r/Audi • u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition • Oct 31 '24
Tech AdBlue the worst system mankind invented
Change my mind 😐
(And no, there a no scratches on the speedometer cover, something got reflected 🤷🏼)
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u/comdude2 B9 A5 Stage 1 Oct 31 '24
It’s a terrible system and the system gets clogged quite commonly. My adblue pump died last year and thankfully I was within warranty or I’d have had to pay out almost £2k as the pump and reservoir get replaced together
Definitely wouldn’t buy a car with adblue ever again
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Oct 31 '24
Yeah totally relatable, I won't buy a car with AdBlue ever again either....
3
u/Confident_As_Hell Oct 31 '24
The only new diesel vehicle I would consider buying is a van if I needed one. I love diesels but they just don't make sense in passenger cars nowadays, from monetary standpoint. Unless you drive like 50k km a year or something where the fuel savings are more than the increased maintenance costs
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u/username71548 Oct 31 '24
I gave up on modern diesels, too complicated
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u/victorpaparomeo2020 Oct 31 '24
What?! Too clean and powerful for you?!
13
u/Thorium12 Year Make Model Oct 31 '24
Modern diesels are too chocked up by emissions and too similar to gas engines.
Compression ratios have been down down for years.
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u/kristmace 2021 e-tron 55 Sportback Oct 31 '24 edited Nov 01 '24
I've had a Skoda with AdBlue Diesel engine for 4 years. No issues at all. There's a filling station half a mile from my house with a dispenser. The car warns me when there's less than 1000 miles before it needs topping up (about every 6 months) and it costs about £10.
For that, it reduces the emissions meaning my vehicle tax is £30 a year instead of £190.
1
u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
I guess it's like gambling if the system will be faulty or not 🤷🏼😅
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u/AffectionateCoach837 2017 A4 Avant Oct 31 '24
Had the same problem couple of days ago, turns out Adblue was empty
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Oct 31 '24
The "AdBlue is empty" message popped up about two weeks ago, filled it up a few days later, so this can't be it 😅
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u/_eg0_ 2021 S4 Avant Oct 31 '24
Could be crystalisation from filling up now blocking a valve or injector.
1
u/Tzunamitom Nov 01 '24
Fill it aaaaall the way. Usually about 20-25l, then the message should hopefully go away within 100km as the crystals are diluted!
1
u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
According to the manual the AdBlue tank volume is around 13L if I'm not mistaken 🤷🏼
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u/Gr0lschje Oct 31 '24
You can mod your engine software, its a fraction of the costs to repair your adblue system.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Oct 31 '24
I could, but then the German "TÜV" wouldn't give the permission to drive it because of "poor" emission values....
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u/Desutor 21‘ Audi A8 60e / 15‘ Bentley CGTS / 24‘ Formentor VZ5 Oct 31 '24
Dafür hat man eben Freunde beim Tüv. Wat denkste wie die alle ohne DPF, AGR und AdBlue trotzdem alle 2 Jährchen nen Siegelchen bekommen?
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u/mmarkomarko Oct 31 '24
This. A few hundred euros and you don't have to worry about adblue ever again
4
u/Psychonaut84 Oct 31 '24
You should buy a private jet. Absolutely zero restrictions on those.
1
u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
The problem is, I don't like to fly with a plane 😂😅
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u/Big-Seaweed-7603 Oct 31 '24
It may just need adblue. I have a 2016 a6 tdi in the states. So far problem free, and get a notification that I need to add adblue in the next 1000 miles, or may not be able to start car.
As others have stated, there are tunes to bypass
3
u/andyjcw Nov 01 '24
closely followed by DPF.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
True thing, both are good inventions emission wise, but not the way to implement it...
0
u/Kryptobasisti Nov 01 '24
Why? Unless you drive very short distances, DPFs don't clog that easily and there are 15 year-old cars that haven't had any DPF issues. Sure, fuel mileage and power is a bit worse, but that's a trade off for not having to breath cancerous diesel exhaust particles. If you don't mind them, I know an old diesel Mercedes that puts out pitch black smoke, if you want to take a breath from the exhaust pipe.
DPF is the best out of the three (>EGR & AdBlue).
0
u/andyjcw Nov 01 '24
lol.
1
u/Kryptobasisti Nov 01 '24 edited Nov 01 '24
A new DPF costs ~500-700 € which is less than new set of good tyres. If you can't afford that once in 10-15 years, then lol indeed. DPFs were way more expensive back in 2008 or so.
And please do go inhale that black soot from old diesel cars straight from the exhaust, it's good for you. I've once lived 150 meters from a high traffic road and the amount of black soot in the air ventilation filters was crazy. This isn't about climate change, it's about not making everyone around you (including asthmatics) inhale toxic particles.
