What is this?

Seminole · 02-04-2009, 07:54 PM

So I was reading Edmunds.com's review of the new 335d and noticed this weird circle on the driver side rear bumper.

Any idea of what that could be?

2kaccordocoupe · 02-04-2009, 08:02 PM

I have never noticed that... I don't think it exists on all cars, maybe country specific.

yuyue · 02-04-2009, 08:05 PM

that is the tank for some bluetec(hope I got this right) thing

Bluesummer · 02-04-2009, 08:13 PM

i believe that's where you fill your car up.

methodtim · 02-04-2009, 08:18 PM

Geez...

This is the urea fill hole. The urea solution helps the BMW diesel engine meet US emissions standards. You're supposed to refill this every 10k miles or so.

choopy · 02-04-2009, 08:29 PM

wow thats pretty Mf'in interesting

GregL · 02-04-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by methodtim

Geez...

This is the urea fill hole. The urea solution helps the BMW diesel engine meet US emissions standards. You're supposed to refill this every 10k miles or so.

More like the emissions requirements of CA, NY and 3 other states.

methodtim · 02-04-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregL

More like the emissions requirements of CA, NY and 3 other states.

Which is basically the US.

Seminole · 02-04-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by methodtim

Geez...

This is the urea fill hole. The urea solution helps the BMW diesel engine meet US emissions standards. You're supposed to refill this every 10k miles or so.

Thanks Method. I though it was some type of filler door but it is wierd it is so low.

rcracer_tx · 02-04-2009, 11:54 PM

Really interesting, If it is only every 10k miles, why make that ugly fill port on the bumper though?

methodtim · 02-05-2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seminole

Thanks Method. I though it was some type of filler door but it is wierd it is so low.

Word.

sofaonasock · 02-05-2009, 01:31 AM

Urea needs a refill every ~13k and is covered w/ full maintenance, 4 yrs/50k.

bsamoul · 02-05-2009, 01:35 AM

gonna suck to fix if it gets hit though and you need a new bumper!!

RyanZERO · 02-05-2009, 09:12 AM

It's for the Flux Capacitator.

haha sorry, but thats interesting. Interesting placement..

Nomad · 02-05-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by methodtim

Which is basically the US.

What are you

?
Ha!

danniexi · 02-05-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by methodtim

Geez...

This is the urea fill hole. The urea solution helps the BMW diesel engine meet US emissions standards. You're supposed to refill this every 10k miles or so.

Just pee in it every so often and you can save yourself a trip to the dealers.

GarySL · 02-05-2009, 09:38 AM

Paraphrased from autoblog.com:

Owners of the new crop of clean diesels will have another maintenance item to concern themselves with if their new cars are equipped with urea injection. The EPA requires that all diesels meet strict new emissions standards, which almost always requires the use of either a NOx trap or urea injection. To ensure that the system is working, a sensor checks both the level and the quality of the urea solution and will keep the car from starting if the tank is empty. ... a counter will appear on the dash when there are twenty starts remaining. If the driver ignores the message, the car will not operate until at least two gallons of urea solution is added to the tamper-proof tank that resides in the spare tire well.

Engineers have designed the urea tanks to be large enough to last about 15,000 miles. This should be large enough that drivers never run out, as the tanks will be checked at every schedules service. As an alternative, small bottles of the urea solution will be available for owners who want to maintain the system themselves. The cost of the urea solution, will mirror the cost of diesel fuel, so a refill shouldn't cost more than $30 or so. Before anybody asks, yes - urea is a component of urine, and no - peeing in the tank will not fool the sensors. You've been warned.

Bimmerista · 02-05-2009, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcracer_tx

Really interesting, If it is only every 10k miles, why make that ugly fill port on the bumper though?

Very good point.

The urea "adblue" liquid tank is in the trunk, where the previous hole was for storing small stuff.

Since the design of a hole for refills needed to be very subtle (avoiding people filling it up with gas by mistake) and also cost effective in light of the fact that not all markets get the urea tank with the 335d, the most cost-effective and least esthetically displeasing location was the bumper.

Gregor Samsa · 02-05-2009, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarySL

Paraphrased from autoblog.com:

To ensure that the system is working, a sensor checks both the level and the quality of the urea solution and will keep the car from starting if the tank is empty

Thanks, EPA. It's nice to know that if you happen to be so environmentally unaware as to drive where you can't get your urea quota, you deserve to stay there forever.

bmw-hoya · 02-05-2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by methodtim

Geez...

This is the urea fill hole. The urea solution helps the BMW diesel engine meet US emissions standards. You're supposed to refill this every 10k miles or so.

Were we supposed to know that!?! I've read a ton of articles on the new diesels and never heard about that requirement. Sort of sucks to have to do that.

Tonybest · 02-05-2009, 11:02 AM

Why couldn't it be in the trunk?.. If it's one fillup every 13k miles... why a place on the bumper? You could just easily fill it up by unscrewing a cap in the trunk... or in the engine bay... no?

methodtim · 02-05-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmw-hoya

Were we supposed to know that!?! I've read a ton of articles on the new diesels and never heard about that requirement. Sort of sucks to have to do that.

It's a relatively new thing, which is why you probably haven't heard of it. I don't know about the suckiness of it all, it's just one more thing to maintain on a car. It's not like you have to go mine your own fossil fuels now or anything like that.

