To cut a long story short I work out of the country for long periods of time so most of the driving is done by the missus, about a week ago the dash lit up with all the associated warnings of a DPF issue. Car went into limp home mode but for the past week she has still been driving about in it despite warnings from me. Finally gets it into Skoda today to be told it will be about £1600 to fix as the filter is 90% blocked. For some reason I thought it could be regenerated upto 95% blocked. Anyone know the actual threshold limit for a regen and any other advice :(

Fitz

If you are at the point where the DPF has to be replaced, you should consider having it removed. It is cheaper and has other benefits too.

PM shark_90 and ask for a quote.

I have sent a PM

If you are at the point where the DPF has to be replaced, you should consider having it removed. It is cheaper and has other benefits too.

PM shark_90 and ask for a quote.

I'm in a quandary now. I was hoping to swap it for a petrol version when I'm back on leave in a month. Not sure if the missus would manage to have the DPF delete etc done if I'm not about. I'll give him a shout and see what the score is. Anyone know roughly how much it costs?

I'm in a quandary now. I was hoping to swap it for a petrol version when I'm back on leave in a month. Not sure if the missus would manage to have the DPF delete etc done if I'm not about. I'll give him a shout and see what the score is. Anyone know roughly how much it costs?

I understand it is a little over half the cost. It has the benefit of better performance/mpg and no recurrance of the problem.

But you end up with a non standard car....

But you end up with a non standard car....

Thats the problem. Ive been down the route of modified cars before and was really hoping to keep it standard for peace of mind etc. I dont know what to do :(

Has the dealer even tried doing a static regen?

Andy

I'm not entirely sure. I know that if its over a certain blocked value then it cant be unblocked. I'm not sure what that value is but Skoda has said its 90% blocked. Trouble is, i'm in Saudi at the moment and i'm relying on the missus to sort this out. She's phoning Skoda now to see if they will pick up any of the bill.

Have a look who in your area has VAG-COM as they might be able to try the forced regen anyway?

You cant do a static regen, vehicle speed has to be over 50 kmh for regen to start.

However just because the display says its 90% blocked (in which case it wont regenerate due to risk of fire) doesnt mean it actually is.

Id check the pipes to the exhaust pressure sensor first, might even be worth noting the ash mass value and reprogram it a bit lower and see if it will let you regen, technically a bit of a fiddle but possible.

You cant do a static regen, vehicle speed has to be over 50 kmh for regen to start.

However just because the display says its 90% blocked (in which case it wont regenerate due to risk of fire) doesnt mean it actually is.

Id check the pipes to the exhaust pressure sensor first, might even be worth noting the ash mass value and reprogram it a bit lower and see if it will let you regen, technically a bit of a fiddle but possible.

If I forwarded that post to the missus she would probably ask me what language you were speaking. She isn't very technically minded and normally relies on me to sort this kind of thing out. She has spoken to skoda who have opened a case and will call Lincoln Skoda tomorrow. The skoda garage told gem that it was strange that they could not force a regen as the value that stops that being able to happen is higher than 90%.

To be fair if its been driven constantly without a chance to regen and the lights have been ignored it probably does need a new filter and its not due to a fault on the car then its chargeable to the driver/customer.

However there are a few issues with pipes getting blocked and lots of tests that can be done to make sure its not down to something else. in this case it doesnt sound like it.

Just remember not to send her strutting into the dealer with pages printed off here. It does no one any favours, puts peoples backs up and gets us helpfull techs into trouble.

To be fair if its been driven constantly without a chance to regen and the lights have been ignored it probably does need a new filter and its not due to a fault on the car then its chargeable to the driver/customer.

However there are a few issues with pipes getting blocked and lots of tests that can be done to make sure its not down to something else. in this case it doesnt sound like it.

Just remember not to send her strutting into the dealer with pages printed off here. It does no one any favours, puts peoples backs up and gets us helpfull techs into trouble.

Totally agree mate. One thing skoda did say was that they couldn't believe how the filter got so blocked so quickly. The light came on seven days ago according to them!! and it was 30% blocked,now its 90%. Hopefully we'll find out a bit more tomorrow. Thank you to everyone so far for all the helpful posts.

Meanwhile take the keys off her n tell her to walk LOL. Only kidding , but couldn't resist.

The following has been posted before, but I thought I'd repost it as I certainly found it useful:

VAG DISESEL PARTICULATE FILTERS

Courtesy of David Bodily Volkswagen Technical Support Specialist

Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)

Detailed below is important information outlining the function and features of the Diesel Particulate filter which all members of your team need to be aware of.

