Removing adblue tank

Aug 12, 2020 | 12:35 AM

slmskrs

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From: Campbell, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)

2013 GLK250, 2022 Tesla MYLR, 1997 Correct Craft Ski Nautique

Removing adblue tank

Has anyone ever removed their adblue tank, either to flush it out, or replace the heater/level sensor canister?

Thanks,

Gordon

Aug 12, 2020 | 10:02 AM

andreigbs

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From: WI

GLK 250

I've looked into, as my intank heater died last year. The repair kit itself was about $850 and the process to remove the tank is a cumbersome PITA. Dealers typically replace the entire tank assembly which is north of $2k in most cases.

In weighing my options, I decided to buy the software to "delete" the AdBlue instead. Over 15k miles later and all is well.

Aug 13, 2020 | 01:54 AM

slmskrs

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Joined: Nov 2015

Posts: 133

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From: Campbell, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)

2013 GLK250, 2022 Tesla MYLR, 1997 Correct Craft Ski Nautique

I really don't want to delete/remove anything; I'm happy that my exhaust is much cleaner; at stock, it does a much better job of towing my 3,500# boat than my previous Ford Expedtion did (more torque, better economy, etc.). And since I'm in California, I can't do anything that is going to cause the car not to pass bi-annual emission test. I'm leery of any changes that could result in it not passing (even if I change back to original settings before the test). I'd be afraid that somehow it wouldn't pass or would show it had been 'tampered' with.

I don't suppose anyone knows of any diesel tuning place in northern California (or anywhere in California for that matter)....

Aug 13, 2020 | 11:13 AM

andreigbs

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From: WI

GLK 250

You may still want to reach out to a tuning company, they can make custom tunes for your specific needs. And I believe OETuning is based in California, so there's that.

A good tune will not interfere with other diagnostics or OBD tests, you could definitely ask the experts there for confirmation. And since you're towing, I would definitely consider a tune to help maximize and improve both the performance and efficiency of that Bluetec.

It's worth a few emails back and forth with the crew at OET.

Aug 27, 2020 | 10:05 PM

Skee1975

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GLK 250

Quote:

Originally Posted by slmskrs

Has anyone ever removed their adblue tank, either to flush it out, or replace the heater/level sensor canister?

Thanks,

Gordon

I have done it. I was getting CEL that pointed back to the DEF heating element shorting out. Based on other peoples posts, I bought both a new element and the DEF pump from Rock auto. The tricky part (almost impossible) is trying to get the DEF delivery hoses off the pump as you slowly drop the tank. I had read about people breaking the nipple off from the pump and having to somehow repair the the connection. I figured I would break it, so I bought the pump just in case. Sure enough, the slightest deflection down and it snapped. Be sure to have a jack or something under the tank as you lower it. It can get wobbly as the DEF sloshes around. Take the tank down, take pictures of the wiring harnesses, gently remove the various sized electrical clamps, pull off the old pump, remove the old element, install new element, pump etc. Jack the DEF tank up and have someone with small hands reconnect the DEF line to the new pump. I think the whole job took 3 hours. Google the **** out of it and start taking notes from the various other DIYers. Take your time and you can do it.

Aug 28, 2020 | 10:25 AM

andreigbs

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From: WI

GLK 250

Inquiring minds would like to know roughly how much this fix cost you. I've seen the DEF repair kit run for $900 or so, wondering what the parts you got ended up costing. The dealer generally charges around $3000 for this, but they replace the entire tank assembly (which includes new pump, sensor, heater).

Thanks.