Diesel Particulate Filter

[Mr Ice-ni]

Calling all those with oily hands, help pls.

Until recently I had never even heard of a DPF. A few evenings ago up popped a picture of an engine and an error message "Engine failure" (on a Fiat Postman Pat btw). The handbook is of no use - "go to your Fiat dealer". But luckily our local garage has a Bosch diagnostic box which informed us that the DPF is ********. Mme at the garage is unsure whether this is a job that Fiat will allow them to do but is searching.

In the meantime I turned to Google and, suspecting that everything is cheaper on the island, find that I can buy a DPF in Engerland but still checking on their willingness to ship to France.

Is there a way to clean rather than replace or, if not, how I stop this happening every few years?

Drive at F1 rev level from time to time? Or is there a Redex lookalike that I can add to the fuel? Or even put the DPF through the dishwasher? And then dry in new tumble dryer?

All assistance gratefully received.

TIA

John

 

[andyh4]

I am not an oily hands man, but when something similar happened with my Renault, the garage told me to take the car for a 20km+ run at a minimum80kph.  This allows all of the cr@p in the filter to be burnt out - the system injects a small amount of diesel onto the filter to allow this.

 

Problem diagnosed as too many short, stop start runs.

[AnOther]

That is sound advice for any modern turbo diesel engined vehicle. Too many people seem to believe that gentle driving is the best way to look after their cars when in fact it could be doing them considerable harm. Short trips where the engine never gets up to temperature and habitual under use of a cars performance can lead to expensive problems such as sticking turbo vanes and poisoned catalytic converters (both potentially €€€€ to repair) so the proverbial 'blowing out of the cobwebs' is something to be recommended not discouraged.

Modern cars are pretty tough and will come to no harm whatsoever with the use of a bit of 'full benefit pedal to the metal' driving once in a while [;-)]

[Mr Ice-ni]

Thanks for this advice - I'm off to the A20 for a bit of a burn. Will report later on success or otherwise.

John

[dave21478]

Yes, an "Italian tune up" can work well, but remeber that you need high revs rather than high speed.

On Peugeots, it is possible to remove the filter and jetwash it clean (infact this is what the dealerships would often do) however, they have a silly ECU that keeps track of mileage etc and because it does not know the filter has been cleaned, will continue to show the error code untill reset by a garage with the right software - not sure if Fiat are similar?

[nomoss]

Must make a note never to buy a car which is going to tell me when it thinks it needs servicing [:-))]

[cooperlola]

[quote user="nomoss"]Must make a note never to buy a car which is going to tell me when it thinks it needs servicing [:-))][/quote]

Reminds me of THIS

[Chezstevens]

Our scenic and mini say to drive above 2000 rpm for an extended period - touchwood, not required cos both have periods above that :)

[Mr Ice-ni]

M. at local garage recommended 20 mins at 100/110 kph which I did - twice, there and back. Mme has a Bosch diagnostic box so was able to check this morning and switch off warning symbol.

Local roads/traffic will allow occasional speeds of 90kph (not more of course it would be illegal) but not for any distance. To achieve this luxury I have to venture out on the A20, at least 45 mins away.

Anyway chaps many thanks for your good advice.

John

 

[AnOther]

It's more to do with revs than speed so a bit of a thrasing in the intermediate gears will perform the task without necessarily exceeding any speed limits [;-)]

[Chezstevens]

Exactly ... if you keep a gear lower at 90 kph - so 5th instead of 6th .... you'll probably be doing the 2000 + rpm. 20 mins and it is sorted.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Chezstevens"]Exactly ... if you keep a gear lower at 90 kph - so 5th instead of 6th .... you'll probably be doing the 2000 + rpm. 20 mins and it is sorted.[/quote]Oh, so that's what that other dial is for......[;-)]

[Mr Ice-ni]

Is "R" Italian for 6th? It seems very low so cannot imagine driving at 90 in that one.

John

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Mr Ice-ni"]

Is "R" Italian for 6th? It seems very low so cannot imagine driving at 90 in that one.

John

[/quote]

[Chezstevens]

One of our junior staff in Naples was a young american ... Boss had to explain to him that 80 kph was not possible, in a rental, without changing gear. The neapolitan style of driving made his stay with us very short

[f1steveuk]

Just to add to this, most modern diesels have EGR valves, which can also become gummed up through a lot of low rev, short distance stuff.  It's a bugger to get out, and needs cleaning with aerosol carb cleaner

like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWNO0KX_xHM

A better way is to once every 5000 miles odd, add Redex diesel system cleaner, half a bottle to a full tank. I did this in a friends older car, and an hour later, a bit of a pop, puff of smoke, and it's been going like a train since!!!

