AdBlue: What is it, and why don't more diesels use it? | Auto Expert John Cadogan

[@patr10t762]

As a diesel mechanic in the US i have a different slant on adblue or def fluid as we know it. The problem.... polution The solution as you mentioned of 66% de-ionized water and urea (a byproduct of petroleum) Dispenced in a plastic jug, placed in cardboard boxes stacked on wood pallets wrapped with plastic shrinkwrap. Placed in diesel trucks and distributed to every ass bleeding retail establishment from the hollars of Appalachia to the desert of Arizona and the Canadian tundra. Purchase the product and pour the contents in your tank then throw away the bottle, shrink-wrap and cardboard (upon which another truck will take to the landfill)... congratulations you have helped solve pollution!

[@afriquelesud]

If you could spell better, I might have paid attention. The illiterate shouldn't share opinions, as opinion is just cranial flatulence.

[@artistjoh]

I understand that Adblue got its name after the marketing disaster of the more honest and accurate Golden Showers Additive.

[@markdudley3831]

Hahahaha

[@familyman7826]

What's golden showers adiative

[@artistjoh]

@@familyman7826 Just a joke. Golden showers is a euphemism for pee.

[@Grumpy-sy7wr]

This just reminded me of the absolute pleasure I experienced the other day. Following a 70s bus/motorhome, running a 2 stroke Detroit Diesel. Not only were my ears blessed with that fabulous music they produce with their straight pipes, but I also got to enjoy the very different smell of purely burnt Diesel fuel, without any of this BS between combustion and release to the surroundings. Bliss!

[@kadmow]

(as late as 2015 - Aussie output, still suffered the same diesel product..)

[@DesperateForSanity]

Native Detroiter, that was poetic 😊

[@peglor]

If it was actually burning the fuel properly you wouldn't have been able to smell anything from the exhaust at all.

[@Gazzxy]

@@peglor not to mention they didnt really change the way the diesel is burned, if anything they got better at getting the diesel to ACTUALLY burn which would arguably mean its more "purely burnt", and filtered the garbage it emits out. bit odd to describe the smell of straight up hardcore carcinogens as "bliss" though, no objections to the sound though, they are pretty sweet. just not to stand near huffing on the exhaust like its a bong.

[@buncha5651]

I loved the music of a Detroit Diesel at full throttle.

[@aaronfischer7199]

Great informative video John. As an automotive tech of 35 years +. The changes to comply with Euro emissions standards have even confused me. I'm an Australian based automotive technician. Highly Bosch trained. The general automotive public wouldn't know there is a difference in exhaust after treatment. Dpf. Diesel particulate filter. Deals with the fine soot particles that are produced with normal combustion of the fuel . Due to the high energy density of diesel fuel and the low energy conversion . Incomplete combustion ends in the production of soot. So the Dpf was designed to trap and capture the fine soot particles which will pass through the upper airways of human lungs . As mentioned in your video that primarily captures them in a small furnace to be dealt with later. Such the term. "After treatment". SCR is selective catalyst reduction. The addition of urea in to the exhaust is to combine nox ( oxides of nitrogen) with a readily available source of nitrogen to scavenge the nox with nn2 to reduce nitrogen oxides to produce nitrogen dioxide. With the vehicle density of a population of Australia it is not an emissions regulation to meet 0.005 gas per km. Due to the square km to vehicle ratio. Manufacturers can not justify the small amount of vehicles sold here on Australia soil. That will aid to the total emissions goals of the company. This is the reasons why "adblue' isn't a major requirement on most vehicles. Certain manufacturers that want there vehicles here won't delete emissions equipment to allow that vehicle to be sold in this country. Due to the cost of retooling for a certain market. But it still asks the question of when the nox sensor is in the realm of $600 plus for one sensor. Why isn't it just not fitted and a software rewrite just implemented.

[@prizecowproductions]

Because dealers make more out of parts than any other point after sales.

[@stevejantke6769]

Exactly!

[@billinudgelexhaust138]

35+ Years Exhaust fitter almost full understanding of the Scientific Design of Exhaust and Intake Systems, not brainwashing from interested party's training groups and government agency's re Green agenda political green house gas emissions that have very little to do with DPF's other than black soot bad white steam looking stuff good. DPF's were designed to trap heavy Diesel particulates not light particles, and the associated burn back system either Diesel or Urea to release the same Heavy Particulates as much smaller particulates that in the public's view of what they are told is good and much better than Heavy particulates, or is it? Particulates in the old form pumped out as black soot from exhaust's of mostly older or overly adjusted diesel injector pumps look horrible smelled like crap and did in very high concentrations (city's) cause some problems, properly tuned systems and well maintained vehicles did not cause any real problems other than the normal range given of by combustion engines. The new systems now give of white smoke that looks like steam while a burnback is in motion, this process generates 64nm (Nanometers) size diesel particulates that can and do bypass the epidermis of our feeble human bodies and enters our blood steam (

[@gregspencer7111]

Well we asked for it - now Euro 6 is coming to Oz

[@johnfroehlich5984]

If you could come to the point rather than stirring around in your not funny saucepans of humour.

[@tonynicholson3328]

So if you burn recycled cooking oil and adblue... do you get the unmistakable odour of piss and chips 😕.

[@nickbouvy8851]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@giuliobuccini208]

Just changed the (fully clogged) DPF filter of my car by myself. I took the old one to the recycling center and throw it in a big container of metallic stuff. Do you guess where all those kilos of trapped ashes will go when they will press and triturate that metall stuff? Bingo! In the air. Pure genius.

[@simony2801]

You do know it contains precious metals don't you and has value don't you.

[@stonepvv]

I like this guy. Basic common truth presented in a humorous way. Salut John. From South Africa.

[@philcrowell7516]

Great explanation! My Euro car uses one tank of Adblue (about 10 litres) for approximately 15,000 km. There are early indications of low Adblue. However,a friend of mine has a Euro campervan that uses almost as much Adblue as diesel! All things are not equal so the warning about being out in the bush with low Adblue is very valid.