Diesel particulate filters are becoming more commonplace on diesel engines, particularly sizes 2.0L upwards. This is in order to reduce the exhaust emissions as required by European legislation.

The prime reason for a DPF is to reduce particulate matter entering the atmosphere. Particulate matter is found in the form of soot, which is produced during diesel combustion. The DPF traps most of the soot which would normally travel down the exhaust and into the atmosphere. The DPF can hold a certain amount of soot, but not a huge quantity and therefore it needs to go through a process called regeneration in order to clear the soot loading. When the soot goes through a regeneration process it will be converted to a much smaller amount of ash. The ash is non-removable. There are two types of regeneration, passive and active.

During long motorway journeys, passive regeneration will occur. This needs no intervention from the engine control unit. Due to the raised exhaust temperatures on a long journey (temperatures between 350 and 500°C), the procedure occurs slowly and continuously across the catalytic-coated (with platinum) DPF. The catalytic-coated DPF is situated close to the Engine, therefore the exhaust gas temperature is high enough (500°C) to ignite the soot particles. Due to this soot is burned-off and is converted into a smaller amount of ash.

Active ‘regeneration’ is when the ECU intervenes when the soot loading in the DPF is calculated to be 45%. The procedure lasts for about 5 – 10 minutes. Specific measures are taken by the ECU to raise the engine exhaust temperature to above 600°C, these include switching off the exhaust gas recirculation and increasing the fuel injection period to include a small injection after the main injection. The soot particles are oxidised at this temperature.

The ECU will trigger a regeneration process, if for some reason this is aborted, ie. customer slows down, stops etc, the process will be resumed when regeneration conditions are once again met, above 60km/h (38mph). This will continue for 15 minutes.

If after 2 attempts of 15 minutes, a successful regeneration has not been possible, the loading will increase. At 50% soot loading, the ECU will continue to maintain maximum exhaust temperatures of 600°C to 650°C to cause a regeneration process. The system will try to run a regeneration process for 15 minutes. If unsuccessful, the system will repeat this process for a further 15 minutes, if still unsuccessful, the DPF light on the driver display panel will then be lit.

The owners handbook states, the DPF symbol lights up to indicate that the diesel particulate filter has become obstructed with soot due to frequent short trips. When the warning lamp comes on, the driver should drive at a constant speed of at least 60 km/h for about 10 minutes. As a result of the increase in temperature the soot in the filter will be burned off. If the DPF symbol does not go out, the driver should contact an authorised Volkswagen repairer and have the fault rectified.

At 55% soot loading the DPF light is lit on driver display panel. At this point the customer should follow the advice in the handbook. If they ignore this information and continue driving the vehicle until the soot loading reaches 75% without successful regeneration, additional warning lamps will light up. At this point the customer will also be complaining of lack of power, etc.

At 75%, regeneration is still possible with the use of the VAS tester. Only when the loading is above 95%, is it necessary to replace the DPF unit.

Operating Status System Response

45% DPF Load Level 1

- Normal Regeneration

50% DPF Load Level 2

- Regeneration at maximum exhaust

temperatures

55% DPF Load DPF lamp

Regeneration from 60 km/h

onwards

("See operating manual")

75% DPF Load DPF, SYS and MI lamp

Torque limitation, EGR

deactivation,

Regeneration via VAG tester only

95% DPF Load Replace the DPF Unit

The Warranty department has confirmed that if there is no fault on the vehicle and DPF regeneration has been unsuccessful due to the customers driving style and the customers failure to comply with the instructions in the handbook, DPF replacement will not be paid for by warranty.

Common causes for complaint

• Frequent short journeys – Regeneration conditions are not met.

Not recommended for sale in the Channel Islands and inner city driving.

• Customers who continue to drive the vehicle with DPF light on – Continued

driving with the DPF light on and without successful regeneration results in

excessive soot loading of the DPF, to a point where it is above 95% loaded.

At this point regeneration is not an option and replacement of the DPF is

necessary.

• Fault 18434 particle filter bank 1 malfunction – Common fault code. This does

not only relate to the DPF itself, but the entire exhaust gas handling system. This

can be caused by defective temperature sensors, pressure sensors, additive

system components (if applicable), poor connections, wiring issues, etc.

Important Information

• Before diagnosing a problem vehicle or attempting to perform an emergency

regeneration, it is important to obtain a full diagnostic log and read out relevant

measured value blocks. These MVB’s contain important information on the

condition of the DPF system and are essential in diagnosing the fault. When the

DPF light is illuminated, it does not necessarily mean that the DPF requires

regeneration. For further advice, please contact Technical Support with the

information from the diagnostic log and MVB data.

