Octavia TDI 170 Vrs DPF Light on

[hardrock]

Hello All,

I have just had a call from my local Skoda garage to tell me that despite have my car in its possession for exactly 2weeks today that it will be another 2weeks before they will get have my car fixed as they are waiting on a DPF sensor.

My car was towed to the garage with the EML, DPF, and Glow Plug lights on. They have the EML and the Glow Plug light out but the DPF light is still on and the say that the problem is a sensor that needs replacing.

They now inform me that i can have my car back and drive it until they get the sensor in about 2weeks.

My question is: Is it safe to drive the car with the DPF light on. Is this a common problem that the sensor just packs up like that.

Is it common to have to wait 4weeks for skoda to supply a part. I have had 4 skodas in the past and this is the only car that ever gave me any trouble

Thank you in advance.

[Steve vRS]

If the dealer is suggesting you can drive the car, get it in writing that there are no implications to the long term health of the vehicle by driving the car with this sensor missing. If they won't give you that, then that could be a hint that you shouldn't.

Steve

[Kenny Freckles]

If the dealer is suggesting you can drive the car, get it in writing that there are no implications to the long term health of the vehicle by driving the car with this sensor missing. If they won't give you that, then that could be a hint that you shouldn't.

Steve

What he said.

[cathalb]

Hardrock...

I have reliable inside info that there is a serious order backlog for both the DPF sensor and the exhaust temperature sensor throughout UK and Ireland.:(

I had the DPF light stay on but an ECU s/w update sorted that out ( decreases the sensitivity of the DPF filter

Check with your dealer that they have done a s/w update on your ecu ...

check out my saga which includes s/w update versions

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/pd170-vrs-engine-problems/83976/post972627.html#post972627

regards

cb

[dibbley]

Hi,

My DPF light came on and I drove the car for 3 months before the part came in, now it has done 25,000 miles all seems ok, the DPF light has not come on again, but then most of my journeys are 200 miles plus.

Dwain

[hardrock]

Hello All,

Thank you all for your relies to my queries. Got the car back yesterday evening. DPF light shining brightly.

They told me there was no need to put anything in writing as it would not cause any harm to the car at all as it was only a sensor.

Came out this morning started the car the DPF light goes out and has not come on since, so hopfully it wont bother me again.

I have ordered a new superb and that should be here next week. Despite having little bits and pieces of problems with the vrs i still like it as a fast and capable car but the old man in me is going back to the armchair superb ah its terrible to be getting that old.

Thank you all again for your help and answers, its much appreciated.

Ps. Cathalb are you from the emerald isle. Im from there myself. Thanks.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Hello All,

Thank you all for your relies to my queries. Got the car back yesterday evening. DPF light shining brightly.

They told me there was no need to put anything in writing as it would not cause any harm to the car at all as it was only a sensor.

Came out this morning started the car the DPF light goes out and has not come on since, so hopfully it wont bother me again.

I have ordered a new superb and that should be here next week. Despite having little bits and pieces of problems with the vrs i still like it as a fast and capable car but the old man in me is going back to the armchair superb ah its terrible to be getting that old.

Thank you all again for your help and answers, its much appreciated.

Ps. Cathalb are you from the emerald isle. Im from there myself. Thanks.

If you are getting your Superb in a short while, what's the worry about the DPF warning light being on, after all it won't be your car soon?

As for the 'old man in me', I've been driving for nearly 35 years, and my Octy vRS is the first performance oriented car I have been able to get my hands on (apart from a TR6 I had when in my twenties that blew up on me after six months and I had to sell to pay the repair bill :( ) and I am totally enjoying.

C'mon - live a little.

[cathalb]

Hardrock..

sorry to hear that you feel you have to go back to the armchair:( .. thats where i came from ... and believe me.. i ain't going back. Enjoy the superb.. but remember the first real Irish road you come accross..you'll have to slow down instead of smiling.

And yes i'm from Dublin.. keep and eye on the Irish meets section on the site

CB

[cheezemonkhai]

Hope your superb isn't a 2.0 PD140.

[hardrock]

Hello All,

Thanks for the replies. No the superb is just the 1.9TDI 115hp, so it will be a rather sobering experience when i put my right foot down but ill give it a try and see how i get on.

You never know maybe the shock of wallowing all over the road will bring me back to my senses and ill have to pay another fortune to get another vrs (crippling 30% VRT in Ireland).

CathalB, how are all in Dublin, seems to be a few more vrs's in the city than the country side, Im from County Roscommon myself.

Good Luck to you all.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Hello All,

Thanks for the replies. No the superb is just the 1.9TDI 115hp, so it will be a rather sobering experience when i put my right foot down but ill give it a try and see how i get on.

Wake me up when you get to 80mph

Seriously; good luck, I would imagine that the Superb is perhaps more suited to Irish Roads than a vRS.

