T5.1 advise needed on dpf issues

[big dave]

My dpf is up the ****
Currently being towed the 300 kms home.
Van is a 2011 high line multivan
It has got just over 91000kms on the clock. I noticed this w.end on 2000km round trip that oil consumption was high, regen light came on, then all good, then on again, good again.
Not much can do in middle of nowhere so tried to get home, eventually went into limp, hence towing home

Have read some stuff about cleaning the dpf out with pressure washers etc which I am happy to tackle at home
I am thinking the oil consumption is a cause of this being so premature along with lots of short trips, we have weekly motorway drives of 20 mins or so too tho most of the year.
Obviously the oil consumption needs to be looked into.

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to have my engine belt strip off and feed into the timing cover, ball up and get between timing belt and drive gear knocking timing out with drastic consequences. Which vw did fix even tho no longer under warranty.

My questions

Is my dpf much like others, in that I am able to remove and clean at home?

Do I bother going to dealer or not, am I better off cleaning the dpf then take to a vw garage to look into oil consumption?

Do I need to remortgage my house?

[Sunny43.5]

Last comment is probably close to truth . Second comment I would avoid .First comment I think I have read some articles about the DPF clean but in my opinion and I have stated it before if ours stuffs up its gone ! PERMANENTLY I have found a solution for ours but as you live in Adelaide its no good for you . If deleted you have to get the computer recoded and also blank the EGR as well plenty of those online .Have a read of this it might help understand the problem Diesel particulate filter DPF FAQ, repair, cleaning, and pictures - TDI | VW TDI forum, Audi, Porsche, and Chevy Cruze diesel forum

[big dave]

Cheers, I am thinking along the same lines, but I know I'm not supposed to do a delete

[H8T0W8]

You could always ring Western filters in Stdney and have it cleaned for about $600. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FSsC_bP_mE

2010 Skoda Octavia II (for sale)
2011 VW Transporter 5 door
2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro
S-line.

[The_Hawk]

It will be interesting to see if whatever has caused the oil consumption has also been the cause of the DPF failure or not. Unburnt oil going into the DPF and cludging it up thanks to some broken part? Also what oil are you running?

They say the DPF is good for at least 100,000, although there are reports of them running for much longer (ours is currently at 151k). I *think* I've felt an automatic pdf cycle happening... but then also I've never seen that DPF light in our van... do we drive particularily efficient places for our DPF, use good oil, good fuel?
It's in for it's next service in a week or so, so we will see if anything comes up then.

As for clean vs replace. Chemical clean or even rebuilding one by ripping it down and blasting it out seem to have decent results, although there are those that say you're better off jsut replacing it with a new one. If you can do it yourself, why the hell not! Might as well try the free option first, but like you said that oil consumption issue should be tracked down first.

[big dave]

You could always ring Western filters in Stdney and have it cleaned for about $600. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FSsC_bP_mE

2010 Skoda Octavia II (for sale)
2011 VW Transporter 5 door
2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro
S-line.

Also I'd have to get it there and back from Adelaide, while having no car. I have a week off so I think I could give it a go for free. Hopefully

[big dave]

It will be interesting to see if whatever has caused the oil consumption has also been the cause of the DPF failure or not. Unburnt oil going into the DPF and cludging it up thanks to some broken part? Also what oil are you running?

They say the DPF is good for at least 100,000, although there are reports of them running for much longer (ours is currently at 151k). I *think* I've felt an automatic pdf cycle happening... but then also I've never seen that DPF light in our van... do we drive particularily efficient places for our DPF, use good oil, good fuel?
It's in for it's next service in a week or so, so we will see if anything comes up then.

As for clean vs replace. Chemical clean or even rebuilding one by ripping it down and blasting it out seem to have decent results, although there are those that say you're better off jsut replacing it with a new one. If you can do it yourself, why the hell not! Might as well try the free option first, but like you said that oil consumption issue should be tracked down first.

I hadn't thought of oil blocking it, hopefully not. Surely it would be burnt off.
I have always used vw507 spec oil for top ups and changes after 3yrs of the dealer services where I bought it new

[Markee]

Be careful of your oil consumption, it could be an issue with the EGR breaking down internally and particles of aluminium have got into the oil and scored the bore causing high oil usage.
Lots of cases of this happening in Europe, there a fb group for people with the issue. Mostly pertains, but not limited to, CFCA model engines.

Search Facebook for: VW T5.1 excessive oil use for CFCA engines. It's a private group but they should let you in. Loads of info in there.

[H8T0W8]

This is an informative thread you could try.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80813

2010 Skoda Octavia II (for sale)
2011 VW Transporter 5 door
2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro
S-line.

[big dave]

Thanks guys

[big dave]

The info on oil use is very concerning

something that does give me some hope for the dpf is this info I found on an English site

VAG DISESEL PARTICULATE FILTERS

Courtesy of David Bodily Volkswagen Technical Support Specialist

Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)

Detailed below is important information outlining the function and features of the Diesel Particulate filter which all members of your team need to be aware of.

Diesel particulate filters are becoming more commonplace on diesel engines, particularly sizes 2.0L upwards. This is in order to reduce the exhaust emissions as required by European legislation.

The prime reason for a DPF is to reduce particulate matter entering the atmosphere. Particulate matter is found in the form of soot, which is produced during diesel combustion. The DPF traps most of the soot which would normally travel down the
exhaust and into the atmosphere. The DPF can hold a certain amount of soot, but not a huge quantity and therefore it needs to go through a process called ‘regeneration’ in order to clear the soot loading. When the soot goes through a ‘regeneration’ process it will be converted to a much smaller amount of ash. The ash is non-removable. There are two types of ‘regeneration’, passive and active.

