In a word, NO. Adblue emulators are strictly illegal to use on the roads of the UK or any other country within the European Union. Although it is not against the law to produce, sell, buy or keep in possession, adblue emulators are not legal to use in any vehicle. Adblue emulators are irreplaceable gadget for trucks being used or going for export to where no adblue is not available and no euro emissions standards apply. Also, Adblue can freeze up in especially cold climates, adblue emulator can stop the vehicle’s performance being impacted. Again, adblue emulators can only be used in countries where no European Emission standards are in force.

Operators/drivers should think carefully about installing adbblue emulators in their vehicles, which are used on UK roads. This may have serious consequences.

In 2017, the DVSA announced that it will start checks for emissions cheating devices or modifications as part of roadside enforcement stops.  It is a criminal offence to use a vehicle, which has been modified so that it does not meet its intended design emissions standard. The DVSA can issue roadworthiness prohibitions with a 10-day requirement for any non-compliant vehicle to be returned to its original emissions condition, a failure to do so runs the risk of attracting fines, which can be issued for both operator and driver.

So in summary, adblue emulators are illegal to use in any vehicle, which is being used on UK roads. By using adblue emulator, your vehicle will potentially be emitting up to 2,5 times more harmful emissions over the official level. Use of adblue emulators threatens to undercut responsible and compliant operators and also damages the environment and public health.

There were numerous warnings from senior Traffic commissioners published during 2018 and 2019. They welcomed the steps being taken by the enforcement agency to identify vehicles which emissions cheating devices. Vehicle check for adblue emulator presence is now a part of routine vehicle inspection process at roadside.

Fleet reliability has always depended on a multitude of factors, but many would agree that the most important aspect of a reliable fleet would be having quality servicing. Repairs covered under warranty which are done by official brand representatives are usually trusted by fleet owners.

Yet, poor management and low control standards in some countries make it hard to trust even official representatives with repair jobs: unknown use of aftermarket or fake parts and unfair practices run rampant in the truck industry in poor parts of Europe and neighbouring nations. Warranty or not, it is difficult to avoid issues such as time constraints, servicing costs and additional parts.

One of the main dangers of servicing abroad is part fraud: cheap, fake parts can be used without your knowledge to do repairs on your vehicle, sometimes even without the knowledge of the mechanic himself. They can be very hard to distinguish from the originals and usually do not set off any red alarms until already installed, usually needing additional repairs after a short amount of time. It is always a good idea to ask directly about the parts used in the repair and refuse it if they are do not want to provide you with exact details, including the brand, country of origin, part/serial numbers and an inspection of the part.

To further ensure proper service, make sure to receive a log with all of the steps taken by the mechanic to install your new part. Something like a NOx sensor change shouldn’t take over an hour to do, nor should an SCR catalyst replacement take less than a few hours to look into. You might also consider looking at the price of repair as a good indicator, as a significantly cheaper price compared to competition might mean that lower quality parts or improper procedures are being taken to do repairs on the vehicle.

But regardless if repairs are successful, there is still a massive potential time loss which can be quite a setback both for contracted jobs and the driver. Can Logic Ltd. offers the DTC Cleaner to delay issues until the opportunity to repair the vehicle at a trusted fleet service. The driver would be able to use the device at any point in time to clear faults from the dashboard and continue driving to his destination, finish the job at hand and then tend to repairs.

Features of the DTC Cleaner:

• Clears faults from the dashboard within 20 seconds
• Easy plug and play functionality via OBD connector
• Acts just like a diagnostics system
• No additional knowledge or equipment needed
• Able to reset LIMP mode timers
• 2 year limited warranty
• Fully legal

Click here to browse our DTC Cleaner catalog.

Fitting AdBlue emulators has been a way of reducing fleet operation costs for many years now: they remove the need to buy urea and ensure that no AdBlue faults will interrupt your journey, be it present or potential ones. Within the years fleet companies in specific European countries find it almost mandatory to fit AdBlue emulators due to the high repair costs associated with SCR systems which often exceed thousands of euros.

Despite the potential risks that AdBlue emulators bring to a company it would often be more profitable to operate a fleet with AdBlue emulators installed and accept the fines rather than fixing the SCR system. Typically manufacturers set a 2 year warranty if genuine parts are used and installed by genuine manufacturers, but considering the costs of repair smaller businesses are almost forced to use them or face significant losses.

However, recent regulation changes (the UK being the best example) have made companies remove AdBlue emulators in fear of very high fine costs, further vehicle inspection and potential license revocations. The stigma surrounding AdBlue emulators has risen to such levels that some compare it to putting magnets onto tachographs – fleet owners are now seeking better alternatives to keep their fleet on the road for longer before the rapid control checks spread towards neighboring countries.

To prevent the potential risks of AdBlue emulators, CanLogic offers the DTC Cleaner as a solution that allows you to temporarily use your vehicle in the case of SCR system faults.

The DTC Cleaner is a device that clears all faults from the dashboard of the vehicle, connecting to the control units of the vehicle and clearing their fault memory. While not a fix, it is a temporary solution that can delay repairs of the SCR system since it can be used as many times as needed before ultimately deciding for SCR system repairs.

Best of all? It acts exactly like a “Clear all” button on a diagnostics system, which means it is fully legal and there are no risks associated with it.

