AdBlue consumption on Mk7 Golf?

Jaws · Nov 19, 2015

I'm curious about the AdBlue consumption Mk7 Golf. I saw there is a similar thread for the Passat, but it has the EA189 engine and not the EA288 so I'm not sure if the values will end up being the same. (https://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=350310)
My car is threatening to go on strike ("Fill AdBlue. Engine will not start in xxx miles") before I reach 9k miles. I assumed I wouldn't need to fill up before my 10k service.
I'm just going to do my 10k service a little earlier but I was curious if it was typical? Did other people experience this?

manyVAGs · Nov 19, 2015

AdBlue should last for 15k miles. There have been some reports of leaking AdBlue pumps. Look under the hood between the engine and firewall on the right side of the car. If you see a white powdery substance caked on to a canister you have a leak.

hankster88 · Nov 19, 2015

Jaws said:
I'm curious about the AdBlue consumption Mk7 Golf. I saw there is a similar thread for the Passat, but it has the EA189 engine and not the EA288 so I'm not sure if the values will end up being the same. (https://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=350310)
My car is threatening to go on strike ("Fill AdBlue. Engine will not start in xxx miles") before I reach 9k miles. I assumed I wouldn't need to fill up before my 10k service.
I'm just going to do my 10k service a little earlier but I was curious if it was typical? Did other people experience this?

Probably not fully topped off during pre-purchase by the dealership

TurnOne · Nov 19, 2015

Leak is possibility but also it is likely consumed based upon how much fuel you burn. Better MPG's should mean less usage.

SpecialTest · Nov 20, 2015

TurnOne said:
Leak is possibility but also it is likely consumed based upon how much fuel you burn. Better MPG's should mean less usage.

Wouldn't the opposite be true? More efficient diesel combustion produces more NOx. Less efficient diesel combustion produces less NOx.

So wouldn't higher MPG's mean that you are using more AdBlue?

spicy_red · Nov 20, 2015

My initial fill lasted about 22,000kms

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WildChild · Nov 20, 2015

After 15 000K KM I was able to add 9 liters of AdBlue (1/2 tank).

sapgar · Nov 22, 2015

Jaws said:
I'm curious about the AdBlue consumption Mk7 Golf. I saw there is a similar thread for the Passat, but it has the EA189 engine and not the EA288 so I'm not sure if the values will end up being the same. (https://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=350310)

My car is threatening to go on strike ("Fill AdBlue. Engine will not start in xxx miles") before I reach 9k miles. I assumed I wouldn't need to fill up before my 10k service.

I'm just going to do my 10k service a little earlier but I was curious if it was typical? Did other people experience this?

Just go to the local gas station or parts store and buy and fill like you would washer fluid. It's $12 for 2.5 gallons where I am.. I think that's about the size of the ad blue tank

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ROD-TDI · Nov 22, 2015

Just added 1.5 gallons of AdBlu to our 2015 TDI S 6-speed at 8,160 miles. MPG at this milage is averaging 48.5 MPG determined by dividing the number of miles driven by amount of fuel to fill-up. Computer MPG appears to be getting better with time, showing only 1MPG higher than actual consumed.
-Rod

VW_TDi_ · Nov 22, 2015

If you do have a leak have it fixed asap because the DEF crystallizes when its exposed to air and it can also crystallize the lines causing all sorts of emission issues and low NOx conversion codes.

sapgar · Nov 22, 2015

ROD-TDI said:
Just added 1.5 gallons of AdBlu to our 2015 TDI S 6-speed at 8,160 miles. MPG at this milage is averaging 48.5 MPG determined by dividing the number of miles driven by amount of fuel to fill-up. Computer MPG appears to be getting better with time, showing only 1MPG higher than actual consumed.
-Rod

I'd have to agree. My computer estimates were way optimistic initially. Then I had a sub woofer installed where they disconnected and reconnected my battery. The estimates have been much more realistic since then. I'm now almost at 7k miles, and the estimates seem to line up well.

ROD-TDI · Nov 23, 2015

sapgar said:
I'd have to agree. My computer estimates were way optimistic initially. Then I had a sub woofer installed where they disconnected and reconnected my battery. The estimates have been much more realistic since then. I'm now almost at 7k miles, and the estimates seem to line up well.

My experience also, with our early computer calculations ranging 5-7% higher! Our battery has not been disconnected, but now computer calculated MPG is within 1%. I'd note we are using the same gas station and the same pump, to help with accurate MPG calculations.