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u/Tjallaballa Oct 31 '24
It radically lowers NOx emissions. You know that the system is there when you buy a modern diesel, if that does not suit you, you should not buy a diesel. For the people around you its certainly not the worst system mankind invented.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
I know 100% of what the system does and it's definitely a good idea but it's poorly implemented in my opinion :/ At least let me drive more than 1000km with a faulty system . My last car had this issue pop up when we were almost 1000km away on vacation .....
4
u/Secret-Assistance-10 Oct 31 '24
I'd argue it's a pretty good invention since it reduces the amount of NOX your car releases (it's a very cancerous particle).
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Oct 31 '24
You're totally right, the idea itself is good, but the way it's implemented is 'meh'😅
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u/TjackJack Oct 31 '24
Swing by a tuning place and take it away
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Oct 31 '24
If I do this the german TÜV wouldn't let me drive it until the system is working as intended again 🥴 If I'm going to the TÜV with this error, it's the same thing as described in the first sentence :/
1
u/TjackJack Oct 31 '24
Really? In Sweden its allowed 🧐🧐
1
u/NATOuk Oct 31 '24
In the UK they have MOT inspections every year (once the car is over 3 years old), if they see there’s been any tampering with the emissions system they will fail the car and you can’t legally drive it until it’s put back to original spec
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
Exactly this is what the TÜV is like, except you only have to visit them every two years
1
u/TjackJack Nov 01 '24
I see. In sweden you have to visit every year for older cars. Its more for safety like brakes, safety lamps, airbags, shocks etc. If you did a stage 2 and had the AdBlue removed they dont really care aslong as your Co2 is within the limit. If you rebuilt the car and added like 300hp to the engine then yes you would have to go thru some other stuff aswell
1
u/Emotional-Start7994 2015 Audi A7 3.0 TDI Quattro Nov 01 '24
But how can they detect if the AdBlue system is disabled? It's a visual inspection so if there are no warning lights it'll pass.
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u/NATOuk Nov 01 '24
I guess so, but they also do an emissions particulate test which I imagine would fail if the AdBlue wasn’t there
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u/Emotional-Start7994 2015 Audi A7 3.0 TDI Quattro Nov 03 '24
They do , but the NOx levels will still fall within the limits required for an MOT and still pass.
Some cars can't even have the emissions test carried out due to the rev limiter which stops them from revving the engine high enough for the machine. So in this case it is entirely a visual inspection. There is no way it can be detected using current testing methods.
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u/NATOuk Nov 03 '24
That’s interesting, what’s the point of a NOx test if it can’t detect if the car’s emission system isn’t actually functioning ?
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u/Emotional-Start7994 2015 Audi A7 3.0 TDI Quattro Nov 03 '24
The test is simply to check if they are within limits. Even without the AdBlue system they most likely are, and thus it passes. It does seem pointless, especially on newer cars.
I believe the NOx limit for the MOT is 0.25 gm/km, which is the exact same as required for a Euro 4 compliant engine (which of course does not have AdBlue).
Euro 6 compliance requires a NOx limit of 0.08 gm/km, so it may not meet this limit but will still meet the MOT limit.
1
u/NATOuk Nov 03 '24
That’s interesting. My Audi diesel was one of the last before the AdBlue came in and I assumed the test would look for the required NOx levels for the engine type? Clearly not!
I did ask a mechanic whether I should have got a Euro 6 model (only a year older than mine) and he emphatically shook his head and said I have the better option. Apparently simpler, less likely to fail. I’ll take that as a win
2
u/AllAloneWithNoOne Oct 31 '24
Idk if I'm listening to the right one based on your track showing. But whatever one I'm listening to is absolutely intense. Might be a powerwolf fan going forward
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
Yes you are listening to the right one, and I'm happy to hear, that you like them :D
2
u/Charming_CiscoNerd Oct 31 '24
Good post but does this meaning you have to add adblue?
Or is something broken?
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
I'm pretty sure something is broken, because it's not the message where it tells me to fill up AdBlue, this message popped up around two weeks ago which is like "bla bla refill AdBlue, 2400km range" I did this pretty soon after it showed up so there is for enough AdBlue in the tank 🤷🏼😐
1
u/Charming_CiscoNerd Nov 01 '24
Ive had this issue, Audi main dealer filled my ad blue up, then two weeks later, it says fill up.
I had an Audi service, and they asked anything else wrong, I said yes I have warranty and the ad blue message is up. This was a shock to them, probably because of the costs if they needed to replace it.
They looked at it, came back said it’s fine, and I recall they reset the Adblue counter whatever that means.
It’s worth getting a diagnostic test
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 02 '24
Yeah I'm trying to get an appointment next week in a workshop, the sooner it's fixed, the better👍🏼
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u/Irfaan_100 Nov 01 '24
Man that’s. Lot of scratches
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 02 '24
Do I sense sarcasm here or are you serious 😂😅
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u/Havok-303 Year Make Model Oct 31 '24
Neutralising harmful exhaust emissions, definitely the worst system mankind ever invented.
