AdBlue consumption

tdiclubfan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Location
US
TDI
Shopping for one
How often do you need to top it up? How much does a bottle of AdBlue cost and how many do you need for each refill when the car is out of warranty? Thanks!
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
10,000 miles.... 2 to 4.5 gallons, depending on how you drive, how much soot you produce with your driving practices, how often it needs to cycle to clean up, city inefficient versus highway very efficient hot passive regens. About $12 for 2.5 gallons at Walmart.
 

APT

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Location
Metro Detroit
TDI
2012 Passat SEL
My owners manual says Adblue is included in each 10k mile complementary service. The 5gallon tank is designed to last about 15k miles. As Niner said, it will vary based on how the vehicle is driven. I have seen 2.5 gallon bottles of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) at auto parts stores for $10, and it can be pumped like fuel at some truck stops as well. Budget about 0.15 cents per mile, or negligible.
 

tdiclubfan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Location
US
TDI
Shopping for one
Does AdBlue consumption increase if you drive the car hard or only if you do a lot of stop go city traffic?
 

r11

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Location
NJ
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6MT (BB'd), 2015 Passat TDI SE 6MT
To add the fluid on your own, you'd need to score a 1/2 gallon VW/Audi adblue bottle that you can turn into a funnel. Cannot just pour bulk fluid into the VW ablue tank, it requires a special bottle (neck "unlocks" the tank). Apparently BMW and Mercedes have standardized on the same design too (?).

Most of us don't have much to worry about for a looong while :)

Wonder what they use at service centers ... must have some kind of spill-proof funnels ... or they just use the 1/2 gallon bottles ...
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
To add the fluid on your own, you'd need to score a 1/2 gallon VW/Audi adblue bottle that you can turn into a funnel. Cannot just pour bulk fluid into the VW ablue tank, it requires a special bottle (neck "unlocks" the tank). Apparently BMW and Mercedes have standardized on the same design too (?).

Most of us don't have much to worry about for a looong while :)

Wonder what they use at service centers ... must have some kind of spill-proof funnels ... or they just use the 1/2 gallon bottles ...
As far as I know the special bottle does not "unlock the tank". The bottle is designed so you can invert it and not spill the contents.You first screw the bottle into place in the AdBlue filler neck. Then you push down on the bottle which then releases the AdBlue from the bottle. When you quit pushing down on the bottle it shuts off the flow of the AdBlue from the bottle and prevents spillage. At least thats how I understand it to work.
 

kydsid

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Location
Texas
TDI
2012 Passat
As far as I know the special bottle does not "unlock the tank". The bottle is designed so you can invert it and not spill the contents.You first screw the bottle into place in the AdBlue filler neck. Then you push down on the bottle which then releases the AdBlue from the bottle. When you quit pushing down on the bottle it shuts off the flow of the AdBlue from the bottle and prevents spillage. At least thats how I understand it to work.

That was my understanding as well. I know I will ask for the empty bottle at my 30k free maintenance though to make a funnel. I can only imagine the problems if you spill DEF in the trunk.
 

wolfsburg_de

Ross-Tech AssociateVendor , w/Business number
Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Location
Lansdale, PA USA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI 6MT
FYI, with VCDS, I believe you can find the level (expressed as a percentage) in Engine -> Advanced Measuring Values -> 98-0:Sensor for reducing agent fill level. My Passat with about 3600 miles, mostly around town, shows a fill level of 77.03 %.
 

Ozzmosis86

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Location
DFW
TDI
2012 Passat TDI
That was my understanding as well. I know I will ask for the empty bottle at my 30k free maintenance though to make a funnel. I can only imagine the problems if you spill DEF in the trunk.
I asked for an empty jug at my 10k mile service. They gave me a 2.5gal jug, but it didn't have a special neck or anything on it, I ended up just throwing it away. I am not sure how to get one of the correct jugs, maybe my dealership has the tool you can buy and they are using different jugs.

