UNOFFICIAL Adblue Heater Element Failure Thread

dee74

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2013
Location
USA
TDI
2012 Passat
I have been reading a few threads on the failure of the Adblue heater Element lately and I thought I would start a thread to see if this is becoming a trend, my TDI is in the shop now with this same problem. Please list the following Info:

Year
Mileage
Warning Light(s)
Code(s)
Any symptoms or problems before diagnosis
Repair Time:
Any pertinent info from dealer


My Car

2012
58???
CEL
P205B
Large variations in mileage
Estimated 4 days
No info shared, repair is not covered under emissions warranty
 
Last edited:

ajharbin

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Location
Douglasville, GA
TDI
2002 Jetta tdi, 2012 Passat TDi SEL
2012
32,000
CEL
9688 reductant tank temp sensor and 2. 5523 engine start blocked by immobilizer
no symptoms of issue besides CEL
after getting the run around with VWoA it took 2 trips and on the second trip it took 4 days to repair.
Dealer said they have replaced a few of the sensors on other tdi models (ones that have DEF) but did not say they were a real issue. just turned over 40k and have not had any issues since the repair.
 

dee74

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2013
Location
USA
TDI
2012 Passat
Not sure if you want to count it, but my level sensor failed which is part of the same module.
Yes we will count sensor failure. I think mine may only be the temperature sensor, not sure yet, but the part only comes as a complete module with all of the sensors.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Temp sensor failure @ 80,000 miles. Heating element is fine. I'll have to get more details from Jason, since he is the one who scanned it.

No repair attempt yet... still driving it with no issues other than a check engine light.
 

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
I would also like to know how low you usually ran your AdBlue before filling. Did you fill it at every service or wait for the warning before filling. Just wondering if there is a correlation or not.
 

Blackie TDI

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Location
Michigan
TDI
2012 Passat SE TDI
2012 Passat TDI. Current mileage 88,200 mi. This is what i have had replace so far in one month time frame (3/02/2015). 1. part # 7N0941329 control unit for reduction. control unit for reduction; agent metering system. 2. part# 3C0906651 evaluation unit for reduction. evaluation unit for reduction; agent reserve. 3. part # 561198970 heater element repair kit. Replace 15 days ago, check engine light back on took to vw dealer scan showing same code for heater element in adblue tank. Part # 561198970. Called Vw and waiting for answer on what they are going to do.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I would also like to know how low you usually ran your AdBlue before filling. Did you fill it at every service or wait for the warning before filling. Just wondering if there is a correlation or not.
We fill at every 10K service. I think it only counted down once because Jason wanted to see it count down.
 

Sigforty

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Location
Prairieville, LA
TDI
2012 Passat w/DSG
2012
54944 mi.
CEL
P203B - Reductant level sensor
no indications of failure until CEL came on.
Repair Time: 1 day
They ran GFF and found faults for level sensor passive sporatic, ran test plan and found wiring was ok, so they replaced the sensor module. Cost was $1050 of which I paid $50 deductible on the certified warranty.
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
im keeping mine full to prevent corrosion, only complaint is its easy to overfill- not a lot of sound change as it fills to the brim. Lucky for me I stuffed towels all around the filler
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
We fill {the adblue tank} at every 10K service. I think it only counted down once because Jason wanted to see it count down.
It's been filled every 10k, and has never entered the countdown phase.

The sensor fault is intermittent. The CEL has been on and off a few times now.

-J
 

Bobmws

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2013
Location
Central Florida
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE DSG
im keeping mine full to prevent corrosion, only complaint is its easy to overfill- not a lot of sound change as it fills to the brim. Lucky for me I stuffed towels all around the filler
I bought 1 bottle from the dealer that has the shutoff nozzle. If you take a hacksaw to the "childproof" lock on the cap you can refill the bottle. No muss, no fuss, no spills. :)
 

mtbsteve

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Location
N/A
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE w/roof and nav
Year: 2012
Mileage: 52,743 miles
Warning Light(s): Check Engine, not flashing.
Code(s): P205B
Any symptoms or problems before diagnosis: Car was fine - cleared code, kept coming back.
Repair Time: 1 day to diagnose at dealer (even though I determined the error via Torque App and VAGCOM, 1 day to repair.
Any pertinent info from dealer: Dealer said that it would not be covered. I did a lot of research and I still believe that states that follow the CA emissions warranty should be covering this but they do not. I am in MA.

I have stated this info in more detail in an older post but in the end I was able to buy the part through the dealer using the online parts ordering before I booked the appt to fix it. They were not happy and tried to block and charge full retail but was able to get the part for $461. In the end I contacted VW who eventually paid for the part cost by cutting me a check since I have always (except once) had my car serviced at dealers and this should not fail.