[@kadmow]

( there is a "ratio" - basically it is a pseudo stoichiometric ratio, supposed to be "so much ad-blue", to "so - much diesel" - difference in fuel consumption.in particular vehicles means, a per km rate doesn't mean a whole lot.)

[@teovm]

Yep, it all depends on the vehicle and its usage

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

@@kadmow trucker here and you're both wrong. what adblue does is that it binds with the nox in the exhast and it turns it into something harmless. now when a diesel runs you add more air, it runs cleaner as less particulate but it also runs hotter which means more nox. that's why early 2k diesels do 60 mpg then they went to shit barely eeking 45mpg. what adblue does for your car is that instead of running it rich to deal with nox and letting the dpf catch the particulate and ruining your fuel consumption, they instead run the engine leaner, make less particulate and better mpg and not only helping the dpf by having it do less work but also due to the hotter exhaust it naturally regens the dpf so it has fewer forced regen cycles and with the extra nox created? well, the adblue deals with it later. tldr: adblue is a crotch to help clean up the emisions. if your engine is not particularly clean you can add a bit more adblue to help with that and as a bonus they only advertise fuel consumption not adblue consumption. also just as much adblue as diesel is definetly wrong and you should have that thing checked out.

[@Gazzxy]

wouldnt you just top it off when ya refuel ? dont really know my personal car dosnt have it, and i dont tramp so I just top the trucks adblue up when am refueling in our yard.

[@harrywalker968]

why,,oh,,why,,buy a vehicle with all this bs on it.. my 4.2tdi, s/duty, has 700nm.. gets 14 lt 100.. tows 5t... NO FKN COMPUTER.no glow plugs... cost, 25k.. how do you feel...[ 510 std, bit bigger turbo 700nm..].7 yrs, no probs.. go toyota,yeeeehh...

[@garlicandchilipreppers8533]

I worked at a Company in Norway, that had a total world monopoly on Adblue, (which is a trademark for DEF. diesel exhaust fluid) heaters and quality sensors, also fuel level sensors for all commercial vehicles. Look at the fuel sensor and adblue installations on your Trucks, Tractors etc., they all look similar that's because they all came from the same place, (made in China). The process what DEF does is known as SCR (Selective catalytic reduction) converting Nox into N2 and H2O, DEF is only distilled water and urea but you can't make it yourself because there is the quality sensor in the installation and it's so finely tuned that you will never get the right mix, It is measured optically but they were trying to make a sensor that measured the quality ultrasonically, don't know if they got so far as left 6 six years when the Yanks bought the company and moved it out to low paying lands, the company who now has the monopoly is called TE Connectivity.

[@WEMBLEYNE]

​@@filespec like the Norwegian guy above said those sensors are so fine tuned you can't use anything else. I tried water once I run out only to get an ad blue error "add blue of bad quality please visit service" 😅

[@greevous]

You have to remember that engineers are subject to the whims of the bean counters, so what is actually best engineering wise is not always what makes it into the final product as cost quite often trumps good ideas. Then you also have the lawyers who determine if the business can get away with cutting corners to save more money, this was evident with the VW diesel scam even after the penalties they still made out like bandits.

[@tellthemborissentyou]

My sister bought an Audi Q7 brand new which kept running out of AdBlue and stopping. Turned out the plastic container had a crack in it. It took four visits for Audi to figure out they had used a plastic tank that wasn't even as good as Tupperware.

[@jefftheaussie2225]

Thank goodness for the diligent work done by our Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. The other thing John, my Holden Ute takes offence at being referred to as a shitbox. It was built in 1982 anyway. It and I do not care what comes out of the exhaust except the sweet 253 note from its twin system. I will go back to walking before I use either adblue or an electric car. Jeff.

[@Levenstone132]

A ten gallon spill of adblue covers a fair bit of workshop floor. It was all hands on deck to clear it up,an eye watering experience!

[@gingernutpreacher]

American gallons or imperial gallons?

[@Levenstone132]

@@gingernutpreacher Imperial (U.K)

[@ohgord-qc3qd]

The Adblue systems on PSA Europe vehicles had a clever system of using a plastic impellor on the Adblue pump, which is guaranteed to fail, leaving you with a £1000 bill for metal impellor pump, and a new tank as the pump is built-in! When the warning light comes on you had 1500 miles before engine "re-start" was blocked, if you didn't switch off it would keep running, as they cannot turn the engine off on a car doing 70mph on the motorway

[@steve8567]

Helps explain why my 2017 Peugoet 508 with only 60,000 kms on the clock cost me $2,060 Adblue reservoir and fluid injector. First replacement was under warranty, this one was not. I intend to sell the vehicle before I need its 4th tank. Ridiculous. Great car if it wasn't for bloody emissions issues.

[@patelliott8724]

Gday, we recently purchased a 2012 Colorado and a 2011 Mazda CX7, both are turbo diesel. The Colorado has a catalytic converter and blows almost no black soot and runs beautifully, the CX7 has a PDF system and blows no soot at all! The tailpipe on the Colorado does have a black residue whereas the CX7 tailpipe is clean as a whistle and still looks brand new! While we are not dedicated ”greenies”, we are pretty confident that both vehicles are a lot greener than the older vehicles that we replaced!

[@bordersw1239]

The problem with adblue is it tends to crystallise, had to have my tank replaced in January, Citroen paid £750 towards the cost of replacement - £1250. Most people don’t realise that adblue should be stored between 0-30C. Friends tank went again after replacement, now had it coded out.

[@18_rabbit]

crystalized in very hot ambient temps?

[@bordersw1239]

@@18_rabbit . I didn’t say it crystallises at 30c but above 30 can produce cyanates.

[@Gazzxy]

not to mention dont spill that crap on ya paintwork

[@bordersw1239]

@@Gazzxy or even worse - your carpet, driving 500 miles with a strong smell of piss is no fun!