If anyone has gotten the correct jug, please share a picture.
 

dachman1

Active member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Location
Oregon
TDI
2012 Passat SEL TDi
I asked for an empty jug at my 10k mile service. They gave me a 2.5gal jug, but it didn't have a special neck or anything on it, I ended up just throwing it away. I am not sure how to get one of the correct jugs, maybe my dealership has the tool you can buy and they are using different jugs.

If anyone has gotten the correct jug, please share a picture.
Interesting, I was planning on doing the exact same thing. I guess I'll have to be more inquisitive about the filler nozzle and not just try to score an empty bottle.
 

APT

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Location
Metro Detroit
TDI
2012 Passat SEL
tdiatlast, 0.0013 dollars per mile. Or, 2,000 cents divided by 15,000 miles if you choose.

The 40k mile DSG service costs more, like 1c/mile.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
I asked for an empty jug at my 10k mile service. They gave me a 2.5gal jug, but it didn't have a special neck or anything on it, I ended up just throwing it away. I am not sure how to get one of the correct jugs, maybe my dealership has the tool you can buy and they are using different jugs.

If anyone has gotten the correct jug, please share a picture.

 

Driver_found

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Location
Phila
TDI
Former MKV Jetta TDI 5M, Former 2013 Passat TDI SE 6M, 2015 Mazda 6 Touring 6m
5 gallons of liquid is a lot of extra weight to haul around. Hopefully they have positioned the weight so that it has a low center of gravity.
 

TheGrove

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Location
S Central PA (Breezewood)
TDI
2012 Passat SEL Premium Opera Red - Dieselgate Fix, KermaTDI Tune, 2004 Passat GLS Northern Green-RIP
5 gallons of liquid is a lot of extra weight to haul around. Hopefully they have positioned the weight so that it has a low center of gravity.
It's in the right rear quarter below the trunk floor. You access the tank thru the trunk and a door on the floor in the little "cubby" between the rear tire and the back of the car.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
tdiatlast, 0.0013 dollars per mile. Or, 2,000 cents divided by 15,000 miles if you choose.

The 40k mile DSG service costs more, like 1c/mile.
...too early in the morning...:eek::eek: You're right, I'm wrong!
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
It's in the right rear quarter below the trunk floor. You access the tank thru the trunk and a door on the floor in the little "cubby" between the rear tire and the back of the car.
This keeps the center of gravity low, and also explains the design of the bottle/nozzle used for filling. As is obvious from previous comments, checking the tank level can't be done visually, and this "VCDS" software is obviously a PITA to use for anything simple like this. Therefore, a bottle design that allows a fill but will cut off when removed to prevent overflow / spillage.
 

TomB

Veteran Member
Joined
May 1, 2003
Location
Cle Elum, Washington/Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2015 Audi TDI Prestige Sport
FYI, with VCDS, I believe you can find the level (expressed as a percentage) in Engine -> Advanced Measuring Values -> 98-0:Sensor for reducing agent fill level. My Passat with about 3600 miles, mostly around town, shows a fill level of 77.03 %.
I just checked mine 2999 miles on the car, 99.85% for the value 524 and 100.02 for value 605. I did not find a 98-0 value on the advanced measuring values under engine. :)
 

Sbieshelt

Active member
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Location
Md
TDI
Jetta passat
I went in for my 10k checkup and had to argue with the service dept. they didn't even know the Passat took ad blue. I hate dealers that know less about the car than the customer.

Be careful if you go to Waldorf vw
 

tdiclubfan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Location
US
TDI
Shopping for one
I went in for my 10k checkup and had to argue with the service dept. they didn't even know the Passat took ad blue. I hate dealers that know less about the car than the customer.

