How to Refill AdBlue in Fiat Ducato?

[PlymBob]

Help please?
It's a Fiat Ducato and tells me I need to top up AdBlue soon. The dashboard looks like half empty. I've never done this before and I'm in France.
Can I top up at a filling station pump or do I need to buy a (probably plastic) can of AdBlue?
Or what?

 

[CAB96]

The US might have only band the use of Chrysotile Asbestos/White Asbestos YESTERDAY (18th March 2024) but AdBlue or DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) has been mandatory in heavy diesel vehicles since 2010, yep surprised me.
Though saying band, manufacturers have 10 years to source and implement replacement material.

AdBlue/DEF is also on the diesel pick-up trucks but at 6.7L they are pretty much lorries. Not sure what the thought process was but watch a guy full up his GMC Dinali with diesel, drive off, turn round and come back to the DEF pump. Seems the fuel filler is rear left and DEF in under the bonnet on the right. Being short he had some trouble getting the nozzle into the DEF tank.

Walmart is the cheapest we've found $10 for 9.5L, cheaper than any pump price I've see.
They do another brand that is $23 why would you?
Going to bring back a couple of the containers and refill using pumps as that is the cheapest way I've seen it in Europe. Not seen pumps in UK but presume they'll appear at some point..

Seems a bit over the top to save a few quid? But unlikely to be nicked en voyage I suppose.

10l is a Tenner delivered on Ebay.

Edit: apologies, gone up a bit since October, £12.75 now.

 

[seasideBill]

For those who might be tempted….advice in the Fiat Ducato Manual is NOT to use any additives with AdBlue.

 

[Jez1966]

Seems a bit over the top to save a few quid? But unlikely to be nicked en voyage I suppose.

10l is a Tenner delivered on Ebay.

Edit: apologies, gone up a bit since October, £12.75 now.

It's for refilling the empty 10l container, not the saving on buying in US AdBlue/DEF and they have the correct
markings.
Only 10l I've seen in Ebay anywhere near £12.75 are collection only.

 

[Jez1966]

No not an argument...
It was my attempt to be facetious in #22 but it went over Jez1966 head and they then started a "debate"..

Agree it went over my head, but as the conversation was not of a serious nature, I took "I might dye" as a play on words.
My issue is your accusation post #28 that I edited my posts.
You write "Yes you did... however you changed it after my initial post so are you saying you can willy nilly change your posts, and then indicate that I am in the wrong."
As Post #29 my post was not edited.
No issue with admitting to being wrong as "the only people who are never wrong are those that do nothing".
It's a quote not personally directed.

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[Coolcats]

When my adblu light came on in France, I bought some and added about 10 L. The light stayed on and I had read that failing to top up could cause the vehicle to refuse to start. I tried a few garages as there seemed to be a problem, but no one wanted to help. Three days and about 100 miles later, the light went out. Much to my relief.

This is similar to TPS in that if a light comes on regarding loss of pressure once you re-inflate the tyre to the correct pressure you have to drive a number of miles before the TPS light goes out. I suspect the manual may tell you this for the add blue.

 

[Tio64]

Hi all,

I can answer many of the questions on here about adblue as we suffered a failure of the system on our vehicle 3 weeks ago, end of February '24.

We were travelling through France, returning from Spain, when the adblue refill warning light came on (our 2021 Fiat Ducato does not have a gauge, I believe the subsequent generation - Mark 8? - does) followed quite quickly by three warning messages I hadn't seen before, essentially warning me that unless I refill with adblue the vehicle will not restart after being switched off.

I believe the warning light to refill comes on when the tank is 50% empty, which is exactly what mine proved to be. The initial 50% tank capacity lasts about 1500 miles, however the warning messages that will flag up if you don't refill make driving much further a tad uncomfortable.

We were lucky in that the warning messages about not restarting occurred as we were approaching our overnight aire, so I was able to park properly for the night, refill the adblue, switch off - and found the vehicle would not start. (Also worth remembering, we were in France/Europe where they have aires, the UK has almost none, I don't know where I would have parked had this happened in the UK).

Long story short - our breakdown service arranged recovery of the vehicle the next day to the nearest Fiat Professional dealer. The adblue tank needed to be replaced, it took a week to get one, we checked into an apartment in Poitiers where we spent the week. The bill for the repair was 1825 euros. The van was just two months out of warranty, I have written to Fiat asking for a goodwill payment, they have refused. Interestingly, one of the reasons for refusing the goodwill contribution was that the breakdown was in France. I'm going to ask them again, then if refused I'll publish the letters here on MH Fun.

We were also lucky in that we are a retired couple so a week in France wasn't too much of a hardship. Had we been a working couple, or had we been close to our 90 day limit, we would have had to have flown home. Repatriation of the van was considered but I've been put off by reports of taking weeks to get van back. We were also lucky imo that we don't have pets or children with us.

