# Diesel Exhaust fluid tank capacity



## tsprinkle (Dec 1, 2015)

I am going to do my service on my 2011 335d. Can someone tell me the capacity of the diesel exhaust fluid tank? Also, how much of the fluid I can expect to add at my oil change interval of 10000 miles. The fluid comes in 1/2 gallon containers. The dealer says they have a special machine to add the proper amount of fluid and it is included with my oil change at a total cost of about $350. I would like to do this myself and save the money. 
Your thoughts an any information would be appreciated.
Thank you 
Terry


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## FredoinSF (Nov 29, 2009)

Auto parts stores sell it in 2.5 gallon jugs for about $10 to $15 each. Not sure what the 335 capacity is but X5 is a bit over 4 gallons. I am planning on putting in the 2.5 in passive tank every time it asks for the juice this way I don't have partial jugs open. The stuff crystallizes so would prefer to have it fresh.


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## Master_Chase (Jun 8, 2015)

FredoinSF said:


> Auto parts stores sell it in 2.5 gallon jugs for about $10 to $15 each. Not sure what the 335 capacity is but X5 is a bit over 4 gallons. I am planning on putting in the 2.5 in passive tank every time it asks for the juice this way I don't have partial jugs open. The stuff crystallizes so would prefer to have it fresh.


Agreed and buy 1 bottle from the dealer, chop the end off. Then get some PVC pipe and glue it on and attach the hose from the 2.5-gallon jug to the other end. It's cheaper and a lot easier than trying to fill without the special end.


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

FredoinSF said:


> Auto parts stores sell it in 2.5 gallon jugs for about $10 to $15 each. Not sure what the 335 capacity is but X5 is a bit over 4 gallons. I am planning on putting in the 2.5 in passive tank every time it asks for the juice this way I don't have partial jugs open. The stuff crystallizes so would prefer to have it fresh.


.

This was my plan as well, to add the 2.5 gallons to the passive each time it asks for DEF. I even built a custom hose to go from the 2.5 gallon jug, to the fill port of the 335D (I modified a hose from Mercedes). Problem is I've gone 24K miles and it hasn't asked for any thus have never been able to test the hose. The dealer says nothing is wrong.

I think on the car the passive holds 4 gallons and the active holds 1.6 gallons.


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## mefferso (Feb 26, 2014)

Please please please do NOT let them fill up your urea. It is disgusting that they charge that much! Its like a 1500% markup. Takes 5-10 minutes to do it yourself. I believe this Mercedes hose fits our nozzle which will make it spill free: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-W1...ash=item51a1cd0fd7:g:dbgAAOxyW7tRg42v&vxp=mtr I do like some of the others and just add 2.5 gal jug when asked to. Usage rate for me as been about 1 gallon per 5000 miles


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Make them show you the BMW approved document directing hose/pump/tank fill. The DEF fill/refill instruction that I have seen addresses only bottle fill. 

I suspect that the flow impulse - water hammer - on going full contributes to the brittle plastic tank failures. Plus the spillage makes a mess and they probably charge for that use too.

BMW will never fill my DEF tanks, it's not worth the risk, the cost, or my time to clean the mess.


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

mefferso said:


> Please please please do NOT let them fill up your urea. It is disgusting that they charge that much! Its like a 1500% markup. Takes 5-10 minutes to do it yourself. I believe this Mercedes hose fits our nozzle which will make it spill free: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-W1...ash=item51a1cd0fd7:g:dbgAAOxyW7tRg42v&vxp=mtr I do like some of the others and just add 2.5 gal jug when asked to. Usage rate for me as been about 1 gallon per 5000 miles


This hose will fit the car, but the end that goes on the DEF jug only fits a special container from Mercedes that no one stocks. I modified the DEF jug end of this hose to fit the much smaller connector that all the DEF jugs use. As it turns out a cap to 1 gallon coolant container is just the right size. The connector just pulls off, it's not permanently attached.

Attached is a picture of the modified but untested hose with the original fitting also in the picture.


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## mefferso (Feb 26, 2014)

KeithS said:


> This hose will fit the car, but the end that goes on the DEF jug only fits a special container from Mercedes that no one stocks. I modified the DEF jug end of this Jose to fit the much smaller connector that all the DEF jugs use. As it turns out a cap to 1 gallon coolant container is just the right size. The connector just pulls off, it's not permanently attached.


