I've got the 'DEF is low and a range of 2100km' showing for the first time on my Discovery 5. Refilling isn't difficult, but I thought it would be best to check to see if there were any caveats, hints and things to look out for, hence my visit as I guessed you would have something. I came to the right place!! Just got to go and buy some AdBlue.
Glad that my video was useful! Good luck with your refill, and remember to find high-grade DEF (Land Rovers are apparently quite picky about their DEF)!
Cutting the hole is what I do and save more money by buying Adblue from a tractor dealer or motor factor in 20 litre drums. It’s very dense stuff and 20 litres of Adblue weighs as much as 25 litres of diesel more or less. I only have one engine requiring Adblue so 25 litres is enough and lasts a year or two for the car. Kept indoors it does actually last three or four years. Indeed due to Covid my first refill of the car’s tank was at two years of age, taking 15 litres to nearly fill from near empty [Not a LR]. I paid £10+VAT for 20 litres about a year ago, so £0.50/litre. Great advice on the filling bottle and great minds think alike. Not only does it save a lot of money but it allows easy measurement. The DEF I use is Yarra Air1. Yarra is a very large multinational fertiliser/chemical manufacturer. Urea is after all a Nitrogen crop fertiliser and indeed a 281% protein product equivalent. [yes really, 281%].
Good to know! I’ve not done much research into the DEF, to be honest, I stopped driving trucks before it came out and, being in North America, it’s only really hit my radar recently. I know that land rovers can be annoyingly picky about their DEF quality, but I’m not sure what properties sensors measure (nor how they measure it). Our cold may make them additionally sensitive. I’ve been told that DEF de-natures in sunlight and extreme cold, but I’m not sure how long it lasts in moderate temperatures and the dark. I just buy mine when I need it (oddly enough, my message pied up tonight - I’ll refill it tomorrow, but it really hasn’t lasted long this time round).
Cool combustion creates a minimal amount of NOx in the exhaust, so DEF/Adblue does not need to be injected until the engine is warmed, by which time the electric heating system should have mildly heated the Adblue/DEF. The greater problem is getting the unrelated particulate filter up to temperature to enable the soot to burnt off. The two systems and the exhaust gas recirculation system are all quite distinct and independent.
Agreed. The DPF stuff isn’t connected (although they’re both part of the emission control systems). Didn’t know about cool-burning not generating NOx, that’s interesting. Must be something to do with the increased air mixture at running temps.
HELP PLEASE 2017 L405 TD6 i have the error messages 200km can i just take the bad DEF fluid off and get new DEF fluid from the dealer to replace it ? after replace the fluid is it going to require any reset code?
Hey, That’s a tricky question because it depends how the codes are logged. So take what I’m about to say with some levity. The bad or poor quality DEF error is usually logged as a function of inadequate performance and is problematic. Draining and refilling the DEF tank will not make the code go away unless the system detects better quality DEF. It *might* be possible to make a hard reset of the vehicle by disconnecting the positive and negative wires to the batter and touching *the wires* together off the battery and holding for 30 seconds to a minute. However, if the codes are hardcoded, then it will need a computer to remove the codes. The GAPIID tool has some functionality and can clear some codes - but it depends on if the sensor continues to detect inadequate DEF. To reduce that risk, you will need to clean out the injector (which goes into the exhaust). It’s a major PITA, and I do know a few people who were able to clear the codes. However, when my injector broke off, I did need JLR to reset the code, as the GAPIID would not - even with the new injector fitted. To be honest, I am not certain how the poor quality DEF is identified, and I suspect that such errors are actually some type of DEF injection issue. Using only the best quality DEF is critical (as I mention in this video).