[FatOldGit]

VRS Diesel 18 months old, everything ran fine, never a DPF in sight. Engine Warning light on < 1 month from new - known issue as found here on this great site, so got it turned off at 1st service ("oh you need a s/w update to fix that, we'll do it at the next service as we don't have it yet"). Yes, 1 week later it wa son again following 10k service.

Stuck behind lorry on slow 40mph A road. No, I don't drive like a Granny, I'd have preferred an Impreza, but you can't always ensure > 40mph and 3k rpm when you're in a bloody queue. Next it went into limp mode. 2hr wait for RAC to come and fix after limping onto destination. Now DPF comes on regularly, especially after refilling, and I have to drive at 3k rpm (recommended by RAC skoda specialist as"peak DPF revs to clear").

Frankly, this is a joke. Its coming on once every 2-3 days and requires a considerable (10-15 mins) at 3k rpm to clear. I don't want to go into limp mode again nor did I buy a car for it to determine how I have to drive. I'll allow 5k after the 20k service and if it isn't fixed i'll swap for something more reliable.

Will insist on ALL s/w upgrades (I hear possibly 2 due via this web site), then swap to an alternate vehicle that works according to my needs if not fixed.

[bahnstormer vrs]

DPF light coming on every 2-3 days is NOT right - I'd have taken the car to my dealer yesterday to get it fixed.

There has got to be something wrong, IMHO the DPF is probably so sooted up you need a new one, under warranty of course.

[FatOldGit]

Yes, DPF coming on frequently - every 2-3 days. Came on yesterday and despite 25+ miles of maniacal "keep it at 3k" driving didn't go off. Now it's just gone into limp mode yet again.

Its booked for a service next week, so I have to decide whether to drive to dealers again or limp for 7 days. Dealers it is, taking more time off work.

Its got 3 months after this service and if it reappears then I'm swapping the car. Be warned potential buyers of VRSs with DPFs and EMS warning lights.

Fed up, extremely, yes, so apologies in advance to forum readers, but maybe some readers / potential buyers are better fore-warned and fore-armed.

Yes, ta, i'm just off to try and get a new one, under warranty, of course.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Yes, DPF coming on frequently - every 2-3 days. Came on yesterday and despite 25+ miles of maniacal "keep it at 3k" driving didn't go off. Now it's just gone into limp mode yet again. .

I'm sorry to say, but I think part of your problem is that you are not following the correct DPF Regeneration procedure; it is critical to run at 1,800 - 2,000rpm in 4th or 5th gear to allow the regeneration to operate properly, anything different is ineffective,

Further info and comment can be found in this thread; http://briskoda.net/forums/octavia-ii/smoke-vrs-tdi-estate/107878/

Give it a go!

[Tomo1971]

Does the DPF regen on its own accord as your driving along if your current driving style is suitable, or does it ony regenerate ONCE the DPF light is active and gives you the hint to go and drive at 1800-2000k?

Steve

[bahnstormer vrs]

Does the DPF regen on its own accord as your driving along if your current driving style is suitable,

Yes, it does (as told to me by the RAC man who came out to me when my DPF light came on)

or does it ony regenerate ONCE the DPF light is active and gives you the hint to go and drive at 1800-2000k?

Steve

If the light comes :eek: on it is critical to run at 1,800 - 2,000rpm in 4th or 5th gear to allow the regeneration to operate properly, anything different is ineffective, until the light goes out.

I have watched this regeneration on the RAC man's diagnostic computer, my DPF light having come on and it was 54% full (sooted up). The % sooted up reduced quite rapidly cruising at 1900rpm in 5th on the Mway (57-58mph) using my cruise control; only took about 15 miles to be 0% sooted up!

[dstev2000]

Is the DPF soot quantity value accessible with VAG-COM?

[bahnstormer vrs]

Is the DPF soot quantity value accessible with VAG-COM?

It might well be; it certainly was on the RAC man's Siemens briefcase sized 'laptop'.

[dstev2000]

I'll have a look over the weekend and see what I can dig up

[Garageman]

I had this problem and the dealer told me that it was ok to run.

Interestingly I then rang Skoda who told me to take the vehicle off the road as the DPF filter might not regerate if the system was in fault and this would damage the cat. ( Which wouldn't be covered by warrenty)

I pointed this out to the dealer who then took the car off the road and provided a courtesy car.

Once the car was off the road Skoda have an excalation procedure for parts and 3 to 4 weeks became 3 days.

They do have a problem with these as they had three in for the same fault when mine went.

I had the same advice from Skoda assist on regenerating the DPF. Run it at 2K in 4th or 5th.

[marco2068]

not trying to be smart here guyes( or mabey i am) but as far as i can see its the same princable as a carboned up diesel , its the load you put on the engine not the revs you run at, you could be in a low gear reving at 3000 all day and it would do no good as there is no load, but a higher gear at lower revs = more load and more heat = regeneration ? what do ye think?