During long motorway journeys, passive regeneration will occur. This needs no intervention from the engine control unit. Due to the raised exhaust temperatures on a long journey (temperatures between 350 and 500°C), the procedure occurs slowly and continuously across the catalytic-coated (with platinum) DPF. The catalytic-coated DPF is situated close to the Engine, therefore the exhaust gas temperature is high enough (500°C) to ignite the soot particles. Due to this soot is burned-off and is converted into a smaller amount of ash.

Active ‘regeneration’ is when the ECU intervenes when the soot loading in the DPF is calculated to be 45%. The procedure lasts for about 5 – 10 minutes. Specific measures are taken by the ECU to raise the engine exhaust temperature to above 600°C, these include switching off the exhaust gas recirculation and increasing the fuel injection period to include a small injection after the main injection. The soot particles are oxidised at this temperature.

The ECU will trigger a regeneration process, if for some reason this is aborted, ie. customer slows down, stops etc, the process will be resumed when regeneration conditions are once again met, above 60km/h (38mph). This will continue for 15 minutes.

If after 2 attempts of 15 minutes, a successful regeneration has not been possible, the loading will increase. At 50% soot loading, the ECU will continue to maintain maximum exhaust temperatures of 600°C to 650°C to cause a regeneration process. The system will try to run a regeneration process for 15 minutes. If unsuccessful, the system will repeat this process for a further 15 minutes, if still unsuccessful, the DPF light on the driver display panel will then be lit.

The owners handbook states, the DPF symbol lights up to indicate that the diesel particulate filter has become obstructed with soot due to frequent short trips. When the warning lamp comes on, the driver should drive at a constant speed of at least 60 km/h for about 10 minutes. As a result of the increase in temperature the soot in the filter will be burned off. If the DPF symbol does not go out, the driver should contact an authorised Volkswagen repairer and have the fault rectified.

At 55% soot loading the DPF light is lit on driver display panel. At this point the customer should follow the advice in the handbook. If they ignore this information and continue driving the vehicle until the soot loading reaches 75% without successful regeneration, additional warning lamps will light up. At this point the customer will also be complaining of lack of power, etc.

At 75%, regeneration is still possible with the use of the VAS tester. Only when the loading is above 95%, is it necessary to replace the DPF unit.

Operating Status System Response
45% DPF Load Level 1
- Normal Regeneration
50% DPF Load Level 2
- Regeneration at maximum exhaust
temperatures
55% DPF Load DPF lamp
Regeneration from 60 km/h
onwards
("See operating manual")
75% DPF Load DPF, SYS and MI lamp
Torque limitation, EGR
deactivation,
Regeneration via VAG tester only
95% DPF Load Replace the DPF Unit

The Warranty department has confirmed that if there is no fault on the vehicle and DPF regeneration has been unsuccessful due to the customers driving style and the
customers failure to comply with the instructions in the handbook, DPF replacement will not be paid for by warranty.

Common causes for complaint

• Frequent short journeys – Regeneration conditions are not met. Not recommended for sale in the Channel Islands and inner city driving.


• Customers who continue to drive the vehicle with DPF light on – Continued driving with the DPF light on and without successful regeneration results in excessive soot loading of the DPF, to a point where it is above 95% loaded. At this point regeneration is not an option and replacement of the DPF is
necessary.

• Fault 18434 particle filter bank 1 malfunction – Common fault code. This does not only relate to the DPF itself, but the entire exhaust gas handling system. This can be caused by defective temperature sensors, pressure sensors, additive
system components (if applicable), poor connections, wiring issues, etc.

Important Information

• Before diagnosing a problem vehicle or attempting to perform an emergency regeneration, it is important to obtain a full diagnostic log and read out relevant measured value blocks. These MVB’s contain important information on the condition of the DPF system and are essential in diagnosing the fault. When the DPF light is illuminated, it does not necessarily mean that the DPF requires regeneration. For further advice, please contact Technical Support with the information from the diagnostic log and MVB data.

• If a problem vehicle arrives with the DPF light, the engine management light and the emissions light on. If during your diagnosis and reading of relevant MVB’s, you find that the soot loading exceeds 75% (but is still below 95%), an emergency regeneration procedure must be performed with the VAS tester. Further to this, the customer needs to be educated. They need to understand why the lights have appeared on the dash panel. Their attention needs to be brought to the owners handbook instructions, so that they are aware of what the DPF light means and what to do when it appears. This should prevent unnecessary repeat visits for regeneration purposes.

David Bodily

Volkswagen Technical Support Specialist

[H8T0W8]

Wow dave that is some awesome information. Thanks

2010 Skoda Octavia II (for sale)
2011 VW Transporter 5 door
2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro
S-line.

[Sunny43.5]

I cannot imagine this sort of detailed information is given to every single T5 T6 buyer at time of purchase , seems like a little bit like slamming the gate after the horse has bolted . I have often thought that some of todays technology being foisted onto unsuspecting owners is pretty bad business . Lots of problems being caused by big changes to engines gearboxes etc , DSG should not be allowed to crawl in traffic FAIL . Driving short distances with no regen being activated FAIL should I continue ? Anyone want to add to the list feel free .

[big dave]

Agreed

[Craigs902]

https://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#~!/groups/122196238114704?tsid=0.2275641368629453&source=typeahead