/02/2024 at 22:45, Bexhillian said:

If you can add salt or rinse-aid to your dishwasher, you can do your own AdBlue refills.

My filler point is the boot floor and I use the big container/small container method (every 7000 miles or so).

AdBlue is mildly corrosive. If you spill anything on the boot floor, clear it up immediately.

The AdBlue pump at my local BP petrol station is in the HGV pumps area, so I guess it will discharge at a fair old rate - personally I would avoid it.

well I guess thats true - I watched the vid but now the dealer has done it the read out is up to 4500 miles - do you refill as soon as it starts flashing on the dash?

[idleness]

Normally do mine when it's down to a couple of thousand left so every 2500 miles or so.

[anni]

1 hour ago, idleness said:

Normally do mine when it's down to a couple of thousand left so every 2500 miles or so.

I thought I could wait until nearly empty as in fuel - so have I done any damage to the system?

[Ootohere]

It warns you that you need to top up in so and so miles or it will not start does it not? 

[anni]

On 19/02/2024 at 21:31, idleness said:

That is exactly what I do.

 Cheapest 1.8L bottle was from Toyota on eBay

 

I lied it's £1 cheaper on Amazon 

https://amzn.eu/d/2GqnG9R

 

then just fill as needed 

ok will buy if it will defo fit (great handle

 

[anni]

1 minute ago, Rooted said:

It warns you that you need to top up in so and so miles or it will not start does it not? 

it just flashes a picture of how many miles to go before empty and alternates this with the normal display of time.  The car has always started no probs.

[Ootohere]

Yes but when it is out of Adblue or almost out it does not start.  It is disabled / inhibited.

Too little Adblue added is not recognised.

If it shows 1,000 miles until top up required then you have 1,000 miles in which to top up, then 800, 600 etc.  Simple Stuff. 

[gumdrop]

6 hours ago, anni said:

well I guess thats true - I watched the vid but now the dealer has done it the read out is up to 4500 miles - do you refill as soon as it starts flashing on the dash?

Initially I used to carry a couple of litres of AdBlue, but the usage was so frugal (I was very surprised) you get plenty of warning to refill.

[Prezafab]

Reading the above - do I top up at 2500m and how much would it take ?

 

Asking as Just got out latest Yeti. My Audi is really specific and you cannot top up as and when - exact amounts after a specific message etc. I think the Yeti is more laid-back , as usual !?

[idleness]

I just top mine up as and when normally about 2-2500.

I have a 10 liter container in the garage and use the 1.8 liter bottle to fill the tank refilling it as necessary from the 10L container until the adblue stops flowing out and that's it.

Whether that's correct or not NFI but I've been doing it like that for 12 months.

 

[idleness]

One or two other thoughts

 

Always refill adblue when the car is horizontal don't do it parked on a hill.

When the adblue is full turn the ignition on do NOT start the engine, leave for about a minute then switch off. This sets the level in the ECU. Well that's what I've been told

[Prezafab]

Thanks. We have a slopey drive and a hilly road, but will try what you suggest !

 

How much do you normally put in at 2/2500m to go ?

Edited 24 February by Prezafab

[idleness]

To be honest no idea I just do it until it stops flowing. 

One other thought I think you should refill fully and not just part fill it hence why I do it until it stops flowing from the small bottle.

[MCAMRA]

With my transporter van I check all the levels every 2 k kms.

 

Water, oil, brake fluid etc.

 

At the same time I top up the adblue until it is full.

 

It that’s simple.

 

Ps…don’t get adblu on your hands…apparently. Wear gloves.

Edited 25 February by MCAMRA

[vRSG60]

Hmm I simply add mine via a funnel and fill until it looks close to the top. Filling a small portion at a time. Warning light goes out straight away.

Edited 26 February by vRSG60

[ejstubbs]

On 19/02/2024 at 20:37, Urrell said:

This is the cheapest way of spillproof filling.
You Just need the smaller bottle then decant from larger container into it.
 

 

 

I've had two of those 1.89 litre bottles, both Skoda ones*, and both fractured at the neck on second or third use - sheared across as I was unscrewing it from the filler on the tank.  They don't work out quite so cheap if that keeps happening.  I have since acquired a VW Adblue filler hose which has the same automatic flow shutoff mechanism as the 1.8l bottles but I have yet to find a container that it will actually work with - it certainly doesn't seem to work with the 5l VW Adblue container which several online sources swore it would.

 

I might have one more go with the 1.89l bottle, given the price of that Toyota one on Amazon.

 

* When I tried to source a replacement from my local Skoda dealer I was told that they only do the 5l bottles now.  They suggested I tried the local VW dealer who, not for the first time, turned out to be snobby and unhelpful.