Magnetic refueling aid - AdBlue

Today we received a slightly different, but for our customer, very profitable, application: the magnetic refueling aid for AdBlue.

Magnetic refueling aid - AdBlue

I need about 150 liters of AdBlue for my tractor on my farm each year.
A 200-liter drum with a special pump is too expensive and time-consuming for me (I have my own on-site filling station for diesel). Therefore, I initially bought the AdBlue in 10-liter canisters. The price per liter here isn't cheap. (Promotional prices range between €1.00 and €1.50/liter – but you can get significantly more expensive!). At the nearest gas station with an AdBlue pump for trucks, this urea solution costs a reasonable €0.49/liter. However, the gas station is 5 km away, which is a bit too far for me to regularly refuel the tractor, and therefore too time-consuming. Because I'd accumulated vast amounts of empty 10-liter AdBlue canisters over the years, I came up with the idea of ​​using these canisters to bring the AdBlue home from the gas station.

However, the first attempt to fill up was a disappointment:

The pump nozzle kept shutting off, and filling was only possible extremely slowly and with great care.

I researched the reason for this online:
The blue-colored filler necks of the AdBlue tanks of most vehicles (at least in trucks and tractors; I don't know about cars) contain a magnet that "unlocks" the pump nozzle for unobstructed flow (I don't know if this is the case at all gas stations, but at least it is at mine). When filling into regular plastic canisters, this magnet is obviously missing, which is precisely what caused my problem. During this internet research, I came across adapters that slide over the front end of the AdBlue pump nozzle. The adapter contains a magnet that "simulates" an AdBlue filler neck for the pump nozzle, thus unlocking it. Such an adapter would cost at least €25 online, which, as a penny pincher, was also too expensive for me (but would still quickly pay for itself thanks to the low AdBlue price at the gas station – see the calculation at the bottom).

So I finally came up with the idea of ​​getting a ring magnet that would work like this adapter:

Placed over the front of the pump nozzle, it should unlock it. I chose a ring magnet Ø 40.0 x 20.0 x 10.0 mm Y35 ferrite - holds 2,7 kg. Of course, the inner diameter is particularly important, because according to the ADAC, AdBlue filler necks have a diameter of 19.75 mm. The outer diameter and height of the magnet are probably less important.

I was excited about the first refueling test with the magnet. Simply pushed it over the front third of the nozzle and hey presto: filling worked without any problems, the nozzle released a decent flow rate!
My 10-liter canister was filled quickly.

The only small limitation:
You have to find the right spot for the magnet and hold it there with your other hand to prevent it from disappearing into the canister. Unfortunately, the magnet doesn't "stick" to the nozzle. However, the correct spot is easily noticeable by a slight click in the nozzle. (When the mechanism inside recognizes the magnet.)

Conclusion:
Since I bought the magnet, I can easily fill up my tractor at home with inexpensive AdBlue. While I previously spent around €150 per year on AdBlue with my annual consumption of around 150 liters and a price of (already "reasonable") €1/liter, now at a price of €0.49 per liter, it's only around €75, half that.
The magnet for €0.50 (excluding shipping costs) saves me around €75 per year.
I couldn't unlock the car pump nozzle. A little later, I went back to try the truck pump nozzle. It worked perfectly.