My May edition of T&D arrived in the post today and inside was a leaflet advertising an AdBlue Removal Module. Apparently this device allows your truck to operate without using it’s AdBlue system. It can be installed in under 30 minutes and it won’t even show any AdBlue fault codes on the dash or ECU.
My question, is it legal to use this kind of device on the road? Just curious as to what VOSA might have to say if they pulled a truck with one fitted. Surely interfering with the emission controls would be frowned upon and might earn you a prohibition.
On the plus side, DAFs wouldn’t break down so much if their AdBlue systems were disabled.
damoq:
My May edition of T&D arrived in the post today and inside was a leaflet advertising an AdBlue Removal Module. Apparently this device allows your truck to operate without using it’s AdBlue system. It can be installed in under 30 minutes and it won’t even show any AdBlue fault codes on the dash or ECU.
My question, is it legal to use this kind of device on the road? Just curious as to what VOSA might have to say if they pulled a truck with one fitted. Surely interfering with the emission controls would be frowned upon and might earn you a prohibition.
On the plus side, DAFs wouldn’t break down so much if their AdBlue systems were disabled.
Well, ive heard they cant emmission test a euro 5 engine on test, so if thats true, they would never know!
Saw that on the little leaflet inside my t&d today my scania doesn’t use ad blue so not really bothered but I did wonder the same as you if it gives the same emissions as using add blue or was legal would the manufacturers not have thought off it already?
VOSA do not test for NOx emissions at annual test, so if the device works as advertised it is doubtful you would be troubled by them.Indeed, they are considering dropping the smoke meter test except for trucks needing LPCs for London.
But, it probably won’t work with all SCR trucks. The first Euro 4s merely monitored the level of fluid in the tank. Later Euro 4s and all Euro 5s have increasingly sophisticated On Board Diagnostics, which monitor NOx in real-time and will downrate the engine if NOx emission levels are exceeded. It’s unlikely that the device could defeat OBD without interfering with the truck’s ECU.
However, if the device interferes with the functions of the truck’s ECU (and it’s hard to see how it can’t) then it may cause damage and problems elsewhere. Bear in mind that most of the truck’s functions except steering are in some way monitored or driven by the ECU, including throttle and brakes.
Also if the truck is still under warranty, fitting the device will void the truck’s guarantee. And yes, a technician can tell if someone has attempted to spike or otherwise tamper with the ECU.
I understand that the import or development of such devices is already banned in Australia.
weeto:
On the plus side, DAFs wouldn’t break down so much if their AdBlue systems were disabled.
Well, ive heard they cant emmission test a euro 5 engine on test, so if thats true, they would never know!
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This is true, we have a euro 5 unit that burns 6-8 litres of oil every shift (double shifted) and smokes more than a fat supermodel and the exhaust is a shiney black but it still passes the mot
It gets sent into the lez too and and cos it’s euro 5 it’s “clean”, apparently
Saaamon:
Massively unprofessional of T&D to allow such advertising in my opinion.
Why? And why shouldn’t the owner disable a system on a truck which is not a safety item, just like you can with a diesel car which use cats and particulate filters to clean the exhaust fumes.
It’s not illegal to disable a cars exhaust filter system! (Although it won’t pass the test with these items missing, it will pass with the guts ripped out of them, and the eloys fluid system disabled via the ECU)
I had a 2.2 diesel citroen with the system on it, once it ran out of fluid it was a £500-£600 service (main dealer price) to replenish the liquid, which could be done cheaper! But I did acquire the ECU editing software and cable, took 5 mins to disable it!
I wouldn’t mind if I got cheaper road tax, £240 per year, but I didn’t so stuff the green brigade.
All you need to do is show a within parameter voltage across the anode and cathode of the NOx sensor in the SCR cat.
Would like to see how they monitor the inputs from the diffuser,pump and purge units to the engine ecu on start up and shut down without logging an engine managment fault on the dash.
As for the “add blue” on cars they just pump in a bit of “diesel addetive” every time you open the fuel flap.So only put fuel in when your on empty and fill them to the top.The less times you put fuel in the longer the addetive lasts.
Its probably a con like the old power chips for diesel cars.A variable resistor on the air flow meter that fools the engine into thinking the air being drawn in is at minus 5 degrees so has a higher oxygen content so the injection system pumps in more fuel.
200-300 quid for a variable resistor and a plastic box I should co co.
weeto:
On the plus side, DAFs wouldn’t break down so much if their AdBlue systems were disabled.
Well, ive heard they cant emmission test a euro 5 engine on test, so if thats true, they would never know!