Total cost breakdown:
$115 for diagnoses
$461 for part - I think retail it is $625+ for PN 561198970 (VW eventually reimbursed $461)
$315 labor
$20.95 shop charge
$11 urea
 
Last edited:

dee74

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2013
Location
USA
TDI
2012 Passat
I finally was able to pick up the car last night. The total repair time was 5 days, the part took four days to arrive. The total cost was about $1050 but I had an extended warranty so it was $100 out of pocket. I truly think this car will be traded for another brand soon. I have had the car less than 3 years and I have needed thousands of dollars in warranty repairs. VW really dropped the ball on this one.
 

Lobo55

New member
Joined
Apr 2, 2015
Location
Colleyville
TDI
2012 NMS 2012 Jetta 2006 Bug
Year 2012
Mileage 83500
Warning Light(s) MIL
Code(s) P202a
Any symptoms or problems before diagnosis (Other than MIL, nothing). Tried dealer reset to see if returned, came back on within 100 miles.
Repair Time: dealer popped a fuse so scan would not connect to engine module so four days to fix but worth it to get covered under extended warranty. Part was 561-198-970 $525, $184 of labor. Less labor than the DSG service if you can believe that.
I was worried about using Peak Def starting with 70k service but that did not come up
 

showdown 42

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Location
naples,FL
TDI
2016 TDI touareg
2012 Treg heater coil failed
32,000mi
covered by VWOA under courtesy even though the yrs were over warranty.
I do have an extended 10yr warranty and wouldn't own this car without it .
The dealer inventories this part, any idea why? Hmmmm.
 

spjackson1

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Location
Cape Coral
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL
P203B Code

I have a 2013 Passat with 44340 miles and have the P203B code (Reductant Level Sensor Circuit Range/ Performance Stored). Also have code P2196 code ( O2 signal stuck rich bank 1 sensor 1). Dealer stated: Inspected ADBlue level sensor operation and found ADBlue level sensor at times reading incorrect values. Estimate to fix ADBlue level sensor from dealer:$1087.51 for repair kit (part # 561-198-970 and urea). $402.91 for O2 sensor repair.

I haven't noticed any performance issues.
Also getting pretty aggravated with VW for all the stupid little things that keep breaking and cost a fortune to fix.

Side note: I did the 40k service myself and added Peak Blue DEF. I'm half wondering if this brand of DEF is what is causing the problem. Being that the code is intermittent, maybe I should siphon out the Peak and add a different brand.

Any thoughts?
 
Last edited:

verylongdrive

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Location
HSV
TDI
Golf,2001
2012.
I have to check the mileage, but it was under warranty - about 20k maybe.
CEL came on, got the relevant failure code, dealer replaced temp sensor. (When making the appointment, and then waiting for the part to arrive, SA said there's no hurry, keep driving. This was in a non-cold season, I believe.)

During the 10k fillup, and more so during the 20k fillup (I wised up and ordered it not to be touched at 30k), they spilled vast amounts of AdBlue, and refused to do anything about that what had soaked the foam around the top of the tank. (They eventually replaced the warped headlight I'd been complaining about since day 1 to shut me up. How to succeed in the US market? I have a an answer of just a few sentences for VW, and the word dealer is in the first one.)

Is there any danger of long-term damage to sensor or heater from urea having gone through the foam?
Should I perhaps just take off the bumper and inspect it all? We're just out of warranty now, but if I at least can prevent latent damage...
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I have a 2013 Passat with 44340 miles and have the P203B code (Reductant Level Sensor Circuit Range/ Performance Stored). Also have code P2196 code ( O2 signal stuck rich bank 1 sensor 1). Dealer stated: Inspected ADBlue level sensor operation and found ADBlue level sensor at times reading incorrect values. Estimate to fix ADBlue level sensor from dealer:$1087.51 for repair kit (part # 561-198-970 and urea). $402.91 for O2 sensor repair.
I haven't noticed any performance issues.
Also getting pretty aggravated with VW for all the stupid little things that keep breaking and cost a fortune to fix.
Side note: I did the 40k service myself and added Peak Blue DEF. I'm half wondering if this brand of DEF is what is causing the problem. Being that the code is intermittent, maybe I should siphon out the Peak and add a different brand.
Any thoughts?
I highly doubt it's the brand of fluid. More likely an intermittent electrical connection in the brain bundle (also known as the "heater repair kit").
 

aullein

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Location
Melbourne Fl
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6Speed Manual
I have my failure documented in the other thread but have a '12 Passat that threw a P202B code for the tank heater failure along with the CEL (not blinking). This was back in beginning of February and it has been prob little over 3k miles since and I intend to drive it this way until countdown or something else is triggered. take it for what its worth. if you have a tank heater issue i think you will be fine. If it is a pump or line heater issue maybe a different story. I'm no expert but just my opinion. I do live down in Central FL so maybe that is helping my good luck.
 

aullein

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Location
Melbourne Fl
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6Speed Manual
I highly doubt it's the brand of fluid. More likely an intermittent electrical connection in the brain bundle (also known as the "heater repair kit").