Main features of the DTC Cleaner:

• Clear inactive faults from the dashboard instantly
• Reset the LIMP mode timer
• Easy plug-and-play functionality
• No need for special equipment
• Incredible value for money

Click here to browse our DTC Cleaner catalogue or enquire directly for a personal offer!

An SCR system is used to reduce the amount of exhaust emissions from vehicles. It breaks down the various chemicals within the exhaust fumes into mostly water and nitrogen, which are much better suited for the environment. To operate properly, the SCR system needs to be supplied with AdBlue, which is a simple, non-toxic solution made with about 32.5% synthetic urea and 67.5% deionised water.

How does it work?

The process is simple to understand and does not require extensive knowledge to have a basic understanding.

The main components of the SCR system are the catalytic converter and the injection pump/doser.

• The vehicle outputs noxious emissions, including NOx.
• The emissions are filtered at the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) to remove a large amount of soot.
• When reached a certain point, the gases are then sprayed by the pump/doser with AdBlue, which separates NOx into ammonia (NH₃) and carbon oxide (CO₂).
• The resulting mix then goes into the catalytic converter, which helps to create a chemical reaction, where the emissions are separated into nitrogen (N₂) and water (H₂O).

Components like the SCR control unit, NOx sensor, AdBlue pressure sensor and temperature sensor are there to control and monitor the system, ensuring that every component is operational.

• The SCR system does not work until the fluid temperature is at least at 220C, power consumption is 20% and the RPM is at at least 1000.
• NOx sensors constantly monitor the amount of noxious emissions from the vehicle to identify if the SCR system is doing its job.
• The SCR control unit is the brain behind the whole system. It monitors all of the sensors to calculate the AdBlue injections amount and type. It also controls the heating unit that brings the gases to an acceptable temperature for the chemical process to take place.
• The AdBlue pressure sensor makes sure to record the pressure of the AdBlue fluid, which will affect the injection.
• The temperature sensor monitors the temperature of the AdBlue and emission gasses, bringing it up if it is not warm enough. If the temperature is off, the fluid will be heated beforehand.

There are differences in the SCR systems between the last 3 Euro-standards:

• Euro 4: no NOx sensors
• Euro 5: typically 1 NOx sensor after catalyst (DAF trucks being an exception, with two)
• Euro 6: DPF, 2 NOx sensors (before and after catalyst

How is the SCR system emulated?

Our CanSmart emulators send specific signals that indicate that the SCR system is fully functioning. This includes the following components:

• SCR control unit
• Injector
• AdBlue pump/doser
• AdBlue level sensor
• AdBlue tank with heating system
• NOx sensor

The values are well balanced and imitate the SCR system very well, making it an ideal choice when the SCR system is not working or is not needed.

Cheaper emulators have workarounds or sloppy implementation which means that the SCR system will be emulated improperly. For example, some emulators rather than emulating a working SCR system will only emulate the temperature sensors around it.

This makes it easier to emulate the AdBlue system since you do not need to have dynamic values on the various components, but it can be harmful to your vehicle if the temperature values are not adjusted properly. The reason for that is the heating system tries to heat the AdBlue tank whenever the temperature of the exhaust is too low, which might lead to significant damage to the tank and also uses extra fuel to heat it up. This method of emulation is especially prevalent in Euro 5 AdBlue emulators (cheap copies and chineese units).

If you would like to purchase a safe to use, fully working AdBlue emulator then you can always go to our AdBlue emulator page or contact us directly.

Whenever you drive a truck with an SCR system, you risk to spend upwards to £4000 on SCR system repair as well as letting your clients or partners down.

And it is not a secret how the SCR system works and why it fails: multiple sensors pick up the emission levels at different stages of breaking down the noxious gases, making sure that each step meets the set requirements of the EU emission standards.

If any of these sensors fail or pick up even a small irregularity within the process, the SCR system will shut down and their vehicle will go into LIMP mode after some amount of time. What’s more is that when you realise the vehicle does not rely on the SCR system to function properly, it is then that the frustration kicks in.

The DTC Cleaner

The DTC Cleaner solves this exact issue in a very easy manner. It can clear any inactive fault from the dashboard and reset any active errors, including the SCR LIMP timer. It works just like a diagnostics system would clear faults, but without all of the hassle: no computer interfaces, no software, no confusion. Simply turn on the ignition, plug in the device into the diagnostics port, wait 20 seconds and you are ready to drive once again.

One of our clients has recently shared an issue that he had on the road that was easily solved. He travelled to Greece from the UK (about 1800 mi) on his Volvo FH, expecting to be there early, with plenty of time left for sleep. Once he entered Germany, his truck had issues with the SCR ECU, leaving him with a difficult decision: either repairing his vehicle in Germany or continue to drive towards Greece (another 1200 mi) and back with a 40% power limit.

Which ever way it is, both choices were going to leave him with time wasted on either repair or sluggish delivery. Repair was his ultimate choice – he was quoted 3450 EUR for full repairs (almost £3000). His financial losses due to the trip were tremendous, not to mention his detour that lasted 2 working days.

Since the episode, we have discussed the possibilities of avoiding such situations. The DTC Cleaner seems to be the perfect solution for delaying the situation until back home, visiting your own favourite repair shop.

And if there is no possibility to do that right away, you can delay the situation a multitude of times, right until the point where you will be able to afford the repair bill and loss of a vehicle for a few days.

For more information, visit the DTC Cleaner page for more information or contact us right away if you require a simple solution to your SCR issues.