BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW are all going towards this new UREA injection for their new diesels. The UREA injection combined with the particle filter upstream helps make diesel output some of the cleanest output in years... but at a cost.
The new UREA injection system requires that a liquid be sprayed into the exhaust of the vehicle. That means hauling around 7-8 gallons of mystery magic liquid that needs to get sprayed into the exhaust system. Plus, this liquid only lasts 12-15000 miles. BMW will be covering the cost of this liquid in their maintanence plan (as for the other manufacturers, it is unknown).
EPA has made it very known that the manufacturers that use this technology will need to build in a failsafe so the UREA injection system can not be disabled and that the car will not run if the liquid in the system is not replenished on a regular basis. So the car will be disabled if the owner does not replenish the system. Manufacturers site many safety concerns with this, but the EPA can't help a car that is not working correctly pollute the atmoshphere.
Good questions that have been brought up are ...
a) is the mystery liquid brand specific ... i.e. BMW only liquid vs. Mercedes only liquid? (my sources say it's generic)
b) what will be the availability of such liquid and how much will it cost (my sources say it will initially only be available at dealerships, but will spread to your local autozone fairly fast enough... and prices should be cheap)
c) possible safety aspects of being caught out in the middle of nowhere without magic liquid and having your engine disabled because it won't run without it.
Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by hundreds of engineers that get paid thousands of dollars for something you bought at Pep Boys because your buddy who doesn't have a job told you it was 'better'?!?
BMW will be using Kruse as their maker of the DEF(Diesel Exhaust fluid). I think the name of the product is ADBLUE. It is already available for ordering. I am unsure if other makers fluid will able to be used.
Msrp is 19 dollars for a 64oz bottle.
The use of this fluid is very limited, so on long trips it would be advisable to "top" up the diesel fluid. Very much like coolant, oil gas etc.
Last edited by RabidChimp; 01-05-2009 at 01:16 PM.
Tenured Automotive Service Professional - Avid BMW Enthusiast
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These urea-diesel powered cars are far better solutions to increasing fuel economy than hybrids with their expensive and toxic battery packs.
Is requiring the car to have gas in order to move a deal breaker too?It's just one more fluid the car has to have in order to drive, like gas and oil. And if it keeps the diesel engines from sooting all over the place and stinking like dirty socks stuffed in your nose, then I'm all for it.
When the car is 1000 miles away from running out of urea, there will be a warning message in yellow on the dash when you start the car. At 250 miles it will be on the dash, in red, at all times when the car is on. Once the car runs out of urea, you will not be able to re-start the car after it has been shut off for more than three minutes.
I would agree with this though. I read somewhere that building a hybrid does more harm to the environment that its actually supposed to help with the car's performance.
I am still looking forward to getting a BMW diesel in the future too. That UREA injection thing just threw me off a bit.
I am all for this new system, who cars if you have to put in another fluid every 10k or what not. I love the new Diesel technology, I really hope it catches on better and they offer manuals in the USA. When I find it time to replace my X5 I will buy a new diesel one, or a CPO if I wait long enough. Diesel is a great alternative to hybrid crap, over the course of a Prius' life if causes more damage to the environment then most cars! Oh and it gets poor milage around a track!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXPCckjTMVg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXPCckjTMVg[/ame]
It would maybe be a deal breaker for me if only one company did it and all other manufactuer's didn't, but that isn't how it is going to work. Every 15,000 miles simply means when you get an oil change, they replenish the system so I don't think it'll be a problem for most people. I'm sure, like most things, it doesn't just run out without letting you know it is low. IMO if you run out of it you are no different than someone who ran out of fuel.
I just think it is pretty sucky that the US can't get their act together and do what every other country does to allow diesel. We have horrible diesel fuel so now we need to use urea injection to be clean.
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Diesel isn't practical in the US IMO. Diesel prices have barely dropped at all compared to gas. It used to be premium and diesel was the same price but not anymore. I believe diesel is more practical in countries where the cost is partially subsidized by the government.
Diesel is about 30-40 cents more expensive here ... but considering the added miles per gallon of diesel, the added cost is worth it.
Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by hundreds of engineers that get paid thousands of dollars for something you bought at Pep Boys because your buddy who doesn't have a job told you it was 'better'?!?
I thought the US market needs the urea system because our diesel emission standards are tighter than than Europe, not that our diesel fuel is bad.
Tthe current 15 ppm max sulphur diesel fuel in the US is tighter than the requirements for the EU (50 ppm). While it's not everywhere, I haven't seen a station with the old diesel fuel for a couple years.
Who knows for sure?
Last edited by CirrusSR22; 01-05-2009 at 04:02 PM.
I only say that bec of the uncertainty it carries as of now. As long as it does pose any additional headaches on top of the usual maintenance stress current models have (as well as the hope that it isnt manufacturer exclusive) then im all for it. Hence, its almost a deal breaker for me.
Me too. Colchicine does wonders for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchicine
Last edited by meki22; 01-05-2009 at 04:41 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
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Last edited by hua052011; 05-24-2012 at 10:35 PM.
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