[cybermaster]

floydarogers kbsilver

Thanks for the reply

[taibanl]

Originally Posted by GreekboyD

My passive tank won't receive any urea. It's most likely a plugged valve.

Originally Posted by rogerdiaz

Any updates to your issue? I am having the same problem for first time.

Started refilling. Was flowing nicely did about 1 Liter. Started to rain so stopped the operation. Screwed on caps. Went back out to redo. Heard a vacuum suck noise when I unscrewed lower filler. No urea won't go in. Few ounces and then starts overflowing. Very strange.

Originally Posted by Quasimodem

This is why I only fill the passive tank. My theory is that the valve needs to be constantly used so it doesn't stick due to crystallization. If you fill the active tank full, IMHO the short time lack of use of the valve could cause it to get plugged up.

But I am not an expert.

For you guys with issues filling the 'passive' tank, are you sure you don't have them backwards? Looks like the Passive PORT is BELOW the active port. Notice how the TOP port wraps around to the bottom line (active tank).

[GreekboyD]

335dFan best showed it this way:

[geko29]

Originally Posted by taibanl

For you guys with issues filling the 'passive' tank, are you sure you don't have them backwards? Looks like the Passive PORT is BELOW the active port. Notice how the TOP port wraps around to the bottom line (active tank).

I don't think so. The kink in the line from the bottom tank brings it towards the rear of the car to line up with the line from the upper tank. It does not bring it up. So the front/lower tank with the s-bend in the pipe is the active tank, and the rear/upper tank with the almost-straight pipe is the passive. At least that's how I read the diagram.

[taibanl]

Originally Posted by GreekboyD

335dFan best showed it this way:

I understood what he was showing, however i believe that is incorrect.

Originally Posted by geko29

I don't think so. The kink in the line from the bottom tank brings it towards the rear of the car to line up with the line from the upper tank. It does not bring it up.

Agreed, except as to the red part see below

Originally Posted by geko29

So the front/lower tank with the s-bend in the pipe is the active tank, and the rear/upper tank with the almost-straight pipe is the passive. At least that's how I read the diagram.

Agreed

So you are looking at the tanks, and lines the same as I am, however, what you are missing is a close look at the actual connection point (item 13), the top one wraps around to the bottom and aft to meet up with the pipe leading to the active tank. Thus top=active, and bottom=passive.

[geko29]

According to BMW Service BulletinSI B 16 01 09 DEF Extraction and Refill, the port for the active tank is on the bottom, and the passive tank on top.

[taibanl]

Originally Posted by geko29

According to BMW Service BulletinSI B 16 01 09 DEF Extraction and Refill, the port for the active tank is on the bottom, and the passive tank on top.

Great thanks! something concrete at least.

Though, I still have my doubts...I would argue that the diagram (though not nearly as concrete or clear) has it the other way 'round.

I was able to fill the bottom, but not the top port today. Thus, either I have the same problem as Greek and Diaz, or - all of our cars are working normally and we are unable to fill the top port because it corresponds to the lower tank (thats why I looked into this tonight).

Will continue to watch.

[GreekboyD]

Originally Posted by taibanl

Great thanks! something concrete at least.

Though, I still have my doubts...I would argue that the diagram (though not nearly as concrete or clear) has it the other way 'round.

I was able to fill the bottom, but not the top port today. Thus, either I have the same problem as Greek and Diaz, or - all of our cars are working normally and we are unable to fill the top port because it corresponds to the lower tank (thats why I looked into this tonight).

Will continue to watch.

The passive tank holds 4.5 gallons and the active tank holds 1.6 gallons. There is no way you'll get 4.5 gallons into the lower port. That's why I'm 100% sure the lower one is the active one and the higher one is the passive.

[Hoooper]

Originally Posted by taibanl

I understood what he was showing, however i believe that is incorrect.

I put 3 gallons in the upper port when I filled mine, the top port is passive or it would have only taken about 1.5 gal max. The diagram is just unclear

[Hoooper]

Originally Posted by GreekboyD

The passive tank holds 4.5 gallons and the active tank holds 1.6 gallons. There is no way you'll get 4.5 gallons into the lower port. That's why I'm 100% sure the lower one is the active one and the higher one is the passive.