[@oldcynic6964]

A 30C limit seems completely inappropriate for Oz. Fine in Iceland, but not here. Stick to Euro5 if that's the case. Anyway, if they do bring it in, surely the engineers or beer strokers will be able to find the location of the tube that carries the Ad-Blu to the engine - somewhere beyond the "empty tank" sensor. Quick snip, "down there" , add a bit of new tube, and route it back to the Ad Blu tank. Problem solved !

[@nigelcox1451]

Engineer's mantra. "If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is."

[@gordgrant9893]

Sending love from Canada dude!!!!! From the top of the globe to bottom! Love the content John.

[@brucehewson5773]

yep; hired a Ford Everest from Melbourne to Perth last September, had to top up the AdBlue tank at Norseman. A real learning experience. ps: was not aware the engine would stop if the AdBlue tank was empty,. so glad I did fill it up when I did. Book said one tank would last 5000Km.

[@IT-sq5rj]

AdBlue. I thought it was a range extender tank🤣

[@kadmow]

@@IT-sq5rj - ha ha - top-er-up... diesel or 98 (the best you could get).... lol...

[@steve8567]

You're lucky just topping it up fixed the problem. In my Peugeot, simply topping it up has no effect. The software needs to be re-set using genuine Peugeot OBD software. Generic OBD devices do not fix the problem. Great little earner for the PSA Group.

[@markseehawer3762]

@@steve8567I.m in Canada, and i drive a 1994 dodge Cumins Diesel They have mechanical injector pumps and injectors No catalitic convertor, or egr, or ADblue tanks, just a muffler and tail pipe.It's so mechanical and simple it will run completely with out electrical devices except to run the starter.I just hope they Goverment lets me keep it. We are in -35c weather right know so its pretty smokey on start up and clears right out when warmed up. I've replaced the entire fuel system a year ago so i know it's running right. It will be my one and only Diesel truck. My hope is there are less and less of them on the road each year, An maybe the goverment will leave me alone

[@Ion1212g]

I got both DPF and AdBlue on my 2.0L diesel hatchback, and being a frenchie, the DPF uses a special aditive to lower the regen temperatures (Eolys 176).

[@pinkdispatcher]

Yup, we now have two Euro6 French cars, and it took me a long time to understand that the special additive for the DPF (or "FAP", as Peugeot calls it) is not used during the regenerative cycles (that is just accomplished by creating hotter exhaust by injecting more fuel later in the stroke), but is added to all fuel that ever goes through the engine, in order to modify the type of particles, lowering the temperature at which they burn off. This both lowers the amount of additional fuel that needs to be burned during regeneration (aka "burn-off"), but also allows the use of much more moderately priced materials. I seem to recall that it lowers regen temperaturs from somewhere around 600°C to just over 400°C or so. Brilliant stuff.

[@peglor]

@@pinkdispatcher The AdBlue is added to the exhaust, not the intake air (Unless you've got one of Toyota's new - and very frightening when you look at the properties of ammonia - ammonia engines) all that's added to the intake air, apart from fuel and mechanical work to compress the air, is recirculated exhaust gas as this reduces combustion temperatures (At the expense of peak thermodynamic efficiency) in order to break fewer nitrogen molecules apart so fewer NOx compounds are formed. Regeneration is a sign your car is not being used for what it's good at, namely intercity travel at 80+ km/h. Any car that's able to spend a decent amount of it's time cruising at those speeds will burn the soot out of the DPF in normal operation and never need to regen at all.

[@paulbarry1044]

@@peglor The last paragraph is incorrect.I do 350Km at 110km/hr regularly non stop in our Land Cruiser or a Diesel Hi Ace,both regen at regular intervals during the trip.It is good to have a DPF guage on the dash read out so the driver can see how often it regends,and the Diff Pressure across the DPF,and a regen switch if neeeded,but i have never had to use it.

[@peglor]

@@paulbarry1044 Apologies for not being clear - when I say never have a regen I mean never suffer the raised idle speed, lumpy idling, smelly exhaust and so on that go with a forced regen, where the engine is trying to create exhaust temperatures high enough to burn the soot off the filter while being driven slowly in traffic.

[@paulbarry1044]

@@peglor Even driving slow in traffic with some idling, they will do a burn.I think problems happen with numerous short runs,and the vehicle never gets a chance to regen.Engine also not getting up to temperature during short runs does not help.With our Diesels,we have never had a DPF issues,and some are over 8 yrs old and done huge mileage.

[@rogerpearson9081]

I drive Kenworths with both Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines. The Euro 5 only use AdBlue and not a lot per trip. Average about 20 litres a trip. The Euro 6 have a DPF and AdBlue. They use about 3 times as much AdBlue for an equivalent trip. Supposedly better fuel consumption because it runs dirty/efficient and gets cleaned up in the after treatment. Not sure if it saves 70 litres of fuel a trip but it uses a tank of AdBlue for a tank of fuel pretty much. A bit of a wow the first time I drove one. My trucks are towing 100 tonne roadtrains so with less full load running it would probably not be quite as severe

[@Gazzxy]

well theres ya problem.. I think if ya towing 100+ tonnes there is always gona be the expectation of the engine drinking all the things somewhat rapidly

[@robmcd]

my truck was chewing adblue til the filters got changed now its a lot better.

[@davidjamieson3001]

Ah, and have we prepared for the next Ad blue shortage?

[@PeteTheL337]

My previous car was a Citroen C3 1.5 diesel from 2019 and it would warn you when you had 2400km of adblue left. Would have to be some serious roadtrip in the middle of absolutely nowhere for that to be a problem :D.

[@givemespace2742]

Although I got caught out once not realising how much more Adblue my car uses towing at highway speed. Now I just top up before a long trip. Not a problem.

[@teovm]

Try that in a pickup or another big vehicle 3.0l diesel and then brim it to it's max weight. You will be lucky to get 5000km in total.

