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My new diesel smells like burning rubber and/or the fan stays on after engine is turned off


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I'm sure this has been posted elsewhere but it bears reposting:

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

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  • 3 weeks later...

This whole DPF issue is very confusing.

 

My car just got delivered yesterday, it's now jus done 71miles and already has done an active regen 20mins into my journey to work, it's not really an issue because my journey is at least 46mins each way so there was enough time to finish.

 

I took it for a longish spin yesterday at least 50 mins but this was not on motorway but I'd thought the engine temp would of being enough to burn off the soot.

 

When delivered it had 29 miles on the clock and the only thing I can think of is it's jus been started short times for moving purposes and has'nt had a proper clean out yet.

 

It was a bit cold this morning -3 on the way to work but the engine oil reached 91 degrees by time I got to work.

Edited by davitc
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This whole DPF issue is very confusing.

 

My car just got delivered yesterday, it's now jus done 71miles and already has done an active regen 20mins into my journey to work, it's not really an issue because my journey is at least 46mins each way so there was enough time to finish.

 

I took it for a longish spin yesterday at least 50 mins but this was not on motorway but I'd thought the engine temp would of being enough to burn off the soot.

 

When delivered it had 29 miles on the clock and the only thing I can think of is it's jus been started short times for moving purposes and has'nt had a proper clean out yet.

 

It was a bit cold this morning -3 on the way to work but the engine oil reached 91 degrees by time I got to work.

It's perfectly normal. Mine did it as well....the smell is abit disconcerting but luckily I had read this thread.

It's not super confusing once you read up on it, it's all about soot quantity.

As you drive the car soot is produced as a byproduct of the combustion, this is stored in the dpf. the dpf has to be emptied periodically or it will block. This is done by getting it really hot so the soot burns off. either by passive or active regeneration.

Modern diesels need/like to be driven hard to keep engine components clear from soot deposits in later life, but driving hard or using the full rev range if you like plays a major roll in the dpf cycle....passive regeneration is getting the exhaust hot by driving it hard. Normal driving doesn't get the exhaust hot so more soot is stored and the quantity increases, at raised rpm the dpf gets hot (350c+) and burns off a little soot so if you regularly race the engine it will burn more soot on its own.

When the soot level in the dpf gets to a predetermined quantity the car takes over and carries out an active regeneration...it raises the exhaust temperature to 650c so it can burn as much soot as possible in the shortest amount of time.

So you could say driving it hard will postpone the amount of active regenerations but it won't stop them as all the time the engines warming up its storing soot in the dpf hence short trips=frequent regenerations.

People get confused with the whole long trip senario because they assume a long trip will clear the dpf, it won't, unless high rpm is Reached or the soot quantity reaches the amount to start an active regeneration. Cruising on a motorway for 100 miles in top gear at 1800rpm doesn't produce enough heat so it will just store soot and people then wonder why an active regeneration kicks in on their next drive rather than the motorway, it's because it only ever looks at soot quantity.

Just let it do its thing it's and don't worry about it. I like to let mine finish a regen if I notice it happening but also if I have to stop then I do and am happy knowing it will look after itself when it needs to. Just remember to give it some beans!

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It's perfectly normal. Mine did it as well....the smell is abit disconcerting but luckily I had read this thread.

It's not super confusing once you read up on it, it's all about soot quantity.

As you drive the car soot is produced as a byproduct of the combustion, this is stored in the dpf. the dpf has to be emptied periodically or it will block. This is done by getting it really hot so the soot burns off. either by passive or active regeneration.

Modern diesels need/like to be driven hard to keep engine components clear from soot deposits in later life, but driving hard or using the full rev range if you like plays a major roll in the dpf cycle....passive regeneration is getting the exhaust hot by driving it hard. Normal driving doesn't get the exhaust hot so more soot is stored and the quantity increases, at raised rpm the dpf gets hot (350c+) and burns off a little soot so if you regularly race the engine it will burn more soot on its own.

When the soot level in the dpf gets to a predetermined quantity the car takes over and carries out an active regeneration...it raises the exhaust temperature to 650c so it can burn as much soot as possible in the shortest amount of time.

So you could say driving it hard will postpone the amount of active regenerations but it won't stop them as all the time the engines warming up its storing soot in the dpf hence short trips=frequent regenerations.

People get confused with the whole long trip senario because they assume a long trip will clear the dpf, it won't, unless high rpm is Reached or the soot quantity reaches the amount to start an active regeneration. Cruising on a motorway for 100 miles in top gear at 1800rpm doesn't produce enough heat so it will just store soot and people then wonder why an active regeneration kicks in on their next drive rather than the motorway, it's because it only ever looks at soot quantity.

Just let it do its thing it's and don't worry about it. I like to let mine finish a regen if I notice it happening but also if I have to stop then I do and am happy knowing it will look after itself when it needs to. Just remember to give it some beans!

 

Yep they say that city driving is not liked but my regular commute is 50mins so surely it will get hot enough and that's what I find confusing it's not a short journey.

