Exhaust inspection light

[voxmagna]

There are 2 things wrong that Skoda should have fixed:

 

1. They could have tripped the malfunction light for a Haldex failure which is a cheap software change, instead of hiding it in a diagnostics scan and

2. They should work with Haldex to ensure the small pump motor critical to AWD operation is reliable, robust and well protected from water on a 4X4 vehicle designed to work in those kind of conditions.

[clv101]

My exhaust inspection light came on today, the day after MOT. MOT also included a software update related to battery efficiency (?). Car still seems to be working fine.

 

Will phone garage tomorrow, any idea what the problem is likely to be?

 

I've a 15 plate, 150 SCR TDI 4x4. 90% fast A-roads, most journeys ~30 mins.

[Sad555]

Look on the bright side you got 3 years out of it and 12 months until the next MOT to get it sorted and these engines didn’t have the fix (or did they and we don’t know it yet)

[voxmagna]

Bad luck happens sometimes when you least expect it and not always related to other events. Although the car may seem normal at the moment, it won't be doing any regens so you don't want to put many miles on it before getting it fixed.  My guess is your EGR flap valve is clogged up and sticking, but only a diagnostics scan will tell you more. As I said earlier, the ECU fix is now going to make the EGR valve work as it should with more activity. If it is starting to get clogged, you probably would have had the emission fault without the fix but later on down the line with more miles on the clock. There are plenty of photos on the web of gunged up diesel EGR valves and mine at 50k looked as bad as those.

 

The stealerships will probably replace the valve assembly, although I was able to clean mine and check it worked without a fault error just by plugging it in and turning on the ignition (but not starting!).

[clv101]

Well, went back to the dealer today with my exhaust inspection light issue. They said it needed a DPF regen but for some reason it hadn't done it (despite plenty of fast driving including a 20 mile motorway run to dealer). They made it do a regen, warning light went out and off I went.

 

40 miles later the light is back on.  There doesn't seem to be any loss of power though and they are happy for me to continue to drive until the weekend when they'll have it back.

[Sad555]

As these engines didn’t come under the fix /fail I don’t suppose they are covered under the SKODA good will scheme.

[clv101]

I'm still under warranty.

[voxmagna]

Get the Stealer to tell you what your dpf soot and ash load levels are? The dpf light on can be their 'lockout' scenario. If those levels or the pressure drop is too high (dpf clog) the system won't do an automatic regen for safety reasons. They should be able to tell from your ECU fault log when the dpf regens have or haven't been completed and at what mileage. If you need a new dpf they will probably kick and squeal a bit. Let us all know what you can get from the EA189 'warranty' which I thought was full of get outs.

[clv101]

I didn't think my SCR MY16 engine was impacted by the EA189 stuff?

[Dexta Man]

I used to work in a building overlooking Buncefield Oil depot in Hemel Hempstead. That was until the oil depot demolished the building! But you could see all the different petrol companies tankers trundling in under the filling gantry and filling up with fuel. So BP, Texaco, Jet, Tesco etc tankers all filled up at the same depot. I suspect there was only three grades of Petrol, good, not so good and cheapo so whatever the garage it came down to on of three grades. You takes your choice. I have heard that it pays to use a higher grade diesel occasionally to clear out you FIP.

[Ootohere]

^^^ Base Fuels as imported or refined, then different Detergent & Additive packages. 

Diesel then Premium Diesel, 

then Unleaded Petrol in different octanes,  95, 97 or 99 ron minimum in the UK.

 

Royal Dutch Shell & Greenergy co-own facilities importation & storage and Greenergy produce fuels for Tesco that part own them, then ESSO & others.

http://greenergy.com/uk/independent 

Edited 1 July, 2018 by Offski

[Llanigraham]

1 hour ago, Dexta Man said:

I used to work in a building overlooking Buncefield Oil depot in Hemel Hempstead. That was until the oil depot demolished the building! But you could see all the different petrol companies tankers trundling in under the filling gantry and filling up with fuel. So BP, Texaco, Jet, Tesco etc tankers all filled up at the same depot. I suspect there was only three grades of Petrol, good, not so good and cheapo so whatever the garage it came down to on of three grades. You takes your choice. I have heard that it pays to use a higher grade diesel occasionally to clear out you FIP.

 

No, there is a British Standard specification for the base fuel, be that petrol or diesel.
What happens at the bulk plant is that each tanker is loaded with the base specification fuel, as specified by the retailer. They are then also loaded with additional "mixers", in excess of the standard spec, as specified by each retailer plus a chemical trace specific to each retailer and a colour and chemical trace to show that tax has been paid. For diesel those additional "mixers" may typically include cleaning and anti-foaming agents, and which are commonly excluded or reduced by the supermarkets. Petrol may have similar additions not included.
My father was a Bulk Plant manager for Esso and would never buy supermarket fuels, and would also not buy Esso so that he could never be accused of "syphonage".

[Dexta Man]

That kinda throws a light on it! So buy a top grade occasionally to clear out the crud.

[voxmagna]

Xylene (or Xylol) is a major constituent of some fuel additive cleaners and is much cheaper for 4.5l than buying additive brands in small bottles. It raises combustion temperature.  I run a tank of petrol or diesel down to about 1/4 just as they say for the additive, add the Xylene in the ratio 400ml to 20l fuel and drive the cars over 40mph until the low fuel light comes on then fill up. Research and try at your own risk!

[jimjill]

Just a very belated update. skoda uk replaced the EGR valve with a 2 year warranty and contributed

40% towards the haldex clutch pump as a goodwill. result.

                                                                                                               jim&jill

[Sad555]

Not a bad result in the end but what can I ask was the £££ 40% and total cost out of interest as I had my haldex pump repaired one week before my warranty expired and I thought your car was still under warranty?

Edited 5 July, 2018 by Sad555

[jimjill]

Hi sad 555

                       total cost was £412 i paid £258 my warranty expired in november 2016 the same time i had

                      the EA 189 done. Got the impression the stealer was none to happy about it

                                                                                                                                                                jim&jill.

Edited 6 July, 2018 by jimjill

[clv101]

On 25/06/2018 at 20:32, clv101 said:

Well, went back to the dealer today with my exhaust inspection light issue. They said it needed a DPF regen but for some reason it hadn't done it (despite plenty of fast driving including a 20 mile motorway run to dealer). They made it do a regen, warning light went out and off I went.

 

40 miles later the light is back on.  There doesn't seem to be any loss of power though and they are happy for me to continue to drive until the weekend when they'll have it back.

 

So the eventual solution was to replace the EGR valve (under warranty). All seems good now.

 

Question is, why was this needed at almost exactly 3 years (following MOT) and 47,000 miles, the vast majority of which were motorway or duel carriage way and virtually every journey is over 13 miles?

I do always use Tesco fuel - would using a premium diesel have avoided this issue?