W177 adblue system fault

[SuperSpurs106]

Hi, this error message has just appeared on my car.

Is it common? Has anyone had it before?

Hope it’s nothing serious.

TIA

 

[DSM10000]

Have you checked the owners manual for advice?

Adblue faults have been reported on here by a number of members. The pump failing seems to be quite common and this requires the tank to be removed and replaced.

I think that for that the cost is circa £1500

Have you an MB independent nearby that you can take the vehicle to for a diagnosis?

 

[Smiley]

I stand to be surprised but I bet that the owners manual will just say consult the dealer.
You have joined a very long list of people having adblue problems - google it. It is not just Mercedes.
There is nothing that you can do yourself to fix this problem; you will also be wasting your time with anywhere other than the main dealer or a proper MB independent with access to the Star diagnostics system.
The design of the adblue system incorporates an immobilisation feature that will prevent you from starting the car with an adblue fault left unfixed for a period of time. If you do nothing then you will get a message "car unable to start after 400 miles" or something similar. Don't think it is just to scare you - the car really will be disabled.
It is therefore better to get the fault diagnosed as soon as possible.
The fault is most likely to be either one or both of the NOx sensors or the sensor in the adblue tank. Wiring faults to the adblue tank have also been found in some cases. The only other possible cause is with a car that has had little use and the adblue has crystallised over time.
Cost wise the NOx sensors are about £400 each and the adblue tank sensor comes with the tank complete and is about £1200 all plus VAT and plus labour. So the bill will be between £1k and 2k ish. The bad news is that there is a shortage of parts so you may be without the car if it disables itself before you get it sorted.
No wonder people are turning to the adblue delete services that you will find on the web for a few hundred pounds - bear in mind that this would render the car illegal to use on the road.

 

[markjay]

How long have you had the car?

If recently purchased, was it from an MB dealer, a trader, or a private sale?

 

[SuperSpurs106]

How long have you had the car?

If recently purchased, was it from an MB dealer, a trader, or a private sale?

Had it about a month from a MB approved dealer with a 1 year MB warranty so I’m sure it’ll get sorted.

Just not a great impression for my first MB.

 

[DSM10000]

Had it about a month from a MB approved dealer with a 1 year MB warranty so I’m sure it’ll get sorted.

Just not a great impression for my first MB.

Modern cars are complex and things go wrong. You have a warranty, it will be fixed.

 

[SuperSpurs106]

Modern cars are complex and things go wrong. You have a warranty, it will be fixed.

Thank you, I do hope so.

 

[DSM10000]

Thank you, I do hope so.

You purchased from a trader.

Any warranty supplied is in addition to your statutory rights. In law the dealer is responsible for any faults that occur in the first six months that make the vehicle unfit for purpose unless those faults were made clear to you in writing prior to the purchase.

 

[BTB 500]

The MB warranty is excellent so it will get sorted with a minimum of hassle. Unfortunately because of the emission controls there are many things that can (and do) go wrong with modern diesels, of all makes. If you'd owned the car from new it would be out of warranty by now and you'd likely be footing the bill.

 

[W1ghty]

Had it about a month from a MB approved dealer with a 1 year MB warranty so I’m sure it’ll get sorted.

Just not a great impression for my first MB.

Phew !

 

[ALFAitalia]

Had it about a month from a MB approved dealer with a 1 year MB warranty so I’m sure it’ll get sorted.

Just not a great impression for my first MB.

Not a personal dig....but I think that anyone even doping a modicum, of research on these derv models just would not but one. It seems to be that is not if but when they fail. True other makers have similar issues.....but it does seem lots more common on Mercedes compared to other forums Im on. It might be warranty now.....but it wont be next time.....and will affect your sale price if you sell privately....I certainly would not buy any car with Adblue....or come to that any derv in these tree hugging days.....and I have one now!!

 

[BTB 500]

Not a personal dig....but I think that anyone even doping a modicum, of research on these derv models just would not but one. It seems to be that is not if but when they fail. True other makers have similar issues.....but it does seem lots more common on Mercedes compared to other forums Im on. It might be warranty now.....but it wont be next time.....and will affect your sale price if you sell privately....I certainly would not buy any car with Adblue....or come to that any derv in these tree hugging days.....and I have one now!!

Agree completely, however our Vito is 16 years old and overdue for replacement and sadly there's no choice with vans ... it's diesel or nothing. A petrol hybrid would be OK, but it seems they're going direct from diesel to electric and current E-vans are way off the range we need ... particularly when towing (never mind the cost of buying one).

The only real answer is to buy (or lease) new and change as soon as the warranty is up, which may be OK for businesses but £££ for private individuals.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Fair enough....I see that.....but I was mainly referring to cars rather than commercials.

 

[markjay]

Alternatively, you could factor-in the additional cost of an MB Tier-1 warranty for as long as you intend to own the car.

 

[Petrol Pete]

OP , getting it fixed properly under warranty by a Mercedes Benz dealer would be great as it would increase its resale value.

So getting rid of it sooner rather than later before more AdBlue $hite pop's up should be easier.

Keep us informed on how you get on with MB

 

[SuperSpurs106]

So, the problem (which was not a problem) has been sorted.

I had a Dashcam hard wired on the day that the warning came up. The guy who fitted it had piggybacked a fuse that the car didn’t like and gave the adblue warning. That’s all it was.

Phew!!!

 

[st13phil]

Thanks for coming back and updating the thread.

The guy who fitted it had piggybacked a fuse that the car didn’t like and gave the adblue warning.

Golden rule: If you get odd error messages on a car with CANBUS, try removing any and all aftermarket add-ons before assuming there's an underlying fault.

 

[SuperSpurs106]

Thanks for coming back and updating the thread.

Golden rule: If you get odd error messages on a car with CANBUS, try removing any and all aftermarket add-ons before assuming there's an underlying fault.

Thank you and noted.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I stand to be surprised but I bet that the owners manual will just say consult the dealer.
You have joined a very long list of people having adblue problems - google it. It is not just Mercedes.
There is nothing that you can do yourself to fix this problem; you will also be wasting your time with anywhere other than the main dealer or a proper MB independent with access to the Star diagnostics system.
The design of the adblue system incorporates an immobilisation feature that will prevent you from starting the car with an adblue fault left unfixed for a period of time. If you do nothing then you will get a message "car unable to start after 400 miles" or something similar. Don't think it is just to scare you - the car really will be disabled.
It is therefore better to get the fault diagnosed as soon as possible.
The fault is most likely to be either one or both of the NOx sensors or the sensor in the adblue tank. Wiring faults to the adblue tank have also been found in some cases. The only other possible cause is with a car that has had little use and the adblue has crystallised over time.
Cost wise the NOx sensors are about £400 each and the adblue tank sensor comes with the tank complete and is about £1200 all plus VAT and plus labour. So the bill will be between £1k and 2k ish. The bad news is that there is a shortage of parts so you may be without the car if it disables itself before you get it sorted.
No wonder people are turning to the adblue delete services that you will find on the web for a few hundred pounds - bear in mind that this would render the car illegal to use on the road.

A very comprehensive and accurate reply