IS DEF worthwhile?

[Chimo]

And if it is can it be fitted as an aftermarket bit on our 4.2 diesel diesel motors?

Thanks

Chimo

Some Info on DEF http://www.discoverdef.com/def-overview/faq/

[nissannewby]

Its adds no benefit other than slightly reducing nox emissions. A lot of expensives parts and another system to keep filled. They arent super reliable either.

[Rossco]

Is this the same as the ad bule systems on trucks??

[Rumcajs]

Is this the same as the ad bule systems on trucks??

It is exactly that, Adblue™ is proprietary name trademarked by Germans for what is known as Urea solution which is 32.5% urea and rest distilled water... The land of trade marks, patents, intellectual property and litigation (US of A) came up with DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) so they don't have to pay a dime for fees.

Why would you bother retrofitting such system to TD42 is beyond me unless government mandates it or you're extremely concerned about NOx emissions and want to do something about it unilaterally!

The system is fairly reliable and advantage is that it doesn't affect the engine itself like EGR for example but it is what could be termed as "punishment" technology for being silly and operating diesel engine. However maintenance and repair costs aren't exactly cheap either.

It adds to operating costs as 1L of Adblue loiters anywhere $1.0 up $2.50. The average consumption in heavy vehicles is around 5%-8% of actual fuel consumption so for every 100L of diesel it will dring 5-8 L of Urea.

The system is also expensive e.g. the catalyst itself is around $6,000 AUD on a heavy truck. Urea solution (Adblue™ or DEF) is also corrosive to copper and alumminium so handling it requires extra care, it is affected by sun light and goes off so can't be stored for a long time.

The biggest stuff up with the system is the government mandated anti-tampering rules, so if you run out engine derates its power to 65% of torque, can't reduce NOx for unknown reason, engine derates....all those events are also stored in ECU for 400 days to be checked at vehicle inspection to deal with perpetrators accordingly......

In any case SCR system as it is known is no longer enough to reduce the emissions, combined technologies are now needed so as an example to pass Euro 6 limits you'd need not only SCR but EGR, DOC, and DPF. All these technologies will make the ownership of a diesel powered vehicle for private use simply unviable if not un-affordable. If you run business then you'd simply factor the costs in to your revenue/pricing model so Coles/Woolies transport fleets will simply add the costs of those technologies to every grocery you buy.

Face it, diesel engine for private consumers is dead! Deal with it any way you want!

Cheers