VCDS DPF Soot Level

D

DaveA3-TDI

Registered User
Joined
Aug 23, 2009
Messages
249
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Stroud
I had my car checked with VCDS the other day as I was trying to find out what the soot level in my dpf was so I went into engine and then measuring blocks 08 and looked at channels 070 & 075 and it told me the lambda was at 21.6% , does this sound about right? From what I can find out on here and other sites sometimes it says lambda instead of soot load but means the same thing?

Is this the correct way to check the level?

Oh car is 2.0 Tdi 170

Thanks
 
Yes you are correct

If you can, take it for a drive and get the pre-turbo temperature up past 750c and you may see a regen start to take place and the soot % falling :)
 
Thanks, I have read that the dpf light can come on when it hits 45%. As mine is reading 21.6% is that good or bad, what is an average reading?
i only started looking into all this as the over day when I got home the car was ticking over at around 1,000 rpm instead of the usual 800rpm. I sat there for a couple of minutes and then it went back down to 800rpm, any idea what was happening?
 
DaveA3-TDI said:
Thanks, I have read that the dpf light can come on when it hits 45%. As mine is reading 21.6% is that good or bad, what is an average reading?
i only started looking into all this as the over day when I got home the car was ticking over at around 1,000 rpm instead of the usual 800rpm. I sat there for a couple of minutes and then it went back down to 800rpm, any idea what was happening?
Click to expand...

Its about average; mine reaches 30% sometimes and then i give it a good hammering!!

Passive regen by the sounds of it ;)
 
How often or how does the car decide when to do a passive regen?
 
Oops - I thought it was every 100.

My DPF light has come on too many times on my A3 - I do 600 miles per week all motorway so it shouldn't be coming on but this is down to the long 5th gear in the E so a blast in 4th sorts it out.
 
Just get the thing ripped out!. I have done this on my A4 and it's the best thing I ever did!
 
I probably do 100 miles a day on country roads so I am hoping that I won't get any problems with the DPF, isn't the DPF required for an MOT?
 
DaveA3-TDI said:
I probably do 100 miles a day on country roads so I am hoping that I won't get any problems with the DPF, isn't the DPF required for an MOT?
Click to expand...

No its not - here's a reply i had from VOSA direct;


From an MOT perspective a compression ignition (diesel) engine must meet
the specific emission limits as prescribed in the Private Passenger and
Light Commercial Vehicle Inspection Manual (IM). Particulate filters are
not part of the MOT. However, particulate filters are, as their name
implies, fitted to filter out particulates (soot) in the exhaust gases and
as a method to meet current emission requirements. It is possible that
removing the particulate filter may affect engine performance and it's
ability to meet the relevant emission requirements.

However any body removing an emissions component should consider that the
vehicle may have been type approved to certain level which includes the DPF
and that it's removal could contravene.
 
I am thinking of having the DPF removed now and how found a company local to me in Stroud called Turner Race Developments, has anyone used these guys?
 
I am having issues with my car at the moment!! When driving around town on light throttle keeping up with the traffic engine revs between 1800-2000 rpm sometimes the car will hesitate, bit like a mis-fire, power dips and back on again. I have also noticed that sometimes if I stop, the engine idle speed increases to around 1,000rpm and then will drop back down to around 800rpm after a couple of minutes.

The car is a 2.0 litre TDi 170 and has started doing this more and more. If I keep driving though after 10 mins of putting up with the hesitation etc the car will then suddenly run fine and be ok till it does it again. When it has it's moment of hesitation it is fine if I am hard on the throttle or at speed.
I am wondering if I could have a problem with the DPF although I have never had a light come on or could these be symptoms of a failing EGR valve?
Can anyone help with suggestions or ways I could check? I am still thinking about having the DPF removed by Turner Race Developments, is this a good idea or can anyone recommend this company?

Thanks in advance
 
Your first paragraph is describing a regen as far as my knowledge reaches ;)
 
I did think it sounds like a regen but I never had the DPF light come on and it seems to be doing it almost every journey I make now! I travel about 60-70 miles a day which can include fast roads and built up area driving.

I am not sure whether to go down the DPF removal root of EGR replacement route?

A6CR said:
Your first paragraph is describing a regen as far as my knowledge reaches ;)
Click to expand...
 
DaveA3-TDI said:
I am having issues with my car at the moment!! When driving around town on light throttle keeping up with the traffic engine revs between 1800-2000 rpm sometimes the car will hesitate, bit like a mis-fire, power dips and back on again. I have also noticed that sometimes if I stop, the engine idle speed increases to around 1,000rpm and then will drop back down to around 800rpm after a couple of minutes.

The car is a 2.0 litre TDi 170 and has started doing this more and more. If I keep driving though after 10 mins of putting up with the hesitation etc the car will then suddenly run fine and be ok till it does it again. When it has it's moment of hesitation it is fine if I am hard on the throttle or at speed.
I am wondering if I could have a problem with the DPF although I have never had a light come on or could these be symptoms of a failing EGR valve?
Can anyone help with suggestions or ways I could check? I am still thinking about having the DPF removed by Turner Race Developments, is this a good idea or can anyone recommend this company?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Your car is going into 'Passive regen' to burn off the soot, nothing to worry about it's normal. This happens when soot levels hit 40%

If you dont clear it out or the regen fails (doesn't complete) it will then flash a warning on the dash & go into 'Active regen', this occurs at 60% soot levels.

If even after taking the car for a good long booting the light still doesnt go out, or soot levels drop (below 75%), you will need to get the car into a garage or use VCDS to do a 'Forced regen' to try & clear it.

