Warning! AdBlue: What is That?

The latest car maintenance task is AdBlue. For many with a relatively new diesel car they may not have even been aware of this before they made their purchase. A few thousand miles in and up pops a new driver instruction to add emissions additive AdBlue. It will then continue to flash a warning every 50 or miles or so until finally your car won’t start.

So, what is it? Manufactures are constantly looking at ways to reduce exhaust emissions. A leading technology is AdBlue, combined with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst converter. This technology also meets diesel engines Euro 6 emissions rules. These basically came into force to reduce harmful nitrogen-oxide emissions from diesel cars. This is however, not new technology, lorries and buses have been using it for sometime.

Will my car need it? Well, if you have a new diesel car the chances are probably yes, but it is not in all models … yet. It has become a task that although not as frequent as topping up your washer you will find has to be done in between services.

Can I do it myself? You can go to your dealer but it is relatively easy to do yourself. However, depending on your make and model the location will vary. For example on the BMW 5 series it is located next to the fuel nozzle, with the Volkswagen Tiguan it is next to the spare wheel in the boot, so a little more time-consuming. Where can I get it? AdBlue can be picked up at your nearest dealer, but high street car retailers and most garages now sell it on their forecourts.

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