• If a problem vehicle arrives with the DPF light, the engine management light and

the emissions light on. If during your diagnosis and reading of relevant MVB’s,

you find that the soot loading exceeds 75% (but is still below 95%), an

emergency regeneration procedure must be performed with the VAS tester.

Further to this, the customer needs to be educated. They need to understand

why the lights have appeared on the dash panel. Their attention needs to be

brought to the owners handbook instructions, so that they are aware of what the

DPF light means and what to do when it appears. This should prevent

unnecessary repeat visits for regeneration purposes.

David Bodily

Volkswagen Technical Support Specialist

Totally agree mate. One thing skoda did say was that they couldn't believe how the filter got so blocked so quickly. The light came on seven days ago according to them!! and it was 30% blocked,now its 90%. Hopefully we'll find out a bit more tomorrow. Thank you to everyone so far for all the helpful posts.

When my Scout (140PD) was 6 weeks old the DPF light came on - I think I took it to the dealers, and they recommended taking it for a run. Which I didn't have a chance to do for a couple of days and, on my way to the motorway the car went into limp home mode.

A week at the dealers later, they told me that the DPF had gone from 54% full on the Weds to 100% full when I took it back the following Monday.

Haven't had a problem since, but have twice had the DPF light come on and have immediately taken it for a motorway run. I suspect that the filter was replaced no questions asked, given the car was so new, but have no actual evidence, and have heard that the dealer (one of only 4 in Sydney) is quitting the franchise....

Edited 13 September, 201015 yr by Inego

Hi all

To my way of thinking DPF technology is a failure as it relies so much on "perfect" driving conditions and as we all know there is no such thing. I live very close to Junction 25 of the M1 and the advice to drive on the motorway is not very helpful as more often than not the traffic fails to reach 40 mph or is at a standstill.

In my view the present state of DPF technology does not take into account realistic road conditions. Just my thoughts on the subject as a layman.

Cheers

I agree with Jonno. We chose not to but a Golf Bluemotion because of what i had read here regarding DPF's.

We live ~15 miles from any motorway, and have no free flowing long stretches of dual carriageway any closer.

For motorway reps or other high mileage folk it might be a practical proposition, but for the rest of us they seem to be a millstone.

I am awaiting delivery of my petrol Octavia.....

Currently have a 2007 Diesel Vaxhall, I do high miles, and have had limp mode due to DPF 3 times in as many months, all during runs from the south coast to Nottingham.....

You don't need a motorway or fast flowing stretch of road, just a steady speed of 38mph or more for between 5 and 10 minutes.

This should be easily acheivable for most owners hence the reason why the vast majority of DPF equipped vehicles never experience problems.

You don't need a motorway or fast flowing stretch of road, just a steady speed of 38mph or more for between 5 and 10 minutes.

This should be easily acheivable for most owners hence the reason why the vast majority of DPF equipped vehicles never experience problems.

Maybe in the UK outside London. Living in the inner ring of Sydney, free flowing traffic is quite an ask at times.

The Scout is sold as a diesel only here. I enjoy driving on gravel roads (and wrecked 2 sumps in my Golf doing it!), so want the clearance for that type of driving. But the car is mostly used for stop-start runs of under 5 miles, for which the DPF fitted diesel is wholly unsuited.....

the problem is if you dont/cant do a bit of this type of driving to sort the dpf then you have bought/been sold the wrong car, we do loads of sensors and at least 1 dpf filter a month and we always try and educate the garage fixing it as to why its happened so they can pass this onto their customer, we find the biggest problem is when salesmen arent fully explaining the drawbacks of having a car fitted with dpf if you arent/cant use it properly

You don't need a motorway or fast flowing stretch of road, just a steady speed of 38mph or more for between 5 and 10 minutes.

This should be easily acheivable for most owners hence the reason why the vast majority of DPF equipped vehicles never experience problems.

On the Superb ours came on coming down Mt Ventoux in France & with hairpin after hairpin regen was impossible, It went into limp about 1/2 way down & we then had the embarasment that despite being able to do 50 on the straights having to let cyclists go past. The car then spent a week at a french dealers whilst they sorted out what to do with it.

I think a good tip when buying is to see if the model is sold in the channel islands where most driving is slow & if so check with the dealers over there to see how they run, if OK there they should be OK in the UK

My dealer didn't mention anything about the DPF when I bought my new CR VRS, however having been a member here for ages, I read about the perils.

However, I am fortunate in that my car is on the motorway everyday and am able to travel at 75 mph daily, so never had a DPF problem.

Have parked up and heard the car regen though, so that was ok.