I discovered some years ago while beta testing BMW ECU chips, that different stations and pumps were producing different calculated MPG data. The ECU chip supplier advised us this was where the difference was coming from... use the same station and pump during such MPG data collection. They were correct, as our later MPG numbers showed.
FWIW,
-Rod

GWbiker · Nov 23, 2015

manyVAGs said:
AdBlue should last for 15k miles. There have been some reports of leaking AdBlue pumps. Look under the hood between the engine and firewall on the right side of the car. If you see a white powdery substance caked on to a canister you have a leak.

Thanks. I'm seeing white spots on the motor right side firewall extending down onto the ABS unit. Some wetness, too.

Dealership is clueless as to what it is.

Just where is the AdBlue pump and line??

2750 miles on the ODO.

andyrooski17 · Nov 23, 2015

GWbiker said:
Thanks. I'm seeing white spots on the motor right side firewall extending down onto the ABS unit. Some wetness, too.

Dealership is clueless as to what it is.

Just where is the AdBlue pump and line??

2750 miles on the ODO.

Check out this thread:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=428991&referrerid=425269

A couple of us had DEF injector leaks, which resulted in the DEF crystallizing on the injector head (looks like a white crystalline growth). There are some pictures in there, but the injector head and associated lines are "behind" the engine (as viewed standing in front of the car with the hood popped), and a bit to the passenger side.

TurnOne · Nov 23, 2015

SpecialTest said:
Wouldn't the opposite be true? More efficient diesel combustion produces more NOx. Less efficient diesel combustion produces less NOx.
So wouldn't higher MPG's mean that you are using more AdBlue?

For a given amount of work done. If I drive around getting 50mpg and someone else in an identical car gets 35 mpg it would consume more DEF per mile driven. Or that's my theory as I have no data or first hand experience.

Jaws · Nov 30, 2015

I went for my 10k service (getting close to the date and don't want to deal with it during the holiday season) so they filled it up. They said that driving a lot of short distance uses up more AdBlue. My commute is short distance with lots of traffic, so that may explain it. I'll probably pick up a few gallons from the dealer when I go to pick up my goodwill package since if it really is my commute, I'm guessing that will happen again. Unless it's what hankster88 said (not topped up when I bought it). No DEF injector leak I could spot, but thanks for the tip! That's good to know.

hankster88 · Nov 30, 2015

You can purchase any brand of DEF that you choose(as in you dont have to use AdBlue) Just make sure it conforms to ISO 22241. Blue DEF is a brand you will see alot. Just purchase a cheap funnel just for DEF and you will save money over buying it at the dealer. Any auto parts store will have it, and even Walmart

Jaws · Nov 30, 2015

hankster88 said:
You can purchase any brand of DEF that you choose(as in you dont have to use AdBlue) Just make sure it conforms to ISO 22241. Blue DEF is a brand you will see alot. Just purchase a cheap funnel just for DEF and you will save money over buying it at the dealer. Any auto parts store will have it, and even Walmart

Yeah, I figured it will be cheaper elsewhere; I was totally planning on using my Autozone gift card on it. But the gift cards from the goodwill package expire 1 year after you submit the application, so I figured it may be a good idea to spend some of the VW dealer card if I can. Still need to submit my request for the goodwill package though.

spicy_red · Dec 1, 2015

andyrooski17 said:
Check out this thread:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=428991&referrerid=425269

A couple of us had DEF injector leaks, which resulted in the DEF crystallizing on the injector head (looks like a white crystalline growth). There are some pictures in there, but the injector head and associated lines are "behind" the engine (as viewed standing in front of the car with the hood popped), and a bit to the passenger side.

Be aware, DEF is extremely corrosive and will rust metal quick!

Cutandthrust · Dec 9, 2015

My daily driver is 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. I just filled it's 8 gallon DEF tank last week at the local truck stop, which sells DEF (BlueDEF brand) right at the pump in bulk. 8.3 gallons of DEF cost me roughly $20.00.

I plan to do the same when the wife's '15 TDI GSW needs to be re-filled. Way easier, and cheaper than the dealer, and less of a hassle than dealing with those individual jugs from the parts store.

WiszMaster · Dec 12, 2015

I'm at 34,500 miles, and my 1,500 mile warning came on yesterday. It was supposed to have been filled up at the 30k service, according to tech notes it was. I also ran low at the 28,000 mile range, and had to be topped off just before the 30k mile service.

We're going to keep an eye on it, to see if there is a sensor or leak issue....

