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chinnyhill10

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Hi,

Was having a few issues with my A3 170 Quattro in constant regen which seems to have been sorted out by having the timings changed. Car running far better and garage said it would have been smoking at low revs thereby clogging up the DPF.

They indicated to me that the carbon mass in the filter is a 53.50 (which matches my own VCDS readings) which they say means the DPF could be near the end of life.

I've seen others refer to a soot volume in VCDS but I don't have that. All I have are the following:

(figures from before timing changes)

Load Coefficient: 19.2
Carbon Mass: 53.50
Learned value -8.5%


Car is running far better since the timing change and isn't doing an active regen at 1000 rpm every 50 miles or so any more. Would do it standing in traffic! Also a lot smoother.

Car has done 105,000. Anyone know if I should worry about the DPF or not?

Cheers
 
Yeah I don't think you are to far off it being useless lol

Posted using a S8+ with Magic
 
Worry about it when it fails / is at max ash loading which is 60g if I remember correctly. When it gts to that point simply send it away to a professional DPF cleaning company, set the ash value down to 30g (50%) and refit / re-use. Will cost a couple of hundred, but much cheaper than a new part!! The factory DPF's are the ones to stick with as the cheap aftermarket ones don't last.

Reason I say to set ash value to 30g (50%) after cleaning is because you don't know exactly how much ash will remain in the old filter (cleaning will never get out 100% of it), so setting to 50% is playing it safe and should give another 60,000-ish miles of service before it needs cleaning again.
 
I don't know how long these things should last, my A3 170CR engine has just hit 237,000.

No DPF problems that I know of!!

But I normally travel about 45 miles each way per day to work.
Anything from 50mph to 90mph during those journey's.

What I do, if I'm popping down the shops I take my wife's Pug 206 1.0 & leave the A3 until its a long journey.
 
Cornish John said:
I don't know how long these things should last, my A3 170CR engine has just hit 237,000.

No DPF problems that I know of!!

But I normally travel about 45 miles each way per day to work.
Anything from 50mph to 90mph during those journey's.

What I do, if I'm popping down the shops I take my wife's Pug 206 1.0 & leave the A3 until its a long journey.
Click to expand...

Have you had the ash loading checked? Should be checked at 120,000 miles then every 10,000 miles there after (or is it 20,000 miles there after??) and the official word is to replace at 60g ash loading.....or at least get it professionally cleaned.
 
The handbook talks about them being checked at 114,000 miles. Personally I believe the problems are over-stated. One could say how long does a clutch last? - a much more expensive job! With low road tax and 60 MPG on motorway runs it's worth me just taking the view to simply get it fixed if and when it starts to play up - he says relaxing and sipping a beer. :smile new:
 
Retroman said:
One could say how long does a clutch last? - a much more expensive job!
Click to expand...

Not really. DPF filter (genuine Audi) is £1000+ for the part alone. Clutch job at Audi (all fitted) on their fixed service pricing structure is £899 for non-Quattro & £1059 for Quattro cars. So a DPF + even 1 hour of Audi labour chargers will put you over the price of a clutch change.

Not going into the cost of aftermarket DPF filters because they are not as good as OEM (fail sooner) and trying to compare apples with apples by comparing direct dealer prices for both jobs.
 
Mario said:
Not really. DPF filter (genuine Audi) is £1000
Click to expand...
If we're splitting hairs - you'd probably need a clutch plus new DMF as well and I was talking about a clean-up.
 
Yes, also sipping a beer, Ill take my chances!

If it should fail now after 237,000 miles, I would say I've had my moneys worth!!

I drove from Cornwall to Aldershot today, like always it was a dream!
Unlike the other four cars in my household that have done half the mileage!!

Back to beer!
 
Anyone know where the ash loading can be found in VCDS? Tried following some guides online but all I get is the soot loading on my (full) VCDS cable.

Car has been much better since the timing was sorted. It must have been smoking so much the filter couldn't regenerate. It's not done any noticeable active regens in the past 2 weeks whereas previously it was doing one every 50 miles.
 
Cornish John said:
Yes, also sipping a beer, Ill take my chances!

If it should fail now after 237,000 miles, I would say I've had my moneys worth!!

I drove from Cornwall to Aldershot today, like always it was a dream!
Unlike the other four cars in my household that have done half the mileage!!

Back to beer!
Click to expand...


237,000 miles, wow. No need to worry then! While I do potter to the shops it's still a 10 minute run at above 40mph. And it does get proper runs.