The nature of the breakdown has left me very cross. I believe the problem with our system is that the adblue device could not measure the quantity in the tank, however there was fluid in the tank and the vehicle should be able to use that and continue to operate. By programming the system to not restart for such a minor fault tells me that Safety has NOT been put first, AT ALL. Cars have adblue too, imagine being a family travelling at night or on a lengthy journey and the car puts up messages that it is not going to restart after being switched off? When there is actually nothing significantly wrong with the vehicle?

To this end I have had the adblue system deleted from the vehicle's ecu so that hopefully we will not be troubled again. There are business's that can do this.

Re other questions - adblue can be obtained from pumps or easily and readily from plastic containers, which is about as environment unfriendly as it gets. The pumps I used on 2 occasions did not click off when full, they just overspill, exactly as when filling with plastic containers.

I don't believe adblue is corrosive, however spillages do quickly crystallise, which looks very unsightly, but it easily swills off with water - hence whenever i fill up i just glug some water over the area to wash off.

It just so happens that where I live there isn't a convenient filling station with adblue, for me it's no more harder to get LPG than it is adblue, so I have bought 10 litre containers and filled up at home, and put the empty containers in the recycling (but who knows what happens to them?).

So that's our experience of adblue: Two years and two months after taking delivery of the vehicle, we get an 1,825 euro bill for a failure of the adblue system which left us stranded in France for 7 nights.

Should anyone like to read further, I posted a lengthy thread split into 2. It is a long read though, 'cos I was still seething.

2021 Adria Matrix Adblue Nightmare and Other Problems Part One.

Hi all, this is going to be one heck of a long post, but hopefully one that will give a warning and raise genuine points of discussion. The post is maybe too long, I'll do it in two parts. I've posted it in chat and not technical because I think this should go to a wider audience (if prepared to...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

2021 Adria Matrix Adblue Nightmare and Other Problems Part Two.

The engine light does come on although later in the journey than previously. In the ferry queue at Dover I try my new dongle for the first time and am impressed with it and the app. I get 3 fault codes, one relating to an Eco Button light signal failure - I'm not aware of any such failure - and...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[seasideBill]

This is similar to TPS in that if a light comes on regarding loss of pressure once you re-inflate the tyre to the correct pressure you have to drive a number of miles before the TPS light goes out. I suspect the manual may tell you this for the add blue.

Manual says….

“Operations after refilling
Proceed as follows:
fit the cap (C)fig. 148 back on the
AdBlue® (UREA) filler by turning it clockwise and screwing it completely;
set the starter switch to MAR (it is not necessary to start the engine);
wait for the indication on the instrument panel to switch off before moving the vehicle. The indication may stay on for a few seconds to approximately half a minute.
If the engine is started and the vehicle is moved, the indication will remain on for longer. This will not compromise engine operation;
if the AdBlue® was topped up when the tank was empty, refer to the “Refuelling ” paragraph, and wait for 2 minutes before starting the engine.
WARNING If AdBlue® (UREA) is spilled”

 

[Tony50]

I went to a filling station near Benidorm, said I wanted 5 litre can of adblu he said a lot cheaper from pump asked how much cheaper , it was 6 times cheaper than 5 litre can an, I filled up at pump

 

[gus-lopez]

I would never allow the adblu to get anywhere near needing refilling by refilling the same as I do with the windscreen washers daily check every other day top up. You don't ever want to see the light as it may never turn off as many have found out.Best is as posted .delete the shite.

what happens if you were to run out of Adblue?

These days they are programmed to shut the vehicle down.All wrong

nd not just Ducato's, but vehicles in general?

as above they stop

To this end I have had the adblue system deleted from the vehicle's ecu so that hopefully we will not be troubled again.

Best way.

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[poppycamper]

would never allow the adblu to get anywhere near needing refilling by refilling the same as I do with the windscreen washers daily check every other day top up. You don't ever want to see the light as it may never turn off as many have found out.Best is as posted .delete the shite.

My thoughts exactly... If I had Adblue I think, regardless of extra cost, I would carry a container of it and top up every 2 or 3 times I put diesel in, and not wait to be told to top it up.!

 

[Tio64]

I haven't seen reports of the adblue fill light not going out, I don't think that's an issue in itself and it comes on at 50%... We never had a problem with that, just have ignition on when filling and light swiftly goes out.

Having said that, yeah, just fill up every 1000 miles or so. It is a little bit of a faff to fill from a container on a Ducato. I always used to fill it at home before a journey, the light has only ever come on a European trip.

It is a job that can easily be done on a campsite though.

 

[Peavy]

Since I got the van (one and a half years now), I try not to let the adblue go down too much. I try to refill each 2 or 3 tanks (always from the pump), so it doesn't go down from 3/4 level in the electronic display.
So far so good, but, TBH, I just see potential problems with this system and don't like it at all, but I try not to think too much about it.
I shouldn't read these threads

 

[ontheroadagain]

For those who might be tempted….advice in the Fiat Ducato Manual is NOT to use any additives with AdBlue.

