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Post by Humph on Mar 4, 2017 10:07:25 GMT
AdBlue is the stuff you have to put in a lot of new diesel cars. Supposed to reduce emissions or something. Seems that my Merc needs a top up about every 13,000 miles or so. Hard to say for sure as I guess it also gets some at service times too. Anyway, it asked for some this week. Inevitably I was 120 miles from home, on a tight schedule, the boot was full ( the filler cap is under the boot floor ), it was snowing and I've never actually put it in myself before.
A message came up on the dash saying something like "AdBlue refill required, refer to workshop immediately" or something equally commanding.
There is a feature in the nav menu that will search for the nearest Merc dealer and I found one near to where I was going anyway. On arrival, they asked if I'd like to book it in, but of course I didn't, I just wanted them to either tell me not worry about it until it suited me to sort it out, or just fill it up. But of course that was too complicated. A "technician" was not available. Naturally.
So I just asked if I could buy some of the stuff and put in myself. This was met with some tooth sucking and reluctant agreement. £14 later I was armed with a 10 litre drum of the stuff and a wee funnel. The putting in of the stuff was a task of moments once I'd unloaded the car in the now horizontal sleet, and apart from the dispiriting stink of stale wee left on my hands was not too onerous.
I later noticed you can buy the same quantity at Morrisons for £11 but that didn't come with a funnel.
I suppose it's the future.
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Post by tyrednexited on Mar 4, 2017 10:11:13 GMT
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Post by Humph on Mar 4, 2017 11:15:53 GMT
Aye indeed, I mean, I do quite like the seat warmers but that's a bit extreme.
I do start to begin to wonder though what the long term solution to the anti-diesel thing can be for me. I will still need a large car or at least a large load bay, and I will still need good economy, with a long range and rapid refuelling, and I will still need to be able to access city centres. Bit of a dilemma really.
Don't need to worry about it just yet but it will be a question in due course.
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Mar 4, 2017 12:57:29 GMT
Humph, there are still some diesels that don't need Adblue: my V60 doesn't, and I don't think any Volvo diesels do, and they still manage to be compliant with Euro 6.
But I think the 'long-term solution' is either fuel cells (we've some way to go there) or, at least for now, more efficient petrol engines. The 1.4 TSI in SWMBO's Audi A1 uses less fuel than the diesel V60, and the 2.0 TSI in my previous Octavia estate did 40 mpg on a long run. It would so something similar in an A6 or Superb: thirstier than your Mercedes perhaps, but the Superb at least costs less in the first place.
I do think that given what a Mercedes costs, (a) you should have had more warning of the need for a top-up of Adblue, and (b) the dealer should have treated you better and got a mechanic to spend all of 5 minutes doing the top-up for you.
Ah well - at least you now have the funnel.
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Post by tyrednexited on Mar 4, 2017 13:07:31 GMT
I do start to begin to wonder though what the long term solution to the anti-diesel thing can be for me. I will still need a large car or at least a large load bay, and I will still need good economy, with a long range and rapid refuelling, and I will still need to be able to access city centres. Bit of a dilemma really. ...who am I to second-guess manufacturers - I seem to end up considering fairly niche products in all kinds of different categories. In reading people's concerns/comments on "alternative fuel" vehicles, however, it seems to me that, with a bit of tweaking of legislation, and a bit of tweaking of current technology, we could have an interim solution fairly quickly. Development of the concepts demonstrated by the Volvo XC90 T8, or the Mitsubishi Outlkander PHEV, could fairly rapidly deliver a vehicle that would work well in most circumstances. Internal Combustion Engine (diesel or petrol as current emissions thinking allows) for long journeys and ease of refuelling. Battery-electric propulsion for shorter journeys and city centres. Plug-in and regenerative charging for the batteries, and auxiliary charging as required from the engine (either whilst on the move, or stationary). I think the issue to address is the optimum range on pure-electric (which needs to be "sufficient" for a day's commute, or to enter and leave a city centre on a visit, but could be practical with considerably less than along-range electric-only car). If electric-propulsion really is cheaper than ICE, then there will be an incentive for drivers to maximise its use (and there will be little risk in doing so). It isn't beyond the capability of existing technology to enforce electric running within geographic bounds, and also allow emergency use of the internal combustion engine within such zones (at a cost) should the battery be exhausted. So, ring-fence emissions-sensitive areas allowing only electric use (emergency ICE at a cost), and insist all new vehicles are built with the above hybrid technology. A diesel E-Class Estate with, say 50 miles reliable electric-only range and rapidly self-recharging batteries would then do you nicely (as long as it wasn't the self-immolating model)
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 4, 2017 13:25:59 GMT
I think you were lucky to get the funnel to be honest. AdBlue comes in large containers but no funnel or smaller containers whereby the bottle has the funnel built in.
On older design cars like yours the tank is often accessed via the boot. Newer designs have the filler cap next to the diesel one. The Audi A4 comes with a small tank by default for AdBlue and diesel but for no extra cost you can get a larger fuel tank and double sized AdBlue. I can only assume the default smaller tanks is so they can claim some fuel/emission savings on a standard car in an official car.
You do realise if you let the car run out of AdBlue completely, when you stop the car and turn the ignition off it will not restart until topped up with AdBlue.
Also don't spill AdBlue on anything and if you do make sure you rinse it off.
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Post by Humph on Mar 4, 2017 13:37:32 GMT
Yes the "not starting again" bit was the worry and the reason why I didn't ignore it. Sort of wondering if I should get a small-ish bottle of the stuff to just keep in the car. An amount that would keep it going for a few hundred miles sort of thing, to use in the event of it running out somewhere or at a time of night when it really would be inconvenient.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 4, 2017 14:09:38 GMT
I'd keep some in the car if it was me. I think it's safe to do so. Just make sure it's sealed.
It's a right pain if the filler is in the boot - some VWs were like that. Makes you wonder if they had to introduce AdBlue to some models earlier than they'd hoped - i.e. no way of having the filler next to the diesel filler behind the fuel flap.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 4, 2017 14:11:44 GMT
I wonder how big the tank is and how much is left when it gives the warning.
As I say the default size on the current Audi A4 is 12 litres but you can get a 24 litre upgrade at time of ordering for free.
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Post by Humph on Mar 4, 2017 14:29:10 GMT
S'pose I could read the manual...😉
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2017 15:03:38 GMT
What are you, a girl? You'll be asking directions next.
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Post by Humph on Mar 4, 2017 15:56:14 GMT
Sorry, a momentary lapse, won't happen again.😬
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Post by Hofmeister on Mar 4, 2017 19:02:47 GMT
I later noticed you can buy the same quantity at Morrisons for £11 but that didn't come with a funnel. Thats Morrisons Gin. It tastes the same for sure.
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Post by Hofmeister on Mar 4, 2017 19:03:59 GMT
I think the Volvo V90 is adblue free, even tho its E6 compliant.
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Post by tyrednexited on Mar 4, 2017 19:06:58 GMT
I later noticed you can buy the same quantity at Morrisons for £11 but that didn't come with a funnel. Thats Morrisons Gin. It tastes the same for sure. I really don't want to know how you know that........
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