How can I replace/clean a blocked DPF for less than £2.5k please?

[ClairelovesSkodas]

Hi

 

Single mum just about to buy a new house - so completely broke - just took my beloved 2006 Skoda Octavia VRS into the main dealer in limp mode with DPF light showing.  Main dealer has just called to advise the DPF is overfilled and only option for them as a main dealer is to replace - £2500 all in.

 

Needless to say, I don't have that kind of money.  It's also high mileage (around 140k I think).

 

He did say there would be options for a specialist person to clean it, or a non-main dealer to replace it.  I'm based in Thame, Oxfordshire but have only just moved to the area and have no clue where to start.

 

Any recommendations for how to get this back on the road for less than £2.5k gratefully received!

 

Cheers

 

Claire. 

[chrisund123]

Ring round a few local garages to get some quotes? A main dealer will cost a heck of a lot more than an independent.

[octyal]

There are places that can do a DPF clean, just do your research on them first as a few less reputable ones will just gut it (MOT fail from May). You can get them taken off and sent away to a company called Ivor Searle (http://www.ivorsearle.co.uk/Products-Services/DPF-Cleaning) who will clean it and return it within a couple of days for a fraction of the price of a new one.

[Russ77]

Check out places like this https://www.terraclean.co.uk/

I've heard similar stories where dealers have quoted silly money and they've fixed it for a few hundred

[octyal]

25 minutes ago, Russ77 said:

Check out places like this https://www.terraclean.co.uk/

I've heard similar stories where dealers have quoted silly money and they've fixed it for a few hundred

 

I wouldn't waste the money on a Terraclean, certainly won't help the DPF as it is not a DPF cleaning solution.

[Russ77]

19 minutes ago, octyal said:

 

I wouldn't waste the money on a Terraclean, certainly won't help the DPF as it is not a DPF cleaning solution.

Not according to the testimonials on a local franchise that offer an additional DPF clean on top of the normal service 

[blackspaven]

Lots of threads about terraclean being akin to snake oil, but you pays your money...

[Russ77]

40 minutes ago, blackspaven said:

Lots of threads about terraclean being akin to snake oil, but you pays your money...

I've not used the service myself but I've read lots of customer reviews where MPG has significantly improved, I don't think snake oil would have on impact on MPG

[KenONeill]

@ClairelovesSkodas - Look for an independent VAG specialist, and don't forget that they may describe themselves as Audi, Seat or VW rather than Skoda. Not directly relevant but one who described themself as an Audi specialist did my cambelt including water pump (good idea on the 1.9 diesel and 1.8T engines) for 60% of the Skoda dealer's quote without the water pump. Ok, that's still the wrong side of a grand you need to spend out, but it's also a grand you save now, and similar future savings every service.

[ClairelovesSkodas]

Thanks all.  Local garage have just told me they've managed to clean it and it's now working fine - for £205.  Have a long journey to do this Friday, so that will be the test!

 

Cheers

[Guest]

May be advisable to take out Recovery if you haven't already got it. 

 

Just in case! 

[skidpan]

1 hour ago, ClairelovesSkodas said:

Thanks all.  Local garage have just told me they've managed to clean it and it's now working fine - for £205.  Have a long journey to do this Friday, so that will be the test!

 

Cheers

 

Best of luck. Cleaning can get the soot particles out if done by the correct method but it will not remove the ash and that is what mostly kills a DPF. Professional cleaning costs quite a bit more than £205 and even then there is an even chance it will still need a replacement in the near future.

 

As Fin69 says, take out recovery.

[meaty101]

On 20/03/2018 at 15:44, octyal said:

There are places that can do a DPF clean, just do your research on them first as a few less reputable ones will just gut it (MOT fail from May). You can get them taken off and sent away to a company called Ivor Searle (http://www.ivorsearle.co.uk/Products-Services/DPF-Cleaning) who will clean it and return it within a couple of days for a fraction of the price of a new one.

 

Can I ask what is changing to the m.o.t test in May to detect dpf removal ?

[octyal]

1 hour ago, meaty101 said:

 

Can I ask what is changing to the m.o.t test in May to detect dpf removal ?

 

They will be doing a physical check for it's presence, and if still fitted, but has had it's guts removed (signs of welding on the case) then it will be classed as a major fail

 

[meaty101]

I can't really see what's changed. It's always been a visual check for evidence of removal. Unless the fact that evidence of a weld is an automatic fail is a new rule. But surely that's easily got round depending where the weld is. I honestly thought it was going to be devices plugged into the cars ecu for detection of a functioning dpf.

[xman]

For cars with a dpf then any visual smoke will be a fail. Evidence of welding/gutting will be a fail. It will be very difficult to fool the new mot with a gutted dpf. A check will be made to see if a dpf should be fitted so complete removal is also not an option.

You could however test the car before the May rules start and buy a year's grace.

[FatblokeVRS]

FYI, the tuners that remapped our VRS and looked into issues sent the DPF to http://www.dpfdeepclean.co.uk 

 

That was a while back and it's been ok so far.

 

[Crashcage]

Just a thought,years ago when i was a lad and we were running around on 2 strokes.We used to clean our exhausts with Caustic soda.used to get most if not all of the carbon/oil residue out.

If the filter is all metal,there shouldnt be any problems.

[pinkpanther]

HonestJohn tends to recommend the Ceramex cleaning process on his website.

 

Not tried it personally, but he appears to rate the process / effectiveness.

 

More here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/94135/how-should-i-get-rid-of-the-soot-in-my-dpf- and here: http://www.ceramex.com/

[labman1001]

On 22 March 2018 at 06:29, meaty101 said:

 

Can I ask what is changing to the m.o.t test in May to detect dpf removal ?

 

Any visible sign of welding to the DPF filter housing will require you to prove that it's not been gutted out and is there for a genuine reason such as  cleaning it out or the car will fail on the assumption it's been removed....any sign of smoke on a car fitted with a DPF, irrespective of colour, will result in a fail too.

[silver1011]

All you need is a homemade invoice from a garage as "evidence" to show the DPF has been opened up for "legitimate reasons, such as filter cleaning."

 

 

[skidpan]

On 25/03/2018 at 15:59, silver1011 said:

All you need is a homemade invoice from a garage as "evidence" to show the DPF has been opened up for "legitimate reasons, such as filter cleaning."

 

 

 

I think that MOT garages/DVSA will be wise to a trick like that.

[silver1011]

I'd hope you were right, my point was that the current system is incapable of properly identifying an absent DPF, and the latest changes to the rules haven't addressed the issue properly.

 

For the most determined, the latest MOT changes won't be a sufficient deterrent.

 

The most effective way would be to work with the manufacturers and strike up an agreement that they don't massively inflate the costs involved in replacing a faulty DPF.

 

I was quoted £1,200 from a Skoda main dealer, on a 100,000+ mile / 5 year old / £4,000 Octavia. It's hardly surprising people look for ways to keep their (otherwise perfectly reliable) car on the road.

 

If the DVSA do eventually find a way to effectively identify an absent or faulty DPF but the cost of a replacement doesn't fall then a failed DPF will easily right-off a car.

[Anddenton]

Identifying a missing dpf on the mot should be simple, anything more than a 0ppm on the smoke test means it has been removed.

[skidpan]

10 hours ago, Anddenton said:

Identifying a missing dpf on the mot should be simple, anything more than a 0ppm on the smoke test means it has been removed.

 

Problem there is diesels are only subject to a visible smoke test and do not have the probe inserted up the exhaust like petrols.