Be careful if you go to Waldorf vw
I hope you didn't buy your car from this dealer. :eek:
 

TheGrove

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Location
S Central PA (Breezewood)
TDI
2012 Passat SEL Premium Opera Red - Dieselgate Fix, KermaTDI Tune, 2004 Passat GLS Northern Green-RIP
This keeps the center of gravity low, and also explains the design of the bottle/nozzle used for filling. As is obvious from previous comments, checking the tank level can't be done visually, and this "VCDS" software is obviously a PITA to use for anything simple like this. Therefore, a bottle design that allows a fill but will cut off when removed to prevent overflow / spillage.
I would agree, so I don't worry about it. If it gets low a warning comes on with about 1,000 miles left to go so you have time to get some AdBlue and put it into the tank. Remember if you are still in the 36,000 mile free service then you just need to stop by the dealer and have them add some.

I went in for my 10k checkup and had to argue with the service dept. they didn't even know the Passat took ad blue. I hate dealers that know less about the car than the customer.

Be careful if you go to Waldorf vw
Yep, I believe when I had my 1st service done at 10K the dealer didn't realize this either and didn't fill it up because at 15K miles the warning came on. I took it back and had them add some. I also made sure at the 20K service to specifically make sure they filled the tank so I haven't had the warning come on since and I'm within 2K of the 30K service.
 

verylongdrive

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Location
HSV
TDI
Golf,2001
It's in the right rear quarter below the trunk floor.
While that's probably a perfectly fine place for a non-essential fluid container, the legal requirement to STOP NOW if the tank is empty because no DEF means you might pollute in a day as much as a big truck in 5 seconds will statistically cause quite a few rear-ended TDIs with relatively minor damage to become instantly undrivable. Not good.
 

kydsid

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Location
Texas
TDI
2012 Passat
While that's probably a perfectly fine place for a non-essential fluid container, the legal requirement to STOP NOW if the tank is empty because no DEF means you might pollute in a day as much as a big truck in 5 seconds will statistically cause quite a few rear-ended TDIs with relatively minor damage to become instantly undrivable. Not good.

I doubt VW would manufacture a DEF tank that fragile it just doesn't make any sense given it is located near the fuel tank. If it was that fragile then shards could pierce the fuel tank. And if it wasn't any less fragile than the fuel tank, a crash that would damage it would damage the fuel tank also. In either case you don't have fuel let alone DEF.
 

IXLR8

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2003
Location
Cushing, ME
TDI
12 Passat Platinum Gray, 02 Golf Black, 01 Jetta Black
While that's probably a perfectly fine place for a non-essential fluid container, the legal requirement to STOP NOW if the tank is empty because no DEF means you might pollute in a day as much as a big truck in 5 seconds will statistically cause quite a few rear-ended TDIs with relatively minor damage to become instantly undrivable. Not good.
From what I have read, if tank goes empty it does not 'STOP NOW', but you can't restart after you shut it off.
 

tdiclubfan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Location
US
TDI
Shopping for one
Is there any difference between different brands of AdBlue or just pick whatever is the cheapest and easiest to get?
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Get whatever makes your wallet happy - it's all the same. :)

It is referred to as AdBlue or Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and is available at most auto parts stores and truck stops.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
According to my manual you get 20 startups after you run out of fluid. If you manage to ignore the yellow light, then the red light for that long you probably shouldn't be driving.

-J
 

dachman1

Active member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Location
Oregon
TDI
2012 Passat SEL TDi
I asked for an empty jug at my 10k mile service. They gave me a 2.5gal jug, but it didn't have a special neck or anything on it, I ended up just throwing it away. I am not sure how to get one of the correct jugs, maybe my dealership has the tool you can buy and they are using different jugs.

If anyone has gotten the correct jug, please share a picture.

I got my 10K done on Monday. They gave me the empty bottle with the special top. The guy indicated that the nozzle part breaks tabs if unscrewed making it basically a one time use bottle. I am pleased to report that he was wrong and I was able to unscrew the top, add fluid to the bottle and use it. So, in my case, it's a reusable bottle. Buy DEF at Autozone for about $5 when the warranty/service runs out and use the specialized bottle to fill. If the nozzle part wears out or breaks, I'll just buy one more bottle of it and keep refilling it.
 
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