Survey of Adblue issues suffered by T6 Forum Members

[JLDD]

Further to the above, I collected the van from VW Swindon yesterday (another 1009 mile round trip!). All they had really addressed was the amber 'check engine' light as caused by the two faults that I mentioned at Post #12 above:

-Reductant System Performance Bank 1.​

-SCR Nox Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 1.​

I've had these faults as "intermittent" vie OBD-eleven ever since I got the van. The "All-in Warranty" ran out last year and VW never did anything about these when I asked, apparently because they were only intermittent faults. I think it "might" have had a software update with them.

Just had an AdBlue nightmare that I thought I would share to maintain fellow members' anxiety levels

My van (T6) has had weird AdBlue issues more or less since purchased 2nd hand from Leicester VW (avoid!); AdBlue remaining distance randomly dropping from multiple 000's of miles to <600 miles to no start. Then it would clear itself after a bit of driving and jump up to multiple 000's of miles to go again (without top up).

So I had got used to this issue just sorting itself out... until last week while up in the NW highlands despite topping the AdBlue tank up before travelling c. 400 miles (realised i *may* have overfilled by mistake), the "XXX miles AdBlue remaining" never cleared, slowly declining to 80 (still nearly 400 miles from home). Having read on here that over-filling could be a problem I decanted some, to no effect. So I decided to cut my trip short and drive back in 1 go without stopping the engine. When I got home and parked up, the van did as promised and refused to start again.

I haven't had a chance to get it in to the local garage (trusted and fair priced, but not sure if all that technical with these systems), but today thought I would pop out and fiddle about with ODB-eleven. I tried the "SCR calibration" trick or whatever it's called which didn't seem to do anything. But while I was sat with the key in the ignition the red AdBlue warning (0 miles, no start) suddenly disappeared and was replace with the orange symbol and 35 miles to go. So at least this will let me drive it to the garage to get checked out!

I don't know the moral of this story, yet, but I have a feeling it will be expensive.

 

[Ayjay]

@JLDD Sorry to hear about your problems. Please keep us informed on how things progress and good luck with the wallet lightening!

 

[JLDD]

Latest from me is a local garage has advised 2 options:
1. Replace the whole AdBlue tank (as has been mentioned on here).
2. “Map out” the AdBlue system. Apparently this means that the AdBlue will still be consumed but won’t flag errors on the dash. Anybody know if this is right? How will I know when it needs topping up.

When I mentioned the intermittent fault with the NOx sensor they suggested that’s worth sorting at the same time as it may be related. I’m inclined to agree with this.

Any insight I’m from other would be appreciated. It all feels a bit “black magic” to me!

 

[Ayjay]

As far as I'm aware (which admittedly isn't an awful long way!), if the adblue system is mapped out, the van will NOT consume any adblue - it simply forgets that it even exists. I'm told that a delete is supposed to be reversible but IMHO that might be problematic as whatever adblue is left in the tank and the rest of the adblue system might well start to evaporate and clog everything with crystal deposits. To some extent that doesn't matter if you know it will ever need to be reinstated but might be a concern for the future if your crystal ball tells you that the MOT test will include a physical check of adblue components.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Had one problem, self inflicted, overfilled the ad-blue tank. Got the 600mile countdown of doom. Ignored it, burned some fuel & voila, a couple of hundred miles later, 6000miles. I genuinely suspect that many Ad-blue faults are operator error.

Just to add to this. During our recent skiing trip, I got the amber light of doom on the dash, the Cat converter warning. I’d filled the ad-blue up before we left with the required amount. Normally this gives me a 6000 mile range, but this time it only went to 3000miles, which was odd. Anyway, half way down France the warning light came on, and the range jumped to 4000miles. I ignored it and after around 600 miles it cleared itself. Now back home after doing a total of 2500 miles and the range is still showing 3000.
I plugged in VCDS today and had the P20EE fault and the Urea concentration showing as 0.0% whilst the fault was active. It’s now cleared. I’m guessing it might be a sensor glitch.

 

[JLDD]

Just to add to this. During our recent skiing trip, I got the amber light of doom on the dash, the Cat converter warning. I’d filled the ad-blue up before we left with the required amount. Normally this gives me a 6000 mile range, but this time it only went to 3000miles, which was odd. Anyway, half way down France the warning light came on, and the range jumped to 4000miles. I ignored it and after around 600 miles it cleared itself. Now back home after doing a total of 2500 miles and the range is still showing 3000.
I plugged in VCDS today and had the P20EE fault and the Urea concentration showing as 0.0% whilst the fault was active. It’s now cleared. I’m guessing it might be a sensor glitch.

Sounds eerily similar to how mine started (since commencement of ownership 2 nd hand at 60,000 miles ish in 2022).
Now the AdBlue tank probably needs replacing.

 

[JLDD]

As far as I'm aware (which admittedly isn't an awful long way!), if the adblue system is mapped out, the van will NOT consume any adblue - it simply forgets that it even exists. I'm told that a delete is supposed to be reversible but IMHO that might be problematic as whatever adblue is left in the tank and the rest of the adblue system might well start to evaporate and clog everything with crystal deposits. To some extent that doesn't matter if you know it will ever need to be reinstated but might be a concern for the future if your crystal ball tells you that the MOT test will include a physical check of adblue components.

Thanks. These were the sort of questions I was planning to pose when I drop the van off in person tomorrow.

