The SCR system proves to be quite a hassle for Euro-standard trucks outside of Europe – the costs of AdBlue and the significant repair costs of the SCR system make the use of AdBlue emulators a no-brainer. However, what other options are there?
Here are some popular AdBlue removal methods:
Software-side removal methods
Rewriting software and editing parameters is not an innovation by any means in the commercial industry. Ever since the SCR system first showed its way in trucks, many services first used these methods to disable it entirely:
- Downgrading to Euro 3 software – one of the most dangerous methods of all. While this works well with SCR systems, the consequences of the rewrite can be grave due to the differences in the fuel system between Euro 3 and Euro 5/6 standards. The differences in the piston setups and injections nozzles have a side-effect of leaving behind some unused fuel, which can lead to fuel economy going down the drain. Furthermore, a poor mix of fuel and air due to incorrect configurations of the injection nozzles can also lead to further harm including piston meltdown, damaging them permanently and having to replace them.
- Changing SCR parameters in the ECU configurations – Mecredes-Benz and Scania trucks can have their SCR systems turned off with a few changes to the ECU file. This can be done with dedicated software and is a great way of turning off your SCR, but only when a professional is handling the process. It is very easy to end up with a dead ECU if the parameters are tampered with incorrectly, so it’s only advised to leave this method to professionals.
Dedicated hardware – AdBlue emulators
Dedicated hardware is the safest, most reliable option when it comes to AdBlue removal. At any time, you can restore your vehicle’s default state by just removing the emulator and enabling the SCR system once again.
There is an incredible amount of AdBlue emulators, some cheaper, some much more expensive. What are the differences?
The first option are Chinese emulators – based off of European counterparts, they are the cheapest, simplest, least reliable solution. While Chinese emulators are extremely cheap when bought in bulk (around £10-20 per unit), they suffer from absence of NOx emulation (the DPF filter will clog up quickly, would have to be regenerated once per month) and poor quality hardware (faulty units, no seals preventing dust/moisture from getting inside etc). We recommend avoiding these units if you plan to use them for a longer period of time.
European emulators are the ideal choice. They use higher quality parts that make their electronics much more reliable and you can find very decent emulators that can emulate NOx as well, but there are two problems that one needs to be aware of when purchasing these emulators – components and sealing. Some European manufacturers opt to simply purchase Chinese emulators, making them no different from the Chinese ones, meaning that low quality parts make them very unreliable and you overpay by a huge margin. Others do not make sure that the unit water-proof and dust-proof, meaning that eventually it is definitely going to break.
We, at CanLogic can provide you with a quality unit that works flawlessly, emulates NOx and is safely sealed from any potential dangers – contact us for further information.