Achenstrasse

I've a 2010 Q7, bought second hand only a few thousand miles ago. It's asking for Ad blu. Ad blu is quite expensive compared with DEF. The manual says I must use Ad blu- but it would wouldn't it. If I call a stealership I'm sure they'll say I have to use Ad Blu- I expect that's all they sell.
Can anyone tell me if they've used DEF & whether they've had any problems with it. Are there other "Ad Blu" alternatives on the market?

listerone

AdBlue is a brand name for DEF...it's all the same stuff.VW dealers and many auto parts stores (Auto Zone,etc) and sometimes even Walmart sells 2.5 gallon jugs of "generic" DEF for about $5 a gallon.Search Bimmerfest and MBWorld for detailed instructions on how to fill a DEF cheaply and fairly easily.

TornadoRed

The wholesale price for urea is about $400 per metric ton, after peaking in 2012 at about $700. That's about 2200 pounds, or about 300 gallons. (I am not sure about the weight of a gallon of urea, but estimate it's about 7 pounds.)

So at the wholesale level, about $1.33-2.00 a gallon. Figure a typical markup, and it shouldn't cost over $5/gallon at retail and usually less. Compare this to the price of a gallon of windshield washer fluid, about $2-4/gallon.

Achenstrasse

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Much appreciated.