02-04-2009, 07:54 PM	#1
Seminole Colonel 448 Rep 2,032 Posts Drives: Red Flyer Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 38.8977° N, 77.0366° W iTrader: (2) Garage List 2008 E90 328i [7.00]	What is this? So I was reading Edmunds.com's review of the new 335d and noticed this weird circle on the driver side rear bumper. Any idea of what that could be? __________________
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02-04-2009, 08:02 PM	#2
2kaccordocoupe Brigadier General 1274 Rep 4,703 Posts Drives: Former ///M Driver Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The 6ix iTrader: (2)	I have never noticed that... I don't think it exists on all cars, maybe country specific.
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02-04-2009, 08:05 PM	#3
yuyue First Lieutenant 23 Rep 335 Posts Drives: 08' 328i E90 MT Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: LA, CA iTrader: (5)	that is the tank for some bluetec(hope I got this right) thing
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02-04-2009, 08:13 PM	#4
Bluesummer Lieutenant General 588 Rep 15,818 Posts Drives: slower than Ayrton Senna Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: SoCal iTrader: (15) Garage List 2017 BMW X5M [0.00] 2015 M4 [0.00] 2011 E82 135 [0.00] 2011 M3 [0.00] 2007 335 [0.00]	i believe that's where you fill your car up. __________________ IG:d.violet.m3
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02-04-2009, 08:18 PM	#5
methodtim Brigadier General 374 Rep 3,883 Posts Drives: Audi RS Q8 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Darkness there, and nothing more iTrader: (0) Garage List 2021 Audi RS Q8 [0.00] 2021 BMW X3 M40i [0.00] 2017 Toyota Tacoma [0.00]	Geez... This is the urea fill hole. The urea solution helps the BMW diesel engine meet US emissions standards. You're supposed to refill this every 10k miles or so. __________________
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02-04-2009, 08:29 PM	#6
choopy Juicy Booty NomNoMnom 49 Rep 1,204 Posts Drives: 04 M3 Vert/2005 M3 Competition Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Lemont, IL iTrader: (0)	wow thats pretty Mf'in interesting __________________ 19" Monarch 410 Staggered \|\| Matte Black Grill \|\| 4" Exhaust Tips \|\| Dual Intake \|\| GP Tunders 7500K \|\| Money Tints \|\| JB2 \|\|Custom Start Button \|\| Updated!
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02-04-2009, 11:54 PM	#10
rcracer_tx Banned 55 Rep 2,013 Posts Drives: BSM 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	Really interesting, If it is only every 10k miles, why make that ugly fill port on the bumper though?
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02-05-2009, 01:31 AM	#12
sofaonasock Private 1 Rep 98 Posts Drives: '09 Nissan 370Z Touring 6MT Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	Urea needs a refill every ~13k and is covered w/ full maintenance, 4 yrs/50k.
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02-05-2009, 01:35 AM	#13
bsamoul Major General 165 Rep 7,433 Posts Drives: E90 325i Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Walnut Creek, California iTrader: (2)	gonna suck to fix if it gets hit though and you need a new bumper!! __________________ -Brian 2X 2006 BMW 325i [Electric Red & Mystic Blue] \| ZPP \| V1 \| Rear Fogs \| M3 Lip Spoiler \| EAS RemoteKey \| BMS Powerbox \| Projector90 Headlights w/ LED AE \| LED plate lights \| OEM Blacklines http://www.tech-shine.com
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02-05-2009, 09:12 AM	#14
RyanZERO Private 0 Rep 76 Posts Drives: Black on black..on black. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: 412, PA & 813, FL iTrader: (0)	It's for the Flux Capacitator. haha sorry, but thats interesting. Interesting placement..
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02-05-2009, 09:38 AM	#17
GarySL Lieutenant 1477 Rep 409 Posts Drives: 2006 Carrera 4S Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Humboldt Co., CA iTrader: (0)	Paraphrased from autoblog.com: Owners of the new crop of clean diesels will have another maintenance item to concern themselves with if their new cars are equipped with urea injection. The EPA requires that all diesels meet strict new emissions standards, which almost always requires the use of either a NOx trap or urea injection. To ensure that the system is working, a sensor checks both the level and the quality of the urea solution and will keep the car from starting if the tank is empty. ... a counter will appear on the dash when there are twenty starts remaining. If the driver ignores the message, the car will not operate until at least two gallons of urea solution is added to the tamper-proof tank that resides in the spare tire well. Engineers have designed the urea tanks to be large enough to last about 15,000 miles. This should be large enough that drivers never run out, as the tanks will be checked at every schedules service. As an alternative, small bottles of the urea solution will be available for owners who want to maintain the system themselves. The cost of the urea solution, will mirror the cost of diesel fuel, so a refill shouldn't cost more than $30 or so. Before anybody asks, yes - urea is a component of urine, and no - peeing in the tank will not fool the sensors. You've been warned. __________________ '08 335xi (E90), 6MT, Arctic/Black, ZPP, ZSP (18"s), ZCW, CA, PDC, i-Pod Ordered-March 7, 2008, Shipped via Graceful Leader-March 21, 2008, Arrived Port Hueneme-April 11, 2008, Delivered-April 21, 2008
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02-05-2009, 11:02 AM	#21
Tonybest Enrollment Officer 114 Rep 5,014 Posts Drives: 997.2 Porsche C4S Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Montreal, Qc. iTrader: (2)	Why couldn't it be in the trunk?.. If it's one fillup every 13k miles... why a place on the bumper? You could just easily fill it up by unscrewing a cap in the trunk... or in the engine bay... no?
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