Can a Truck Run Without Urea?
2 Answers
Truck (i.e., freight vehicle) can continue to run without urea, but it needs to be replenished as soon as possible. The following impacts will occur if a truck runs without urea: The urea pump is prone to crystallization and clogging: If a truck runs without urea for a long time, the circulating urea pump nozzle, pipelines, and urea pump are prone to crystallization, clogging, or high-temperature damage. Torque will be limited: If a truck runs without urea, the emission light will turn on, torque will be limited, resulting in insufficient power, and the truck will feel sluggish. Annual inspection will fail: A truck without urea will fail the annual inspection and may face penalties. Urea has a catalytic function for large vehicles. Adding urea is necessary for vehicles with diesel engines because diesel engines emit harmful nitrogen oxide gases, causing environmental pollution. Long-term inhalation of such exhaust gases poses significant harm to human health. To reduce this harm, vehicles with diesel engines must use urea.
As a long-haul truck driver, running out of urea is nothing new to me. Once on the highway when the urea tank ran dry, the dashboard started flashing warnings. I thought refueling would solve it, but the alerts became increasingly urgent. The truck soon entered speed-limiting mode, crawling at just 20 km/h to the nearest rest stop. That stretch was agonizing, with other vehicles zooming past. After refilling the urea at the station, the truck regained its vitality. That's how these trucks are designed - the SCR system needs urea to reduce exhaust emissions and protect the environment. Now I always check the urea level before trips and keep a small spare container for emergencies. Safety comes first - it's not worth risking a breakdown in remote areas, especially during dangerous nighttime runs.