Oh cool, thanks for the tip!


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

mefferso said:


> Oh cool, thanks for the tip!


Some pictures added to my post above.


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## mefferso (Feb 26, 2014)

KeithS said:


> Some pictures added to my post above.


Awesome, thanks so much


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

I know this is reviving an old thread, but I cannot find the information I am looking for. I have always had the dealer refill my DEF, but now the car is asking for it and my oil change is still 3k miles away. I want to just add it myself. I have a 2016 BMW X3 28d

Do I really need a special hose? The car has some sort of blue funnel in the back. Is that for DEF? 

If I buy a 2.5 Gal jug, will it all go into the tank? How much do I need to add. The car say 971 miles to empty on the DEF. 

Thanks!


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## n1das (Jul 22, 2013)

FastDEW said:


> I know this is reviving an old thread, but I cannot find the information I am looking for. I have always had the dealer refill my DEF, but now the car is asking for it and my oil change is still 3k miles away. I want to just add it myself. I have a 2016 BMW X3 28d
> 
> Do I really need a special hose? The car has some sort of blue funnel in the back. Is that for DEF?
> 
> ...


The DEF fill port has a blue cap on it. Should be next to fuel fill. Be careful and absolutely DO NOT add DEF to the FUEL! :yikes: The blue funnel you are referring to may be the fuel funnel for when you need to get fuel and the only diesel pumps available are truck pumps with the large size nozzle which won't fit in our cars. I've had to use this funnel once in a long while when getting fuel. The adapter funnel is not for DEF.

I recommend buying one of the 1/2 gallon AdBlue DEF bottles from a BMW dealer or a VW/Audi dealer and start filling from this bottle. It may be enough DEF to get you by until your next service in 3k miles so start here. Where you buy the bottle and brand doesn't matter because DEF is DEF is DEF...is DEF. DEF is made to an ISO standard and used worldwide so it's a commodity item and all the same. The bottle screws onto the fill port fitting and you push on the bottle to get it to release the DEF into the tank. After you empty this bottle, save it and cut a hole in the bottom use it as a custom funnel to finish the DEF fill from a 2.5 gallon jug. Fill the custom funnel up with DEF from the 2.5 gallon jug, then push down for it to dump into the tank. Repeat the process until all 2.5 gallons is dumped in. You can fill directly from the 2.5 gallon jug but you should add the DEF slowly to prevent spilling DEF everywhere. With 3k miles to go before your next service, the 1/2 gallon of DEF from an AdBlue bottle might be just enough.

You don't need to cut the whole bottom off the 1/2 gallon AdBlue DEF bottle to use it as a custom funnel. You only need to make a hole large enough for the tube from the 2.5 gallon jug to fit in. A smaller hole is better because the rest of the bottle will catch any spattering of DEF. I used to cut the complete bottom off of a DEF bottle to use as a funnel but found myself spattered with DEF bubbling up through the air vent tube in the bottle.

I don't know what the total DEF capacity is on a 328d but it should be on the order of a few gallons. My E70 X5 35d holds a total of 5.95 US gallons, spread out into an active tank and a passive tank. The active tank IIRC holds a little over 0.6 gallons and the rest is in the passive tank. I only fill the passive tank. I don't know if the 328d has a single tank or a 2 tank system for the DEF. The 328d DEF fill port should be like my 535d so you probably have a single tank system.

Good luck.


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## glangford (Dec 11, 2013)

n1das said:


> The DEF fill port has a blue cap on it. Should be next to fuel fill. Be careful and absolutely DO NOT add DEF to the FUEL! :yikes: The blue funnel you are referring to may be the fuel funnel for when you need to get fuel and the only diesel pumps available are truck pumps with the large size nozzle which won't fit in our cars. I've had to use this funnel once in a long while when getting fuel. The adapter funnel is not for DEF.
> 
> I recommend buying one of the 1/2 gallon AdBlue DEF bottles from a BMW dealer or a VW/Audi dealer and start filling from this bottle. It may be enough DEF to get you by until your next service in 3k miles so start here. Where you buy the bottle and brand doesn't matter because DEF is DEF is DEF...is DEF. DEF is made to an ISO standard and used worldwide so it's a commodity item and all the same. The bottle screws onto the fill port fitting and you push on the bottle to get it to release the DEF into the tank. After you empty this bottle, save it and cut a hole in the bottom use it as a custom funnel to finish the DEF fill from a 2.5 gallon jug. Fill the custom funnel up with DEF from the 2.5 gallon jug, then push down for it to dump into the tank. Repeat the process until all 2.5 gallons is dumped in. You can fill directly from the 2.5 gallon jug but you should add the DEF slowly to prevent spilling DEF everywhere. With 3k miles to go before your next service, the 1/2 gallon of DEF from an AdBlue bottle might be just enough.
> 
> ...