Hi Erwin, This is a very complex question and I am not certain that I have all of the answers that you need -- most of what I am about to say is conjecture rather than fact. The TRS system incorporates Traction Control (TC) functionality from the braking system. In fct, most of the '4wd' tech is based upon a system which applies the brake to a spinning wheel. Accordingly, removing the fuse for the ABS system will prohibit that functionality. In addition, it will throw lights on the dashboard which will likely disable or limit other functions -- for instance, the HDC will become inoperative as will the ATPC and the autonomous braking system. The centre and rear differentials (the latter may not be fitted) are electronic and variable. I imagine that they receive slip notification from the ABS system in order to determine the extent to which they apply. However, in certain TRS modes the protocol for engaging is a function of programming, so initial lock up to move off in GGS, for instance, is programmed in rather than sensed. How well (or even if) the diffs work with the ABS fuse pulled is questionable, given that the ABS light on the dash may inhibit the diffs from locking at all as a sort of fail-safe to blowing the diffs on good terrain. The high and low range should be independent of the ABS system, and so you will likely have the option to engage low range, though without the ability to manually lock the centre diff, you may not benefit from the increased torque due to an inability to put the power down to the ground. To what extent the TRS will work I also cannot comment. The TRS does other things such as limiting the power output or sensitising/desensitising the throttle pedal; it also affects gear shift protocol, holding on or releasing gears sooner to avoid slip or to provide more wheelspin. In theory, thee systems do not need an input from the wheel spin sensors to engage, though whether or not they are operational when the vehicle detects an issue with the ABS I cannot say; it is possible that the failure of the ABS to operate properly may cause the TRS to be wholly inactive. In short, the answer is not very much. You will likely have low box and maybe some pre-programmed diff engagement, but that's about it. In fact, because there is no-longer a mechanical lever or viscous coupling to engage the centre difflock, I am not even sure if you would have that.
Whatever happened to simple diesel engines like the Perkins Prima and the Peugeot Citroën XUD! We complain but in reality modern diesels are far more driveable, cleaner and quieter than their forebears, although reliability and fuel efficiency doesn't seem to be as good anymore. Our Discovery 3 2.7L TDV6 seldom does more than 22-25 mpg (UK) and it appears that your new Discovery is little better. Our old Td5 was great on fuel!
I think the development and progress of Diesel engines speaks for itself. While we certainly have more drivability and power, the cost is fuel economy. The older diesels were less complicated, but with them worse emissions - I remember the smog my diesels used to make while idling! That’s not an issue anymore, so better in that respect for sure.
@@shedlock2000 I don’t quite agree. My first car was a 1977 Ford Fiesta 1300S with 66hp. It did about 26mpg UK. Next was a fuel injected, twice as powerful Golf GTi 1.8 which managed 30mpg. My first diesel Range Rover was a 1988 manual with the 2.4 VM, totally lacking in low end torque and only 112hp, weighing 2000kgs and did 26mpg. Next was a 2004 Range Rover with the 3.0 direct injection BMW and GM five speed auto… 30mpg on a journey, 28 average. Move on to today and one of my vehicles is a 2.0 Kia Sorento diesel with 200hp and 500Nm torque, weighs 2.2 tons and has seven seats, an eight speed twin clutch auto and just today I did 80 miles around West Wales’ hills and averaged just over 40mpg. This one has Adblue. This is in stark contrast with my 200hp 400Nm Toyota Land Cruiser 100 series with the 4.2 turbo intercooler diesel engine with electronically controlled injector pump and four speed auto that is comparatively sluggish [extremely sluggish but a great vehicle] that on the same journey would have struggled to better 23mpg. The Sorento has 4wd and is more roomy, and eats the Toyota and previous vehicles for breakfast in performance terms [apart from my chipped Volvo XC90 which was absolutely equal in every way to the Kia]. The Kia doesn’t have the offroad and towing capacity of the Range Rovers or LC of course, but that is not what I’m comparing. I’m comparing fuel consumption of equal roads. The newer vehicles are not only cleaner and far more powerful and require far less frequent servicing but they also last longer and are substantially more economical in the vehicle, no matter how you measure it.
Thanks for sending me your photo, Tim! I can see that the filling location is problematic in terms of screwing on a small bottle -- and very impractical for a large container too. On the upside, it is nicely positioned to be filled at the forecourt.
