I hate this damn DPF

[Spoddy]

oh no... oh well it makes no difference except for the more cops, one more point and im gone anyway i got done last double demerits

Simple - Keep to the speed limit but stay in a low gear to keep the revs above 2k

[orsegtsport]

i never imagined i would have to think about this stupid DPF (diesel particulate filter) in my new golf but... it comes on so damn often and its getting really annoying. i live in sydney ffs, how in hell am i supposed to drive a constant RPM's for 10-15 minutes every time the damn thing has a hissy fit, as the manual tells me i should do.

does this sound normal?

do any other dubs have these things in it and if so, have you had the same experience? (all you mkv owners dont have DPF's unless you have a gt tdi or a passat 125 tdi even if your dealer told you otherwise)

i'm not happy i think im gonna call the service place

I've not experienced this problem myself, but I have only done 1600 km so far. Are you driving in heavy traffic (it's Sydney so I'm guessing so) more often than not?

My daily commute to work is a 90 km round trip on a relatively traffic free hwy with a 110 km/h speed limit, so in theory my DPF should be getting a good 'clean out' every day, and hopefully I will never have this trouble.

[gregozedobe]

ill take it out tonight when the roads are quiet and give it a bit of a cruise. i should be known as the dpf slave

Sounds like a good excuse to go for a drive when there isn't any traffic

[gldgti]

remember its a diesel

basically mate, i would say its your driving causing this.

if you want a diesel to produce maximum power, it will always be producing black smoke. you don't get a lot less power to go back to no smoke.... maybe 5-10%.

if you have a DPF, you wont be noticing smoke like you might normally, since it all gets caught in the filter. however this also means you don't realise how hard you are pushing it.

given the only difference between a 104kw diesel and a 125kW 2.0tdi is engine management, then the more powerful car will have to produce more smoke on the limit.

for someone like you, a dpf is the wrong thing to have - what you really want is more boost and a free flowing exhaust - your trying to drive a factory, restrictive, low emissions exhaust system for maximum power - and now your dpf is paying for it.

i would warrant that your fuel economy would improve, and your smoke emissions decrease, if you got your car fitted with a sports exhaust and ran higher boost, without an increase in fuelling.... but if you're unwilling to modify your car, then i suggest you change your driving style.

i drive my mk3 TD like i stole it too - its great fun - but i can see if im making smoke, and i can ease off a little. you need to be concious of this fact while driving.

another important thing to note, is that your exhaust gas temps (EGT'S) skyrocket under high load, smoke producing situations. high egt's heat up the entire engine quickly. over a long time, this will prematurely wear some engine components, especially your rings, valves, valve seats etc.

if you're going to drive it hard, at least treat the car to some equipment that lets it do it easily.

oh, and change your oil OFTEN. if your getting 7-8l/100 km, then i'd be changing your oil every 3-4000 km or less.

good luck mate, have fun with your diesel

[nav]

Hi GermanwithaVdub,

Simple - Keep to the speed limit but stay in a low gear to keep the revs above 2k

I agree with Spoddy. I had the same problem when I first got my GT TDI and being in Sydney, it was a pain in the arse. To avoid the problem, I changed my driving habits. I found that I was flooring it in too high a gear. Now I drive in a lower gear with the revs around 2k. You can still drive it like you stole it

[Logzy]

basically mate, i would say its your driving causing this.

I hope i dont have to learn to drive again when i get mine.!!!

if you want a diesel to produce maximum power, it will always be producing black smoke. you don't get a lot less power to go back to no smoke.... maybe 5-10%.

if you have a DPF, you wont be noticing smoke like you might normally, since it all gets caught in the filter. however this also means you don't realise how hard you are pushing it.

given the only difference between a 104kw diesel and a 125kW 2.0tdi is engine management, then the more powerful car will have to produce more smoke on the limit.

If youre referring to the 2.0 TDI then its either 103kw or 125kw
As far as i know engine management cannot change the compression ratio, the 103kw is 18:1 and the 125kw is 18.5:1 so theres obviously other differences.

for someone like you, a dpf is the wrong thing to have - what you really want is more boost and a free flowing exhaust - your trying to drive a factory, restrictive, low emissions exhaust system for maximum power - and now your dpf is paying for it.

Does this mean that in europe when all diesels eventually have a DPF (if it happens) then you cant drive hard any more.

i would warrant that your fuel economy would improve, and your smoke emissions decrease, if you got your car fitted with a sports exhaust and ran higher boost, without an increase in fuelling.... but if you're unwilling to modify your car, then i suggest you change your driving style.

i drive my mk3 TD like i stole it too - its great fun - but i can see if im making smoke, and i can ease off a little. you need to be concious of this fact while driving.

another important thing to note, is that your exhaust gas temps (EGT'S) skyrocket under high load, smoke producing situations. high egt's heat up the entire engine quickly. over a long time, this will prematurely wear some engine components, especially your rings, valves, valve seats etc.

if you're going to drive it hard, at least treat the car to some equipment that lets it do it easily.