See the video attached to this:

https://www.bimmertools.com/DEF-screw-on-top-p/83190441139.htm

Recommends putting a small tube to the air vent tube and looping it back into the 'funnel' to prevent the burping.


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## mattebury (Feb 2, 2014)

glangford said:


> See the video attached to this:
> 
> https://www.bimmertools.com/DEF-screw-on-top-p/83190441139.htm
> 
> Recommends putting a small tube to the air vent tube and looping it back into the 'funnel' to prevent the burping.


You are referring to the old style DEF filling system, FastDEW has a 2016, and the newer cars have a blue DEF port right next to the diesel cap behind the fuel door.


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

n1das said:


> The DEF fill port has a blue cap on it. Should be next to fuel fill. Be careful and absolutely DO NOT add DEF to the FUEL! :yikes: The blue funnel you are referring to may be the fuel funnel for when you need to get fuel and the only diesel pumps available are truck pumps with the large size nozzle which won't fit in our cars. I've had to use this funnel once in a long while when getting fuel. The adapter funnel is not for DEF.
> 
> I recommend buying one of the 1/2 gallon AdBlue DEF bottles from a BMW dealer or a VW/Audi dealer and start filling from this bottle. It may be enough DEF to get you by until your next service in 3k miles so start here. Where you buy the bottle and brand doesn't matter because DEF is DEF is DEF...is DEF. DEF is made to an ISO standard and used worldwide so it's a commodity item and all the same. The bottle screws onto the fill port fitting and you push on the bottle to get it to release the DEF into the tank. After you empty this bottle, save it and cut a hole in the bottom use it as a custom funnel to finish the DEF fill from a 2.5 gallon jug. Fill the custom funnel up with DEF from the 2.5 gallon jug, then push down for it to dump into the tank. Repeat the process until all 2.5 gallons is dumped in. You can fill directly from the 2.5 gallon jug but you should add the DEF slowly to prevent spilling DEF everywhere. With 3k miles to go before your next service, the 1/2 gallon of DEF from an AdBlue bottle might be just enough.
> 
> ...


Thank you for this very thoughtful reply. I greatly appreciate it. I am going to follow your instructions exactly. Makes total sense. :thumbup:


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

mattebury said:


> You are referring to the old style DEF filling system, FastDEW has a 2016, and the newer cars have a blue DEF port right next to the diesel cap behind the fuel door.


Yes. This is what mine has. Thanks.


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## glangford (Dec 11, 2013)

Yes, I realize it's the old style system, but the same phenomena of burping through the vent tube applies, it's just a different location. 

BTW does anyone know what the capacity for DEF in the 328d is?


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

It is in your owners manual.


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## n1das (Jul 22, 2013)

FastDEW said:


> Thank you for this very thoughtful reply. I greatly appreciate it. I am going to follow your instructions exactly. Makes total sense. :thumbup:


Glad to help. I say get a 1/2 gallon AdBlue bottle and put that in first. It might be enough to get you by until your service due in 3k miles. Save the bottle and cut a hole in the bottom to reuse it as a custom funnel for future DEF fills from a 2.5 gallon jug.

Good luck.


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

I put 2.5 Gal into the DEF tank today. It worked well using the BMW bottle as my funnel. 

Is there anyway to find out the capacity of the tank? I have searched all of the manuals that came with my X3 and there is no capacity spec for the DEF tank? 

2016 X3 28d

If I called the dealer, would they know?


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

Did you look in the owners manual??

Dealer might know, or just as easily give you the wrong info


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Per owners manual, at least 1.5 gallons


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

I have read the owners manual very carefully. The tank capacity is not listed. Amazing given that it should be listed at least next to the fuel tank capacity.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

FastDEW said:


> I have read the owners manual very carefully. The tank capacity is not listed. Amazing given that it should be listed at least next to the fuel tank capacity.


That is correct, it is not ***8220;listed***8221; but buried in the text. YOU have to read and understand the whole thing.


