Smoke from vRS TDI Estate

[Biker Bob]

Hi Guys,

I have a 56 plate vRS TDI Estate and I occasionally notice a big cloud of smoke from the exhaust. Is this just the DPF regenerating or am I looking at something more serious. I've had the car looked at before and the garage said that it is just the DPF. I'm not sure because the Engine Management light comes on (the one that looks like an engine) but not the Particulate Filter light ( the one that looks like a bottle filled with dots!). It's true that I do a fair bit of town driving in London but I have 60-70 miles of Motorway at each end of the day where I would have thought the DPF would regenerate easily.

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[dstev2000]

Has anyone read off any fault codes from the car? if the CEL is coming on then it's highly likely to have logged a fault code or 2.

The DPF light generally comes on if it's whinging about a lack of regeneration. What sort of colour is the cloud of smoke? Presumably a black sooty diesel colour?

Any pattern with the puffs of smoke? ie booting it up the slip road after a long slog through the London traffic?

I have conferred with SWMBO and she says she has never seen any smoke from the vRS and that too does it's fair share of traffic and open roads.

Some interesting reading if anyone is interested:

Technologies - Diesel Particulate Filters

[djgritt]

Mine smokes sometimes, but ONLy if it's been runnign and hardly moving - ie traffic, or sat in a carpark

When it gets given some beans after this, it smokes for a short while on boost, then clears up and it doesn't happen again, until i sit around again.

Thats the only time it smokes.

Noticed it on the RR too - after i had sat with the car running in the carpark it was strapped on, then given stick - smoked for a little, then cleared up

[Marcus100]

Never seen any smoke off mine. Doing a lot of country miles as we don't have any motorways around here!

[bahnstormer vrs]

Argh; after all I've said in various threads about the reliability of the DPF on the vRS TDI - its got me. :eek: DPF warning light came on this afternoon when I was pottering around 'town' shopping; preceded by the 'Emissions' exhaust warning light.

PS> Apologies if I'm hijacking this thread.

I really wasn't expecting this having done 18,000 trouble free miles, with only the occasional 'regeneration'; and I've not changed my driving routine.

What I did think about was that, oh yes, it would have to be just after the car was serviced! It had a first annual service only on Monday this week. Thought about this factor a bit more and it seemed all a bit co-incidental. :( I've done about 150-200 since the service.

I decided to check the oil and, well I never, it had been overfilled by at least half a litre !!!!! Knowing how an overfill can corrupt a catalytic converter on a petrol engine I also remembered warnings in the handbook about overfilling on TDI engines as well.

Thinking further and all things considered, I didn't want to risk further corruption of the Catalytic converter and DPF so looked up the number and phoned Skoda Assistance/RAC. Fantastic; I explained what had happened and without the slightest quibble 'Ozzie' offered to send someone out to me immediately or would tomorrow morning be more convenient? As I didn't consider it an emergency we agreed on a visit at 10:30 tomorrow (Sunday); to drain out the overfill of oil.

I guess I'll then go and give the car a 'blast' to clear out the DPF and hopefully all will be OK afterwards except that my dealer is going to get a right flea in their ear from me on Monday morning. :mad:

[dstev2000]

Argh; after all I've said in various threads about the reliability of the DPF on the vRS TDI - its got me. :eek: DPF warning light came on this afternoon when I was pottering around 'town' shopping; preceded by the 'Emissions' exhaust warning light.

PS> Apologies if I'm hijacking this thread.

I really wasn't expecting this having done 18,000 trouble free miles, with only the occasional 'regeneration'; and I've not changed my driving routine.

What I did think about was that, oh yes, it would have to be just after the car was serviced! It had a first annual service only on Monday this week. Thought about this factor a bit more and it seemed all a bit co-incidental. :( I've done about 150-200 since the service.

I decided to check the oil and, well I never, it had been overfilled by at least half a litre !!!!! Knowing how an overfill can corrupt a catalytic converter on a petrol engine I also remembered warnings in the handbook about overfilling on TDI engines as well.

