Citroen DS3 adblue light, emission fault engine light, service light

Car: Citroen DS3
Variant: 1.6
Model Year: 2016
Categories: Electrics, ECU, Warnings & Lights
Ad blue urea light and engine management/service lights came on. I’ve topped up ad blue. Been to garage and fault cleared. Driving home from garage fault came up again.
Posted: Jun 20, 2023 (1 year ago)
Back to garage for checking . Here is a previous reply to the same fault

Adblue light, low emission, engine light, service light
2015 Citroen DS3 1.6 Problem Details
Same thing as was previously posted (see below) happening to me. Very annoying! Anybody know any useful info? TIA.

Adblue light on, along with engine light. Topped up adblue but no warning sign to say it was low at 1,500miles which it normally does. Taken it to two garages both have said there is nothing coming up on the computer apart from adblue low. ive put 10litres in it so it isn't low. I've done alot of research into this so has the garages and we have found a "common fault" the sensor is placed inside the tank so when that is faulty you have to replace the tank costing just under £1000 for the tank alone. My research and also the garage has found This is common in ds3 after 2-3years. This is no wear and tear on these cars it's a common fault. Why are paying customers being made to pay for a fault in the car? I also had a quick chat with a sales man who tried selling me a car rather than helping me with my problem and actually agreed that it is common and they don't know why citreon has decided to put the sensor inside the tank!! Answers are needed immediately by citreon!
Problem added: May 16, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
Nicky Matthews
1 points
Car: Citroen DS3
Year: 2015
Variant: 1.6

Replies and fixes
Other than what is in the post , no
Answered May 16, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
whittingehame
32,724 points

I believe this is a known fault, the Adblue tank is sealed but with a vent to allow air inside the tank as the Adblue is consumed. The vent is the problem , not allowing air into the Adblue tank and the tank breaks. i believe Citroen are replacing Adblue tanks which have failed as a warranty issue. The new tanks have a better venting system
Answered May 17, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
mm
3 points

With regard to the Adblue systems, the earlier systems had teething problems - the tanks for example had a lot of metal components inside which over time, were adversely affected by the UREA solution causing corrosion and blockages. So the newer tanks were changed to incorporate more plastic components to prevent this. A lot of these tanks were replaced under warranty within the 3 years / 60k miles or equivalent, but in a lot of cases, PSA made some varying contribution to replacing these when they were out of warranty depending if the car had been serviced properly of course. So that is an example of where they have improved these.

Another was the unvented cap - which could hinder the pump from working correctly and cause it to break down - requiring a complete tank replacement because of the reasons already mentioned. A vented cap was introduced on affected models to solve that.

Then there was the issue of the NOx sensor harness wiring getting cut / burned through leading to the engine thinking the Adblue tank was empty and preventing engine starting.
Answered May 17, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
whittingehame
32,724 points

This problem is archived
Posted Jun 21, 2023 (1 year ago)
Replying to post by whittingehame:
Back to garage for checking . Here is a previous reply to the same fault

Adblue light, low emission, engine light, service light
2015 Citroen DS3 1.6 Problem Details
Same thing as was previously posted (see below) happening to me. Very annoying! Anybody know any useful info? TIA.

Adblue light on, along with engine light. Topped up adblue but no warning sign to say it was low at 1,500miles which it normally does. Taken it to two garages both have said there is nothing coming up on the computer apart from adblue low. ive put 10litres in it so it isn't low. I've done alot of research into this so has the garages and we have found a "common fault" the sensor is placed inside the tank so when that is faulty you have to replace the tank costing just under £1000 for the tank alone. My research and also the garage has found This is common in ds3 after 2-3years. This is no wear and tear on these cars it's a common fault. Why are paying customers being made to pay for a fault in the car? I also had a quick chat with a sales man who tried selling me a car rather than helping me with my problem and actually agreed that it is common and they don't know why citreon has decided to put the sensor inside the tank!! Answers are needed immediately by citreon!
Problem added: May 16, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
Nicky Matthews
1 points
Car: Citroen DS3
Year: 2015
Variant: 1.6

