Your car is ‘misbehaving’ on the highway. This precious machine that has served you well for the last three months since you imported it from abroad has suddenly refused to move when you press the accelerator. The dashboard informs you the car is in limp mode. You panic. You had been told stories about diesel cars sometimes being a headache but you trusted that no modern car could betray you after spending your hard earned money like this.
So you call your mechanic and he tells you to ‘bembeleza gari mpaka garage’. You arrive and he puts that computer thing because no modern car can be fixed without diagnostics.
“SCR sensor fault” Your car needs AdBlue.
A good mechanic will top up your AdBlue tank and your car will immediately roar back to life. But this is not usually the case. In a country of many shortcuts, many mechanics will convince you to disable or even remove the sensor. This is how mechanics can spoil your car.
- Disable sensors
Modern cars are run on sensors. Temperature, coolant, Oxygen, exhaust, tire pressure, you name it and its got a sensor. Modern diesels (2015 and older) come pre-installed with an exhaust emissions sensor called SCR (selective catalytic reduction) which monitors harmful gasses released during driving. A diesel exhaust fluid called AdBlue is added to counter these gasses and produce water vapor through chemical reactions. If the SCR detects low/no AdBlue your car’s computer is alerted and you may experience low engine performance (engine enters limp mode).
In the past getting AdBlue was difficult as you could only import from Europe or China but today you can locally buy from Kenyan manufacturers KeBlue Ecoproducts Limited and top the AdBlue tank for yourself the next time you go for service. A 10 litre bottle retails for Ksh. 2,500 so it’s also affordable and cheaper in the long run than having to replace an engine or exhaust system.
- Installing cheap/broken parts
There’s a difference between cheap and affordable. A cheap part is poor quality while an affordable part is good quality at a good price. Even if you’re on a budget, always make sure you’re buying affordable and not cheap. If you can, inspect the spare part before it is installed or better yet check that it’s not just the same broken part that has been cleaned up a little bit. Always remember mechanics don’t need to install/replace engine parts while trying to avoid using AdBlue. You as the owner of the vehicle, should use AdBlue Instead of removing or disabling some parts of the engine.
- By-passing/remapping ECU
Your mechanic knows you better than your pastor so their suggestions come from a place of extreme knowledge. You will be convinced to by-pass a sensor or remap the ECU for a bit more power. But this decision may come to hurt you when you sell your car. Every modification you make changes the value of your car and tampering with sensors drops the car’s value. For example, remapping the ECU to disable SCR sensor may drop your asking price by as much as Ksh. 70,000 for most mid-sized sedans and SUVs like the Mazda CX3 and 5. The prospective buyer will have to fix the issue and buy more fluids and lubricants such as diesel exhaust fluid (AdBlue) and you won’t be able to argue against this. So always check before you buy…it may save you a coin or two. Alternatively, don’t let mechanics tamper with your can and gain a coin or two.