[@PeteTheL337]

@@teovm yeah I know the bigger vehicles drink AdBlue much quicker. I drive a diesel van at work and that doesn't last 20k km per fill up as my C3 did.

[@riccicrozzie8204]

Stralya mate 👍

[@orwellboy1958]

Thanks for this John. I'd often wondered about ad blue but couldn't be arsed to look it up, anyway your explanation is much more entertaining than Google. My S class Merc. Uses it.

[@Ahto42]

In europe, the Euro6 sprinkles the adblue even on idling. That cloggs up the DPF with the Urea stone. Also new 2023 hiluxes in farms go to the shops for DPF delete. Because the do the ReGen like in every 200kms and even when idling. For preventing to set a field in fire when harvesters do theyr job and you go to check the progress, chat with the operator and let the aircon work on a hot summer day. And the dpf starts burning with 600c and you are standing in a dry hay or crops field. Neighbor's 2016 hilux started to catch fire after driving in Peat moss

[@darylcheshire1618]

I haven’t checked recently but when I lived in Edithvale on the edge of Port Phillip Bay, it was possible to see a tinge of nitrogen dioxide on the horizon and the edges of the bay. It was the colour of black tea, cola drinks or bromine. This all goes away on a clear windy day.

[@tyrantwitness2482]

Let's fix it by having the engineers actually spending time with those who will be using the product out in the actual world, instead of just sat in an office thinking they know what the customer wants!

[@Sgt_Bill_T_Co]

Nothing wrong with the engineers, we design great products, but then the accountants take it through 'value engineering'' - which basically means it'll fail the day after any Guarantee expires.

[@tyrantwitness2482]

@@Sgt_Bill_T_Co Yes I know! One of my inlaws was a drivetrain development engineer for Ford Australia. What lifespan do Ford develop their vehicles for? How long is the warranty! Two year servicing! 18K oil changes! Yes it should last just past the warranty period! So don't be the poor sucker who buys the vehicle after the warranty runs out!

[@TheRealWindlePoons]

Biggest problem for engineers in my experience is customers who never RTFM. I think some customers just sit on the manual and expect to understand everything by osmosis.

[@davenorman8251]

I'm willing to put a reasonable sum on the fact not a single ad blue system will last 100 thou km..Outside of the workshop are 3 everests and 2 rangers (ones a bt actually) all picked up as cheap ins write off..I don't care and neither should you the motors fit quite nicely under the bonnet of any previous bs 4wd..for the princely sum of about 8 grand I can give you 200kw without a single bit of bs to deal with..new car b fuct...thanks for the support John the second hand market in this country is doing quite well...cheers.

[@kampar82]

Adblue is nice when it freezes and cracks the tank. Cheap too with Mercedes.

[@1x3dil]

Hi sir. Thank you for explaining what everything does and the reasons why it does it , I know nothing about cars but I’m still interested in the aspects that are relevant to the owner . As my late father would often quote ( knowledge is king ) , admittedly at the age of 70 I might be leaving a bit late . But of course there is another saying that rebuffs the as well . Kind regards

[@davidvincent2051]

Currently replacing the engine in a 2001 TD42 powered Patrol ute that the owner "cleaned out" with one litre of Add Blue. In the fuel tank.

[@AndyRRR0791]

A large car manufacturer did wind up putting a heat shield on their DPFs as a recall a few years ago due to grass fire situation. I'm not sure that OEM engineers get it right every time.

[@tighematthew]

Hi john, i just purchased the olight Baton 4 and the Perun 2. I just have to say the quality of the lights and the packaging is one of the best I've seen so far i can see why you endorse this company. I would encourage everyone to try this product. 👌 And my new isuzu truck does not have a DPF or Addblue 👌

[@AutoExpertJC]

Thanks very much for letting me know, Matthew. I'm quite sincere about Olight. Glad you're impressed mate. (The packaging is first-rate, too, as you said - they make great gifts for these reasons.)

[@wazza33racer]

I can remember driving heavy B-Doubles for a major company and the shortage of Ad-blue in early 2022. I had to get Ad-blue from another of our companies depots (ours had run out) and it was an all in bun fight to get permission.......my depot boss had to have written permission from the other depot boss in a chain of emails that then had to filter down to guy in the workshop with the bowser key. Fleets were paying $4 per liter for the stuff.

[@pinkdispatcher]

Not sure how many AdBlue-cars you've driven, but here in Europe besides it being mandatory to prevent engine start when you out of AdBlue, a very early and generous warning system is also required, giving you the first warning that a refill is required 2400 km before the end, which should be plenty in all halfway civilised regions, including most places in Australia. It then gives subsequent warnings at every engine start, counting down remaining distance in 300 km increments, until, when you really get towards the end, it will say something like "5 engine starts remaining" until "One engine start remaining". If at that point, your one remaining trip does not take you to an AdBlue refill, it really and truly will refuse to start.

[@kk-rc6dw]

Hearing the beginning of AcDcs" problem child"

[@markpace9400]

John does make me laugh. The comment "The EU cuntries being the most advanced democracies in the world" almost induced an episode of urinary incontinence ...

[@orwellboy1958]

How true.👏

[@ducthman4737]

You mean the EUSSR .

[@phprofYT]

Yes, they are if you call being an organized crime syndicate given legal legitimacy by people unable and unwilling to take responsibility for their lives whom thrive on being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it all while watching those that raise questions and question decision be tortured and put on display. That is "modern" democracy. That is what politicians are saying when they state "we must save our democracy".

[@kadmow]

least it wasn't "Add-Blue" incontinency... more Ureic instancies than the standard blue urea. ...the spare grass buildup about the DPF - could mean a difference here or there in the outcome... lol. of course eth-oh makes a huge difference.

[@j.russell5419]

The EU may not be perfect but its citizens have more rights and protections than most.