 

The Oil temp did not pass 91degrees this morning but on way home it got to 96 and there was no regen so I am a bit more relaxed now  :sweat:

Edited by davitc
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It's not about time or distance, it's about rpm and heat. Unlike a petrol a diesel doesn't get hotter with time, especially with super efficient cooling systems. What type of journey do you have for 50 minutes? if you journey doesn't involve some open road driving and higher rpms you won't achieve very high exhaust temps, it will just collect soot, but that's not to say it will be a problem as you drive long enough to allow an active regenerations to complete. They are part of the normal operation of the car it's when they don't work that problems occur.

Why are you looking at oil temp? It's not relevant really as like with coolant the oil temp is limited as it has a cooler. For comparison though when I drive mine hard my oil temp gets to 110c.

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It's not about time or distance, it's about rpm and heat. Unlike a petrol a diesel doesn't get hotter with time, especially with super efficient cooling systems. What type of journey do you have for 50 minutes? if you journey doesn't involve some open road driving and higher rpms you won't achieve very high exhaust temps, it will just collect soot, but that's not to say it will be a problem as you drive long enough to allow an active regenerations to complete. They are part of the normal operation of the car it's when they don't work that problems occur.

Why are you looking at oil temp? It's not relevant really as like with coolant the oil temp is limited as it has a cooler. For comparison though when I drive mine hard my oil temp gets to 110c.

Yeah my journey is mostly through towns in morning, there are a few 40MPH's and 50MPH's but mostly 30MPH with a few constant stretches.

 

Leaving early in morning I don't really end up in traffic but on way home their is a lot more but at least active Re-Gens will take place so as you say I shouldn't have an issue.

 

This morning was fine and I didn't notice a smell of burning rubber or increased Idle. Last night on way home I spent most time in stop start and didn't notice any re-gens either.

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Have a read of the first link in post 59 on this thread. It's covered towards the end of the document.

 

Thanks

 

Quite a read. I've never noticed the fans going, smell or increased idle when I've stopped so far so I think I can put my mind at ease a bit TBH   :nerd:

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Great topic and loads of useful and intelligent information.

 

I could do with some regeneration - approaching 66 next birthday :yawn:

You and me both  :clap: , not 66 but sure as hell do feel like it. Not the age I guess it's mileage and the way I've been driven  :no:

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As far as I can see nobody has brought the stop/start facility into this though it sounds the most likely to bring on dpf build-up.

Mind you, as it happens I do my best to remember to switch mine off at every journey's start.

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I have 1.6 tdi MK7 Golf Bluemotion Technology. I only got car about 1 week ago. It's not brand new, 2014 done 71k. I do really low miles and most of them just commute to work about 10 miles a day. Occasionally I will do long trips, could be 200 to 3000 miles per trip. 3 days ago first active regen happened when I pulled on my drive. Turned engine off, fans came on, 10 min later fans gone off. Today same again 3 days later another active regen. This time I took on motorway 10 min drive and regen completed successfully.

Now my question, is it normal active regen's so often? On my last 1.6tdi Bluemotion these was happening until egr cooler had failed. Now i am paranoid that something wrong with a car.

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I have 1.6 tdi MK7 Golf Bluemotion Technology. I only got car about 1 week ago. It's not brand new, 2014 done 71k. I do really low miles and most of them just commute to work about 10 miles a day. Occasionally I will do long trips, could be 200 to 3000 miles per trip. 3 days ago first active regen happened when I pulled on my drive. Turned engine off, fans came on, 10 min later fans gone off. Today same again 3 days later another active regen. This time I took on motorway 10 min drive and regen completed successfully.

Now my question, is it normal active regen's so often? On my last 1.6tdi Bluemotion these was happening until egr cooler had failed. Now i am paranoid that something wrong with a car.

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First Regen didn't complete so it has tried again when conditions were right. I don't see a problem.

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First Regen didn't complete so it has tried again when conditions were right. I don't see a problem.

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Many thanks

Do I need to worry if regen will take place after couple days again.

Also when does active regen happens, is it safe just let it idle until regen is complete?

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Yes, on two different O3 diesels over 2 and a half years and almost 50k miles.

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Well a week has passed and have noticed a few small regens and have sat in some heavy stop/start traffic, seen the AVG MPG since start go down to under 27MPG and I think I am on the way to 40MPG overall for the journey to work going by how much fuel I have used by mixing the M1 & A406 with the back roads.

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Many thanks

Do I need to worry if regen will take place after couple days again.

Also when does active regen happens, is it safe just let it idle until regen is complete?

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It won't regen at idle. Just ignore it and let it do it's thing.

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Well a week has passed and have noticed a few small regens and have sat in some heavy stop/start traffic, seen the AVG MPG since start go down to under 27MPG and I think I am on the way to 40MPG overall for the journey to work going by how much fuel I have used by mixing the M1 & A406 with the back roads.

Not sure what you are trying to say? You are idling in traffic and getting poor mpg?

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Not sure what you are trying to say? You are idling in traffic and getting poor mpg?

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Yep idling in traffic, was reluctant to keep letting the engine switch off and on again, not fully used to this Start/Stop technology yet.

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Yep idling in traffic, was reluctant to keep letting the engine switch off and on again, not fully used to this Start/Stop technology yet.

I keep stop/start system off during short journeys. My understanding it gets engine to get up to temperature quickly. Am I correct or got it wrong?

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As I understand it, idling will increase soot levels ............

Let the car do it's thing, I've had no DPF issues, and the only ones I am aware of are due to something else failing.

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