DPF light on - no town driving - PD170 vRS

[Kenich]

I paid 400 for mine to be removed and mapped. However I included a dpf already gutted, they just fitted it.

[Pedant]

Great post Pedant, I understand you not wanting to mention the garage that did the removal for you but would you mind sharing with me how much it cost (roughly)?

I've spoken to people who have paid £600-£800 at the top end (Shark etc.) and others who have paid as little as £250...

Gbp670 for dpf off and remap. Dpf apparently was a little ashy and I assume the first 10k miles (1st owner) weren't long journeys/up in scotland so it'd only get worse. In my mind I was going for only the stage 1 and was about to book but the lights coming on in consecutive days swinged it as well as the prospect of a new dpf in the future @gbp1500 apparently.

[RichieJ]

Like the OP, my CR 170 Vrs is used daily for my 65 mile round trip commute. 50% of this at 70mph and 50% at between 40 -60 mph on B roads. Last week on the way in to work my car was getting a lumpy idle and the DSG was holding onto the gears a lot longer. Also the fan was staying on after I left the car. All signs of a DPF issue. On way home DPF light came on. 2 days of commuting in sport mode saw this clear (as well as empty my fuel tank)

On the way to work today it's started to get lumpy again and the fan stay on. Exactly the same as last week. Car has not been used on any short journeys in this time.

I did however have a look under the bonnet and my car has the "old" made in USA exhaust sensor. As my car is still under warranty is this something that would be up to them to change FOC?

Thanks in advance for any info chaps

[jrw]

Like the OP, my CR 170 Vrs is used daily for my 65 mile round trip commute. 50% of this at 70mph and 50% at between 40 -60 mph on B roads. Last week on the way in to work my car was getting a lumpy idle and the DSG was holding onto the gears a lot longer. Also the fan was staying on after I left the car. All signs of a DPF issue. On way home DPF light came on. 2 days of commuting in sport mode saw this clear (as well as empty my fuel tank)

On the way to work today it's started to get lumpy again and the fan stay on. Exactly the same as last week. Car has not been used on any short journeys in this time.

I did however have a look under the bonnet and my car has the "old" made in USA exhaust sensor. As my car is still under warranty is this something that would be up to them to change FOC?

Thanks in advance for any info chaps

yes. Phone skoda assistance and you won't even need to take it in! They'll do it on your drive.

[silver1011]

I rang Skoda UK before I took it in to the dealer to check if a 'forced regen' would help. They spoke to technical who came back and said it was unlikely as my car was regening OK.

When I asked them what could be causing the DPF light to come on so soon after getting stuck in traffic/crawling through town they said it may be getting full of ash and said I should ask the dealer to read the CANBUS for the 'Ash MAFF level' which would tell me how much ash was being stored in the DPF and therefore how far through its useable life it was.

I took it in to the dealer and asked them to do this instead of the forced regen. As it happens they did a forced regen and didn't check the ash content. Tut.

When I had a moan at the poor girl on reception and she tried her best to explain how a DPF worked she eventually gave in and went to fetch the 'Master Technician'.

He came out and told me that my DPF was all OK and they had reduced my soot levels down from 29% to 4%. When I asked him about the ash content he said at 50,000 miles/5 years old there is no way it would be full.

He also said that he suspected that the faulty exhaust pressure sensor I'd had replaced the previous week may have had an effect on the ability of the CANBUS to monitor the DPF preventing the DPF from regenning properly.

I also learnt that the DPF attempts to regen after 600-700 miles whether it needs to or not.

Either way the DPF light hasn't appeared recently but then I've not been stuck in traffic so watch this space! It's only ever come on twice so perhaps I'm over reacting. Its just annoying that we've never seen the light on my wife's Scout that trundles 5 miles up the road and back each day!

[RichieJ]

Well, just had a very helpful RAC/ Skoda Assist tech come and take a look at my car. He had the latest software and latest updates, well 4 days old and it threw up a few errors but one stumped him. It was a sporadic fault which came up as unknown!! He's contacted my local dealership as it now needs to be hooked up to Germany so they can see what the fault is. Trip to the dealers for me then tomorrow,

Would like to say though, Skoda Assist were ace. Kept me informed all the time and the tech was full of knowledge and very helpful. Will definitely renew with them when it runs out

[jrw]

Well, just had a very helpful RAC/ Skoda Assist tech come and take a look at my car. He had the latest software and latest updates, well 4 days old and it threw up a few errors but one stumped him. It was a sporadic fault which came up as unknown!! He's contacted my local dealership as it now needs to be hooked up to Germany so they can see what the fault is. Trip to the dealers for me then tomorrow,

Would like to say though, Skoda Assist were ace. Kept me informed all the time and the tech was full of knowledge and very helpful. Will definitely renew with them when it runs out

I often think they are better than garage techs as they aren't after your money all the time and will spend time fault finding unlike most.

