Excessive AdBlue Usage?

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
I bought this hose to refill from the AdBlue 2.5 gallon jug and it makes it easy and basically no spill. $19.95

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4RELK9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks. That will be helpful. I'm having a sensor issue. Driving St. George to Cedar City yesterday [80 mph speed limit and 4000' elevation gain in about 45 miles led to some error codes, all having to do with "reductant" consumption. Got a flash of "Put in AdBlue. Car will not start in 200 miles." Usually this begins with 1000 miles to go. I had just put in 2.5 gallons the day before, about 100 miles. I added 2.5 gallons again, which overflew the tank. That's a difficult mess to clean up in an Autozone parking lot!

Today, the messages continue with 150 miles before no restart. I need to drive to Vegas and put the Touareg in storage before flying back to Anchorage. Anyone with a VCDS in Mesquite, St. George, or Vegas, please call me. 907.441.4557 and leave a message if I'm out of cell range. Thanks!
 

redbarron55

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
Location
Navarre, FL.
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Executive
Perhaps you did not let the car sit with the ignition on without starting the engine.
It takes 30 seconds or maybe a little more to detect the adblue has been added.
When the level is recognized by the system the alarm should clear.
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
Perhaps you did not let the car sit with the ignition on without starting the engine.
It takes 30 seconds or maybe a little more to detect the adblue has been added.
When the level is recognized by the system the alarm should clear.
I'm stuck in Vegas now. Mileage warnings kept going down. I've driven it from St. George, UT to Las Vegas, about 150+ miles. Many starts until the warning allowed me to miss my plane to figure this out and park in a hotel parking lot. It will crank, but the message shows that it is NOT going to start.

A short chat with a local Dub guy suggests maybe a software update. I'm skeptical. I think a sensor is not reading the level correctly. Maybe due to spillage. I doubt that stuff drying on electrical contacts will help anything. I'll post again after I've gotten towed to the dlr and they've diagnosed and fixed. Hoping to catch my plane tonight.

BTW, the service guy wanted to know if I'd bought an extended warranty plan. I replied that I didn't think that was required for an emissions system on a vehicle with only 10k miles. Hmpf. :D
 

redbarron55

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
Location
Navarre, FL.
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Executive
turn on the ignition and wait a minute before turning it off.
Do not start (with KESSY) by keeping your foot off the brake.
If you have the vehicle data screen open open to the warning it will clear when the level is read.
I think when you get too close you may need to use the VCDS to reset.
If the car was "Fixed" then this would be under warranty for at least 48 K miles after the fix.
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
turn on the ignition and wait a minute before turning it off.
Do not start (with KESSY) by keeping your foot off the brake.
If you have the vehicle data screen open open to the warning it will clear when the level is read.
I think when you get too close you may need to use the VCDS to reset.
If the car was "Fixed" then this would be under warranty for at least 48 K miles after the fix.
Danke, Herr von Richthofen. I'd done all of that, to no change. The mileage until "no start" slowly decreased on the way to Vegas. Fortunately, mostly downhill, so I wasn't in need of lots of AdBlue for the trip. I was seeing that I was going to have the Touareg go into "No Start" about the end of the trip, so I made plans to miss my flight and stay another day to visit the Findlay in North Vegas. I parked it so the tow vehicle could access it to get to the shop the next day. VW helpline [I don't have a plan with them] arranged the tow and the dealer service folks worked on it. They were able to reset the system to allow it to restart. I don't think we owners have the capability to do that, even with VCDS. They explained how the countdown worked to electronic disabling start function. I understood all of that. What they could not answer, and what I do not yet understand, is why the system did not acknowledge my filling the AdBlue. I'll not know if this works, though the vehicle is driving fine now, until we return in January for our next trip with the Airstream. I hope someone finds this information useful. As I recall, the emissions system is under warranty until 10 years or 120k miles. I'm not worried, yet.
 
Last edited:

buguyed

Member
Joined
May 21, 2019
Location
Colorado
TDI
2016 Touareg
Little update.. I have another thread going on but it's dead so adding here.

The MPG and AdBlue usage got worse and worse, to the point we were getting around 10 mpg around town and 14 highway not pulling anything. Then, just after Christmas the check engine light came on P229F "nox sensor". The dealership was busy so they said bring it in really quick and we'll do the new software update, that should fix it. This did not fix anything and back in it went. This was mid-Jan.

2 weeks later, we had our car back with a new NOX Sensor. Drove it about 3 hours and the lights back, P229F again, back in she goes.. The car has been since sitting at the dealer while they do all sorts of tests and bologna trying to fix the issue. Some "specialist" from VWOA even flew out and couldn't figure it out. They examined all the wires figuring a rodent chewed something and no. Today we were notified the sensor on the DPF is getting replaced to "See what happens". Luckily we have a 2020 Tiguan to drive which is nice. Tomorrow I will be calling VWOA to involve them and hopefully push for a buyback or lemon law. This experience is asinine and not what I would expect from VW. I have now made 3 car payments on a car I haven't driven and they aren't getting ANYWHERE!!!

Anyone have any tips??
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
Sounds like you're doing the best you can if the problem is that involved. PLEASE keep us updated with what they're trying and what eventually works. Gotta be frustrating, though, and not what a TDI has a reputation for.
 

buguyed

Member
Joined
May 21, 2019
Location
Colorado
TDI
2016 Touareg
Sounds like you're doing the best you can if the problem is that involved. PLEASE keep us updated with what they're trying and what eventually works. Gotta be frustrating, though, and not what a TDI has a reputation for.


Agreed Mike! Purchased last summer CPO with 50k miles on it and it’s been nothing but a nightmare. 4th time in the shop for this issue and no avail. Didn’t get a chance to call VWOA today and the dealer didn’t get the part installed anyway, tomorrow may be better. Who knows


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buguyed

Member
Joined
May 21, 2019
Location
Colorado
TDI
2016 Touareg
Update!! Got a call last night at 6pm that they were able to fix the issues they think. They replaced the pressure sensor on the Diesel Particulate Filter. The sensor is I believe what tells the system how much AdBlue to inject. Anyway, they replaced it.. Ran another regen and drove 30 miles. Picked up the car today and made them fill the tank for having it 1.5 months and driving a couple hundred miles on the car. We’ll see how well this fixes everything! Just got home and it appears to be running normal and no lights are on.


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ljankowski

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Location
WI
TDI
2010 Touareg TDI
My 2014 TDI exec is going through insane amounts of ad blue / DEF - details:
6500 miles, 85% towing 7500 lb, dual axle, travel trailer
Just put in 2 more 2.5 gal DEF
Total is 9 2.5 gals = total of 22.5 gals
Will get this checked out when I get back !
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
FWIW, I've now had a chance to get back to our tow rig in Vegas. We tow a 23' Airstream, just about 5000 pounds. From Vegas up to South Lake Tahoe along the east side of the Sierra Nevada, then along the west side and out to the coast and then back to vegas. About 2500 miles with NO need to add DEF or any warnings. Whatever was fixed seems to have done the trick. It's emissions related - take it to the dealer and make sure it's noted.
 
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