Random_Vibration · Dec 19, 2015

WiszMaster said:
I'm at 34,500 miles, and my 1,500 mile warning came on yesterday. It was supposed to have been filled up at the 30k service, according to tech notes it was. I also ran low at the 28,000 mile range, and had to be topped off just before the 30k mile service.

We're going to keep an eye on it, to see if there is a sensor or leak issue....

You either have a hard driving problem, a leak, a sensor malfunction, or a dealer problem.

How's your fuel mileage? Your fuelly average seems a little low compared to what I'm seeing (43-46 real). it may be time to start looking for a car or dealer issue. To get that many miles, you are doing some serious highway mileage? Not a recipe for heavy urea consumption. Did you look at the urea injection under the hood to check for crystals? If you have VCDS, check your levels after servicing by the dealer.

I'm just at 12,000 miles. I made it to 10,000 without any urea warnings and was topped off. We'll see in a few thousand miles if the work was actually done. I could've used VCDS but I wasn't curious at the time. Maybe I'll check it now that you mentioned it.

PAULMKOLON · Dec 19, 2015

Diesel Emision Fluid

My EA 288, 2015 Jetta has 25,500 miles on it. I filled the DEF tank the first time @ 11,600 with 2.3 Gal. The last time at 23,300 i put in 1.7 gal. The first fill may have been more, as i do not know how full it was when I bought the car in 2-2015. The second time I used the DEF hose at the truck stop. I do allot of highway and am averaging 49.6 MPG since new.

VeeDubTDI · Dec 20, 2015

Industry standard DEF consumption is 3% of fuel consumed. 100 gallons of fuel should be about 3 gallons of DEF.

In the 2012 - 2014 Passats with DEF, actual consumption is more like 1%, which is why they fail NOx emissions tests. More about that in the emissions scandal thread.

For those of you monitoring your AdBlue consumption, please note it as % of fuel consumption so that we have a standard to use for comparison.

dlhovland · Dec 23, 2015

My 2015 uses about 2.2 gallons for 10000 travelled I average 45 mpg. = 1 percent def usage

paullyp · Jan 1, 2016

That leak on the injector and line we have been referring too has brought my car to the dealership 3 times... they keep missing something... first they replaced the line leading into the injector thinking it was that. Second time they replaced the line and the injector because I said so. Third time I am kicking myself after being a stickler for details I took off after getting paper work only to have a check engine light come on 30 kms later... check under the hood and the tech never hooked the line back into the injector.

Point being this leak is a major pain in the rear...

As for consumption of DEF Im at 23000kms and never touched the tank yet. That's not too bad.

jen_madcity · Jan 1, 2016

So....I made it to the 10,000 mile mark with no AdBlue fill warning. AdBlue was topped at the dealer when I got the 10,000 mile service. My '15 GSW now has 14,500 on it, and the "Add AdBlue" warning came on. I drive a mix of highway and city, averaging 42 mpg. Why would the warning come on only 4,500 miles after top off??? I'll check under the hood as recommended above, but if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

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sapgar · Jan 1, 2016

jen_madcity said:
So....I made it to the 10,000 mile mark with no AdBlue fill warning. AdBlue was topped at the dealer when I got the 10,000 mile service. My '15 GSW now has 14,500 on it, and the "Add AdBlue" warning came on. I drive a mix of highway and city, averaging 42 mpg. Why would the warning come on only 4,500 miles after top off??? I'll check under the hood as recommended above, but if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

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Do you know for sure that the dealer actually topped it off? If so, any chance the emissions have been turned on? I'm at 9.1k miles, and I just got my first oil change warning for 10k but no adblue warning yet

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jen_madcity · Jan 1, 2016

sapgar said:
Do you know for sure that the dealer actually topped it off? If so, any chance the emissions have been turned on? I'm at 9.1k miles, and I just got my first oil change warning for 10k but no adblue warning yet

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Well, having not witnessed them doing it I guess I can't say for sure. Invoice says it was done. No crystallization in engine compartment. I also wonder if they did the 2306 update against my wishes...not on invoice and I wasn't asked about it, but car seems to go thru more frequent regen cycles. Sigh.

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manyVAGs · Jan 2, 2016

This might explain the anomalous use of AdBlue for some drivers. This was for a european TDI but if they did something similar in the US and you drive like the EPA test protocol you may use much more DEF than someone who drives more aggressively.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/12/strangely-volkswagens-defeat-device-normal-mode-video/

AdBlue consumption on Mk7 Golf?

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