[RichieJ]

Well, on my commute to work yesterday my DPF light came on (whilst on the motorway) after my car showed know errors for DPF when the Skoda Assist tech plugged it in. Both local dealers can't see the car till 16th at the earliest, so contacted Skoda Assist again. They said if I have to leave my car at a dealers it's their responsibility to get me a car.

Short of it, my cars in at the dealers thismorning with an equivalent 2.0 automatic hire car waiting for me. This will then give the techs chance to live link it to Germany for diagnosis when they can.

As I said earlier. Massive thanks to Skoda Assist, they are so helpful

[Fitz323]

To the OP, has your car had the 26E6 campaign carried out on your car? This campaign was to replace the O2 pressure sensor and load a new fuel MAP to the ECU to hopefully cure some of the DPF issues on the PD engined cars.

The DPF on mine never really played nice and I could not gaurentee I would be in a position for the car to do its pre-determined regens; I just dropped it off with JabbaSport paid the cash for the internals to be removed and the associated re- map. Now have far more torque, a healthy BHP increase and better fuel economy.

Just a word of advice tho, if possible, if you are contemplating going down this route, do not get the DPF delete pipe but get the internals removed instead. It should be cheaper and your car will not fail an MOT. New guidelines state for the tester to check the presence of the filter which they could not do if you got the delete pipe instead of the internals removed.

It could be possible to have the DPF cleaned as haulage trucks with pd engines certainly have this done. Another thing to consider is that during a regen ash is left over after the burn cycle and this CANNOT be burnt off. So as the DPF gets older, and even after constant successful regens you could still end up replacing the filter anyway. And as you probably know already, these ain't cheap. Circa £1200.

[silver1011]

When I rang Skoda UK he checked the system to check for outstanding recalls on my vRS.

He told me it had a 'pressure differential sender' fitted in 2008 and I have had the injectors and wiring loom done in 2011. These were the only two recalls logged on the system for my car. Is this pressure sender the same one you are referring to?

I've now had the exhaust pressure sensor replaced and the DPF soot level manually reduced to 4%.

I tried to explain to the Master Tech that the DPF leaves ash behind when it burns off the soot and it is this ever increasing level of ash that dertermines the life of the DPF. I don't think he was convinced and gave me the usual 'we've never had to replace a DPF'. Considering this was a large VW & Skoda main dealer I too wasn't convinced!

I've been speaking to few fellow Briskodians about the different DPF removals they've had done and there is certainly quite a bit of choice. I'm going to be monitoring my DPF light from now on and start putting a bit of cash aside for the inevitable DPF removal.

Thanks for the tip, the uncertainty around the MOT has made me already decide that if I get it done it will be the internals only.

[RichieJ]

Well, got a call from the dealer today. Said my car had given them a right headache! Turned out I've had a faulty sensor which has not been regening properly. The garage tried to do a forced regen as it was blocked but because of the amount of soot the system wouldn't let them do it. They have been in lengthy conversation with Skoda UK as to what they can do. Turns out I need a new DPF. So glad my car is still under warranty and that I was given the extra 2 years when I bought the car. Feels like I'm going to need it on this motor.

Hopefully get it back on Monday now as long as the parts arrive.

[silver1011]

Just goes to prove plugging the car in and expecting a fault code doesn't always result in a fix. I guess their definition of a 'headache' is having to use their mechanical abilities rather than hoping the laptop will provide the answer.

Interesting that you had a duff sensor but no 'exhaust gas' warning light, just the DPF light.

I'm no Skoda mechanic but the first place I'd have looked would be the MADE IN US sensor!

[DCL]

Exhaust Gasses warning light came on last night, got worried it could be serious, anybody cured this problem.

Edited 18 July, 2012 by DCL

[a1.gaz]

Mine was the exhaust temp sensor according to VagCom but along with a new solenouid to the inlet manifold my car continues to intermittantly run poor and stall

[DCL]

Car runs the same as it did before light came on, no loss of power or anything, will get it checked though.

[silver1011]

Exhaust Gasses warning light came on last night, got worried it could be serious, anybody cured this problem.

See post #31!

You have a dodgy exhaust gas pressure sensor.

I (wrongly) assumed that when this sensor plays up you got the light. Mine was preventing the DPF from regenerating properly for a good few weeks before it failed completely and the light came on.

If the DPF isn't happy the car will run rough and stall, and you'll get the DPF light.

Now the light is on you'll have a fault logged that the dealer can read which (in theory) will allow them to confirm or rule out the sensor...

