DEF Leak....

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I have owned our 2015 Jetta SEL TDI since New it is 5 years old this week was Phase 2 Fixed a year and a half ago.....Wife drives it now so I do not get to drive it much....Any way open the Hood last week to change the fuel filter and Air Filter and found the DEF Fluid Leak around the injector..... caked up good....I took it to VW they had the car 3 Days.....seems they have to involve VW on any Emissions related warranty repair got it back yesterday said it was a hose not the sensor....will keep a close eye on it
 

akjdouglass

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Location
Jefferson City, Missouri
TDI
2012 Jetta w/premium (sold to VW); 2014 Jetta Value Edition; 2015 Jetta SEL; 2003 Jetta GL
Our 2015 Jetta SEL TDI is at a dealership 128 miles from home for the exact same thing. CEL and DEF light came on as she was driving. Knowing that DEF will freeze, I'm assuming the recent cold weather has something to do with this (6 deg. F for a couple nights). The crystallization is obvious without even removing the engine cover.
She dropped the car off at the nearest dealership after hours and I drove there to pick her up. If the repairs are made within 1 week it won't be worth the hassle of getting a loaner from the dealer.
The 2015 had been trouble-free up to this point, especially compared to the hydro-locking issues I've had with my 2014 TDI each winter. Howerver, I've gotten pretty good at pulling glow plugs, disconnecting fuel pump wires and cranking the engine a few times to blow the water out of the cylinders. It may be a PITA but at least I'm back on the road in 30 minutes.
Hopefully, the DEF issues don't become recurrent, nagging occurrences.
 

hikertdi

Active member
Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Location
Southern NH
TDI
2000 Jetta GLS(Sold), 2009 Jetta DSG (Buyback), 2015 Jetta TDI SE DSG, 2015 Jetta TDI SE 6-MT
This is a fairly common issue, I had it on one of my two 2015's also last July @ 57K which I saw when doing an oil change. It wasn't bad enough to throw a code at that point. Here's the service bulletin I found on the subject.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10155774-9999.pdf

From what I found out last summer, the normal process is to just replace the DEF supply line, clean up the crystals an generally leave the actual DEF injector unchanged as the bulletin states. I had no issue having it done under warranty, but it took a few days to get the DEF line.


The bulletin shows the possible VINs impacted and models. It states it was a weld process problem and new parts correct the issue. My newer 2015 (leftover I bought in April 2017) is not in the VIN range, only my 6-MT which I purchased as a buy-back was in the range.


I have yet to do phase 2 on either car. Aside from this DEF supply line, I have not experienced any other repairs on either car.
 

akjdouglass

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Location
Jefferson City, Missouri
TDI
2012 Jetta w/premium (sold to VW); 2014 Jetta Value Edition; 2015 Jetta SEL; 2003 Jetta GL
Worth mentioning that code P20E8 was my first symptom. I had serviced the car less than 3000 miles before and there was zero crystallization at that time.

I reluctantly decided to let them do phase 2 while the car is there. Since my mileage is under 40,000, the dpf is supposed to be replaced again at some point before reaching 150,000 miles.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
Worth mentioning that code P20E8 was my first symptom. I had serviced the car less than 3000 miles before and there was zero crystallization at that time.

I reluctantly decided to let them do phase 2 while the car is there. Since my mileage is under 40,000, the dpf is supposed to be replaced again at some point before reaching 150,000 miles.
Mine didn’t throw a code
 

timfarn

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Location
Illinois
TDI
2006.5 Jetta sold, 2015 Jetta 6MT
If the injector looks like a snowball, you will return to replace the adblue injector. 90 miles to nearest dealer, we agreed to replace injector, they replaced only the supply. Two weeks later, it looked the same. I was not happy about the return trip killing a day.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Common. TSB about it. Improved reductant supply line. Although if it is not installed exactly right, it can leak again. Area has to be squeaky clean when it snaps on.

TSB 26-19-01 2039436 (this is the SECOND TSB on this issue, btw).
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
Common. TSB about it. Improved reductant supply line. Although if it is not installed exactly right, it can leak again. Area has to be squeaky clean when it snaps on.
TSB 26-19-01 2039436 (this is the SECOND TSB on this issue, btw).
Had this car for 5 years (a record for me) and never have had a problem until now about a year and half after the Phase 2 Fix
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Had this car for 5 years (a record for me) and never have had a problem until now about a year and half after the Phase 2 Fix

Yeah, plenty had the issue when they were 6 months out of the factory, too. Hence the multiple TSBs, the first one was dated some time in 2016.
 

akjdouglass

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Location
Jefferson City, Missouri
TDI
2012 Jetta w/premium (sold to VW); 2014 Jetta Value Edition; 2015 Jetta SEL; 2003 Jetta GL
Had this car for 5 years (a record for me) and never have had a problem until now about a year and half after the Phase 2 Fix
Ours got Phase 2 while it was in for the broken tube. Wife's been driving the car for 4 days since we picked it up.
Hopefully I won't wear out the hood hinges looking for the def leak to return. Don't want to make frequent visits to the dealer even though warranty covers it all.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
Took mine back on Monday.....they replaced the valve this time....Service said 7 of 10 come Back after they replace the Hose they then replace the Valve.....This is typical VW
 
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