[@fabshop6359]

Hi, John! Just stumbled on your channel, have subscribed. Your explanation of AdBlue, and Catalytic Converter, was just the best I’ve come across. 👍

[@peterhanahoe4913]

Great explanation but I'd have to take issue with a couple of things. As for "e" being the first key to fail on a computer just by virtue of it being most used, I find keys fail randomly depending where the crumbs fall on my laptop and even move around. Also, you seem to deride sorting out issues in the pub but I have to say that some of the World's best ideas have come from beerstorming sessions, I just can't remember what they were as I was pissed so fck yo, oh bgger, crmbs have got in the "" key now.

[@snuscaboose1942]

WASD and spacebar are usually the most used keys...

[@Ktmfan450]

And if you're a LoL player the keys wear out prematurely for spelling a bunch of six letters words

[@ozspencers]

I'm s ck of rep acing my ke boa d so I jus put up w ith itn w. I don t th nk any ody noti es.

[@tactileslut]

I remember the most worn out key being the one that makes the little space ship shoot at the other little space ships.

[@TheWombat2012]

Our GWM Cannon has a DPF. It does automatic burns but if you dare interrupt a burn three times, it can and does go into limp mode and drop the power immediately. Weirdly enough, the owners handbook shows that overseas models have adblue, the filler a smaller nozzle beside the normal fuel filler. I wondered why they had a long rectangular fuel door and when you open it, you notice that the diesel filler set well over to one side. That’s why. Overseas the second filler would be beside it taking up the free space that’s there on our version.

[@viperidaenz1]

Probably goes into limp mode cause a full dpf will restrict the exhaust flow. With no EGT sensors, the safe thing to do is burn less fuel so things don't overheat

[@TheRealWindlePoons]

Thank-you for another informative technical video. I'm in the UK and I have a 2016 Skoda (so VW control logic) with a 2 litre diesel engine which uses AdBlue. A full tank is good for about 4500+ miles. The tank level is monitored and when the AdBlue range is down to 1500 miles, you get a nagging warning message every time you start the car. I understand that the warning becomes permanent when you get down to 500 miles but I've never run it that low. To run this out of AdBlue, you either need to be one of those who ignores warning messages or on a very long journey indeed. AdBlue is a minor chore but I'm one of those who ran a two-stroke bike for years so it really doesn't bother me. Only elephant trap is that when you've just filled up the AdBlue you need to switch on the ignition for 30+ seconds before starting the engine or the controller responsible doesn't update the AdBlue level (weird German logic if you ask me).

[@gingernutpreacher]

Design flaw we need to stop taking crap off the Germans had a Skoda dealer tell me timing belt was recommended not a service interval after getting banned from the dealership I got Skoda them self's to pay for it to be replaced

[@patricklaurence4944]

John you are truly a font of knowledge, thankyou for sharing with us mere mortals.

[@waldemarii]

Your cutting mat is so clean. :)

[@swedishpsychopath8795]

I'm guessing he is an ebay doofus that watches youtube videos and gets just enough inspired to buy the tools used planning to make an empire using the tools. But when the tools has arrived his interest has moved on to something else.

[@TheWombat2012]

A clean and tidy workshop is the sign of a sick mind. 😂😂

[@johnwade1095]

​@TheWombat2012 can't have the bloodstains on video I guess.

[@1Longranger]

Spends a lot of time polishing tools.

[@coweatsman]

I learnt today that there is a Silverton in South Africa. The only other Silverton I knew of was an outback ghost town in NSW, 25 kms NW of Broken Hill.

[@peter_peter_pumpkin_eater]

TIL there's a Silverton in SA and one in NSW. The only one I knew of is an old saxon village in Devon.

[@Richard-sl8we]

Just outside Pretoria.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

The engineering behind all this stuff is fantastic. It's a great shame that diesel is falling out of favor when one considers how clean it can be if these systems are operating correctly. Countries like the UK do however need to put a little more regulation around modifications and emissions checks to make sure these systems do keep working through the life of the vehicle. At the moment one can broomstick the lot of it and get it all programmed out and still pass an MOT emissions check.. I suspect many are removed due to the huge costs when things go wrong.

[@Screwy9758]

Yeah, Ford commercial vehicles seem to be most prone to add-blue problems.

[@peglor]

When the emissions check looks for smoke under no engine load and very little else, no diesel that's running half way competently at all will fail emissions on this, even without a DPF.

[@CarSauce]

I MADE IT DAD

[@551moley]

Before I watch, in the UK I think it's the difference between Euro 5 DPF and Euro 6 with add blue. And after watching, the difference is £12.50 per day to enter the ulez zone inside the M25 around London.

[@jasonnielsen2125]

John, I have one of the first Euro 4 compliant NS Pajero’s that hit the country. I had nothing but problems with the DPF system for the first 3 years of its life and the dealer’s had no idea on how to fix it. I fixed the F@#ken thing though.😉 and you would probably guess how. I still have it now with no issues since.

[@Hathrandir]

I was too scared to have the EGR altered. I sold my diesel. I gave up trying to give a crap about the fracking DPF.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

If you are stuck in Dingo Piss Creek with no AdBlue, can you not just get the dingos to piss in your AdBlue tank instead of the creek?

[@MsAdamthebad]

ABSOLUTE FANTASTIC info....nailed it John...BRAVO!!!

[@paulphillipson2378]

You are lucky to avoid the constant stream of ad blue warnings, EML and limp mode events caused by this technology. Along with blocked nozzles, control units and never ending software updates

[@Banglish123]

For anyone who hasn't experienced it, the fumes from a new London bus are reminiscent of what you would get if you stood outside from an extractor fan on an indoor swimming pool. Definitely a hint of chlorine or ammonia but far more fragrant than the sooty guff of 20 years ago. Literally no diesel smell at all.

[@DrDezaro]

Adblue treats NOx and Particulate filters filter particulates … seems pretty straight forward. As I understand it reducing particulates requires high combustion temperatures which means that more NOx is produced and most NOx compounds are lower energy than Carbon Dioxide, so carbon rich fuels like diesel produce more.

[@AutoEngineerVideos]

NOx generally requires high temperature and pressure to form. NOx production during DPF regeneration burn is negligible.