[silver1011]

Holy Mother of God!

What does a man have to do to run a DPF equipped car without having the DPF light come on every two weeks?

Two weeks ago my vRS had the exhaust pressure sensor replaced and they performed a forced regen on the DPF taking the soot content down from 24% to 4%.

This morning after an 90 minute 60-80mph run pulling into the car park at work - "boing" DPF light on and check manual message on Maxidot.

Aarrrggghhhh!

Booked in for Monday. I think the lady on the phone understood my frustration and has offered to run the diagnostics for free.

One weird thing though, this is the third time I've seen the DPF light yet this is the only time it has bonged and flashed up with a message on the Maxidot, the last two times the light just flicked on.

Seriously considering having the bloody thing removed now.

[skomaz]

Holy Mother of God!

What does a man have to do to run a DPF equipped car without having the DPF light come on every two weeks?

Two weeks ago my vRS had the exhaust pressure sensor replaced and they performed a forced regen on the DPF taking the soot content down from 24% to 4%.

This morning after an 90 minute 60-80mph run pulling into the car park at work - "boing" DPF light on and check manual message on Maxidot.

Aarrrggghhhh!

Booked in for Monday. I think the lady on the phone understood my frustration and has offered to run the diagnostics for free.

One weird thing though, this is the third time I've seen the DPF light yet this is the only time it has bonged and flashed up with a message on the Maxidot, the last two times the light just flicked on.

Seriously considering having the bloody thing removed now.

My guess is that if you've had a sensor fail then the DPF has pretty much had it - when they regenerate they reduce the soot content but the ash remains trapped in the filter so they do eventually clog up, regardless. My guess, from my own experience, is that yours may have gone beyond the point of no return...

[Jeeves]

I can't understand how driver profiles can have so much impact on a car. Or is it the cars that vary? At some point I must have driven in a similar way to you and yet my light has never appeared (in any DPF equipped car I've driven). I should be happy about this but its almost like waiting for someone to make you jump. Will I suddenly get a shock as I don't even know what the symptoms feel like. Had I not read about regeneration, there's no way I would know that my car had done one - its much too subtle to notice.

[silver1011]

The annoying thing is the wife drives a DPF equipped Scout, similar age and mileage, but instead of the 140 mile round trip I do a day in the vRS she pootles 5 miles up the road and back. Never seen the DPF light on the Scout.

I'll never be able to prove it but I suspect the tale of woe I had after the injector change may have had something to do with it's early retirement.

I'll have a second attempt on Monday at asking the dealer to check for 'Ash MAFF level' as instructed by Skoda Technical Support as this reading should tell me how full the DPF is of ash and therefore how close to the end of its life it is.

If it is dead after 50,000 miles then my particular DPF isn't fit for purpose.

[hatchy]

Looking back at the service history on mine when I was buying it, the DPF was replaced at just 58,000 miles.

[RichieJ]

I had to get my DPF changed after I had a faulty exhaust pressure sensor. It would not allow them to even attempt a forced regen! When I picked up the car they showed me all the paperwork Skoda had sent them. It was thicker than a Haynes manual. Could be worth getting your dealer to speak to Sparshatts in Fareham for info as that's who did mine. They had it 9 days fault finding. Fortunately mine was all under warranty.

[silver1011]

Yeah, my warranty is long gone, I've been relying on 'gesture's of goodwill' from Skoda UK of late - which by the way they have been very good with.

Even with their best efforts they aren't going to cover the complete cost of a £1,200 DPF, although I am miffed that it's (possibly) failed prematurely.

This is why I'll likely go down the route of a DPF removal.

Last time I spoke to Skoda UK the guy did say that as my car is now approaching 5 years old any future offers of goodwill towards the cost of repairs etc. would be much less likely, so I'm thinking of pulling it out of the dealer network for servicing now too as the premium you pay and the dealer stamp is no longer going to count for much.

[Richf]

I got goodwill out of them on my 6yr old 56 plate PD VRS they fully covered the cost of the G201 pressure sensor repair , took a little pushing but they paid it

[miller]

I am now suffering the DPF light every Saturday morning without fail, obviously I do the same routes every week so the car goes through the same routine. A 5min regen in 4th over 2k revs soon extinguishs the light though...

I can also feel when this is happening as the drive in 3rd/4th/5th is lumpy at cruise...

I take it my only option now is the Shark route? The sensor on mine is made in Malaysia too..so no joy at a quick solution there unless i replace it anyways...reading the OP posts throughout makes me think its time to give up the quest to live comfortably with DPF, its like as one put it on here 'waiting to jump'

My car is lightly used vRS 170PD on 104,000miles