Thinking further and all things considered, I didn't want to risk further corruption of the Catalytic converter and DPF so looked up the number and phoned Skoda Assistance/RAC. Fantastic; I explained what had happened and without the slightest quibble 'Ozzie' offered to send someone out to me immediately or would tomorrow morning be more convenient? As I didn't consider it an emergency we agreed on a visit at 10:30 tomorrow (Sunday); to drain out the overfill of oil.

I guess I'll then go and give the car a 'blast' to clear out the DPF and hopefully all will be OK afterwards except that my dealer is going to get a right flea in their ear from me on Monday morning. :mad:

They would be getting more than a flea in their ear, how about that half litre of oil instead? :eek:

Useless barstewards

You'll have to let us know how it turns out.

[sworrall]

Argh; after all I've said in various threads about the reliability of the DPF on the vRS TDI - its got me. :eek: DPF warning light came on this afternoon when I was pottering around 'town' shopping; preceded by the 'Emissions' exhaust warning light.

PS> Apologies if I'm hijacking this thread.

I really wasn't expecting this having done 18,000 trouble free miles, with only the occasional 'regeneration'; and I've not changed my driving routine.

What I did think about was that, oh yes, it would have to be just after the car was serviced! It had a first annual service only on Monday this week. Thought about this factor a bit more and it seemed all a bit co-incidental. :( I've done about 150-200 since the service.

I decided to check the oil and, well I never, it had been overfilled by at least half a litre !!!!! Knowing how an overfill can corrupt a catalytic converter on a petrol engine I also remembered warnings in the handbook about overfilling on TDI engines as well.

Thinking further and all things considered, I didn't want to risk further corruption of the Catalytic converter and DPF so looked up the number and phoned Skoda Assistance/RAC. Fantastic; I explained what had happened and without the slightest quibble 'Ozzie' offered to send someone out to me immediately or would tomorrow morning be more convenient? As I didn't consider it an emergency we agreed on a visit at 10:30 tomorrow (Sunday); to drain out the overfill of oil.

I guess I'll then go and give the car a 'blast' to clear out the DPF and hopefully all will be OK afterwards except that my dealer is going to get a right flea in their ear from me on Monday morning. :mad:

pretty shoddy service there from the dealer but great from rac/skoda assist. Its a good job you had the mindfullness to check the oil level as a lot of people wouldnt have

[Biker Bob]

AA came out last week and said the error code was PO471 - Exhaust Pressure Sensor.

Mentioned this to my Skoda garage and they said that this error doesn't mean anything to them.

Car ran for 4 days with Exhaust system warning light on coupled with regular smoke emissions from exhaust. Then went off yeaterday.

Going into dealers tomorrow to be looked at.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Argh; after all I've said in various threads about the reliability of the DPF on the vRS TDI - its got me. :eek: DPF warning light came on this afternoon when I was pottering around 'town' shopping; preceded by the 'Emissions' exhaust warning light.

I decided to check the oil and, well I never, it had been overfilled by at least half a litre !!!!! Knowing how an overfill can corrupt a catalytic converter on a petrol engine I also remembered warnings in the handbook about overfilling on TDI engines as well.

Phew; all sorted.

RAC man came out this morning (spot on time); interesting to know that he only works on VAG cars for Skoda/Audi/VW/SEAT assist, so gets to know what's what.

We checked the oil and it wasn't as 'full' as I had thought yesterday, the level was showing about 2/3rds up the globe at the top of the dipstick scale so overfilled by not more than 1/2 a litre. He told me that this would not be an issue and it would gradually burn off. I might forgive my dealer but may still call and mention it to them.

He then connected up his diagnostic computer and found a 'fault code' against the Exhaust gas pressure sensor and then a code for DPF fault and a message of 'manual regeneration required' do Road Test.

Off we went, computer still connected, showing DPF 54% full (of soot). I followed his instructions (similar to those in the handbook) to drive at 1,800 to 2,000 rpm in either 4th or 5th gears. Fortunately I have a good steady 40mph road (1,800rpm in 4th) for a couple of miles when I can then get onto the A1(M) where I settled at 1,900 rpm in 5th = 57/58mph; handily set with cruise control.We travelled about 10 miles up the Mway and watched the diagnostic progressively showing DPF % full being reduced. When it got to about 10% the DPF warning light went off (emissions light still on) and continued all the way down to 0% that neatly coincided with a junction that I could exit at and return back on the Mway.

