Hills, heavy loads and how much AdBlue you should use
Drivers in Coulsdon often ask whether their car is using too much AdBlue. The honest answer is that consumption varies with how hard the engine works. Climbing out of the valley along Chipstead Valley Road, pulling a loaded SUV up to Old Coulsdon or towing at the weekend all raise NOx output, and the system doses more fluid to deal with it. A car that mostly potters at 20mph on residential roads will use noticeably less.
So a rising figure on its own isn't a fault. What does point to one is a sudden change: a tank that empties far faster than it used to under the same driving, or white crystals around the pipes and the dosing module under the car. That usually means a leak. The opposite, a gauge that barely moves, can mean the system isn't dosing at all, and the car will usually log an SCR efficiency fault before long.
We look at the logged dosing quantities alongside the tank level and the NOx sensor readings, which tells us whether the system is doing what it should for the way you drive. We check the lines, the tank connections and the injector seal for leaks, and test the pump and heater. You get a written quote before any repair, and the work is covered by a 3-month workmanship warranty.
From Coulsdon town centre the run is straightforward: Smitham Downs Road to the A237, then straight up through Woodcote and Wallington to Hackbridge, about 4.5 miles. If you commute from Coulsdon Town station or live out past Grange Park and can't spare the time, we can arrange collection from home, which also saves a drive if the countdown is already showing. Coulsdon is inside the ULEZ right up to the Surrey boundary, so a healthy Euro 6 diesel is worth looking after.