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AdBlue saga continues

34K views 109 replies 30 participants last post by  EYE4SPEED 
#1 ·
BMW NA still has no answer to my 335d running out of DEF at 4,000 miles. My local dealer does not stock it. I am on a road trip to DC this week and have only 715 miles left before no start. I went to T/A Truckstop and bought a 2.5 gallon jug of approved DEF and low and behold, you can't pour it into the tank without the BMW designed filler. Crap! So I call roadside assistance and...they don't carry it on the truck. Crap again. So I use the SOS feature and the man on the other end suggested that I call the BMW dealer in DC and schedule an appointment and that they will make sure that the dealer has DEF in stock. This is starting to get annoying and I'm also about to bust a nut! Lets see what they say tomorrow.
 
#3 ·
Guys, it is supposedly metered to fuel consumption, 1-3% DEF per gallon of Diesel. Assume 2% as a medium value, a tank of diesel is 16 gals, approx 450-500 miles/tank, at 2% this would be 0.32 gals per fill up or every 450-500 miles. Lets say 500 miles.

The DEF tank is what, 4.5 + 1.6 gals, so 6.1 gals total. 6.1 / .32 = 15.625 full tanks of fuel before the DEF runs out, dry. That is 7,800 miles!

I'm assuming 2%, so BMW is most likely calculating an optimistic 1% to reach their estimate of 15,000 miles.

I don't think it is realistic based on initial reports we are seeing here.

Has anybody out there reached 15,000 miles without refilling their DEF?:dunno:

At 3% you would run out at 6,350.

No mystery here guys. If your DEF meter is putting a slightly higher % concentration in, you will start running out about 5k miles.

This is an issue we really need to voice cencern over with BMWNA.

If we can buy DEF at the local truck stop, as I've been reading, and just top off at reasonable cost of $2-3/gal, without a service tech to assist and reset, flush, etc..., no problema.

Who can raise this issue with BMW????:mad:
 
#6 ·
P123, did you try contacting BMWNA directly? Get something in writing, send some formal email maybe. Looks like dealer are (for whatever reason) contradicting statement BMW made about covering DEF fill ups under maintenance for first 4 years. If it happens that they refuse to provide maintenance on my car (hopefully not), I would get lawyer involved; in my case free maintenance plan was somewhat important when purchasing BMW.
I think every article ("advertisement") I read about 335d, mentioned that DEF is filled under standard maintenance (4y/50m), and seams like that was big selling point as well. If DEF becomes wider spread issue I will not be surprised class action against BMW and we will get $5 check after lawyers fees are paid :)
Keep us posted P123.
 
#11 · (Edited)
#13 ·
#14 ·
Does anyone know if the BMW adblue bottle is refillable (hard to tell from the photos)? You could buy one bottle of the BMW adblue and refill with any other DEF on the market once you have the bottle and special applicator.

Cummins/Valvoline sells DEF at a price reported to be around $3 gallon and it meets the AUS 32 specification. $3/gallon is better than the $33/2 liters or whatever BMW charges.
 
#17 ·
I read somewhere that Audi has the same 0.5g bottle for half the BMW price....use it, cut it, make a funnel; and that buy 2.5g containers for $15 and truck stops. :)
 
#18 ·
Problem solved. Dropped off my 335d at the BMW of Arlington center and they confirmed that my def tank was not filled from factory. They are seeing quite a few of this happening with East Coast cars. They filled the tank, 340 dollars worth at no charge to me. I'll be writing a letter to Bmw NA. They should be kissing our butts for buying their diesels. They need these cars to sell in order to help them meet the CAFE standards for their cars.
 
#20 ·
I don't think they have to raise the RPM's too much to pass emissions. I've watched my mechanic on several cars I've owned on Pennsylvania's emission test and I think he only brought it up to a simulated 55-60 MPH for about 10 seconds or so.
 
#22 ·
Not to change subjects (sorry), but I don't think this is an ordinary "smog" type test. From what I can gather, there are multiple driving cycles cold/warm/idle/rapid acceleration/etc. and the cycle's exhaust is collected in bags and analyzed.

Back to def...BMWNA should amend their maintenance protocol to address this subject and put the customer first for a successful launch of the diesel powerplant.
 
#21 ·
All,

As you may recall - I posted a thread er...diatribe...late last month concerning Sterling BMW's idiotic request that I pay hundreds of dollars to fill my DEF tank - as they said, BMW NA told dealers that they would eat the cost of the DEF refill only during regularly scheduled maintenance! FUBAR!!! BMWNA needs to get their heads out of their 4th point of contact, and realize what their nickle and diming is doing to turn potential buyers away from their excellent diesels. Again, willing to bet that no one has reached 15k miles on the original factory filled DEF tank.

Cheers,

Slug
 
#24 ·
All,
Again, willing to bet that no one has reached 15k miles on the original factory filled DEF tank.

Cheers,

Slug
10k on mine so far, and on the original tank... =/
 
#31 ·
As I told the BMW gentleman on the phone, if a sales person looked me in the eye just before I handed the check over for the 335d and said, " its BMW's official policy that if you run our of DEF before the your oil change, you will be responsible for the top off. Now, if this happens at 5,000 miles if will cost you around $380.00." How many of us would have bought the car?
 
#38 ·
Either way, I'd be raising hell about it because I do think it is very easy to prove that is from any realm of normal consumption. Which means something is wrong with the car or someone did not do what they were supposed to before it was sold. So them saying the owner has to pay to fill it up is just ridiculous.
 
#40 ·
porsche123, little suggestion if you want to achieve something dealing in this manner contact a lawyer. Ask him to writ a letter on your behave and have him send it to BMW NA (It will cost you). Even then you probably will not get much in return, they may pay for your DEF fill up, but they will not admit to anything. Make it official my fiend, phone calls are useless.
Good luck :)
T
 
#41 ·
I would just like to add something here, I dont own a 335d, but I work for VW and we use the addblue stuff here. Top ups are free for the first 36k miles at VW. Also, we sell half gallon "emergency" bottles.... they might have the same filler neck you guys need for yours.
 
#45 ·
A top off should not hurt when done between flushes but also should not be needed. I have yet to see someone state they made it to 15k miles for an oil change anyway but if the car by design has enough of this stuff to last 15k miles then a top off should only be needed if there is a problem. Problem can be some knucklehead did not top off the tank in the first place or some failure within the system.
 
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