[@DrDezaro]

@@AutoEngineerVideos I was talking about the combustion chamber … modern diesels product higher combustion temps …

[@AutoEngineerVideos]

@@DrDezaronow I see what you're saying (I thought you were talking about the processes in the exhaust to clean up the emissions). Yes, you're correct.

[@martingriffiths9851]

🤣STOP having so much fun making your vids John !! - its starting to show 😃

[@Low760]

There's a dpd/f disable mode on trucks when the pto is on, aimed at fire trucks to stop the fires starting from the 600°c the dpd/f's get to. Old mate hasn't worked on many vehicles if he thinks a full guard doesn't get full of grass... Plus it holds heat in at freeway speeds instead.

[@spawntohell]

AdBlue is implemanted in euro6 ( either a , b, c...and now revision ap i believe) to get NOX down. Some euro6 engines have it some not as they comply. In some cases the same engine has different power output the lower power 2l turbo diesel under 150hp will get away without adblue but the same engine with higher power and over 150hp will require adblue to comply. And addblue will not be used at a rate that you will need to fill up like you do with diesel.... i did not realized in Australia a car could be brand new and not be euro6 equivalent emission standard...

[@truckerallikatuk]

To abide by Euro 5, there were 2 techniques that most manufacturers went with. Exhaust Gas Recirculation and Ad Blue. Euro 6 pretty much requires both to comply.

[@peglor]

You forgot the other option - program the car to detect it's being emissions tested and only move to a low emissions mode while the test is in progress. It worked great for the shitweasels in VW - For a while.

[@bobbritten5673]

John if you are interested in more information on exhaust emissions,ican put in tuch with the person who knows everything about it ,No diesel engine needs to yse Add blue with the other technology that is available,it has federal government accreditation in the U.S.A. ,E.P.A. approved,

[@bobbritten5673]

😊so John it is obvious you haven't red the comment I put in the Collum about the non-use of add blue when other technology on exhaust system is applied ,it has federal government accreditation.and E.P.A. in the U.S.A. this would bring Australia up to E.U.R.O. 6 STD at this point

[@johnwade1095]

Adblue's nothing like urine - there's no blood in it for starters. (You can scrape Euro 5 with about 170 bar peak cycle pressure, with adblue you can go nuts, so 210-220 or more with consummate efficiency gains as limited by the engine structure. It also tends not to cut in for up to an hour of engine start so your Euro6 engine will very likely be substantially dirtier than Euro5, especially on short trips. It's good technology for machines which run all day, but not for commuter cars.) Off highway seems to have a break point at 100kW below which machines don't need it, so there is a sweet spot for tractors at about 140hp

[@andrewzipfel6826]

Hi John. Very informative video. Thank you. Correct me if I’m wrong here, but my understanding is the catalytic converters fitted to diesel engines, don’t actually deal with NOx at all. This is the job of the EGR system or the scr systems only. Only three way converters on petrol (non lean burn) engines can deal with NOx. Keep up the good work. I am envious of your deep engineering knowledge.

[@christopherbell7561]

Add blue works with the CAT not the DPF. This comment is not to John just other people who a watching who didn't pick that up.

[@douglassmith720]

My VW Touran warning light came on when the ECU estimated there was 1000 miles (1600km) of Adblue remaining. As far as I know, the system permits Adblue top ups at any time, not just when the warning light comes on.

[@Kikamoocow67]

Ad Blue its great for the garden makes everything grow really good !!!!!!!

[@gazzafloss]

Very well explained JC, thanks. My current diesel powered vehicle is most likely the last I'll ever be driving so I may not get to enjoy the feeling of ever having artificially concocted pseudo "piss" in a tank onboard, (makes me think of an acoustic mobile shitoire` for some reason).

[@AnarchyEnsues]

When euro 4 came out for trucks in Australia, I was working for Volvo trucks at the time, an engineer was explaining to us that the difference between egr and scr systems was that you can tune the engine lean or rich, rich gets more soot and treat it with a dpf, or run the engine lean and treat the exhaust with adblue, and for the early introduction of euro4 with trucks, most the smaller trucks could be egr and the bigger trucks needed to be scr. Probably got it all wrong. Guessing the emissions regs are so tight now that they probably need both?

[@kensmith5694]

Out in rural areas, you have the issue of people stealing your AdBlue. That is quite literally taking the piss.

[@ifell3]

Our works Berlingo has a warning of about 3k that you need to refill the adblue. I always thought the adblue is a direct replacement for a egr, but how you explained this it seems to work in a better functional way then an egr. Egr's are fun to clean out, but a new adblue tank with all its funky electronics on a Peugeot, costs 4k to replace. Owch!

[@kadmow]

- uhuh, it is the modern "engine rebuild" replacement - for cars whose engines don't break down (all too often..) - lets hope Ad-blue can be bypassed for those countries where bakkies / 'technical's' operation is more important than emissions (per km^2) Ad blue elimination is a task for any remote operation - "off highway" of course...

[@chriswalker4272]

Yet another entertaining production John, thank you sir. The boffins at Subaru made my 2016 XV, (you may call it Crosstrek), a Euro 6 2.0D; without the need for adblue. But then they stopped making diesel engines, which is a shame, because I get awesome economy and torque from my wee XV. Which is especially useful when towing my old caravan Velma. So called because she used to get shacked up to Scooby-Doo my old Legacy. Many Cities in Scotland are becoming ULEZ next year, so will require Euro6 for Diesel and 4 for petrol ice's. But I like driving my old 300TDI defender most, and she does start the day by tossing a cup of oil into the atmosphere like a sacrifice to Satin, after which she produces very little smoke. She will run on almost whatever fuel you have to hand; paraffin, veg oil, whatever! I think Subaru tossed a really good engine here because of political pressure, and I'm glad I have one, even if the car is not of the same high quality of previous Subaru's.

