Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) has been trademarked with brand name of AdBlue®. The AdBlue® system is designed to work with vehicles fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) that meet the Euro 6 emissions reduction standards. (The introduction of the latest Euro 6 standards demanded a 67% drop in nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust emissions of diesel cars.)

The fluid is made from highly purified urea (67.5%) mixed with deionised water (32.5%), AdBlue® is dosed through the SCR system, as it decomposes into ammonia and CO₂ this converts harmful NOx emissions in the exhaust gasses into water vapour and nitrogen.

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is active emissions control system that injects doses of AdBlue® through the catalyst into the exhaust stream. This process is designed to remove up to 90% of harmful NOx from the exhaust fumes. It does this by oxidising them to convert the pollutants into nitrogen, water, and CO2.

Other methods of meeting Euro 6 standards are using the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). Some exhaust gas is mixed with air from the intake to lower the burning temperature. The vehicle’s ECU controls the EGR in accordance with the engine load or speed and this helps to reduce harmful NOx.

No – AdBlue® is used in the SCR system of a vehicle which is separate to the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) system.

Although the AdBlue® solution does not clean the DPF it does make the exhaust fumes cleaner and therefore there is less soot deposits for the DPF to collect.

DPF systems use a process called regeneration to remove build-up of particulates. This is when the system heats up to burn off any accumulated soot particles. (See our DPF page)

Your vehicles dashboard will display a message to let you know when you need to fill the AdBlue® tank. Each vehicle will be fitted with a tank capacity varying from 5-20 litres on smaller domestic vehicles. On average a family vehicle will travel 600 miles to a one litre of AdBlue®, meaning there will be a refill due between 3000 – 12,000 miles depending on your vehicles AdBlue® tank size.

Most vehicles fitted with AdBlue® systems will have a filler cap located next to the diesel filler cap, note: some older vehicles may have filler caps located inside the vehicle or inside the bonnet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Fill your AdBlue® tank straight from the container.
2. DO NOT USE any other fluids in your AdBlue® tank.
3. Only use an AdBlue®-specific dispenser provided to fill the tank.
4. Do not dilute the solution.
5. Only buy authorised AdBlue® solution meeting DIN 70070 and ISO 22241 standards

It is imperative that your do not allow any contaminants to enter the AdBlue® tank. Any contamination could result in a complete failure of the system.

Can I use water instead of AdBlue®?

Although AdBlue® does contain deionised water, you must not top the tank up with water. This could result in catastrophic failure of the catalyst, leading to costly repairs.

What happens if you put diesel in an AdBlue® tank?

If you have accidentally put diesel in your AdBlue® tank it is imperative that you DO NOT start the engine. AdBlue® tanks contaminated with anything other than Adblue® will need to be fully drained and cleaned before it can be used again.

As you will need to fill your AdBlue® tank in a similar way to refuelling your vehicle, you are able to purchase refill containers from Petrol stations and some supermarkets and motor parts shops.

Only buy authorised AdBlue® products meeting DIN 70070 and ISO 22241 standards.

We can top your AdBlue® tank up as part of our diagnostics and inspection service.

Click here to Book in for an inspection service

When your AdBlue ® is due to be refilled it will illuminate a low-level warning light.  Different manufacturers have various ways to indicate to the driver of the vehicle the AdBlue ® tank is low. You may have a yellow light or a message on your dash explaining you have a certain number of miles left to drive (Similar to your fuel Low-level warning light).

The first light will illuminate well before the AdBlue ® tank is completely empty. This will give you plenty of time to visit an AdBlue ® retailer to refill. Once you have refilled the level sensor within your AdBlue ® tank will reset and the warning light / message will turn off.

If you fail to refill your AdBlue ® tank before it completely empties you will receive a red warning light or a message explaining you cannot start or restart the engine. If this Red light illuminates whilst you are driving the vehicle, you should keep driving to the closest AdBlue ® retailer to refill the tank.  If you have a no restart message due to the safety feature disabling the engine from staring, you are still able to refill the AdBlue ® tank and this should reset the warning light / message allowing the engine to start again.

If your vehicles ECU receives data showing there is a malfunction within the AdBlue® System, it will illuminate a Management Indicator Lamp (MIL) or check engine light along with any level warning light. The AdBlue® system is quite complexed and a MIL could be illuminated for various reasons like Incorrect fluid being used or a faulty level sensor.

Do not ignore any illuminated lights relating to the AdBlue ® system as it could cause permanent damage.

If your vehicle has any AdBlue ® warning lights on, our experienced technicians can help you diagnose any faults or give you advice on how to refill your AdBlue® tank.

Our team of technicians are equipped with dealer level tools and are all highly trained in AdBlue® and Emissions related diagnostics.

 

 

 

 

 

Where your vehicle has engaged its safety no-restart mode due to a fault or vehicle not being refilled in time, our technicians are able to diagnose Adblue® and emissions faults by checking:

• Are there any fault codes affecting the operation of the AdBlue® system
• Does the AdBlue® tank need to be refilled
• Can the AdBlue® system be reset and tested
• Is the AdBlue® tank level sensor operating
• Is the AdBlue® system no longer able to function

Our advanced diagnostic tools can communicate with your vehicle pinpoint any faults relating to the AdBlue® and emissions system.

Took book your vehicle in for a diagnostic check up – click link

• Static Regeneration £100 + VAT
• Driving Regeneration £120 + VAT
• EVAP Smoke Testing £60 + VAT (click Link for more info on Evap testing)

Sometimes the AdBlue system can fail and impact the DPF function. Our expert team of technicians are experienced in using advanced diagnostics to pinpoint faults relating to the AdBlue® and DPF systems in your vehicle.

For more information on EGR & DPF please click the links to our information posts.

If you are experiencing problems with your AdBlue please contact us here

Click here to book an inspection at our Service and Fitting centre in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Euro 6 is a set of regulations placed on the motor industry to reduce harmful pollutants from vehicle emissions implemented 1^st September 2014 (new Approvals) & 1^st September 2015 (New Registrations)

 

My car newly registered from:	Emissions standard
31 December 1992	Euro 1
1 January 1997	Euro 2
1 January 2001	Euro 3
1 January 2006	Euro 4
1 January 2011	Euro 5
1 September 2015 – but see important note below	Euro 6**

 

** Individual vehicles already on sale that were built by, and dispatched from, the manufacturer before 1st June 2015 can continue to be sold until 1st September 2016′. This in effect means that a car sold before 1st September 2016 may still have a Euro 5 engine. Check with the manufacturer to be certain.

The European emission standards were set with the aim to reduce pollutants including nitrogen oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (THC and NMHC) and particulate matter (PM), which is the soot from diesel cars.

Diesel vehicles permitted level of NOx emitted has dropped to a maximum of 0.08g/km, compared to the 0.18g/km level that was maximum level on the previous Euro 5 emissions standard.

Euro 6 emissions standards (diesel)

CO: 0.50g/km
HC + NOx: 0.17g/km
NOx: 0.08g/km
PM: 0.005g/km
PN [#/km]: 6.0×10 ^11/km

NOx is a harmful pollutant that is correlated with damage to the environment. It has also been proven to have serious health implications when ingested over a period.

Particulate matter is a local pollutant that has also been linked to health and respiratory problems.