And how convenient that all these adblue heater element failures, FOR THE MOST PART, require that you have to replace the whole unit instead of just the part that is failing. SMH

In the future, if i buy another clean diesel, i will delete and forget about all this nonsense.
 

dministrator

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2012
Location
WA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI Sunroof+Nav
2012 Passat TDI SE
about 41,800 miles
P205B - Reductant Tank Temperature Sensor Circuit Range Performance.


I got MIL two days ago; reset using the app. It was fine for a day and came on again this morning. Hopefully the extended warranty covers it.

It is being taken to the dealership now, I'll post an update when I know more. Like someone said on another thread, all the savings we achieve in fuel is meaningless if we have to shell out big $$$ for service.
 

docmanny

New member
Joined
Apr 10, 2015
Location
PA
TDI
2012 Passat
2012 TDI SEL
CEL came on around 72k miles
P202B- Reductant tank heating

That's my writeup referenced above.
When the I broke the tip off the control module, I was able to drive it with a low pressure reading. The Countdown came on saying 200 miles of Adblue left. Well, when the nozzle is broken, it pumps Adblue all over the floor of wherever you park. You can prevent total shutdown by adding a little bit of Adblue. Of course this happened to me on a weekend where I had 500 miles to drive.

Got the RED light- engine won't start. Adding adblue is not enough to get rid of it. You need dealer reset or VCDS. The first time this happened, a simple VCDS reset was good enough. That gave me another 35 miles (with a full Adblue tank). The pump had shut down. The second time I got to the red light, I had to dig deeper into the VCDS menus to reset the code. Then I had adblue pumping all over the floor. The new control module arrives today, so I hope all will be normal after this.

Replaced the control module and all is good.
 
Last edited:

aullein

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Location
Melbourne Fl
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6Speed Manual
2012 TDI SEL
CEL came on around 72k miles
P202B- Reductant tank heating

That's my writeup referenced above.
When the I broke the tip off the control module, I was able to drive it with a low pressure reading. The Countdown came on saying 200 miles of Adblue left. Well, when the nozzle is broken, it pumps Adblue all over the floor of wherever you park. You can prevent total shutdown by adding a little bit of Adblue. Of course this happened to me on a weekend where I had 500 miles to drive.

Got the RED light- engine won't start. Adding adblue is not enough to get rid of it. You need dealer reset or VCDS. The first time this happened, a simple VCDS reset was good enough. That gave me another 35 miles (with a full Adblue tank). The pump had shut down. The second time I got to the red light, I had to dig deeper into the VCDS menus to reset the code. Then I had adblue pumping all over the floor. The new control module arrives today, so I hope all will be normal after this.

from what I gather from reading the pdf that covers the adblue system in our cars in deep detail, it seems the tank heater is the third heater to come on out of 3. I think the pump heater and line heaters will activate before the tank heater has too or does. I am not certain or 100% sure of this but after reading over the document i noticed that the hierarchy for lack of better words seems to put the tank heater last as it requires the coldest outside temperature to turn on. The line and pump heaters all required a higher temp to be acitvated. It was somehing like 17* for the tank heater and the others were like 7-10* higher than that I think.

Vdub do you know if all these heaters require a specific temp to activate and turn on or do they run during normal operating regardless of outside temps??
 

Sprocket

Sprockette's hubby
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Location
MI
TDI
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Eco Diesel, 2005 Passat Silverstone Grey, 1996 Passat Storm Grey
2012 Treg heater coil failed
32,000mi
covered by VWOA under courtesy even though the yrs were over warranty.
I do have an extended 10yr warranty and wouldn't own this car without it .
The dealer inventories this part, any idea why? Hmmmm.
I just replaced mine too this past Monday night on my 2010 Touareg. Kind of a pain to get to with the Touareg as the rear exhaust system / muffler needs to be dropped. I was pretty surprised at just how much the muffler weighs! Once that's out of the way it's easy peasy.

I was getting codes related to the reductant level sensor.

The only thing I noticed comparing the old unit with the new unit is that there is insulation on the wires leading to the heater element. The original unit's wires were unshielded from the heater & approx 2" up.

The heater repair kit part was $323.00 from 1st VW Parts

So far so good.
 

Sprocket

Sprockette's hubby
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Location
MI
TDI
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Eco Diesel, 2005 Passat Silverstone Grey, 1996 Passat Storm Grey
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