New proposals being looked at to detect DPF removals.....

 

http://garagewire.co.uk/news/mot-changes-to-be-introduced-in-may-following-dpf-investigation/

Mentioned this a while back and was shot down about it being a myth/not being looked at.

Garages are already checking for DPF removal on cars they get traded in.

A lot of people/garages are going to find themselves getting fines and a whole wave of legal issues

The DfT know that they are miles off being able to implement reliable methods of detecting if a DPF is present or not.

 

Until then they keep the media fuelled with these articles every so often to remind people it is illegal. 

The DfT know that they are miles off being able to implement reliable methods of detecting if a DPF is present or not.

Until then they keep the media fuelled with these articles every so often to remind people it is illegal.

They have an idea how much NOX should come out the back with a DPF. A vehicle with the DPF removed won't come anywhere near that figure as just one area to test. There's other particulates the DPF also removes which could be measured.

The US have some quite stringent testing which could be used as a starting point. If this was the US it would be an imprisonable offence.

They can already tell today with the diesel soot test.

 

A DPF equipped car produces very small, if any amount of soot.

 

A car without a DPF produces plenty during the test, certainly enough to be able to determine if the DPF is present or at least working properly.

 

We are still years and years away from seeing any major changes.

If you have it removed due to it needing replacement you haven't actually lost out on anything as you would of had to buy a new one anyway. 

The issue is that the cost of genuine Skoda DPF's are still in  excess of £1,000 fitted.

 

If the original DPF fails the driver is left with a few choices, have it gutted so that it still passes the MOT for around £400, buy a brand new OEM one for £1,000, or buy one of the increasingly popular aftermarket versions for around £800.

 

As DPF's tend to fail on older and lower value cars the default option is to have it removed. It's a tough decision to fork out £1,000 on a £5,000 car.

 

The DfT would have a far easier job if they instead worked with the vehicle manufacturers to help reduce the cost of replacement DPF's, this would then reduce the number of people looking to circumnavigate the rules.

£400 DPF removal + £1k fine + no MOT + DPF to pass MOT

or

Just £1k

Tough call.

I did read that the fine is set to increase ahead of DPF removal testing for both using a vehicle without one along with the introduction of fines for removing them.

As I say a lot of tuners and garages will find their DPF removals catch up with them one day...

Most people will take their chances. I've never heard of an occasion where anyone has been fined at all, let alone fined £1,000 for driving a car without a DPF. You only need to watch the Police Interceptor programmes, you can steal a car, run from the Police, crash into their car, speed at 100mph through city centres, dump the car, leg it, get caught and simply get given a ticking off.

 

Given that the Police can't even stop people from driving whilst on their phone then the chances of them crawling under cars at the side of the road to check out DPF's isn't going to be a concern for 99.9% of the motoring public.

 

In the unlikely event you get caught then all that will happen is that the offender will be issued with a 'vehicle defect rectification notice' whereby they'll need to refit the DPF and present a receipt for the work to the Police within 14 days.

 

As sad as it sounds it is unfortunately a sign of the times, the Police are massively under resourced and a missing DPF is way down their list of priorities.

 

The most effective way to stop it happening is to reduce the cost of replacement.

When i got my volvo my pal who is a mot tester & tests all my cars told me not to touch the dpf as changes are coming soon....this was a month ago...easy way to spot a car that had its dpf internals taken out is a sooty tail pipe....my volvo ones are spotless....my petrol octavia tail pipes were black with soot type muck....people thought it was a diesel with the dpf removed....  friend of mine had his insurance pay out refused due to the dpf internals removed,the car had other visible modifications that were not declared so the car was independently examined & the dpf removal/welded back up was one of the non declared modifications listed that was carried out....only a matter of time before they crack down on dpf removal....

Most people will take their chances. I've never heard of an occasion where anyone has been fined at all, let alone fined £1,000 for driving a car without a DPF. You only need to watch the Police Interceptor programmes, you can steal a car, run from the Police, crash into their car, speed at 100mph through city centres, dump the car, leg it, get caught and simply get given a ticking off.

Given that the Police can't even stop people from driving whilst on their phone then the chances of them crawling under cars at the side of the road to check out DPF's isn't going to be a concern for 99.9% of the motoring public.

In the unlikely event you get caught then all that will happen is that the offender will be issued with a 'vehicle defect rectification notice' whereby they'll need to refit the DPF and present a receipt for the work to the Police within 14 days.

As sad as it sounds it is unfortunately a sign of the times, the Police are massively under resourced and a missing DPF is way down their list of priorities.

The most effective way to stop it happening is to reduce the cost of replacement.

