What are the consequences of not adding urea to heavy-duty vehicles?
3 Answers
The drawbacks of not adding urea to heavy-duty vehicles need to be discussed from three aspects: the vehicle itself, environmental protection, and traffic law enforcement. Here are the specific details: Vehicle itself: China V vehicles must add urea. If not added, it may result in the vehicle being torque-limited, unable to accelerate, lacking power, and consuming more fuel. Environmental protection: The government has introduced new environmental policies focusing on the treatment of diesel vehicle exhaust. Urea, as a mandatory additive, is used to eliminate nitrogen oxides in the exhaust, reducing the emission of substances harmful to the atmosphere. Therefore, not adding urea will cause pollution to the atmosphere. Traffic law enforcement: Nowadays, many regions have exhaust emission testing points, similar to speed detection. If excessive exhaust emissions are detected, the vehicle will be penalized.
Last time I drove a heavy truck for a long-distance trip and forgot to refill the urea tank. Within less than half an hour, the engine warning light came on, and the vehicle lost significant power, crawling like it was being held back. The reason is that failing to add urea causes the exhaust treatment system to malfunction, leading not only to excessive emissions but also to long-term catalyst clogging, which is costly to repair and delays work. Even worse, driving in the city without urea could result in being caught by environmental authorities, with hefty fines. I remember that incident caused a delay in delivery and even cost me some penalty fees. Since then, I always check the urea tank before every trip to ensure it's full, avoiding such troubles. Fuel consumption is also affected—without urea, the engine struggles harder to process exhaust, increasing fuel usage and hitting the wallet harder.
As someone who frequently works with these vehicles, I know the consequences of not adding urea are quite severe. The engine will enter a reduced power mode, commonly known as 'limp mode,' where speed cannot be increased. Emissions of nitrogen oxide pollutants will significantly rise, polluting the air, and may also lead to legal violations and fines. The SCR system could be damaged, resulting in high repair costs. It's best to refill it regularly to avoid disrupting your journey.
