Which is the best Adblue for BMW?

This blog will answer the following questions: which is the best Adblue for BMW? When to refill the Adblue in BMW? What is the use of Adblue in the BMW? How to refill Adblue in BMW?

What are the common problems in the Adblue system of BMW?

Which is the best AdBlue for BMW?

The best Adblue for BMW is the BMW genuine Adblue that is at the authorized dealerships. The part number of the BMW genuine Adblue is 83190441139. It is available in 1.89, 5 and 10 liter bottles. BMW dealerships top-up the Adblue tank at the time of servicing the vehicle. 

BMW adopted the Euro 6 emission norms in 2010 and they were one of the early adopters of the Adblue or diesel emission fluid technology on the diesel cars. The adblue used in the BMW cars must comply with the ISO 22241-1 standards.

The Adblue consists of 32.5 percent of urea and 67.5 percent of deionized water, it is a colorless and non flammable liquid. BMW cars have an Adblue tank either in the engine compartment or near the fuel tank.

The capacity of the Adblue depends on the location and the model but it is large enough to last for one surface interval. The capacity of the Adblue located in the engine compartment is 15 liters while the capacity of the Adblue tank located near the fuel tank is upto 26 liters.

When to refill the Adblue in BMW?

The Adblue or diesel emissions fluid must be topped up at every 10,000 miles. The vehicle will show a warning message in the instrument cluster when there is less than 5 liters of Adblue remaining in the tank.

The warning can also come if the range of the vehicle goes below 1000 miles based on the remaining amount of Adblue in the tank. The consumption of the Adblue is based on the driving style and the quality of the diesel in the vehicle.

The Adblue system uses two Nox sensors to measure the quantity of nitrogen oxides present in the exhaust system. Based on the percentage of Nox in the exhaust gasses, the metering valve is actuated by the adblue or SCR control unit.

What is the use of Adblue in the BMW?

The Adblue is used to break down the nitrogen oxides present in the exhaust gasses into nitrogen, water vapors and a very small amount of carbon dioxide. An injector sprays the Adblue before the selective catalytic reduction. 

The vehicle will show a warning message in the instrument cluster if the Adblue level is below minimum mark. Engine restart is not possible if there is no diesel emission fluid in the tank. Some BMW models use two tanks in the Adblue system.

The active tank has the dosage pump while the passive tank is used to store the Adblue. The dosage pump is actuated by the engine control unit. There is no need to visit the dealership to refill the Adblue.

How to refill Adblue in BMW?

The procedure to refill the Adblue in BMW is explained below.

Refill Adblue tank next to fuel pump:

• Turn of ignition and open the fuel filler flap
• Locate the blue cap with Adblue written on it and rotate it anticlockwise
• Place the Adblue fluid container and screw it to the filler neck. 
• Rotate the container so that adblue can pour in the tank
• Remove the container, close the cap and the fuel filler flap.

Refill Adblue tank in the engine compartment

• Turn off the ignition and open the engine hood.
• Locate the blue Adblue tank cap, it will be on the right side of the engine.
• Turn the cap anticlockwise and screw the Adblue container on the tank.
• Turn the container so that the Adblue can enter the tank.
• After the Adblue container is completely empty, remove the container and close the cap.
• Close the engine hood.

The capacity of the Adblue tank in the engine compartment is less than the tank present near the fuel tank. Usually the Adblue tank is located in the fuel compartment in the Models like the BMW X5 and X7.

The Adblue tank is located near the rear axle in the sedan BMW models like the BMW 5 and 7 series. Both the tanks can be refilled by the customer if the Adblue level is below minimum. The level can be checked in the adblue menu of the vehicle status option.

The Adblue menu will also show the required quantity of Adblue in order to completely fill the tank. After filling the Adblue tank, check the current level and avoid overfilling of the Adblue tank.

What are the common problems in the Adblue system of BMW?

The common problems in the Adblue system of BMW are explained below:

Adblue leak

The Adblue stored in the tank is transferred to the secondary tank or the dosing valve through a rubber hose. The rubber hose is routed behind the heat shield of the engine compartment and it can get cut due to vibrations.

The Adblue leaking from the cracked rubber hose results in a drop in the pressure. As adblue comes in contact with air,it forms white crystals. The colorless Adblue is also very corrosive to aluminum and paint surfaces.

If there is a leak in the Adblue hose, the entire hose must be replaced. Repairing the leak area is not possible due to the material used in the construction of the hose. 

NOx sensor fault

There are two NOx sensors in the Adblue system, it is used to measure the percentage of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust system. If the Nox sensor is not working correctly, the engine control unit cannot determine the injection quantity of the Adblue in the system.

The vehicle will show ‘Adblue system fault, have the system test by service’ message in the media systems display. Excessive black smoke and reduced engine performance are also some of the symptoms of a faulty NOx sensor.

If the electrical coupler and the lines are okay and there is no loose contact or corrosion, replacing the faulty sensor is the only way to fix the fault in the Adblue system.

Conclusion

This blog explained the procedure to refill the Adblue in BMW. BMW provides free refills for Adblue after the periodic maintenance of the vehicle is carried out at an authorized dealership. The process to refill the Adblue is also easy and the driver can refill it. The vehicle will show plenty of warning messages along with the remaining distance. Hence, it is not necessary to carry a container of Adblue in the vehicle.