Deisel Particulate Filter issues

[poyta]

Hi Guys, I was wondering if I could have some advice.

I've got a GT TDI and am having problems with the DPF. About 2 months ago I got the warning lamp light up that its clogged up and as per the manual I need to keep the revs above 2000rpm for 15mins to clear. Now the problem is that I drive in the city everyday and can't find a stretch a road long enough to maintain those revs for so long. I was planning to take the car out on the highway on the weekend to do this- I never got the chance, 3 days after the light came on the engine goes into Limp mode and I get a engine warning light. Got the car towed to the dealer who simply clears the code, cleans the filter and sends me on my way.
A few days ago the same thing happens , filter is clogged, lamp comes on. This time I don't wait that long ( I assume that there's a time limit to clean the filter or it goes into limp mode ) . I waited a day and then took the car out on the highway - I'm into the first 2 minutes of my drive above 2000rpm and the bloody thing again goes into limp mode again and the warning light comes on. Its at the dealers again as we speak.

Anyone else have this kind of problem? Is it normal? What exactly is the process of cleaning that filter. How do you manage to maintain 2000rpm and above for 15 minutes? I dont know where the geniuses at VW live but where I live there's stop signs and traffic lights which unfortunately make me stop so there's no chance I can maintain those revs.

Also I thought that the filter gets clogged because of short distance driving. I just got back from the trip from melbourne to Adelaide where I did over 1000km of highway driving. Thats definately not short distance driving.

[Transporter]

Are you using BP diesel?
What is your driving style?
How old(km) is in the engine oil and what brand and viscosity?

[poyta]

I mostly use BP but I dont particularly seek out only BP stations.
I do about 60km a day, 30 kays to work and 30 kays back and its very stop start with lots of traffic. Most of the time I've very easy on the throttle but occasionally give I do gun it and have a bit of fun. The engine only has about 20,000kms on it and the oil would be whatever standard oil the dealer puts it.

I know my driving style isn't ideal and wont help with the DPF but like I said I just came back from a 1000km drive so that should have regenerated it and given me at least a good month before having to be re-generated again.

[Sage]

to keep the revs up why not manually keep it in a lower gear?

I take it by GT TDi you mean a flashed model? If so what flash are you running?

[brad]

Does this help at all?

It sounds like there's a technique for best results.

[adrian112]

Hey Mate,

I had the exact same issue before but i made a few changes to my daily commute and exclusively use BP Diesel which seems to have eliminated the problem.

Basically I drive to work every day 40kms each way, i try to leave earlier so i dont get caught in traffic pretty sure the DPF regenerates when I am hurtling down the motorway.

With the Diesel fuel the two times i have had an issue with the DPF / Engine has been with Mobil Diesel... i know quite a few dieselers on here use the Mobil Diesel without an issue though so i cant fully attribute the issues to their fuel...

Basically i think you will continue to have the dramas unless you can get a nice strech of road every couple of days i think

[STV4SYT]

I had mine come on at the weekend for the first time ever in 15,000km

I was on the freeway at the time and it went out by itself after 10 mins. The advice i was given by the service dept was to drive it in 4th gear at 80 for 5-10 mins is the most efficient way of regenerating it.


I too mainly drive in bumper to bumper traffic most days and never had an issue til now.

[poyta]

to keep the revs up why not manually keep it in a lower gear?

I take it by GT TDi you mean a flashed model? If so what flash are you running?

Why would it mean that its flashed model - the GT TDi is a standard model, its a GT model only its doesn;t have a Tsi engine its got a diesel . But you are right I do have it flashed - I used a Bluefin.

[Greg Roles]

Off boost, you are into the "soot" zone. If you watch truck and busses, you'll see when they are taking off, there's a lot of obvious black soot, till they get their revs up, and the turbo is on boost. Black smoke is a sign of too much fuel, and this evens out once the turbo is forcing more air in there.

Try your best to keep the thing boosting, and run it above 1800rpms. For me, that means periods of third gear at 60kph. Asking the car to do too much pulling in 4th at say 40-60kph is asking for a lot of soot, which collects in the DPF.

I find I haven't noticed a obvious regeneration for several weeks now, and I'm purposely reving the thing, up it a lot, and doing my best to avoid the sub boost range. If I am down "there" I try not to put the boot in too much, and let it get on boost, then go for it.

As Adrian so rightly points out, leaving before or after peak hour is a great move, and I do my utmost to avoid stop start traffic, both for my DPF, and my sanity!

Also, your car is pumping your oil fumes back into your inlet, and these burn to produce an ash that cannot be removed by regeneration, and will speed up the process of eventually clogging your DPF. It's one of the reasons why I and others run an aftermarket "Provent" oil seperator, something I'd highly recommend DPF equipped owners look into. It also stops the sludge buildup that occurs when the exhaust recycling enters the inlet and the two combine to make a mess of your inlet manifold.

[bugayev]

I found a similar issue with mine and simply putting it into S for the drive to work once a week has prevented it from reoccuring. I also make a point of doing some hard takeoffs with full throttle when I can (not hooning, just accelerating up to the speed limit quickly) seems to have helped.

[Greg Roles]

When the car goes into "active" regeneration, VW talks of the exhaust and DPF heating up to 600 degress plus. Normal cruising in my TDI is anywhere between 100 and 400 degrees at average local traffic speed limits. Up the car for the rent, I've measured peaks over 800 degrees. As you can see if you only ever potter around, you're not really achieving the 600 degree range VW make happen when regeneration goes active.

If you live down south, and it continues to be a problem, I'd even consider wrapping the DPF in header wrap to keep the heat in. I plan to do it anyhow, and bought some just for this purpose. The DPF NEEDS to run hot. It's going to clog eventually, so I'm all for prolonging that expense!

It ALL comes down to getting the DPF hot enough to burn off the collected soot. Giving it a boot full only helps, but again, over the 1800rpm boost point.

"I'm regenerating my DPF officer..."

[Logzy]

I take it by GT TDi you mean a flashed model?

WTF.???

Anyhow, Ive never had the light come on once.
I sometimes feel the DPF doing its regen. Idles at 1000 instead of the usual 800 when stopped at lights

[poyta]

It's one of the reasons why I and others run an aftermarket "Provent" oil seperator, something I'd highly recommend DPF equipped owners look into.

All good advice, thanks but can you tell me a bit more about this "provent" oil seperator, where can I get one?

[vectorskink]

I plan to get a diesel Jetta and I mainly do short urban trips. I am in for DPF problems?
I would probably go for a long run 100km> every 3 to four weeks...

[Transporter]

All good advice, thanks but can you tell me a bit more about this "provent" oil seperator, where can I get one?

I ordered mine from HSY Imports on South road, Edwardstown.
Some info on Man Provent:

http://www.mediafire.com/?gnjfwd51jjq