It's cheap and lasts for ages, the system warns you to top it up with plenty of notice. If your car won't go, that's on you not AdBlue.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
I'm fully aware of what this system does, and it's generally a good invention no doubt. My point was more about the way it's implemented, at least let me drive an unlimited range if something is wrong with this system, I mean if the catalytic converter (cc) has a problem your car doesn't tell you "Only X-km left before you can't start the car anymore" and the cc does neutralise harmful exhaust gases as well. 🤷🏼
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u/DontMindMeFine Oct 31 '24
Same. Got 350km left and the appointment is Friday next week. Love it.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24 edited Nov 01 '24
I feel with you 🫠😐 If you don't mind telling me, I'm interested what the exact problem on your car was after they checked it
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u/DontMindMeFine Nov 17 '24
Kurzes Update. Audi meinte die müssen alles tauschen und würde 2000-2500 Euro kosten.
Auslesung zuhause meinte Steuergerät also haben wir das ausgebaut und an so ne Firma geschickt die das Ding für 285 Euro repariert hat (war ein Wasserschaden). Steuergerät kam nach einer Woche wieder, wieder eingebaut (ist easy no Problem) und seitdem alles gut.
Einfach nur 1/10 von dem bezahlt was Audi quasi wollte. Schon enttäuschend.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 18 '24
Interessant, freut mich definitiv zu hören, dass das Problem bei dir/ihnen kostengünstig gelöst werden konnte😃👍🏼, das ist beim AdBlue system ja eher selten der Fall 😅
Bei mir ist der Fehler dann auch erstmal wieder von selbst verpufft und gut eine Woche später wiedergekommen 😵💫 am 29.11 ist der Termin in der Werkstatt(selbstverständlich nicht bei Audi selbst 😅), mal sehen was die finden
1
u/orangecake40 Oct 31 '24
Actually you are the second guy in 24 hours i read on reddit about hating Blue stuff (the other guy has a MB Bluetec). Is it that bad to refill?
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
Refilling isn't the problem, this always worked fine, this message indicates a fault within the AdBlue system 🫤
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u/SvnRex Oct 31 '24
I have a few cars with Adblue systems and the big problem for me is not the tech or that it fails its that there is so little support from the industry.
Have a sensor failure, replace the whole thing tank and all. Want to fix the system, sorry no info, replace the whole system is the only option.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 02 '24
Well, that's right, I had to replace the AdBlue tank on my former car and the error still popped up randomly and no one found out why...
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u/CP9ANZ Nov 01 '24
Are we going to play make believe that the rest of the car doesn't have problems?
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u/BirdMemeMaker22 Nov 01 '24
Just had this same issue few days ago after refilling adblue. Took it to the service, they said the tank is busted and needs to be replaced, got quoted 2150€ for parts and labor 🥲
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
I completely feel with you, my prior car (A4) had a busted AdBlue tank as well, replacement was around 3000€.... :/
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u/RegularOrdinary9875 Nov 01 '24
You can just remove it in a car software. I have payed 50euro for it and its all cool
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u/mister_puddin_pop Oct 31 '24
Delete it bro. That’s the first thing I’m doing after my warranty is up. If that system fails the car won’t start and it provides no benefit to you.
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u/elbarto1773 2021 Audi S3 Oct 31 '24
I would never buy a diesel but I only ever hear negative press about this AdBlue - emissions regulations have gone mad and the sooner they’re reeled in the better imo.
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 01 '24
Haven't heard any positive press about it either, but this might be, because a positive article wouldn't be as "interesting" as writing about the complaints🤷🏼
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u/elbarto1773 2021 Audi S3 Nov 02 '24
I wouldn’t argue with that but I use the term ‘press’ figuratively and just mean the experiences of friends and family who have had AdBlue… seems to cause more problems than it solves. Hope you get it sorted anyway mate!
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u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Nov 02 '24
Makes sense :D, and thank you, trying to get an appointment in a workshop next week to get whatever needs to be done as soon as possible
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u/zipika 2013 A6 C7 Avant/3.0 TFSI 450 hp Oct 31 '24
Diesel in cars, worst thing ever invented after electric. Coming from an EU third world country citizen where 95% of cars are 400.000 km+ diesels
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u/teriaksu C8 A7 55 TFSI / B9.5 Q5 55 TFSI-e / GBNF B8.5 A4 allroad stage3 Oct 31 '24
you wanted a diesel, you got a diesel. stop complaining
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u/FPSUsername 2015 A3 1.4TFSI Stage 1 170hp/310Nm Oct 31 '24
And eventually it may not enter certain zones in cities, but a catless petrol powered car from the 50's has no issue.
Diesel has a huge potential but it's being shitted on with all these restrictions
1
u/DrunkenSailor89 2015 A6 Competition Oct 31 '24
Totally right, I might be a fool, that I gave AdBlue another chance after my former car had this AdBlue issue the entire 2 years I owned it... I'm getting a petrol powered engine next year for sure
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u/Due_Yam_3604 2019 A6 Prestige Oct 31 '24
you wanted ze diesel, ya?