This is true, we have a euro 5 unit that burns 6-8 litres of oil every shift (double shifted) and smokes more than a fat supermodel and the exhaust is a shiney black but it still passes the mot
It gets sent into the lez too and and cos it’s euro 5 it’s “clean”, apparently
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That sounds like an oil-control problem, and is nothing to do with AdBlue.
I suspect that one or more of the oil control rings or scraper rings was put in upside down when the engine was built!
Or the oil level sensor is faulty, and you are topping the engine up too far.
Many years ago I was working in a garage when a guy came in with an XR3. He complained that the engine was making a funny noise, using lots of oil and smoking heavily (which it was).
We drained two buckets full of oil out of it! The ‘funny noise’ was the pistons splashing into the oil at BDC. It had one of Ford’s then new fangled and very unreliable ‘electronic dipsticks’ and because the dipstick itself was made of black plastic doing a visual check on the actual oil level wasn’t easy.
Saaamon:
Massively unprofessional of T&D to allow such advertising in my opinion.
Why? And why shouldn’t the owner disable a system on a truck which is not a safety item, just like you can with a diesel car which use cats and particulate filters to clean the exhaust fumes.
It’s not illegal to disable a cars exhaust filter system! (Although it won’t pass the test with these items missing, it will pass with the guts ripped out of them, and the eloys fluid system disabled via the ECU)
I had a 2.2 diesel citroen with the system on it, once it ran out of fluid it was a £500-£600 service (main dealer price) to replenish the liquid, which could be done cheaper! But I did acquire the ECU editing software and cable, took 5 mins to disable it!
I wouldn’t mind if I got cheaper road tax, £240 per year, but I didn’t so stuff the green brigade.
I dont know what an exhaust filter system is but im guessing if it cant pass the test its illegal.
Correct me if im wrong but adblue is fitted to trucks for enviromental reasons so disabling the system will obviously release more harmful emisions. If people dont want to pay for adblue well surely the answer is to buy a truck with out it.
Had a look online they cost about 600-700quid which you could easily recoup with not having to buy adblue in about 6-7months with a 24/7 motor.
It looks like a loophole in the MOT test which could be closed at any point, but you could always remove it before test if they ever cottoned on.
Talking about environment. Tell me how much carbon it takes to make and ship adblue. This is basically a massive industry created over night to comply with exhaust emissions. Ive always had this feeling we are actually worse off environment wise
So it seems like there’s nothing wrong with fitting this device to a vehicle. Operator have had to pay a few thousand quid per truck more for these cleaner and greener engines. But if the truck runs fine with the system disabled and it is still compliant, what was the point introducing SCR in the first place?
damoq:
So it seems like there’s nothing wrong with fitting this device to a vehicle. Operator have had to pay a few thousand quid per truck more for these cleaner and greener engines. But if the truck runs fine with the system disabled and it is still compliant, what was the point introducing SCR in the first place?
The truck won’t be Euro 4 or 5 compliant with the AdBlue dispenser disabled. It will be producing very high quantities of NOx emissions. But there is currently nothing in UK law to stop you from doing this, and VOSA are not interested in the issue…at the moment.
However, fitting this device will be very likely to invalidate the truck manufacturer’s warranty. In the event of any problem, you’ll be on your own.
merc0447:
Talking about environment. Tell me how much carbon it takes to make and ship adblue. This is basically a massive industry created over night to comply with exhaust emissions. Ive always had this feeling we are actually worse off environment wise
If i ran my own truck id invest in it.
It’s a case of balancing increased CO2 emissions (which allegedly cause global warming but are otherwise harmless) against much reduced NOx emissions, which cause yellow smog, are a health hazard and also allegedly cause global warming.
does anyone have any names of reputable manufacturers for these (ie not Chinese crap) were looking at fitting them on out euro 5 trucks here in nz to try them
I know a guy who had the ad blue bypassed on his 2 premiums. He said it wasn’t a cost issue, as the ad blue was only about a tenner a week per truck. It was because the technology was so unreliable, they spent more time in Renault than they did earning dough
Saaamon:
Massively unprofessional of T&D to allow such advertising in my opinion.
Its entirely legal, so why is it unprofessional to carry the ad?
May car magazines carry ads for kits to de EGR cars- I have done so to my Discovery removed the CAT for a stainless steel straight through pipe, blanked off the EGR valve and bypassed the EGR water cooling system… again totally legal and she has passed 4 MOT’s since including emissions test.
I don’t see how advertising something legal is unprofessional of the magazine. the issue of warrenty etc is something for the truck owner to clarify with whoever holds their warrenties- just like any other modification they may want to make
There are w few of these modules some being better than others, so check them all out before spending.
Some enable switching on and off, may be a good idea to run adblue system once in a while. Tax man may become interested if you paying the reduced emmisions rate.
