2.0 TDI DPF Worry (Short trips)

[AJ91]

Hello!

I'm a bit worried my DPF will clog up during the Winter season as I dont drive as much now as during the summer due to asphalt season being over.

Just a 5km to work and 5km back home again. Obiously a bit longer during weekends..

Should I be worried or would it be fine to just go on a longer drive on the weekends?

Might need to change to a petrol otherwise..

 

[adamss24]

You can get the dPF removed and you won't have much of a problem anymore !

 

[Scottyg]

Which will also fail an MOT and invalidate your insurance and the cars not roadworthy.

Take the car a blast at the weekends keeping revs high for around 10-15 minutes.

I do a 14 mile round trip each day and longer at weekends. I've had 6 Diesel cars and never had DPF issues.

 

[adamss24]

Which will also fail an MOT and invalidate your insurance and the cars not roadworthy.

Take the car a blast at the weekends keeping revs high for around 10-15 minutes.

I do a 14 mile round trip each day and longer at weekends. I've had 6 Diesel cars and never had DPF issues.

No, it won't ! So far the mot test is only looking at smoke opacity and a Good running diesel will put no smoke whatsoever ! In all my maps the diesels are running lean lambda so there is not even a haze even on 300 Bhp engines ! Trust me mate, I work in the trade and the dPF is a vile invention ! You can talk all you want but if governments would make traffic flow and remove speed bumps and improve junctions then the cars would run at their optimum and emit very, very little particulate matter and NOX !

 

[adamss24]

Please look at the other thread I posted a short while ago and see a 50k a6 with a such a blocked dPF the car would not even idle ! All the rubbish emission restraints are chocking the engines big time !

 

[Scottyg]

I know what you are saying and agree with the traffic flow causing most of the issues with NOX etc. However, legally speaking a car that comes out the factory with a DPF must have this at MOT or period if it's checked. They do tests every few weeks in a lay-by just outside the town centre up my way. Don't know the ins and outs like you do but what are the penalties if caught out??

 

[Retroman]

I only do about 6k-7k miles per year these days and I haven't had any problem. I use premium diesel and my routine involves the odd journey of 20+ miles every week or two. In my opinion the problem is over-stated and the internet does not help where one person can forcibly voice their isolated problem against millions of diesels sold to happy customers who mention nothing on the internet. You tend to see similar with the Porsche IMS bearing, Fram filters in the US, BMW 2.0 diesel timing chains and Vauhall Zafiras bursting into flames

 

[adamss24]

That's why you make it as hard to spot as possible ! The way I cut and weld the DPF is sometimes cleaner that the factory welding and as such, for an untrained eye it will not draw attention. Also modern cars have undershields fitted as standard which mot testing stations have no rights or time to remove ! Here's an easy to spot dPF delete as found on a customer' s car I tuned a while ago !

 

[adamss24]

The last 4 pictures show one I have hollowed and welded myself !

 

[Gazwould]

Not overstated at all just over a handfull of VAG forums too many have dpf bother , never a week goes by without someone experiencing dpf trouble .

What kills me is when the dreaded light comes on you have to take it for a walk like a dog so it can have a poo .

Except this is costing you time and money and produces CO2 , diesel particulates and NOx .

The dpf also requires many sensors to work at their optimum .

It's a flawed system. . .

 

[desertstorm]

The current MOT just requires 2 things.
1. That the car passes the "smoke" test which is a measure of the particulate density when the engine is revved. The level that is required to fail is quite high. Any diesel with or without a DPF that is running normally and is well tuned will pass this smoke test easily.
2. If a car was originally manufactured with a CAT / DPF this needs to be present. That is a visual inspection and if your DPF is visible it will need to be in place. regardless of it actually containing anything. Even if it's obvious that it's been cut and welded.
On some cars the DPF isn't visible without removing shields / covers and the MOT tester cannot remove these so you could replace the DPF with a pipe.
The tests they do on a lay by are no more than what is done on an MOT.
If there is a change to the testing process and the levels of smoke permissible are reduced radically then cars without a DPF may have an issue.
If you were going to lower the levels to that of what the car should have produced when new you will have issues as the equipment required to detect such small levels will be a lot more expensive and there will probably be a lot of cars failing that really haven't got an issue.
Normal driving could result in a build up of soot in the exhaust that will be released when the engine is revved hard as they do now. With such low levels of particulates being measured any small amount of particles released would cause a failure.

http://www.driving.co.uk/news/gone-in-a-puff-of-smoke-uk-spot-checks-on-car-emissions-axed/

 

[desertstorm]

The last 4 pictures show one I have hollowed and welded myself !

Your welding is good Chris but it's not like the seamless quality of a robot weld. Maybe not obvious to joe public but fortunately it makes no difference whether the tester can see whether it's welded or not. As long as there is what appears to be a DPF in place it will pass.
I have seen on a few MOT's that this is appearing a lot.

"Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components"
"Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay"

The testers look to be covering themselves a bit.

 

[Retroman]

Not overstated at all just over a handfull of VAG forums too many have dpf bother , never a week goes by without someone experiencing dpf trouble .

What kills me is when the dreaded light comes on you have to take it for a walk like a dog so it can have a poo .

My light has never come on. Handful of forums against millions of DPF diesels sold worldwide VAG and other makes

 

[Gazwould]

You always get this. . . when someone isn't affected , it is to them , overstated. .

 

[adamss24]

Your welding is good Chris but it's not like the seamless quality of a robot weld. Maybe not obvious to joe public but fortunately it makes no difference whether the tester can see whether it's welded or not.

You make a very valid point however most awkward shape DPF's are still finished by hand and TIG welding is a lot, lot tidier than MIG welding regardless if a robot is doing or not ! U get a lot of splatter from MIG welding which cannot be avoided as such messy is the process ! To be honest the pictures above were just an example, with careful prep I get really clean welds which will be hard to be spotted unless you're coded in TIG welding... As it's something that will be subjected to heat and grime it makes no sense to get myself too comfortable in order to get them looking any neater ! As you pointed above, with a clean tune any car will pass especially after a good thrash on motorway !

 

[Retroman]

You always get this. . . when someone isn't affected , it is to them , overstated. .

On the contrary, one tends to see assertive, amateur know-it-alls who scare the internet community with anecdotal stories about a single alleged case

 

[Gazwould]

Single case , lol .

 

[AJ91]

I called Audi and asked them if it would be a problem but according to them it wouldnt especially with the longer weekend trips. If I did get the warning they told me to get the Engine warm and drive for about 15-20 mins and I would be fine. (does sucks though that you have to "walk your car".)

I could have the DPF removed and the system remapped as here in Sweden they dont check if its there or not, I know loads of people who have got it removed but I dont want to yet because my car is still under warranty for another 4 years so worst case scenario the DPF gets a failure and I get a new one under warranty.

I Think I'll change to a smaller petrol in the future though.

Thanks for all the replies!