Why is adding AdBlue® important to diesel vehicles?

If your car has two fuel fillers, you may be wondering why my car has two fuel fillers behind the gas cap; or a small filler port in the trunk. The answer is simple: Most of the time, your car is a new diesel car with an auto-ignition under the hood that uses AdBlue® and diesel.With this article, you can find out exactly what AdBlue® is and why diesel engines have to go to the gas station to add this substance.

AdBlue®: What is that?

AdBlue® is artificially produced urea. It is water-clear, low odor, non-toxic and liquid. Its composition consists of 67.5% demineralized water and 32.5% urea. AdBlue is used in the combustion of diesel vehicles with SCR systems to reduce pollutants (nitrogen oxides) in the exhaust gas.

What are the advantages?

Under normal circumstances, diesel engines release nitrogen oxides after combustion. Nitrogen oxides are a pollutant. To be discharged from the car, it is what we usually call car exhaust. The role of AdBlue® is that it is injected into the exhaust of the car engine, chemically reacts with pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, releases ammonia, and converts the pollutants in the SCR catalytic converter into water vapor and harmless nitrogen. In this way, the exhaust gas is made cleaner.

After the car exhaust passes through the chemical reaction with AdBlue®, the nitrogen oxide content in the car exhaust can be reduced by 90% in the best case. AdBlue® is required for new diesel vehicles with exhaust emission standards of Euro 6 or above.

What adverse conditions may occur with AdBlue®?

As an additive, AdBlue® is injected into the exhaust gas only after the combustion of the diesel, so it does not have any adverse effect on the engine. Just adding AdBlue frequently can feel a bit cumbersome. However, the AdBlue fuel tanks in newer cars are usually quite large, and in general, thousands of kilometers can be traveled on a full tank with AdBlue®.

How do you know if your car needs AdBlue®?

How do you tell if your car needs to be filled with AdBlue®: First of all, if your car is a diesel car that meets the exhaust emission standards of Euro 6 or above (now Germany has banned the use of Euro 4 diesel cars), then your car AdBlueor above is needed; secondly, it will be noted in the manual; thirdly, you will see that the car has two fuel fillers, the other one is the AdBlueor above fuel filler; finally, the on-board computer will also show you that the car needs AdBlueor above.

How often does AdBlue® need to be replenished?

Depending on the AdBlue® car make, model, engine, driving style and fuel tank size, a full AdBlue® car is generally enough to travel thousands of kilometers.

The car's metering module calculates from the information it receives from the engine control unit about the precise injection amount, which typically accounts for four to six percent of diesel consumption, based on speed and engine load.

The reserve of AdBlue® is usually displayed in the in-vehicle system. When the in-vehicle system reminds that AdBlue® needs to be added, it can continue to drive about 2000 kilometers under normal circumstances. When the tank is filled with AdBlue® again, you can travel 5,000 to 20,000 km.

Can I refuel at any gas station?

You can buy and refill AdBlue® at almost every gas station. Many auto repair shops, auto parts dealers or supermarkets also sell AdBlue® in bulk so you can replenish it yourself. However, it is easier to use a special filling gun at the AdBlue® gas station.

How much does AdBlue® cost and how much does it cost?

AdBlue® costs less than 1 euro per liter, depending on where and how much it was purchased. At most petrol stations, the price of a petrol pump is 50 to 60 cents per litre. You can find out how much AdBlue® can fit in the fuel tank of each vehicle in the car's owner's manual.

Safety Notice

Diesel engines with AdBlue® additive must be refilled. When the AdBlue® tank is empty, the engine that is still running will enter an emergency operating procedure; when shut down, the engine will not start. Many of our customers have experienced this situation.

Even though AdBlue® is not dangerous and non-toxic, you should wear gloves when refueling and wash your hands thoroughly after refilling. Because urea can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. If the additive drips onto paint or plastic, it is best to rinse the area with plenty of water. This avoids leaving ugly marks.

What if I add the wrong tank?

-If you accidentally put AdBlue® in the diesel tank, this can cause a whole host of problems. In this case, be sure not to start the engine.

-If the AdBlue® added to the tank is only mixed with the diesel in the tank, it is only necessary to extract the mixture and clean the tank.

-If the ignition or even the engine is already running, the diesel pump will have delivered fuel to the engine pump. In the worst case, the diesel blended with AdBlue® will pass through the injectors, reducing the lubricating properties of the diesel, thereby damaging the nozzles and causing corrosion.

In this case, in addition to cleaning the fuel tank, the fuel pump, lines and filters must be replaced.

Therefore, once this happens, we recommend that you call your professional repair center first. If necessary, you will need to call in a tow truck to haul the wrongly filled car.

Either way, adding AdBlue® to the tank by mistake would be expensive. So be very careful when adding!