Replies and fixes
Other than what is in the post , no
Answered May 16, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
whittingehame
32,724 points

I believe this is a known fault, the Adblue tank is sealed but with a vent to allow air inside the tank as the Adblue is consumed. The vent is the problem , not allowing air into the Adblue tank and the tank breaks. i believe Citroen are replacing Adblue tanks which have failed as a warranty issue. The new tanks have a better venting system
Answered May 17, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
mm
3 points

With regard to the Adblue systems, the earlier systems had teething problems - the tanks for example had a lot of metal components inside which over time, were adversely affected by the UREA solution causing corrosion and blockages. So the newer tanks were changed to incorporate more plastic components to prevent this. A lot of these tanks were replaced under warranty within the 3 years / 60k miles or equivalent, but in a lot of cases, PSA made some varying contribution to replacing these when they were out of warranty depending if the car had been serviced properly of course. So that is an example of where they have improved these.

Another was the unvented cap - which could hinder the pump from working correctly and cause it to break down - requiring a complete tank replacement because of the reasons already mentioned. A vented cap was introduced on affected models to solve that.

Then there was the issue of the NOx sensor harness wiring getting cut / burned through leading to the engine thinking the Adblue tank was empty and preventing engine starting.
Answered May 17, 2022 (1 year ago)
Avatar
whittingehame
32,724 points

This problem is archived
Hi I have the same issue my urea/service and engine management lights come on and go of,
I also get shuddering/bogging out (slight loss of power every three weeks or or around every 400/600 miles I think sometimes for a few minutes other times over 20 minutes it’s really strange my car is still having these issues .
Goes back in on October the 24th 2023
Posted Sep 29, 2023 (1 year ago)
Hope you get it resolved
Posted Sep 30, 2023 (1 year ago)
Replying to post by D Ferguson:
Hi I have the same issue my urea/service and engine management lights come on and go of,
I also get shuddering/bogging out (slight loss of power every three weeks or or around every 400/600 miles I think sometimes for a few minutes other times over 20 minutes it’s really strange my car is still having these issues .
Goes back in on October the 24th 2023
Hi
Did problem get resolved? I’ve just had the very same issue. Thought it was just low on Adblue, but usually that’s just the UREA light. This time the service light and the engine warning light came up aswell. Filled Adblue, but all lights stayed on. Don’t know what to do, apart from my usual garage tomorrow, to see what gives
Posted Nov 29, 2023 (11 months ago)
No update so far
Posted Nov 29, 2023 (11 months ago)
Replying to post by Paul:
Hi
Did problem get resolved? I’ve just had the very same issue. Thought it was just low on Adblue, but usually that’s just the UREA light. This time the service light and the engine warning light came up aswell. Filled Adblue, but all lights stayed on. Don’t know what to do, apart from my usual garage tomorrow, to see what gives
Hi anyone had this sorted ? Mines doing the same
Posted Jan 5, 2024 (10 months ago)
No update so far
Posted Jan 5, 2024 (10 months ago)
Ye, same problem and car has only done 35k miles. Citroën do offer to pay a proportion of the replacement cost, but this is on the priviso that the fault is actually showing at the time the work is booked to be done. As this fault will clear itself as if by magic, I have now had the car booked in 5 times for the work to be done, only to have the fault disappear a few days before the scheduled repair, whereupon Citroën will not agree to go ahead 'because the fault is not showing '.
Shame on you Citroën. It's a known problem. Just fix it!
Posted Jan 30, 2024 (9 months ago)
I had to have the tank replaced. Some clips and tubes leading to the tank also had to be replaced total cost was £2400 incl vat . Luckily the warranty I had from the car dealer saved the day and paid for the repair. I have since learned you can have the ad blue system mapped out however it’s unclear whether this will affect emissions and mot readings.
Posted Jan 30, 2024 (9 months ago)
Thank you for updating the forum
Posted Jan 30, 2024 (9 months ago)

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