How to check Adblue without VCDS?

franky67

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Location
Virginia
TDI
2013 Passat TDI Se
Hello there.
Since I decided doing my own oil changes, some websites recommend topping off Adblue.
Should I wait for light to come on? Since I was told that it is not easy to check it.??
Also do you guys replace the oil filler cap every time? They run for 10$-15$ the good quality, high rating ones. That's more than one quart of Castrol oil.?
Well, I actually wanted to ask which brand exhaust fluid do you use? There are some at parts store(DEF) or OEM?
 
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jck66

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Location
Greenwich, CT, USA
TDI
12 Passat SE / 14 BMW 535d
When the DEF light comes on you have a fair amount of miles until the car refuses to start. I'd recommend waiting for the light and then you know approximately how much space there is in the reservoir. You don't want to overfill as it's a bit of mess in your trunk that may not be obvious until the next day.

Also, DEF is DEF, so you can use the stuff from the parts store if you like. I got some from Amazon.

Can't help you on the oil question but I'm sure someone will chime in. Good luck!
 

Lex Tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Location
Lexington ky
TDI
2013 Passat
Buy one bottle of vw def fluid that has the screw on "depress-able" nozzle. Fill your def tank with that. Cut off the bottom of the bottle... Go to truck stop or wherever def is cheap. Bring a rag to keep the air tube from spitting at you. Screw on bottle, depress, fill with def until full. Fill every oil change.... never see your light come on again. I have used the same bottle for over 5 years with no issues. Clean out any crystals that form after drying.

I do have the luxury of having a 250 gal tote of def at work with a pump and fairly small nozzle so i dont really know how much i put in each time.... guessing in the 2-3 gal range.

I'm confused on why you would replace your oil filler cap each time? I have had the same one for 6 years with zero issues. You do change the 3 rubber gaskets in the housing each time but that comes with the filters. Is that what you are looking for?

You can get total quartz ineo 3pack from amazon for $35 for 5 quarts which leaves you a little bit over for each change.
 

franky67

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Location
Virginia
TDI
2013 Passat TDI Se
When the DEF light comes on you have a fair amount of miles until the car refuses to start. I'd recommend waiting for the light and then you know approximately how much space there is in the reservoir. You don't want to overfill as it's a bit of mess in your trunk that may not be obvious until the next day.

Also, DEF is DEF, so you can use the stuff from the parts store if you like. I got some from Amazon.

Can't help you on the oil question but I'm sure someone will chime in. Good luck!
Thanks a lot! I think I will use the BlueDef from Walmart/Amazon to refill.
 

franky67

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Location
Virginia
TDI
2013 Passat TDI Se
Buy one bottle of vw def fluid that has the screw on "depress-able" nozzle. Fill your def tank with that. Cut off the bottom of the bottle... Go to truck stop or wherever def is cheap. Bring a rag to keep the air tube from spitting at you. Screw on bottle, depress, fill with def until full. Fill every oil change.... never see your light come on again. I have used the same bottle for over 5 years with no issues. Clean out any crystals that form after drying.

I do have the luxury of having a 250 gal tote of def at work with a pump and fairly small nozzle so i dont really know how much i put in each time.... guessing in the 2-3 gal range.

I'm confused on why you would replace your oil filler cap each time? I have had the same one for 6 years with zero issues. You do change the 3 rubber gaskets in the housing each time but that comes with the filters. Is that what you are looking for?

You can get total quartz ineo 3pack from amazon for $35 for 5 quarts which leaves you a little bit over for each change.
That is a great idea,I heard some people talking about using it again after being done with it.

Well,honestly never performed an oil change before, dealer used to offer me free oil changes for my previous Nissan.
So now since they quoted 99$, I decided to check it out online if the oil changing process is for B7 TDI is different than others or not. Looks very similar except to exhaust fluid. Some videos I watched used manual fluid extractor etc. Some guys recommended to change it,I thought it was a cheap thing but when I realized that it is at least 10$. I was kind of suspicious about changing it every 10k miles..:D
Thank you..
 

06bluebeetletdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Middlesex, NC
TDI
'14 Passat TDI SEL and '13 Beetle TDI
I drain the oil from the bottom, i do replace the drain plug everytime. I fill the ad blue every 10k, last time it took the little jug that screws on, a 2.5 gallon jug and a little from a second jug.
 

06bluebeetletdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Middlesex, NC
TDI
'14 Passat TDI SEL and '13 Beetle TDI
Key thing! Do not overfill the oil, just before the buybacks started, i heard of a couple people that decided to attempt an oil change for the first time, both overfilled the engine by at least a couple quarts and ended up putting a hole in the block.
 

franky67

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Location
Virginia
TDI
2013 Passat TDI Se
Key thing! Do not overfill the oil, just before the buybacks started, i heard of a couple people that decided to attempt an oil change for the first time, both overfilled the engine by at least a couple quarts and ended up putting a hole in the block.
Oh wow.. That sounds bad..
So I should put little less than what I extracted or drained?
 

Lex Tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Location
Lexington ky
TDI
2013 Passat
I have ramps. Remove plug and take the oil out of the bottom, unscrew and take oil filter out (getting this out, without making a mess is probably the trickiest part of the change), replace 3 rubber gaskets and put in new oil filter, tighten down. Put in plug at bottom. Put in about 3/4 of that 5qt oil i suggested and then add oil till you are in the correct dipstick gauge. If you have all the tools and youre ready to go it takes me 15 minutes tops. Dont over complicate it!

Air, Fuel, and cabin filters are also pretty quick and painless.
 

BroncoAZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
I’ll continue to have my dealer do the oil changes through the 160K for warranty purposes. If something goes wrong I don’t want to give them any reason to decline the repair.

DEF crystallizes when exposed to air, the crystals seem to be what causes issues with level sensors and pumps. I advocate keeping the DEF tank full and topping it off before it gets to 1/2 rather than letting it get low.

DEF does have a shelf life of about 2 years, as such I wish the tank had a drain on it so I could start fresh once in a while without running the tank to empty. I’m driving about 20K miles annually, so I burn through it quickly enough.
 
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03 shaker

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2016
Location
Alabama
TDI
2015 Passat SEL
My vote is wait for the low DEF chime. Then it says you have 1500 miles of def range. Plenty to find some. I also vote for just filling with a def pump. Either in the semi lanes or if you're lucky you might find a stand alone def pump. I saw one the other day, station had 2 combo gas/diesel pumps and then a standalone def pump between them.

Faster, cheaper, easier than using the jugs. Just be careful and you shouldn't have any spillage.

Just filled mine and it took like 4.2 gal.
 
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