[@djpj9174]

John, great video but when the first warning light for any car fitted with an AD Blue system flashes on the dashboard alerting the driver that it needs topping up there is at least a minimum of a 1000 miles that can still be driven before the ECU shuts the engine down and with many many cars now, like my DS7, it's 1500 miles, then another warning at 1000, then 800, then every 100 until it stops altogether and lets face it if you do let it get to zero then you probably don't have the IQ to be allowed a licence anyway. I know Aussie land is vast but even a 1000 mile warning of impending doom is far more than any driver needs to enable a top up.

[@richardpickering2452]

Adblue can be coded out and is not tested for at MOT in the UK.

[@di5grace]

not yet...... personally i feel that they will make the Uk MOT as difficult as poss soon, another way of forcing us down the EV route (have been thinking of having coded out of my t6 along with dpf bypass)

[@stco2426]

@@di5grace , maybe but the MOT tests a lot more than emissions. I don't see heavier (etc) EVs being any less prone to typical MOT failures when they get to the difficult age, and they may get difficult well before ICE cars. Agree that adblue may be included at some point. It's a finickety system where failures seem to involve swapping expensive parts.

[@partymanau]

Fooler boxes can fake the required inputs to the cars computer too.

[@martinlang9615]

I lot of diesel vehicle (that incorporate a DPF) owners don’t understand that after each regeneration there is a very small layer of ash left as a residual. This ash cannot be burnt off and builds up very slowly over time. So at some point (generally around 150,000 klms-but this is VERY generally) they will need either a professional method of on car cleaning, or the DPF gets removed and sent to a specialist cleaning shop that have expensive equipment that in 99% of cases can clean them with a test report to prove the results. It will be almost like new. DPFs can fail, though this is rare. The ceramic core can crack for a variety of reasons. A replacement DPF is very expensive to replace with a new one. Best not to modify ANYTHING in the engine, exhaust, tune as this could have “unintended consequences”. I speak from experience.

[@garageblitztv3215]

FYI: Ford Ranger Wildtrak X requires AdBlue as it’s Euro 6 compliant.

[@CapriciousBlackBox]

The engine will not “stop” (a simple thought experiment might just illuminate just how dangerous this would be), rather it may not restart on a subsequent ignition cycle to the AdBlue tank depletion (or perhaps as John might put it…..’deplete-i-on’). Some models may just reduce power. Cheers.

[@mgcarmkm4520]

I have an adblue car and it gets about half hour journey every day and a good run at the weekend. Never gave any trouble. Short runs are supposed to be bad for any diesel as they can't get to a high operating temperature. Beats an EV any day of the week 😂

[@victortoy230]

Here in the UK, our diesels had DPF a decade or more back. AD blue is a later inclusion in cars and vans that was firstly introduced on HGV's and buses. EURO 6, I believe.

[@col.firefly]

Thanks John, always wondered what that sign was about at the petrol station. I wonder if we could get those same regulators to stop Victorians from going "Eh, fuck it" and slamming into each other on straight freeways?

[@partymanau]

Keep em in Victoria. They will bail their failed state and turn other states into the same.

[@herrtomas6729]

My 2015 MB E220 had AdBlue/BlueTEC system. NOx sensors failed EVERY year - a painful expense... Hated it (but the car was a nice drive, clean and good MPG)

[@oojimmyflip]

I own a euro 6 add blue diesel here in the UK and the dash gives you a 1500 mile warning before your add blue runs out so if you do run out its your own silly fault, the advantage with the add blue system is that the DPF is now incorportated within the add blue system and now mounted closer to nthe exhaust manifold in other words under the bonnet as opposed to a DPF being mounted under the car, these are getting stolen at a rate of Knots because they are easily accessable, just try getting you battery recipricating saw up past the front sub frame and close to the exhaust manifold to remove the add blue can and combined DPF its virtually impossible.

[@chrisz8532]

I think you might be confusing the DPF with the Catalytic Converter? There’s no platinum in a DPF, just diesel soot. 👍

[@paulgilliland2992]

AdBlue does have an expiration date and isn’t to be stored in direct sunlight as it often is in garage for courts . Urea breaks down with heat and uv .Always check the underside of the bottle. A lot of times it’s expired by some substantial time .

[@wacomtexas]

My favorite is the fuel extender you plug into the USB socket in your car.

[@YZJB]

There are quite a few Euro 6 Diesels around without AdBlue. The later Subaru diesel is one example and the last of the Volvo 5cyl Diesels is another (I drive a 2015 XC70 D5 so can confirm its Euro 6 compliance and lack of AdBlue).

[@petercampbell4220]

If you choose high egr use you can avoid nox, but more sooting, higher load on dpf, and oil detergent, intake carbon. If you treat nox with nh4, raise compression, reduce egr, better lkngevity? More complicated more ship to go wrong.

[@abogoni]

When i join the SES again next year I know what spotlights im getting 😊

[@HerrMerlin]

New Amarok (2023) uses Adblue in Europe same as Ranger (2023)

[@theairstig9164]

It’s the same engine

[@steve8567]

I had a frustrating experience with a 2017 Peugeot Euro 6 diesel six months ago. I left Melbourne en-route to Newcastle in NSW. The dashboard indicator was telling me I still had over 5,000 kms of Adblue fluid in the tank. After driving 600 kms, a warning light flashed up with chimes informing me that my Adblue was low and I could only drive another 1,200 kms before engine starting was disabled. I stopped overnight in Parkes and bought some Adblue fluid and added it to the Adblue tank. Still the warnings persisted. After arriving in Newcastle I went to two different mechanics who connected their scanners and tried to reset the error message, but to no avail. The Adblue tank was filled to the brim but it still made no difference. I tried calling the local Peugeot service centre and they were booked out for weeks. In the end I called the Artarmon service centre in Sydney. They were also booked out for 2 weeks but thankfully agreed to look at the issue anyway. They had the car for 30 minutes and had to do a re-set to clear the error. I drove away happy and stayed overnight in Sydney. The next morning - a Saturday morning - about 100 kms out of Sydney, the error came back with the same warning. Luckily I could still get back to Melbourne and booked it in with my local Peugeot service centre (again, a 2 week wait). They discovered the Adblue tank had a leak, and needed a completely new tank. These tanks are over $2,000 each. And this tank was a replacement for a previously split tank. So my car is now on its 3rd Adblue tank in six years. Just love Peugeot's Euro 6 system.😠

[@BOB-fd4lu]

its funny how in the US its not millage restricted when you need to” adblue”. Instead it gives you 10 times start of engine count down. It broke down on me once the dealer wasn’t gonna do me favor and reset the counter, I ran the car for a week strait and did like 2100mi. So ironic. The adblue system had no issues the actual problem was low battery and network communication error.

