Hi, I've done a lot of reading on this and am probably more confused now than I was before! So I apologise for starting yet another DPF thread but I was hoping someone could offer me some specific advice on how to avoid future problems.

 

From what I've read, any VAG engine with a DPF needs to be driven a certain way from time to time in order to keep it clean. The figures (length of time, rpm, mph) I've heard seem to vary a lot and I guess must depend on what car/gbox you have as well.

 

My other car (Golf VII also with 1.6CR) sometimes sits with the fan running very loudly at the end of a journey- I believe this is something to do with an incomplete regen cycle and is something best avoided. I've only just got my Skoda (Fabia MkII 1.6 105) which is seven years old and approaching 100k miles. It's at the sort of age/value where a major bill like a new DPF could be uneconomical, so I'm hoping to avoid this.

 

Could someone please give their opinion on which of these statements is closest to the truth?

- DPF issues only affect people who drive around town and never get out on the open road

- your car will always tell you via a light on the dash if it is doing a DPF regen

- a DPF regen is a sign that you are not keeping to the required driving style, and can be avoided completely

- you need to force a DPF regen once a month by driving for 20mins at over 2500rpm

 

Thanks all!

 

B

1.6tdi is unsuitable for short journeys as the engine would never get hot enough for the DPF to regenerate.

The yellow coil will only light up when the DPF is 50% full (from memory. Check your drivers manual). When this happens you need to drive the car as directed in the owners manual (again from memory at least 1800 rpm in 4th or 5th gear until the light goes out. The yellow coil light does not flash but will be on permanent when this happens. A flashing yellow coil means something else. The light will go out when your DPF is down to 25% full.

The DPF traps soot particles then burns them off in a regeneration cycle. This will be done passively if the car is hot enough E.G. motorway journeys and through the regeneration process if you do not do enough motorway journeys. When a regeneration is taking place the tick over will rise to 1000 rpm. The tick over will rise for other reasons especially in winter when its cold and you use lights more.

You cannot force a regen without special equipment and do not need to. I ran a 1.6tdi for 50k on 25 minute journeys. I had a flashing coil light 3 times for EGR valve fault, exhaust gas temperature sensor fault and a O2 sensor fault.

If your usual journey is long enough the regeneration process will take care of itself and needed no assistance.

I suggest you read the part of the owners manual on warning lights that tell you what to do if the yellow coil light is on.

 

Edited 31 October, 20178 yr by m8t

These cars like to be driven!! I do 60 miles + a day 4 days a week and the rest is town driving. The car gets addicted to regening after lots of town driving but thats solved by a nice blast around the B roads or motorway. Its a great car if you do the miles!! 

Thanks for the replies.

So if I'm not seeing the light come on, everything is sorting itself out as-is? Sounds good to me!

I'll need to check what my Golf is up to, I don't recall a light coming on when it does the fan running thing, but maybe it's different to how Skoda do it.

 

People have said that diesels are only happy if you do enough miles. However due to the way my work is organised, I only need to take my own car three days a week, so annual mileage doesn't really add up to much- about £6k a year. I'm hoping it's the type/length of journey, rather than the annual mileage in total, which is important here.

Annual mileage is irrelevant. Its the journey time that counts. Longer journeys give a higher % of the car running at optimum temperature and not warming up.

The 1.6D doesnt like short journeys thats for sure especially in cold weather. However mine regens without any lights coming on i can normally tell because of increased tick over speed (1000 rpm ) also you can tell by the different exhaust sound as its putting excess diesel into the cylinders to burn off the soot particles. Mine normally takes about 15 to 20 mins of driving at 2000 rpm to clear itself. I also use a fuel additive Archoil 6900D Max which since i've been using it has made a massive difference to the general running of the engine. Mine regens about every 300 to 400 miles. Whether thats an average figure compared to others i  dont know. 

Best thing to look after the car is general is make sure you don't get the emissions 'fix'

 

as far as journeys go, I would say you need to do maybe 10 minutes of driving per journey (on the open road)after the engine has reached operating temperature. If most of your journeys are like that it will always have a window of opportunity to do a regen.

 

If you have been using the car for a while and never see the warning light your obviously doing enough driving to keep the DPF happy and I wouldn't worry at all.