In turning around, and with regeneration complete, the % full of soot started to build up again, but back on the Mway and with cruise reset it built up a bit more and then started regeneration, when the % full then went back down and got to around 1% by the time we got back home. Once stopped the RAC man checked the DPF was OK, reset the emissions light and we turned off the engine. Restarted it just to check and all was OK. Job done! Phew.

The main points that came out of this is that;-

1) I only ran the car for about 2 miles yesterday with the emission and DPF lights on before, today, going off and doing a 'regeneration run',

2) it is critical to follow the 1,800 - 2,000rpm in 4th or 5th gear procedure to allow the regeneration to operate properly, anything different is ineffective, and

3) from discussion, it is very useful to the overall 'health' of the DPF and car to try and incorporate a spell of driving in 'regeneration mode', as 2) above, from time to time to clean the DPF before it needs to be cleaned.

I'm mightily relieved after all this, much comforted that I now know how to deal with the dreaded DPF warning light and have breathed a big sigh of relief that I don't have a more serious problem (touch wood).

[Tech1e]

If the soot % figure gets to 80% ther e is nothing you can then do as it wont regnerate as there is a fire risk. However I have seen that fault plenty of times but only once has the fault actually been true. Most of the time its a faulty pressure sensor or the control lines to the sensor have been getting blocked with condensation that freezes in cold weather.

Butyes your right, you have to stick to the 2000rpm area for regen to kick in or your wasting time.

[dstev2000]

It's a pity there isn't a nice little readout of the DPF soot % so you can do something about it before it gets too bad and prevent future problems

[bahnstormer vrs]

It's a pity there isn't a nice little readout of the DPF soot % so you can do something about it before it gets too bad and prevent future problems

Top notch idea; ought to perhaps incorporate it with the 'service countdown readout' or something.

[Tech1e]

Isnt that what the first stage of the DPF light is anyway though? If that pops up its no where near the limit but lights up to let you know you do need to do something.

[Biker Bob]

Isnt that what the first stage of the DPF light is anyway though? If that pops up its no where near the limit but lights up to let you know you do need to do something.

Thats what I thought. If you don't regenerate the DPF in the prescribed manner then the Exhaust System light will come on followed by the Glow Plug light?

So the Exhaust System warning light coming on without the DPF warning light would indicate a problem elsewhere. Contrary to what my dealer suggested to me recently.:confused:

[dstev2000]

A readout could encourage you to invoke the regeneration cycle more frequently keeping the soot levels right down.

If the DPF light comes on as you enter rush hour London traffic you could be in trouble, if you knew the soot level was rising you could do something about it beforehand.

Just my random thoughts I hasten to add

Back on track:

I thought the DPF light was the first sign of a potential problem. I didn't think the emissions light would come on first. This leads me to think there could be a separate issue, the fact the AA man saw an exhaust pressure fault could suggest a problem too.

[bahnstormer vrs]

I thought the DPF light was the first sign of a potential problem. I didn't think the emissions light would come on first. This leads me to think there could be a separate issue, the fact the AA man saw an exhaust pressure fault could suggest a problem too.

I thought about this too, but reasoned that as I had done three very short journeys (tripping around the local retail parks) and I had a feeling that the regen had tried to kick in (tickover had gone up) but I had then stopped so it couldn't complete; this is what caused the emissions light to come on first.

Not much I can do about it now, other than wait for a warning light to come on sometime!

[Biker Bob]

Car went into dealers today. Fault code suggested problem with Exhaust High Pressure Sensor. Apparently Skoda say that there is a pipe that goes to the high pressure sensor and this can get blocked or restricted. They cleaned it out, so we'll see if this sorts the problem.

This was the second problem with the exhaust monitoring system. Had CO2 sensor replaced last year.

Niggles on an otherwise great car. Would still get another.