[Sunday Driver]

Blimey, a bit of Outer Limits going on here with this resurrected thread.....[:-))]

My engine diagnostic warning light came on last night just as I was putting the car in the garage, so this morning I popped into our local Mercedes concessionnaire to ask them to have a look at it.  Told to drive it straight into the diagnostic bay, Patrick the technician standing by to plug in the diagnostic computer.

After downloading all the car's system reports, it appeared that it was either the diesel particulate filter which was clogged or its little pressure sensor which has gone   Patrick then regenerated the filter via the computer and the light went off.  Touch wood that cures it.  Asked them how much to pay - nothing....[:D]

Mrs Sunday has since been down to SuperU to pick up some stuff - you've guessed it, the light is back on.  Looks like it's going to be back in for a new sensor......

 

[Will]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/diesel-particulate-filters/

Our current diesel (French) car gets very little use but fortunately is old enough to return ridiculously good MPG figures and not have a DPF. I don't think we will replace it with a newer diesel, despite all the pro-Diesel arguments and the fact that my day job makes having anything other than a diesel car unforgivable. And that's all down to the DPF. Rudolf Diesel must be turning in his grave.

[andyh4]

Add to that that a number of German cities have introduced polution controls so that only diesels fitted with particle filters are allowed to enter the city centre.

 

The results in Cologne - one of the first to enact this draconian step - a reduction in air particulants that is at the absolute minimum measurable level.  IOW 4/5th of sod all.

[Théière]

[quote user="andyh4"]

Add to that that a number of German cities have introduced polution controls so that only diesels fitted with particle filters are allowed to enter the city centre.

 

The results in Cologne - one of the first to enact this draconian step - a reduction in air particulants that is at the absolute minimum measurable level.  IOW 4/5th of sod all.

[/quote]

The same for London, in January next year only diesel vans etc with Euro 3 engines will be allowed inside the M25 (pretty much the M25 anyway) and that is until 2020 when only Euro 4 engines will be allowed in. Although if you pay £200 per day they will overlook this. (Green has it's price [:@]) Extra particulate filters can be fitted, the quote for my old van was £3500 ha ha more than getting a newer van.

[Sunday Driver]

One of our favourite areas for holidays is the Vosges and we always have a day trip across to Freiburg im Breisgau which is a delightful university town in the Black Forest.  However, it now has an emissions restricted Umweltzone in the town centre which has effectively barred us from visiting the town in our old diesel camping car. 

Having since sold the camper, we now have a DPF equipped Mercedes Benz which is Euro 4 compliant and I can obtain a green E4 windscreen vignette from Dekra France which will allow me to drive into the town without penalty.

 

 

[just john]

[quote user="cooperlola"] Reminds me of THIS[/quote]

[:D][:P]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

 Patrick the technician standing by to plug in the diagnostic computer. [/quote]

First name terms at the dealer already SD[:-))]

Peugeot use a different dpf that requires a service and change of fluid, apparently superior to the majority of manufacturers who use an inferior system which when coked up requires replacement;
I speak from bitter experience despite following advice after diagnosis to run at high revs in 3rd for a period of 20Kilometres + (as if I don't normally[:P]); however even after my friendly oily hand man attempted to melt the exhaust at full chat for full half an hour, it was 'unable to be regenerated' and required an expensive 4 fig replacement, bon chance.

[suej]

 

[quote user="cooperlola"] Reminds me of THIS[/quote]

Er, my red ' Check Engine'  light has been on for 7years 2months -  I think I'd  probably pull up in a panic if it went out now.

[Clarkkent]

[quote user="Will"]

 Rudolf Diesel must be turning in his grave.

[/quote]

Once again a foreigner gets all the credit.

The heavy oil engine was invented by Herbert Ackroyd Stuart, employed by Richard Hornsby & Sons of Grantham, in 1886. Rudolf Diesel did not produce his (admitted better design using internal compression for ignition) for another decade.

[Théière]

And where did it get poor Rudolf, face down in a puddle. Don't forget Henry Barton, who also produced a high compression version before Rudolf Diesel.