If Soot levels raise above 85% you can pretty much consider the DPF as fubar!
 
max69vk said:
Your car is going into 'Passive regen' to burn off the soot, nothing to worry about it's normal. This happens when soot levels hit 40%

If you dont clear it out or the regen fails (doesn't complete) it will then flash a warning on the dash & go into 'Active regen', this occurs at 60% soot levels.

If even after taking the car for a good long booting the light still doesnt go out, or soot levels drop (below 75%), you will need to get the car into a garage or use VCDS to do a 'Forced regen' to try & clear it.

If Soot levels raise above 85% you can pretty much consider the DPF as fubar!
Click to expand...

I don't understand why it keeps doing it almost every day at the moment? Shall I just get the dam thing removed?
 
DaveA3-TDI said:
I don't understand why it keeps doing it almost every day at the moment? Shall I just get the dam thing removed?
Click to expand...

It may not be fully completing its regen cycle, so it stops the process till it then thinks its has a chance to fully regen, then realises that the levels are rising again & tries to do the regen yet again, its all reasonably normal though. I had one passive regen process 'fail' 6 times because I didnt drive it enough when it was attempting to regen, but the next time I drove it it sorted itself out out. The DPF can be a bit fickle at times!
 
max69vk said:
It may not be fully completing its regen cycle, so it stops the process till it then thinks its has a chance to fully regen, then realises that the levels are rising again & tries to do the regen yet again, its all reasonably normal though. I had one passive regen process 'fail' 6 times because I didnt drive it enough when it was attempting to regen, but the next time I drove it it sorted itself out out. The DPF can be a bit fickle at times!
Click to expand...

Is there anyway with VCDS to see if the regen has failed?
 
Not sure but you can check the soot level in Measuring Block 075 (or there abouts) in the Engine module.
 
I will check later and see what is going on, would it be worth forcing a regen?
 
audi upgrades
Depends on the level - go for a 25 minute drive in 3rd first (around 2500 rpm) though to clear it out a bit first before forced regen.
 
Ok, would it then be ok to follow these instructions from the ross-tech website? The section for the PD engine?
 
Yep the instructions on rosstech is what you need.

But forced regen is only really needed if the light doesn't go out.
 
No need to force regen then ;)

Infact you only need to panic when the dpf and engine light appears.
 
I guess the only way forward then to stop the car feeling like a bag of crap when it decides to do it's regen is get the DPF removed. Any advice welcome regarding this? At least it doesn't sound like the EGR valve.

thanks
 
audi upgrades
Just been out and checked the car and the DPF soot level was at 34% and that was after 24km since it's last regen!! I forced a regen on the DPF following the Ross-tech instructions and drove it around for 25 mins and managed to get the level back down to 11.9%. I then drove normally and watched as the DPF level kept rising, have stopped now and the DPF level is at 15.9%

What I noticed whilst it was doing it's forced regen was the car started driving horribly as I described previously but once it had finished and was down to the 11.9% it was sweet drive.!!
 
Dave, this is exactly what mine seems to be doing, is yours ok now?

As you say, if revs are at 1000 rpm it runs bad and annoyingly hesitates making a horrible drive, then once sorted and back to 800 rpm its like a dream!

I also have an added intermitent hesitation over 3k in 4/5/6th gears, but more convinced the low revs is the poxy DPF

Does everyones car do this crap driving whilst DPF does its thing or do we have faults?!

My light has only ever come on once, today!
 
Cossie_boy said:
Dave, this is exactly what mine seems to be doing, is yours ok now?

As you say, if revs are at 1000 rpm it runs bad and annoyingly hesitates making a horrible drive, then once sorted and back to 800 rpm its like a dream!

I also have an added intermitent hesitation over 3k in 4/5/6th gears, but more convinced the low revs is the poxy DPF

Does everyones car do this crap driving whilst DPF does its thing or do we have faults?!

My light has only ever come on once, today!
Click to expand...

Totally normal mate, nothing to panic about.
The only fault really is the design of these stupid DPF's!!
 
Madness Danny, lol, I cant help feel mine does this a little too often though, to work is about 15 minute drive at 70 ish when I can and is up to temp before I get to office, hoped this was ok?

Wasnt there a thing where after injector and loom recall they done an ecu update to make the dpf regenerate more?

Mine is going back to place i got it tomorrow then to audi to be put back to standard on ecu so not sure how thats gonna affect anything, plus they need to check the dpf at same time as noticed some black soot around bulkhead!
 
Cossie_boy said:
Dave, this is exactly what mine seems to be doing, is yours ok now?

As you say, if revs are at 1000 rpm it runs bad and annoyingly hesitates making a horrible drive, then once sorted and back to 800 rpm its like a dream!

I also have an added intermitent hesitation over 3k in 4/5/6th gears, but more convinced the low revs is the poxy DPF

Does everyones car do this crap driving whilst DPF does its thing or do we have faults?!

My light has only ever come on once, today!
Click to expand...

I got so fed up with it and after speaking to a few people just got the DPF internals removed. Best thing I did, car is much better to drive without it.
 
hmmm, its crossed my mind, need them to get it all smoothed out first!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Dannykn9
Check DPF Soot Levels in VCDS?
Replies
9
Views
26K
a6_chris
A
Robin Chandler
DPF soot levels
Replies
12
Views
13K
ayfreetee
ayfreetee
ROB A3 Quattro
dpf soot levels+ mot faliure
Replies
4
Views
981
hollows wife
hollows wife
C
Oil level A3 TDI 170 - Measuring in VCDS
Replies
0
Views
743
chinnyhill10
C
C
DPF Life
Replies
23
Views
4K
Cornish John
C
Top
Back