Ad-blue shortage

[c107]

I was reading a doom and gloom article that our entire trucking industry is going to grind to a halt in 8 weeks due to an Ad-blue shortage. This is apparently a fluid used in the emissions system based on diesel grade urea and de-ionized water. Any late model truck is apparently going to stop working if this fluid is missing.

Apparently there is only one factory in Australia that makes this stuff, and 80% is imported from China. China are no longer exporting it due to rising food prices they are using the stuff to make plant fertilizer.

Patrick, as our resident truck expert, is this scaremongering, or real? Assume the driver can't just take a leak in a container half full of de-ionized water and add it to his rig?

 

[Patrick_R]

Lol, I wish it was that simple Bryce.
All DEF is now full synthetic. (AdBlue is a brand name) DEF is Diesel Exhaust Fluid, and is used in a hell of a lot of diesel cars as well.
It’s the main component of the Selective Catalytic Reduction or SCR system.

It’s very true, we were just discussing it at a training session I was conducting today.
Our trucks will de rate to 60% maximum power and torque when/if a driver runs a truck out of AdBlue.
At least they can get home or to a servo to fill up.
But if the truck is loaded, this reduction in power will pretty much cause it to crawl there.

Euro 5 is where it started for us in 2011.
We are now producing Euro 6, trucks but it won’t be mandated here to roughly 2025 we think.

We were discussing today to be able to turn the system off, but it is illegal to do that.

So then we don’t know what will happen if trucks grind to a halt, so will the country.
I’m guessing if the shortage does happen someone in the EPA will need to make a big decision.

 

[c107]

I suspect if the system can be shut off, there will be no political will to have empty supermarket shelves, and there will be waivers given. Like how they let foreign airlines fly domestic for a few months after the collapse of Ansett.

 

[Patrick_R]

All good points mate.

Let’s hope it doesn’t get to this.

Some of the diesel cars have AdBlue cartridges or a hidden tank that get changed/filled during a service, and some people don’t even know they are there.

Others have twin caps under the fuel flap, generally one black and one blue.

 

[BenzBoy]

OMG! I don't believe my Estate requies AdBlue but it goes in for service on Monday so I will find out if it has a secret canister somewhere...
Regards,
Brian

 

[c107]

The other factor is that we have a federal election coming up, probably around March->May.

I can’t see even the most incompetent PM & transport minister flushing an election down the toilet.

 

[Oversize]

A major issue for anyone considering a diesel with the system... That’s a no from me!

 

[Patrick_R]

When it is working well, there is nothing better.

If they had introduced this system in the UK & France, instead of there shit box old fashioned smoke belching diesels of the 80’s and 90’s they wouldn’t have this diesel phobia.

Japan has been running SCR since the 70’s with their very stringent emissions, and they don’t have any issues at all

Our latest Japanese truck will pump cleaner emissions from the exhaust compared to what it pulls in if it is running in a very air polluted country.

 

[Michel]

‘Double trouble’ to hit Australia in weeks

Australia is on the brink of a major crisis that could see tens of thousands of vehicles pulled off the road, grocery supplies dwindle and prices skyrocket, with every citizen set to be impacted.

www.news.com.au

When it’s on the front page if the news website as it’s top story, people stop and take notice

 

[Patrick_R]

It sure is getting bigger by the minute.