Ad blue issues

[Dirk Claymore]

We have exactly this issue.

We’re near Chamonix, facing a 600 mile drive with only 300 miles of range before the engine no-start kicks in.

I made the mistake of taking it to a VW garage near Chamonix, who diagnosed the the AB sensor has failed (no replacement tank available in France).

RAC won’t rescue as it’s been to a garage without calling RAC first. They also cancelled the policy for the remainder of the trip. . No rescue, no replacement car, no nothing. (Won’t be using them again)

Choices appear to be:
- attempt to drive it back to the ferry port and onto the ferry without stopping the engine, only to break down on the ferry. (Not great, as travelling with a child)
- have replacement tank shipped over from uk by DHL, get it fixed here eventually. Drive back. £££
- pay for private recovery.

Or another as yet unknown option. Help!

 

[Banditvic]

We ended up getting the van taken back by a private company, I have now had tge ad blue delete done by a UK company which cost £350 and took 40 mins, if you can get someone in France to do the same I would suggest that, we are still disputing with the RAC over costs.

 

[Dirk Claymore]

We ended up getting the van taken back by a private company, I have now had tge ad blue delete done by a UK company which cost £350 and took 40 mins, if you can get someone in France to do the same I would suggest that, we are still disputing with the RAC over costs.

Oof. Bad luck. Out of curiosity, how much was recovery, roughly? Will definitely be looking into the ad blue delete.

 

[Banditvic]

£1,800 for recovery.
I would fight the case when you get home.
I was also going to drive to Calais and park it at the local Vw garage and hope they would give me the 50 mile reset which would get me to the uk.
Unfortunately my wife wasn't happy to do that.

 

[Ayjay]

@Dirk Claymore. Out of interest, when did the warning first appear? Whenever it's happened on my van, it's always started at 650 miles and (so far anyway!) always corrected itself before getting as low as 300 miles (by which time, I think I'd be getting even more concerned).

 

[Dirk Claymore]

@Dirk Claymore. Out of interest, when did the warning first appear? Whenever it's happened on my van, it's always started at 650 miles and (so far anyway!) always corrected itself before getting as low as 300 miles (by which time, I think I'd be getting even more concerned).

Yes, it started at 600 miles, but I’d just filled the ad blue tank, so I assumed it would reset. 300 miles across central France later, and it’s still counting down.

 

[Dirk Claymore]

Spoke to local UK VW dealership, who suggested going downhill to make the engine over-run (run at higher revs) which might trigger a realignment.

 

[jimc91]

I posted before that this happened to me two years ago whilst also driving in France, it reset itself and two years later has never returned- I’m convinced it’s driving long distances in warm weather on the wrong side of the road - ok I might be wrong on the last bit but it’s the kind of diagnosis I would expect from VW. I’m off to France in September so fully expecting it to come back - hope it resets for you

 

[Dirk Claymore]

Spoke to local UK VW dealership, who suggested going downhill to make the engine over-run (run at higher revs) which might trigger a realignment.

Yup, that didn’t work.

 

[Ayjay]

@Dirk Claymore. It's a good job that you don't live in The Netherlands or even parts of Norfolk as you might have had to drive quite a long way to get to a decent hill only to find that VW were talking ballox for a change.

 

[manfrotto]

I like the te idea of the temporary (or permanent reset by VW). Or someone else with VCDS in France?

 

[Lubrown]

Yup, that didn’t work.

I’m no mechanic but this did sound like classic IT “have you tried turning it off and on again”.

 

[Dirk Claymore]

So, we opted for ‘drive as far as we could get and then fill up before going into No-Start mode and then drive to the port in a a single blast with auto stop turned off’.

8 hours straight from Chamonix to Ouistreham, managed to find a garage near the harbour (Midas Autos, Ouistreham) that knew about the ‘emergency thirty miles’ with about ten minutes to spare, and they reset it for free (unlike VW who were totally useless). Currently in the queue at the harbour.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. Should be able to drop off luggage and bikes and get the old girl to my local garage (as long as I remember to turn the autostop off in the morning! ).

Cheers all.

 

[Banditvic]

That's great news, i actually had a Carista obd thing and was wondering if I could have done the re set with that, but the wife was too stressed out for me to try.
Hope you get home OK.

 

[Stay Frosty]

So, we opted for ‘drive as far as we could get and then fill up before going into No-Start mode and then drive to the port in a a single blast with auto stop turned off’.

8 hours straight from Chamonix to Ouistreham, managed to find a garage near the harbour (Midas Autos, Ouistreham) that knew about the ‘emergency thirty miles’ with about ten minutes to spare, and they reset it for free (unlike VW who were totally useless). Currently in the queue at the harbour.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. Should be able to drop off luggage and bikes and get the old girl to my local garage (as long as I remember to turn the autostop off in the morning! ).

Cheers all.

Didn't go Cherbourg to Poole?
I reckon your French language skills must be fluent as I would have ended up minus one kidney at that useless VW garage.