Scout "Diesel Particulate Filter" warning light

[Johnfella]

Hi everyone,

I hope that you had a great Christmas and New Year!

Over the last week we have only used the Scout for short local journeys.

We took our dog out just now (about 1 mile drive) and on the way back got a message on the dash "Diesel Particulate Filter - Owners Manual".

Is this a cause for concern or will it clear after a good run?

Cheers,

John 

 

[firefox2]

Due to the short journeys you have been doing the car has not got hot enough to regenerate the dpf. 

The next time you go out in the car make sure it's a nice long run to get the car warm and the light should go out.

If you keep doing short journeys with the light on sooner rather than later it will go into limp home mode, at that point you would need to do a forced regeneration.

Mine came on one time and it would not go out even after a long run and it went into limp mode no power, it turned out I needed sensor 3 replaced £158 from Skoda assist. 

 

 

[Johnfella]

Thanks for that.

Quite often when I've switched off after a short journey I hear a "sort of" fan noise and smell a "carbony" aroma for a few minutes.

This time it didn't do that.

Mind you it was bloomin' freezing out so maybe that was a factor.

We're gong on a decent run to the New Forest tomorrow so, hopefully, that should do the trick.

Cheers,

john

[Johnfella]

All sorted now, thank you.

Put auto into manual mode and drove at 3000 - 3500 RPM for about 5 miles.

That did the trick.

Cheers,

John

[silver1011]

The fans only come on (and stay on after the engine is turned off), if you've interrupted a regeneration of the DPF midway through. The DPF gets very hot (to burn off the soot its captured), so the fans cool it down in case you've parked on some long, dry grass.

 

As mentioned, diesels don't like regular short journey's as the DPF can't regenerate properly so eventually clog up.

[Johnfella]

Unfortunately, since retiring and buying the Scout last February most of my journeys are only a few miles to various local supermarkets so the fact that I often hear the fans when I turn off must be what you say!

 I'll try and make sure that I give it a good run more often!

Cheers,

John

 

 

[varaderoguy]

John,

 

You definately need to do a regular DPF clear out.  Basically, one every tank full of fuel, the DPF regen kicks in (it did on my Scout and on my partner's SE L 4x4).  Take the long way home and don't be afraid to suddenly develop a rather heavy right foot in the process (a good blast out in Sports Mode will work wonders).  If the regen kicks in when you are out and about, you will know this as the auto-stop fails to work and the car keeps encourages you to go into a lower gear (or DSG version will keep the lower gear for longer).  Keep driving for a little way longer (go the long way home) and the Scout will remain a happy chappy. 

[Johnfella]

Cheers for that!

Will make sure that I do what you suggest.

John

[Sangrail]

My Scout is the first car I've had with a DPF. I usually use it only on longer journeys, and with plenty of motorway stuff it has ample opportunity (most of the time) to clean itself.

 

I can't help wondering, though, why the car is so secretive about it. Is there any reason why it doesn't tell me explicity (infomation on the computer, or a little light or something) when it's doing it, so that I can avoid interrupting it if possible?

Perhaps it's embarrassed about it?

Edited 5 January, 2019 by Sangrail

[Johnfella]

Its "dirty secret"! Ha ha!

[cardy]

Hi guys.

 

I know this thread is some years old, but it is exactly related to my problem.

 

I have experienced the dreaded DPF warning light last night on my Skoda Octavia TDI VRS 2014.

 

Over the past 3 months I have noticed the car going into regeneration mode once a week, which I guess means the DPF is being cleaned. It then started doing it every other day and last night the DPF warning light stayed on all the time. I have been driving a lot on the motorway recently, surely this should have cleared the DPF right? With the DPF light staying on all the time, I hope it is not a DPF replacement.

 

I read somewhere that it could possibly be an EGR problem, which in turn causes the DPF warning light??

 

Could I get away with having the sensors checked like user 'firefox2'? This would be a cheaper option, as I have heard that a new DPF replacement would be very expensive.

 

Your thoughts are very much appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[varooom]

@cardy The mileage of the car will be useful to know.  VAG say that the oil ash residue left over by the soot being burnt off should be checked at around 230,000 km, then every 30,000 km after (not accurate conversion, but at around 140,000 miles and every 20,000 miles thereafter - yes I am being loose with the conversion)

 

Driving on a motorway will give you some passive regeneration, where you slowly burn off the soot without any extra active input from the engine ECU, but as the car ages, this becomes less effective it seems, and the regens increase (active)

 

You are right that faults in other parts like the EGR and other things can block active regens or cause issues.

 

You should try to get some values out of the car with diagnostic tool like VCDS that can read Soot measured/calulated and Oil Ash contents, also being in Yorkshire I could assist, or you find someone closer for this.

[cardy]

Hi varoom.

 

Current mileage is just over 150k.

 

I would've thought driving on the motorway regularly cleaned the DPF? Yes my car is getting on a bit now.

 

Appreciate the offer of checking the DPF soot/oil levels. My local garage does have a diagnostics machine, so I will visit. I will ask them to check/clean the EGR, before I start thinking of replacing the DPF.

 

I know it is probably a fruitless exercise, but I will also try a DPF cleaning additive. Not hoping for a miracle though.

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

 

[varooom]

1 hour ago, cardy said:

Hi varoom.

 

Current mileage is just over 150k.

 

I would've thought driving on the motorway regularly cleaned the DPF? Yes my car is getting on a bit now.

 

Appreciate the offer of checking the DPF soot/oil levels. My local garage does have a diagnostics machine, so I will visit. I will ask them to check/clean the EGR, before I start thinking of replacing the DPF.

 

I know it is probably a fruitless exercise, but I will also try a DPF cleaning additive. Not hoping for a miracle though.

 

Thanks for your advice.

At the mileage, your DPF should still be good to go (but please try to get those 3x measurements above)

 

My own car I estimate that the DPF will become "full" of oil ash somewhere around 220,000 miles if my estimation is correct, not saying it's doomed as I am sure physical removal and some cleaning solution would clean off the oil ash left in it.

 

I did make a post here about using a product on my car as it was doing frequent regens and also the soot measured was "stuck" at 15g, using some nice product my friend applied to drop this to under 1g.

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/507529-dpf-replacement-after-3-years-7-months-52000-miles-reasonable-superb-20-tdi-148hp-dsg/?do=findComment&comment=5699040

 

I think most products you put in your tank would probably not be as affective as applying this stuff to the face of the DPF itself.

 

It was the bottom 2 items used to clean my DPF, search on the forum, plenty of people with similar success as me.

[cardy]

varoom, thanks for the products mentioned. I will definitely be looking into getting the last two. Anything to avoid an expensive DPF replacement.

 

There is a VAG DPF app that I used a long time ago. I will try this and see if I can get the Soot measured/calculated and Oil Ash content. If not, then I'll pop over to my local garage.

 

Will post back results.

 

Thank you.

 

 

[varooom]

11 minutes ago, cardy said:

varoom, thanks for the products mentioned. I will definitely be looking into getting the last two. Anything to avoid an expensive DPF replacement.

 

There is a VAG DPF app that I used a long time ago. I will try this and see if I can get the Soot measured/calculated and Oil Ash content. If not, then I'll pop over to my local garage.

 

Will post back results.

 

Thank you.

You need compressed air to operate the pump device and then after you have done the process, the car will need a static regen.

Unless you have those, best to get someone else to sort that side out.

 

Maybe the garage you know would invest in the kit if they can see ROI opportunity?

Or you buy and supply the kit for some kind of deal.

 

Either way, hopefully you get closer to sorting this out.