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

Doug Huffman said:


> That is correct, it is not "listed" but buried in the text. YOU have to read and understand the whole thing.


I can read. It is NOT listed in the text. Not there. I can post a photo of the pages dealing with SCR, but not going to spend the time to do so.

I READ the manual. Not listed. Not in the text. Not there. Period!

I also searched the web carefully. Not able to find it the information.

And your earlier reply of "at least 1.5 gallons" is not the capacity of the tank. That just says it can hold, more than 1.5 gallons......


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

That's what is in YOUR owners manual as action on the low level notification. Something about "adding 1.5 gallons."



Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 386 - II/15 Page 195 said:


> Refill quantity
> When the Reserve display starts, add at least 3 bottles of reducing agent.
> This corresponds to approx. 1.5 US gal/6 liters.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

I'll agree with Doug here: it's in your manual somewhere (probably - BMW manuals are poorly organized).

But rather than annoy you further, the answer is on p.12 in the SCR 2 pdf that has been posted somewhere here on Bimmerfest. Here's a link to a post containing it: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11727465#post11727465


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

floydarogers said:


> I'll agree with Doug here: it's in your manual somewhere (probably - BMW manuals are poorly organized).


Until someone posts an owners manual (did BMW remove these from their website, and now there is some sort of 'electronic version'!??!?) we don't know of it is or is not in the owners manual !....


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

*Wow. Thank you very much. Never seen this before. Needs to be in the knowledge base*



floydarogers said:


> I'll agree with Doug here: it's in your manual somewhere (probably - BMW manuals are poorly organized).
> 
> But rather than annoy you further, the answer is on p.12 in the SCR 2 pdf that has been posted somewhere here on Bimmerfest. Here's a link to a post containing it: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11727465#post11727465


 Unfortunately it seems to have been secured from my ability to copy and paste page 12.

First things that I noticed are; no filtered vents to clog, and "dampers" for ice pressure and pulsation. Also individual supply and drain pumps.

Thanks again. There is some studying to be done.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

floydarogers said:


> I'll agree with Doug here: it's in your manual somewhere (probably - BMW manuals are poorly organized).





ard said:


> Until someone posts an owners manual (did BMW remove these from their website, and now there is some sort of 'electronic version'!??!?) we don't know of it is or is not in the owners manual !....


Since I'm a bit annoyed at the guy that says he "read" the manual, here are the 3 relevant pages from my wife's 2014 328xd manual. Salient points: 1) the amount to be added is available in iDrive - bottom p.181. 2) amount to be added when reserve light goes on is 3 gallons/11.4 liters - note that that isn't the complete capacities as noted in the SCR doc, but is enough to fill the active tank and put some in the passive, too.
View attachment 328d manual DEF.pdf


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

Doug Huffman said:


> ...
> First things that I noticed are; no filtered vents to clog, and "dampers" for ice pressure and pulsation. Also individual supply and drain pumps.
> 
> Thanks again. There is some studying to be done.


Yeah, they actually made quite a few changes to the DEF/SCR/emissions system for the 2nd iteration. I can't remember where the original is posted, but I just added a post to the sticky on "Advanced Diesel Technology Document" so I don't lose it again in the forums. I had downloaded the pdf, so it wasn't really "lost" - guess I'm a packrat.

Supposition: The number of changes, and a couple statements like: "BMW already has experience with the SCR system as it has been used in the BMW diesel fuel models in the US market since 2008.", indicate to me a mea culpa on the original too-complicated design. (Not much of a mea culpa.) I'm virtually 100% certain that they used the 10,000 335d and the X5d as test beds/beta testing for their system, and as a result we've got a barely workable emissions system on our cars.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Yep, designs evolve with experience. 

My first hands on reactor plant training was on the prototype for the first US seagoing reactor plant. I had a PhD engineer berate me for using a crescent wrench backwards. I haven***8217;t forgotten the lesson or the logic.

My last specialized classroom instruction was titled Advanced Reactor Technology and was five generations later, in some ways simpler and in other ways vastly more complicated.


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

floydarogers said:


> Since I'm a bit annoyed at the guy that says he "read" the manual, here are the 3 relevant pages from my wife's 2014 328xd manual. Salient points: 1) the amount to be added is available in iDrive - bottom p.181. 2) amount to be added when reserve light goes on is 3 gallons/11.4 liters - *note that that isn't the complete capacities* as noted in the SCR doc, but is enough to fill the active tank and put some in the passive, too.
> View attachment 728817


Welp, he asked for CAPACITY. And that info is- by your posts- NOT in the manual.