What equipment?

oh, and change your oil OFTEN. if your getting 7-8l/100 km, then i'd be changing your oil every 3-4000 km or less.

Why 3k or less sound a bit often.


Can the DPF be removed and a full flow exhaust system be fitted without too much hassle. I wonder.

[GermanwithaVdub]

thanks for the replies and advice.

gldgti - all the points you make are completely valid, and because the dpf cant handle my driving this makes me very annoyed. the impression might have been taken that i drive like a complete maniac but this is not true. sure i like to accelerate hard quite often but its not as if im some vl driving bogan behind the wheel if you know what i mean. i have a project car already (see sig) so i'm not really too thrilled about the idea of having to modify my daily driver just so i can drive it normally.

in my view if you pay 40000$ for a car specifically for the luxuries such as extra power, sports suspension, high build quality, good fuel economy etc etc etc then the bloody thing better be working for me, not me working for it. if they're gonna ruin the whole point of the car with one dumb peice of equipment, i say to volkswagen to chuck the stupid thing in the bin and try again.

If youre referring to the 2.0 TDI then its either 103kw or 125kw
As far as i know engine management cannot change the compression ratio, the 103kw is 18:1 and the 125kw is 18.5:1 so theres obviously other differences.

it has a bigger turbo, i did some research on that very subject just a few days ago sparked by a thread someone posted

What equipment?

i think he was referring to an exhaust

[95vr6]

You might want to try the DP Chip, extra power without flooring your gas pedal all the time. I miss the module when i remove it for service, noticable difference without it in and more black soot out the back as you try to compensate for the loss of power with the right foot. Do you drive in the torque or power range?

[gldgti]

I hope i dont have to learn to drive again when i get mine.!!!


If youre referring to the 2.0 TDI then its either 103kw or 125kw
As far as i know engine management cannot change the compression ratio, the 103kw is 18:1 and the 125kw is 18.5:1 so theres obviously other differences.


Does this mean that in europe when all diesels eventually have a DPF (if it happens) then you cant drive hard any more.


What equipment?


Why 3k or less sound a bit often.


Can the DPF be removed and a full flow exhaust system be fitted without too much hassle. I wonder.

i stand corrected on the technical differences. i dispute the importance of 1kw.

if you produce a lot of soot during driving, then the oil gets dirtier faster. thats why you change it more often.

the equipment i was referring to was the exhaust etc... i thought that was obvious.

obviously i'm not trying to say that you cant drive vehicles hard if you have a DPF - that kind of inference is ridiculous. if you want a diesel to drive hard with dpf, then they will make a bigger DPF or put more than one in the system.

I certainly was not calling you a bogan VL driver mate - i appreciate the tendancy to drive diesels hard - i've owned more diesels than petrols.
i don't think you need learn to drive again.

i just offer you a theory about the reason your DPF light keeps coming on.

if i were you, keep driving it as you like. if you kill the DPF, thats no biggie. its an excuse to get a new exhaust.

[gldgti]

thanks for the replies and advice.

if they're gonna ruin the whole point of the car with one dumb peice of equipment, i say to volkswagen to chuck the stupid thing in the bin and try again.

damn right - and you may well find that happens as this problem surfaces in more and more customers cars.

[GermanwithaVdub]

damn right - and you may well find that happens as this problem surfaces in more and more customers cars.

dont want you thinking i was having a go at you, i was just having a whinge at vw anyway we'll see what the vag com throws, it could be a simple faulty sensor or something i guess.

[GermanwithaVdub]

update - took the car out tonight and 50m down the street the engine fault light came on and limp home mode kicked in. tried driving at constant revs for a bit but didnt help. i guess this is dpf related. i guess its a good thing in a way because it means its faulty and not just a crap design.

[gldgti]

indeed, we shall see - good luck with it

[Spoddy]

update - took the car out tonight and 50m down the street the engine fault light came on and limp home mode kicked in. tried driving at constant revs for a bit but didnt help. i guess this is dpf related. i guess its a good thing in a way because it means its faulty and not just a crap design.

Hey, whats the latest? Have you had to do without driving the new toy over the Christmas break? Or is it fixed?

Hope you had a good Christmas regardless. Happy New Year coming up too. We are heading to Crescent Head. No Golfing though

[neil]

Yeah come on German. We want an update. its the 28th already.

also tell us what was it like in the limp mode.