[@Bitofthisnthat-v1d]

I absolutely enjoyed this video whilst I sat and stroked my beard. Thank you John.

[@MattBlack6]

Turn it up. I'm def

[@marcbolland6992]

A very informative video. Here in NZ I drive an off road euro truck totally in the forest/Bush and it uses adblue or it won't go!!. But all the forest harvesting machinery use far more diesel than the trucks don't require adblue . Where is the logic in this?? Poor possums breathing in all the shit from the machinery but at least the trucks are helping with clean possum air!! Keep up the good videos (dude)

[@DieselAddiction]

Generally it depends on the country of origin of said vehicle as to whether it has DPF or Adblue after treatment systems as our government is to lame to specify the best option being Adblue the better of a bad idea. Personally I’d rather have water methanol injection 🤪🚀

[@boban250]

One more clarification on usage of dpf and adblue. It all depends on exhaust temperatures, you can decrease nox emissions by lowering the exhaust temperatures, at the cost of increasing soot emissions and vice versa, high exhaust temps burn off soot but produce nox. This explains why euro 4/5 engines mostly used either one. With tightening regulations, now theres a need for both

[@peglor]

High combustion temperatures produce NOx, high exhaust temperatures are nothing like as high as the combustion temperature needed to break N2 into NOx compounds, so with EGR you can have low combustion temperatures, but still have high enough exhaust temperatures to burn the soot off the DPF. A quick googling tells me that 600 degC is plenty to turn Carbon (Soot) into CO2, while combustion temperatures over 1500 degC are needed to create NOx.

[@boban250]

@@peglor Sure, I stand corrected. Though high combustion temps lead to high exhaust temps so they do go hand in hand

[@peglor]

@@boban250 That's the really crazy part - thanks to the extremely precise control of injection the common rail diesel fuel systems have, they can easily inject fuel as the exhaust valve is opening to heat the exhaust gas as it exits give a hot exhaust (And in some cases reduce turbo lag, but variable geometry turbos do this more elegantly), while the engine is still cold to heat the DPF more quickly. The reason this works is because all diesel engines (That aren't actively rolling coal) burn their fuel in an excess of oxygen, so there's plenty left to burn in the exhaust unless the engine is at full load.

[@purge98]

I booked a VW diesel hire car in Rome. The dashboard said the car would not start if the adblue ran out. I had no idea what adblue was. Had to google it. Luckily, we returned the car with 50 kms left in the adblue tank. What a con. I was contemplating filling it with urine as didn't want to interrupt our driving tour.

[@Andriastravels]

Good job explaining that engineering is actually a process, unbeknownst to beard strokers and the general pubic.

[@buning_sensations5437]

What's so fantastically typical, is that at the vehicle registration office in Germany they will only issue up to a euro 4 stickers. Regardless if your car is euro 5 or 6.

[@mmmddd4366]

I see John as very car hypergamous. What was clean is now dirty, what was fast is glacial, what was safe is now a death trap. Insatiable.

[@soarersan1]

So in a pinch, being stuck on the Gun barrel Highway, with an empty Adblue tank, could I just piss in it to fool the ECU? Bushcraft, love it!

[@jedi77palmer]

I miss my 1970s shitbox😥

[@Parawingdelta2]

I was particularly interested in the fact that vehicles equipped with an ad blue system stop if the ad blue runs out. I drove Mercedes Benz O500L buses in Queensland and they all had ad blue tanks. Our responsibility was, at the end of the day, to ensure that there was plenty of ad blue in the tank. Also a requirement at the start of the day, before taking the bus out for operation. The operation would normally involve mid stream driver / bus changes during the course of the day. From memory, the ad blue level was displayed on a separate screen and generally not viewed whilst in daily operation. The level of importance was never particularly stressed so checking the ad blue wasn't deemed necessary at that point. There were times when I would arrive back at the end of the day after assuming possession of a bus out in the field and finding the indicated level at zero. This wasn't uncommon and I'd be surprised if there wasn't times when the ad blue tanks were empty but no buses ever just ceased functioning as a result.

[@thomaslorinczi7477]

When it comes to public transit buses i assume they would allow functioning without adblue to avoid massive interruptions in case it ever ran out, but they would be risking fines if they were to be discovered

[@Parawingdelta2]

@@thomaslorinczi7477 Putting aside the statement that John made insofar as the vehicle not able to run without adblue, which contradicts my observations) I think there's a couple of factors. Firstly, I don't think many people realise the actual toxicity of diesel emissions. I certainly never heard anyone talk about it. Secondly, there's very few or no random emission inspections conducted with any regularity.

[@Rapscallion2009]

I think you'll find a significant number of great innovations in engineering started in a front bar. *Started*. Because the following day people followed up.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

You should have saved this question for the next episode sponsored by Manscaped. I understand their products are effective against shrubbery build-up.

[@johnshaw8013]

My car (BMW F30 335d 2017) is Euro6 and ULEZ compliant, but it definitely does not use AdBlu!

[@michaelguerin56]

Thank you John. Good information.

[@cousinfester4621]

Muy old 2014 Beemer 280D used the stuff. No big deal - I could easily go 10,000 miles/16.000 km on a tank of Adblue. That cost about $8.00 US at the time.