 

[JLDD]

I read somewhere (this thread or another AdBlue thread on this forum) that there is a pattern of AdBlue tanks failing after c.7yrs. Mines a 67 plate so well past that and just ticked over 100,000 miles. It would have been 5 yrs old ish when I bought it (from VW - “approved” commercials!) and AdBlue problems were first noticed.

Obviously I take the 7 year thing with a healthy pinch of salt. Curious as to the age of your van @Salty Spuds ?

 

[Salty Spuds]

I read somewhere (this thread or another AdBlue thread on this forum) that there is a pattern of AdBlue tanks failing after c.7yrs. Mines a 67 plate so well past that and just ticked over 100,000 miles. It would have been 5 yrs old ish when I bought it (from VW - “approved” commercials!) and AdBlue problems were first noticed.

Obviously I take the 7 year thing with a healthy pinch of salt. Curious as to the age of your van @Salty Spuds ?

9yrs 67kmiles

 

[JLDD]

9yrs 67kmiles

Similar mileage to when my AdBlue system started to play up then, also similarly on a drive across France October 2022!

 

[Ayjay]

There's a couple of us on here who firmly believe that the mere act of driving in France is at least one the potential causes of adblue problems.

 

[JLDD]

As far as I'm aware (which admittedly isn't an awful long way!), if the adblue system is mapped out, the van will NOT consume any adblue - it simply forgets that it even exists. I'm told that a delete is supposed to be reversible but IMHO that might be problematic as whatever adblue is left in the tank and the rest of the adblue system might well start to evaporate and clog everything with crystal deposits. To some extent that doesn't matter if you know it will ever need to be reinstated but might be a concern for the future if your crystal ball tells you that the MOT test will include a physical check of adblue components.

So the garage I took it to (a converter local to me) just cracked on with the delete without double checking with me first! He did say that the parts list for the full repair (tank and Nox sensor(s) )would have come to £1500 without labour, so not too pi$$d off about that. Charged me just north of £550 for it.

His advice was that the van WILL continue to use AdBlue but potentially / likely at a reduced rate. He advised topping it off at every service (at least I don’t need to worry about over-filling it!). On the dash MFD on the AdBlue range page it now says “- - -“ miles/km. He said only the fillup/warning system has actually been disabled.

I was skeptical at first but I’ve since had a couple of hundred mile round-trips to the lakes in the van without problems and currently in the NW highlands. So far so good.

 

[ThunderboltFMF]

Can I chip in here?
I had the Adblue warning and topped it up.
About 1000 miles later, another Adblue alert.
That’s odd thinks I.
Then it goes out.
Next long trip it come on after about 80 miles.
Very odd.
I am guessing at a level/meter issue?

 

[Ayjay]

Not unusual IME. Hopefully it will go back to normal soon - mine always has but I'm dreading that one of these days........

 

[Sasquatch]

If you read the thread in my sig the adblue problems affect very roughly 1.5% of owners that responded, not a bad hit rate (although thats little consolation if it happens to you.)

Problems seem more likely to affedt 6s than 6.1s, although whether thats due to an altered design or a virtue of lesser age is still open to question.

 

[ThunderboltFMF]

If you read the thread in my sig the adblue problems affect very roughly 1.5% of owners that responded, not a bad hit rate (although thats little consolation if it happens to you.)

Problems seem more likely to affedt 6s than 6.1s, although whether thats due to an altered design or a virtue of lesser age is still open to question.

Mine is a T6 2017 T32

 

[Ayjay]

If you read the thread in my sig the adblue problems affect very roughly 1.5% of owners that responded, not a bad hit rate (although thats little consolation if it happens to you.)

Problems seem more likely to affedt 6s than 6.1s, although whether thats due to an altered design or a virtue of lesser age is still open to question.

@Sasquatch, I really don't want to have to read through the entire thread but would be interested in where the 1.5% comes from. Even if it was only 1.5% of everybody that responded to the survey (182 if I'm seeing it correctly), that would only be 3 people (rounded up) but I reckon there's a lot more than that who have posted elsewhere in the forum about experiencing adblue issues ranging from the mild but worrying (ie. incorrect readings that magically reset themselves) to severe incorrect readings that don't reset themselves and VW say will take ££££s to rectify. Please don't think I'm trying to start an argument - I'm not a statistician and just want to understand the conclusions.

 

[Sasquatch]

@Sasquatch, I really don't want to have to read through the entire thread but would be interested in where the 1.5% comes from.

By doing the same back of a fag packet maths you have just done.

that would only be 3 people (rounded up) but I reckon there's a lot more than that who have posted elsewhere in the forum about experiencing adblue issues

Undoubtedly there are. There are also people in the wider forum who haven't had adblue problems and thus havent raised it on the forum themselves.

My assessment is very imperfect, hence me qualifying my statement with If you read the thread in my sig...

Please don't think I'm trying to start an argument

Dont be worrying, I know you're not. Theose are all very valid points/questions.

 

[ThunderboltFMF]

These are the messages from today.
The only messages that I have got.
I put 10l of Adblue in when previous messages said add however much it was, which was close to 10l.
Is there a VCDS reset?

 

[manfrotto]

I'm not sure if there is a reset in VCDS when it is not resetting just after a refill.

This is the "emergency" 50km reset once it gets to the non start condition

This gives you 50km to get the car to the dealers to diagnose the problem.