How to fill AdBlue in diesel cars? Adblue is an additive that more and more diesel models need to reduce their emissions. We give you some tips so you can do it yourself safely and keep your car in perfect condition.

If you bought a diesel car recently, it is very likely that you mount a system to reduce emissions called SCR (acronym of “selective reduction catalyst”). For this device to work properly, it is essential to add to the fuel an additive whose commercial name is AdBlue and which in reality is urea diluted in distilled water.

This additive is stored in a small tank, and a computer coordinated with the engine decides when and how much AdBlue has to inject into the exhaust pipe. As is logical, this liquid is consumed and from time to time it must be refilled.

In principle, the volume of this deposit is calculated to last about 20,000 km, so that its filling coincides with the periodic review of the car, but the consumption of this additive varies greatly depending on our driving style and if we do a lot of cities or a lot of roads, among other things.

In each model, it works in one way, but in all, they always alert you when there is little additive and it will be necessary to refuel it. It is best to read your car manual, because there are some in which, if the additive is finished, you cannot restart the engine after turning it off.

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The normal thing is that the first warning arises when there are 1,000 km of AdBlue autonomy. The alert will light up when the contact is put on and it will turn off a few moments later. As soon as the autonomy goes down of 500 km, it will turn on permanently.

How to refill AdBlue

Each brand puts the AdBlue filling nozzle in a different area.  We must read the car manual to know where it is.

Each brand puts the AdBlue filling nozzle in a different area. We must read the car manual to know where it is.

The first thing you should know is that AdBlue is a brand, but it serves any other brand of diluted urea additives for SCR catalysts. The price of AdBlue is around 20 euros per 5 liters and you have it for sale at most gas stations and in some shopping centers with a car section.

Each manufacturer decides where to put the nozzle for refueling the AdBlue. The most comfortable models are those that put it next to the fuel filler neck, but there are those who hide it in the spare wheel well, in a corner in the engine compartment … It is best to look in the manual of your car’s instructions where it is located.

Once you are clear about where the filler mouth is, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the car engine.
2. Put on gloves and goggles: avoid skin and eye irritation in case of splashes.
3. Take a funnel: in most cases, you will need a funnel to avoid spills, because the filling holes are small and it is easy to “not hit”.
4. Water and rag: keep a little water and a rag to clean the body and the plastics of the car possible spills of urea, because they can attack the paint and the surface finish of some plastics.
5. Fill up to the maximum mark or the amount indicated in the car’s user manual.
6. Close the filling mouth of the tank.
7. Wait a few seconds before turning the car on again.
8. Put the contact and check that the AdBlue low autonomy alert has been turned off.

In some models, it is necessary to go to the workshop to connect the diagnostic machine and turn off the warning of lack of additive. Check if this is the case in your car, it will be specified in the user manual.