DPF soot levels

[Robin Chandler]

Hi folks,

After a bit of info on the wife's 2.0 tdi. The DPF light has come on a couple of times in the last week. First time I took it for a good thrashing and all seemed good.
Today it came on again. I've got the log (see pic) and was wondering if it looks like a dodgy sensor? It's only the DPF light, nothing else. It hadn't cleared by the time she got home, I checked fault codes and there isn't any!
Any ideas?
Cheers

 

[Nessy]

I dealt with a very similar situation a few weeks ago on my stepfathers W212 E350 CDI, it drove perfectly but EML came on, we did get an error for DPF sensor though when scanned.
Changing sensor was literally a 10 minute job and the Mercedes one (a Bosch unit) looked identical to the A3 one, so I’m guessing they’re all basically the same.
Personally I’d give the DPF sensor a shot.

 

[Seanchadwick2k3]

Before you replace anything get yourself a cheap one Bluetooth dongle and the vagdpf Android app. It's spot on and I wouldn't be without it. Also worth paying the 1 pound odd for the full version as you get a full level bar and more info. You can then go for a drive and k own that it's completed a full regen cycle

 

[ab1702]

I’d personally take it for a good thrashing again aswell. It may be the way in which your wife is driving the car is clogging up the filter. Tell her to drive at higher revs a bit more and it will help to keep it clear.

 

[Robin Chandler]

Thanks for the info, light hasn't come on again. I'll keep an eye on it. I'll look at getting a new sensor if comes on again and I'll get her to thrash it more!! (The car that is)

 

[ab1702]

Thanks for the info, light hasn't come on again. I'll keep an eye on it. I'll look at getting a new sensor if comes on again and I'll get her to thrash it more!! (The car that is)

Honestly bud if you get her to thrash it more then it will keep the light off. If you look in the cars handbook it says if the light comes on then you need to drive it above 2000rpm constantly until the light goes back off. So if she drives above 2000rpm more often in her daily use then it will keep the light off.

 

[Robin Chandler]

Strange how her driving style hasn't changed and now it's happening though. She's had it 5 and a half years and she's doing more motorway driving now than she's ever done. Before it was all A roads. I'll see what happens. Hopefully she just stopped half way through a regen and it won't do it again.
Cheers for the info.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

That's the problem with diesel cars, they don't actually tell you that a regen in taking place, or needs to.
My last car was a Focus ST diesel and that never let you know it was doing a regeneration, but you could tell by the exhaust note. It got much deeper and sounded quite sporty. It was the only way you knew as it didn't smoke or idle any differently.
If manufacturers were to put a Regen light on the dash for drivers to be aware, they could avoid this sort of issue and expensive repairs.

 

[Seanchadwick2k3]

Exactly why I won't do without that app, was sick of guessing what sort of state it was in and it's not exactly cheap to replace. I check mine every week or so.

 

[Dee60]

Yeah I use the VAG DPF app to monitor, really good app. Another way to tell a regen is happening is that the revs will stay at around 1k when idle.

 

[ab1702]

Yeah I use the VAG DPF app to monitor, really good app. Another way to tell a regen is happening is that the revs will stay at around 1k when idle.

That’s worth knowing, I noticed that on mine a few week ago and I wondered what were going off.

 

[pato89]

Yeah rpm at 1k is for me enough to know that regen is on, but hate when it happens on short drives and i cant finish it and fan stays on after i turn off engine and guys wondering why are they working so high :l

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[ayfreetee]

For it to self re gen, the dpf has to reach between 450-600 degrees Celsius, to do this, I found the best way is to drive at around 3000rpm for fifteen to twenty minutes, fourth gear at 70mph on a short motorway trip is best.