According to the drain and fill SIB the total for both tanks is about 4.5 gal. Not so sure about that though

[GreekboyD]

Originally Posted by Hoooper

According to the drain and fill SIB the total for both tanks is about 4.5 gal. Not so sure about that though

I remember it being a total of 6.1 gallons but hard to say for sure.

[Hoooper]

Originally Posted by GreekboyD

I remember it being a total of 6.1 gallons but hard to say for sure.

Yeah, I remember buying enough to fill 2.5 gal passive + 1.5 gal active because at the time it seemed that was the consensus but I had to go back for more because it turned out to need more than 4 gal total.

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by Hoooper

I put 3 gallons in the upper port when I filled mine, the top port is passive or it would have only taken about 1.5 gal max. The diagram is just unclear

Yeah, top is passive. If you are on a long trip and get near the 1000 mile limit, make sure you fill the active (bottom nozzle) tank first. I was on a long trip to LA and half hour into the trip got the 1000 mile countdown started. No problem right? It's only around 400 miles to LA

So I got to LA, bought a small bottle of DEF, and filled the top nozzle (passive tank). Doh!!! I found out that our cars do not immediately transfer fluid from passive to active. I guess that is why we have two nozzles.

So the 1000 mile countdown continued all the way back to SF bay area until I got another bottle of DEF and filled the Active tank.

[Mark M]

Quasi modem, Great to know!! I'm leaving on a 2200 mile trip next week. Already have a half gallon of def in the trunk just in case. Thanks!

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by Mark M

Quasi modem, Great to know!! I'm leaving on a 2200 mile trip next week. Already have a half gallon of def in the trunk just in case. Thanks!

Yep. For some reason, we can refill the top passive tank if we are just topping off the system and no DEF warnings have been generated. But at some point (maybe when all the DEF is gone from the active tank) after we get the 1,000 mile warning, the transfer pump shuts down and putting that 1/2 gallon in the top passive tank is about as useful as pouring it on the ground.

[Schumacher62]

about the removal of the caps. what tool is used to unscrew them? i bought two 2.5 gallon jugs and a hand siphon in preparation, but i just need to know how to get those caps off. thanks!

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by Schumacher62

about the removal of the caps. what tool is used to unscrew them? i bought two 2.5 gallon jugs and a hand siphon in preparation, but i just need to know how to get those caps off. thanks!

You are supposed to use the handle of the screwdriver that comes with the car toolkit, but I was never able to get the handle apart from the pointy end. So I just used an appropriately sized chisel (~3/4-1" wide) as if it were a screwdriver. It's possible you could use a quarter too, but I haven't tried that.

BTW, as mentioned either in another post or earlier in this one, the passive tank does not refill the active tank in a "realtime" way. One of the sensors is used to determine the active tank status, and it periodically refills the tank (when things are working right of course). The only time I have refilled my DEF when I got the 999 miles left signal was by filling the lower fill port, not the upper.

[Schumacher62]

thank you 335dfan, this is very helpful. and for the diagram as well.

[rogerdiaz]

Originally Posted by Schumacher62

about the removal of the caps. what tool is used to unscrew them? i bought two 2.5 gallon jugs and a hand siphon in preparation, but i just need to know how to get those caps off. thanks!

Fingers. Prewash the area with warm/hot water to get any crystallized gunk out of the edges on cap.

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by Schumacher62

about the removal of the caps. what tool is used to unscrew them? i bought two 2.5 gallon jugs and a hand siphon in preparation, but i just need to know how to get those caps off. thanks!

I plan on going by cafe crema tomorrow to get some work done, I can bring my small DEF jug by and show you how its used if you already have 2.5 gallons of DEF to add.

[Schumacher62]

thanks quasimodem, pm sent!

[Schumacher62]

like a few others here, i am able to fill the bottom port with no issues. but the top port wont take any def fluid.

as someone said, perhaps this is normal. but as someone else here said, they put quite a bit of fluid in the upper port with no difficulties.

i wonder, does the bottom cap need to be off when filling the upper port, to relieve any sort of vacuum preventing the upper tank from being filled? an acquaintance here in san jose has been extremely helpful with my fluid refill, and perhaps he or others here can come up with a definitive refill guide for the 335d. i dont believe its a blocked upper port: there was no crystalization present when i went to fill my upper or lower port.

has anyone developed a sure fire guide to refilling the def tanks?

thanks!