What is Ad blue?

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Mon 15 Feb 2010 17:08
What is Ad blue? - ifithelps
I've noticed one or two filling stations have large surface tanks labelled Ad blue.

A quick search on the net tells me it's some additive for diesel engines, but seems to be suitable only for HGVs.

The Wiki entry - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdBlue - is a bit hard to fathom.

Could one of our resident truckers tell me what this stuff is meant to do?

And more importantly, does it work?



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Mon 15 Feb 2010 17:12
What is Ad blue? - pda
It's a urea solution injected into the exhaust gasses to clean the gasses before they enter the atmosphere. It's peculiar to the Euro 4 & 5 engines and they won't work without it.
It's a system adopted by everyone apart from Scania and MAN to provide a more efficient combustion with lower emissions.
Scania and MAN use exhaust gas recirculation which doesn't need an additive and is a far superior system in my opinion.

Hope that helps:)

Pat
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Mon 15 Feb 2010 17:28
What is Ad blue? - ifithelps
Pat,

Thanks, clearer and certainly more concise than Wiki.

In terms of using this stuff, does the driver have to keep an on-board tank topped up, rather like a washer bottle?



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Mon 15 Feb 2010 17:30
What is Ad blue? - pda
Yes, and it's not easy to find either.

If you run out it will still go ( very slowly) but does do damage to the engine.
I really can't imagine why so many opted for this way of doing it when Scania and MAN did it the simple way.
But I'm a Scania woman through and through:)

Pat
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Mon 15 Feb 2010 17:52
What is Ad blue? - nb857
We have a tractor running on ad blue. It's 2009 Tier 3B, I think. More power than the one it replaced and uses less fuel, including the ad blue. Tractors all get independently tested, and the ones like ours are quite a bit more efficient than the competitors running without EGR on the previous emmisions regs.

I don't think running out of ad-blue does any harm, the ECU just shuts the engine down to limp home mode, so you have no power. However, this is no good for fire trucks etc and they have softwear to allow full power if you run out.

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Mon 15 Feb 2010 22:42
What is Ad blue? - bell boy
we we as far as im aware
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 12:08
What is Ad blue? - dieseldogg
As far as I am aware, Scania & Man have had to go down the AdBlue technology type route to meet the latest / impending legistation. A pity if correct as I had much respect for their engineering, based purely on hearsay mind.
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 17:07
What is Ad blue? - AndyT
As far as I am aware Scania & Man have had to go down the
AdBlue technology type route to meet the latest / impending legistation.


Scania do use it in one of their engines, a 12 litre I think. I understand they'll be having to widen its use too.
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 17:50
What is Ad blue? - Dave_TD
wee wee as far as im aware


You beat me to it bb, AdBlue is indeed urea-based! Not sure if one could top up the tank oneself if caught short, if you know what I mean...

Just to clarify one point, you don't add it to the diesel tank, rather it goes in its own separate tank (usually right next to the diesel tank, but much smaller and also clearly marked) and is injected into the engine using dedicated pipework. So don't go thinking you can splash a bit in the CC3 to improve its economy or emissions ;-)
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 17:58
What is Ad blue? - nb857
>> wee wee as far as im aware
You beat me to it bb AdBlue is indeed urea-based! Not sure if one could
top up the tank oneself if caught short if you know what I mean...


I believe that would work.

We buy urea fertiliser by the lorry load, so conceivably could mix our own, but unless we buy the proper branded Ad-Blue from the dealer at a small premium, it's good bye warranty.

I'm not sure how sensitive it is to the quality of the urea solution, or even if water would do, but when we had the tractor first it got it's electronic knickers in a twist over the temperatures. It didn't seem to like the ambient temperature of the Ad-Blue and kept on defaulting to limp mode. It was then duly parked up while the manufacturer wrote us some new softwear. Goes well now though
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Sat 24 Sep 2011 14:07
What is Ad blue? - Jt86
www.ecoadblue.com seems to be a good place to get your adblue from, they do cans, drums, IBC's and bulk adblue.
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Sun 25 Sep 2011 21:33
What is Ad blue? - Roly93
Scania and MAN use exhaust gas recirculation which doesn't need an additive and is a far superior system in my opinion. Hope that helps:) Pat

EGR systems come with their problems too though, like gunked-up and jammed valves, and inlet manifold coking.

I have a diesel Audi and this and most VaG cars use EGR, whilst many other marques such as Citroen, Peugeot, etc use an additive which tends to be yet anotehr thing to get ripped off for at service time.

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Sun 25 Sep 2011 21:46
What is Ad blue? - Collos25

I know no of no engines that do not have EGR valves ,ad blue is not the same as the addative in Peugeot/Citroen engines.

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Mon 26 Sep 2011 22:39
What is Ad blue? - brum

The latest VW Sharan and SEAT Alhambra diesel have adblue. Necessary to comply with Euro V. AFAIK they also have EGR. I cant envisage any modern diesel not having EGR.

If you run out of adblue the engine will refuse to restart once its stopped until you tow it into a dealer and get it refilled and reset.

From what I can gather It requires a special nozzle/fitment to refill which only the dealers have and its apparently very expensive to fill at the dealers as part of the service regime. Rip off price for something thats very cheap to produce.

And its another thing to go wrong, pump and an injector in the exhaust system that looks very flimsy but no doubt costs megabucks to repair/replace which it inevitably will require in old age.

Edited by brum on 26/09/2011 at 22:45

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Wed 9 Jan 2013 23:10
What is Ad blue? - NZfuelsaver

I am using a product that is giving me an extra 120Kms per tank in my Isuzu diesel SUV at a cost of $4.25 NZ per tank. This product prolongs the life of my engine and was developed by NASA and is used in their space program.

Has been used in mining and industrial for last 20 years in USA without 1 complaint. This product really does blow everything else out of the water, but I am biased because I am privy to users comments around the world from chainsaw to long haul big rigs.

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Wed 9 Jan 2013 23:22
What is Ad blue? - bathtub tom

>> This product ...................... was developed by NASA and is used in their space program.

Next time I need to drive a diesel to the moon, I'll have to get some.

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