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## FastDEW (Aug 26, 2017)

Well - The BMW owners manual does not state the actual capacity of the system. For all of those posting about it saying "add xx amount when the light comes on", you clearly do not understand what the term CAPACITY means. The system size, tank size, capacity is not in the owners manual. I find this to be a major oversight of BMW. It does not state how much the system takes. Such as the fuel tank size is clearly stated as to the capacity. The oil capacity is clearly stated. The SCR is not. 

I will call the dealer on Monday and ask them. It must be in a service manual which I do not have access to - at least one would think it is in the service manual - but then one would think it would be in the owners manual as well.


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## glangford (Dec 11, 2013)

I have the Bentley 3 series Service Manual, which covers the diesel as well. They only show the use of the 0.5 gallon bottle. The manual says; 'just add additional bottle until system if full' That wouldn't be a bad way to do it if it didn't cost 5 times the price of a 2.5 gallon carton refill. No mention of capacity in the manual.


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## Ti317 (May 15, 2015)

*Pro tip learned from experience*

The Mercedes hose is the way to go. ECS tuning sells a 10 liter MB Def jug for less than $30.

Buy those 2 and keep them safe. After that Walmart $7.57 for 2.5 Gallons does the trick. Refill the MB bottle and use it to fill your car.

The tip is that you need to fill till refusal, drive the car for a mile or 2, come back, fill till refusal again. Then start the car and let it idle. The transfer pump in the SCR tank will make space for you. 
It is slow but for me it's a once a year or more ordeal. I have only been able to get 9-11 liters in at any one filling.


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

Ti317 said:


> The Mercedes hose is the way to go. ECS tuning sells a 10 liter MB Def jug for less than $30. ....


Sorry, I tried the Mercedes hose, it does not work! While the connector fits the car properly, it does not push open the fill valve that is on the inside of the fill port. I am using the 1/2 bottle and refill from the 2-1/2 gallon jug of DEF available everywhere. I only use approximately one jug per oil change. Once I get the warning I only put in one jug into the passive tank and let the transfer system take care of the rest. You never want to overfill as that could cause the vent to become plugged.


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## Ti317 (May 15, 2015)

The push in valve is incorporated into the bottle, not the filler orfices. There is a flap in the fill tube like a gas tank neck but the tube in the center of the MB hose pushes that open. 

Sad to hear it doesn***8217;t work. Please don***8217;t tell my car. I have used it to add several gallons of def over the years. I just added 10 liters this afternoon. 

Not sure about about the vent. Mine has a stalactite hanging every once in a while and I just wash it away. My car had the complete SCR tank and metering unit replaced under a recall campaign 4 years or so ago. I don***8217;t know if there was a fix for the vent then.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

The description of the vents, fill and service in the passive tank and active tank, ***8220;A so-called sintered filter tablet ensures that no impu- rities can enter the reservoir via the operating vent. This sintered tablet consists of a porous material and serves as a filter that allows particles only up to a certain size to pass through.***8221; The associated images give them the proportions of a cigarette filter, and the description is of an aquarium air-stone.

The filters can be wetted by excess DEF volume in the tank, wetting which leaves behind its suspended solids on evaporation, eventually clogging the vent filter. The (E70) passive tank has a large unsupported upper surface, many square inches of force from any over or under pressure due to clogged vents, and this force flexes that surface around the filter fitting and the level detector fitting stress risers, where I believe the crack faults begin.

An estimate of the magnitude of the clogging can be made from the filler funnel***8217;s flow rate and the amount of burping through the internal vent that my filler funnel has. If the vents were entirely open then the bottle-funnel would drain promptly.


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## Ti317 (May 15, 2015)

Doug Huffman said:


> The description of the vents, fill and service in the passive tank and active tank, "A so-called sintered filter tablet ensures that no impu- rities can enter the reservoir via the operating vent. This sintered tablet consists of a porous material and serves as a filter that allows particles only up to a certain size to pass through." The associated images give them the proportions of a cigarette filter, and the description is of an aquarium air-stone.


Interesting. Is there a way to unclog or replace the filter?
Do you know if this was dealt with in the SCR recall?


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