I put a bottle of Forte Adblue Exhaust Crystal Preventer in my Adblue tank a few months ago.
I am not concerned as Forte have a good reputation.
I don't think they would be selling an additive that is likely to do any harm.
The big question is will it do any good?


www.forteuk.co.uk/product/exhaust-crystal-preventer

 

[Jez1966]

If you want a diesel van without AdBlue it will need to be pre Sept 2014, based on the below article.*

We've covered 62,000 miles in our 21 Ducato 2.3 Diesel Max, 8,000 UK/Europe & 54,000 USA.
We originally used to top it up every few diesel fill ups (No level indicator) but as the usage over the past year
from full to warning light has ranged from 600 to 2400 miles we were frequently overfilling, so now wait for the
warning light.

I think like so many things there is a % failure rate, our DPF failed at 2,500 and from reading posts it seem that
component at that approx mileage failure is "common". We are naturally stuck with it, some talk about reprogramming
ECU to "remove AdBlue" but no one has answered if an van passes the MOT emissions without AdBlue.
Seems it's getting into VW/Audi territory.

Sorry no grand solution.

*

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The latest of these, the Euro 6 from 2014 had the primary objective to restrict the release of NOx by vehicles on the road and applied to new type approvals from September 2014 and all new cars from September 2015.

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[Tony50]

So some of you say get rid of adblu by doctoring your ECU, I is that a way of saying sod it I don't care if I help to pour more poison into the world, I'm already worried for the health of my Grandchildren, I suggest perhaps some of you should act more responsible

 

[Tio64]

There are many ways of looking at it, ie if you're that worried should you even be motorhoming?
Do you believe the manufacturers about what adblue achieves, after all the motor industry has shown itself to be utterly untrustworthy throughout it's existence. The business that did my adblue delete stated firmly that adblue is a scam and it achieves nothing, but I have no way of knowing either way.
Hundreds of millions of tons of adblue are manufactured and transported around the world. It uses synthetic urea, which is a key ingredient in fertiliser, so demand has increased the cost of fertiliser and hence food.
Countless millions of plastic containers are produced annually to retail adblue, what happens to these containers afterwards?
MOT tests do not measure Nox, in fact I'm told on MOT nothing is measured other than soot. That makes me suspicious.
In short, we have simply no way of knowing either way if any emission reductions at all are achieved, no way at all. We have no choice but to accept what we are told. It may be that cleaner tailpipe emissions are achieved, it may be at a cost of higher emissions overall. We don't know.

So some of you say get rid of adblu by doctoring your ECU, I is that a way of saying sod it I don't care if I help to pour more poison into the world, I'm already worried for the health of my Grandchildren, I suggest perhaps some of you should act more responsible

 

[Lenny HB]

If you want a diesel van without AdBlue it will need to be pre Sept 2014, based on the below article.*

Fiat Ducato does not use adblue untill 2019.
The first Euro 6 Ducato's from 2016 to 2019 have a dual EGR valves and no adlue.

 

[poppycamper]

If you want a diesel van without AdBlue it will need to be pre Sept 2014

2016 for Movano's

 

[seasideBill]

Fiat Ducato does not use adblue untill 2019.
The first Euro 6 Ducato's from 2016 to 2019 have a dual EGR valves and no adlue.

Yes, my last van was 2018 and no Adblue.

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[Spriddler]

I have some motorbikes, a petrol car, a diesel car and a diesel Moho. I actually do a double treble check before I stick any nozzle into anything.

I'm the same; ethanol-free in two vintage bikes and ethanol petrol in one modern bike and the cars, plus diesel m/h.
At the pumps I actually mutter under my breath, e.g: "It's the Kawasaki. It requires normal petrol which is the green filler gun".

 

[Jez1966]

Fiat Ducato does not use adblue untill 2019.
The first Euro 6 Ducato's from 2016 to 2019 have a dual EGR valves and no adlue.

EGR valves have been around a lot longer and whole other topic.
In my experience I have had more issues with EGR, 2 fail in 3 years on 2006 (1st lasted 10 years 2nd failed within 3 years of replacement) on 2L Astra Diesel Turbo, they don't like short journey/low mileage.
No issue on 2006 Citroen but they have greater diesel experience in my view.

If 2016 Ducato is Euro 6, without AdBlue why change?

 

[Lenny HB]

If 2016 Ducato is Euro 6, without AdBlue why change?

That was OK for Euro 6c but not Euro 6d.

 

[Jez1966]

That was OK for Euro 6c but not Euro 6d.

Well every day is a school day, you sunk my battleship..

 

[oldiesontour]

Adblue WITH crystal preventer additive after a couple of weeks,left in a pot...tried swilling it round gently no change.
Does aadative work ?

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[oldiesontour]

Try again

 

[Birty]

You get a warning saying top up with 1000mile left to go so no excuses really!