But it's Vosa not the police who would inspect and fine, and vosa do carry out roadside tests on vehicles daily around the UK.

How many?

How many?

Checks around the UK? No idea. I see at least 2 a week on my travels pulling vehicles. What they're checking for I have no idea. But I do see both passenger and commercial/PCV vehicles being pulled over.

Jeez, VOSA are a rarer sight than the Police, the few I have seen are very much focusing on HGV's or parked up on the motorway reading The Sun.

 

Last time I saw a VOSA car it was an old shape Galaxy 

 

 

It's now DVSA, VOSA is dead and buried.

Edited 3 December, 20169 yr by silver1011

VOSA have not been in existence for about three years now, that'll be why you haven't seen one.

Dvsa then.

Not sure how far and wide you travel, but doing 1600 miles a week covering upto 10 different counties is probably why I see them more than you do.

I suspect if they find and implement a reliable detection system you'll see them a lot more pulling passenger vehicles.

I see loads of them. They have a weighbridge and roadside check area about 2 miles from me, and they're often pulling in HGVs and gyppo type pick ups.

I see loads of them. They have a weighbridge and roadside check area about 2 miles from me, and they're often pulling in HGVs and gyppo type pick ups.

 

Thers a Weighbridge on the A1 at Boston Spa, Forgeign HGV's are pulled by the Police and the DVSA , weighed and the drivers who's wagons are over weight or any thing else is not right are ferried down to the Magistrates court in Wetherby, by the police, which is open especially for the purpose of handing out fines.

 

 

If you don't pay on the spot you don't get your wagon back

Edited 4 December, 20169 yr by Auric Goldfinger

One off A34 at A415 /  Abingdon junction.

 

Another on A5 at A5 / A38 / M6 Toll junction south of Lichfield.

 

Both regularly active, I was pulled over at the Abigdon one for a spot check for red diesel 2 years ago.

Plenty of DVSA check points around, plus mobile units. Can be seen regularly

at the end of the M50 at Ross,

on the A55,

near Welshpool, especially on Mart days.

on the A40 in West Wales,

Exeter services on the M5.

 

Mostly wagons stopped but cars and 4x4's with trailers and caravans are getting stopped increasingly often.

Aren't DPF meant to reduce pollution? If you remove them, besides the possibly rare chance of being fined, aren't drivers also putting more pollution into the atmosphere?

Aren't DPF meant to reduce pollution? If you remove them, besides the possibly rare chance of being fined, aren't drivers also putting more pollution into the atmosphere?

Yup, and given we're going to miss our emissions limits everything is on the table.

There was discussion of effectively banning euro 1 & 2 diesels a few years back. I can see any diesel without DPF being effectively banned through legislation too at some point.

Am i right in thinking though that the vast majority of dpf failures/issues are with people who bought diesels only because of the cheaper road tax even though they only do very small mileage, short trips around tiwn and the like? Whereas your typical motorway mile muncher hasnt got the regen/blockage issues?

I pretty much laughed at my MIL a few weeks ago when, after her car was changed from a 2.2diesel mazda3 to a 1.2petrol mazda2, she told me she wasnt sure about the petrol because of the big miles she does - pootling around town usually & once a fortnight a 40mile each way trip to her daughters normally up on a friday or saturday and back next day. I easily do more in 3 days than she does in a month

I've had the light on twice in about 15-20,000 miles and I do good mileage and plenty of 200+ mile trips, so while I don't think the short runs help, I don't think that's everything.

 

Something I did notice is regen is listed as requiring between 1800rpm and 2500rpm in the book, but if you're doing 70 in 6th you're actually below 1800rpm.
I wonder if that isn't helping things as it's perhaps not in the optimum range for regen when you're doing normal driving?

Am i right in thinking though that the vast majority of dpf failures/issues are with people who bought diesels only because of the cheaper road tax even though they only do very small mileage, short trips around tiwn and the like? Whereas your typical motorway mile muncher hasnt got the regen/blockage issues?

I pretty much laughed at my MIL a few weeks ago when, after her car was changed from a 2.2diesel mazda3 to a 1.2petrol mazda2, she told me she wasnt sure about the petrol because of the big miles she does - pootling around town usually & once a fortnight a 40mile each way trip to her daughters normally up on a friday or saturday and back next day. I easily do more in 3 days than she does in a month

You are correct - people like me in fact.

People like me who weren't aware of what a dpf was when they bought the vehicle, nor made aware of by salesman

And what exactly are people like me,who need a van but don't go very far in them supposed to do?

The whole dpf thing is a joke IMHO