Aldershot, town of my birth and where I took my driving test. I'd have stayed in Cornwall :)
 
chinnyhill10 said:
237,000 miles, wow. No need to worry then! While I do potter to the shops it's still a 10 minute run at above 40mph. And it does get proper runs.

Aldershot, town of my birth and where I took my driving test. I'd have stayed in Cornwall :)
Click to expand...

I'm only here on a training course, back home to Gods country tomorrow!!
 
Dervs are intended for galactic mileage and that's why Cornish John dpf is working well. Bet you don't achieve anywhere near the mpg figures that Audi quote.
 
SootySport said:
Dervs are intended for galactic mileage and that's why Cornish John dpf is working well. Bet you don't achieve anywhere near the mpg figures that Audi quote.
Click to expand...

Sat on the motorway doing 90mph I'm getting 46mpg, I can live with that!
 
Cornish John said:
If it should fail now after 237,000 miles, I would say I've had my moneys worth!!
Click to expand...
Out of interest have you had any other major expenses like shock absorbers, drive-shafts, bearings and/or exhaust etc? Or has it all been smiles and beer (like mine 86,000 miles) :yahoo:
 
Retroman said:
Out of interest have you had any other major expenses like shock absorbers, drive-shafts, bearings and/or exhaust etc? Or has it all been smiles and beer (like mine 86,000 miles) :yahoo:
Click to expand...

Same; shocks, drive-shafts, exhaust, turbo, clutch, DPF, EGR, hex shaft, etc

I have changed wheel bearings and stuff like brake pads!
Flap runner motor and four sensors to which I changed myself.

Very cheap motoring compared to my wife's 206, Daughters C2 and Sons Ford Connect (that had dive shafts at 50K)
 
chinnyhill10 said:
237,000 miles, wow. No need to worry then! While I do potter to the shops it's still a 10 minute run at above 40mph. And it does get proper runs.

Aldershot, town of my birth and where I took my driving test. I'd have stayed in Cornwall :)
Click to expand...

Keeping your dpf clear or in good condition isn't about how fast you're driving, it's about how many revs your driving at no matter the speed.
Ideally you need to regularly be above 1800 rpm to keep the dpf in good shape as then it is hot enough to burn the soot off. For example you could be doing 60mph but if you're cruising in 6th gear and it's only for example say about 1200 rpm then it's no good in the long term for the dpf.
 
ab1702 said:
Keeping your dpf clear or in good condition isn't about how fast you're driving, it's about how many revs your driving at no matter the speed.
Ideally you need to regularly be above 1800 rpm to keep the dpf in good shape as then it is hot enough to burn the soot off. For example you could be doing 60mph but if you're cruising in 6th gear and it's only for example say about 1200 rpm then it's no good in the long term for the dpf.
Click to expand...

Oh, I don't know!
My fast speed is normally 90mph plus, so I think I'm covered!!
 
ab1702 said:
Keeping your dpf clear or in good condition isn't about how fast you're driving, it's about how many revs your driving at no matter the speed.
Ideally you need to regularly be above 1800 rpm to keep the dpf in good shape as then it is hot enough to burn the soot
Click to expand...
Interesting what you say. I tend to drive mine more like a petrol car and tend to keep the revs up slightly more than some diesel owners I know who rumble around in 5/6th gear at 30 MPH. I've had no DPF problems despite low annual mileage these days (7,000) and I've noticed that the dash display fuel economy figure tends to show its highest reading when cruising in 5th rather than 6th, with the revs hovering around 2,000.
 
Retroman said:
Interesting what you say. I tend to drive mine more like a petrol car and tend to keep the revs up slightly more than some diesel owners I know who rumble around in 5/6th gear at 30 MPH. I've had no DPF problems despite low annual mileage these days (7,000) and I've noticed that the dash display fuel economy figure tends to show its highest reading when cruising in 5th rather than 6th, with the revs hovering around 2,000.
Click to expand...

That'll be why you've had no problems with it then.
The other diesel owners you mention doing 30mph in 5th or 6th are exactly the ones you'd imagine to have problems with dpf at some point if they drive like that regular
 
Rideen said:
Did you have the car from new? Because if not, do not be surprised to find out previous owner has hollowed out your DPF. :D
Click to expand...

I bought the car at around 18 months old, it was ex company car and maintained by Audi.
Most of those miles I have done.

So I very much doubt it!!

Plus the first thing I did once buying it, had it serviced, changed the cambelt. (none needed doing, but piece of mind)
Then had a good quality remap, (REVO) and didn't bother with the DPF & EGR delete options.

Still after more than fives years, it still makes me smile.............................................
 
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