'08 3.0sd - Dead DPF :(

[goose]

So it would appear that a 3rd failed glow plug (2 have been dead a while), has now killed my Diesel Particle Filter (DPF), and it will not run a regen cycle.

Car is in limp mode, and feels like a potato has been stuck up the exhaust.

Have been quoted £1573 for a full DPF clean, 6x new glow plugs, inlet manifold/EGR valve clean, and swirl flap removal.

The cleaning of the old DPF is c£600 of the £1573 above...  versus a new one @ £1300.

Car is at 67k now, and I will be keeping it a few years yet.

I did think about going the DPF delete route, but after a bit of research it looks like MOT rules may soon be changing from just a "visual DPF inspection" to something a little more in-depth, so I thought better of it.

Sigh..  could really do without this tho...

goose

[martin33100]

[quote="goose"]
So it would appear that a 3rd failed glow plug (2 have been dead a while), has now killed my Diesel Particle Filter (DPF), and it will not run a regen cycle.

Car is in limp mode, and feels like a potato has been stuck up the exhaust.

Have been quoted £1573 for a full DPF clean, 6x new glow plugs, inlet manifold/EGR valve clean, and swirl flap removal.

The cleaning of the old DPF is c£600 of the £1573 above...  versus a new one @ £1300.

Car is at 67k now, and I will be keeping it a few years yet.

I did think about going the DPF delete route, but after a bit of research it looks like MOT rules may soon be changing from just a "visual DPF inspection" to something a little more in-depth, so I thought better of it.

Sigh..  could really do without this tho...

goose
[/quote]Have you checked your engine temp is going over 70 deg? as failed glow plugs should not stop a regen.

[X5Sport]

Nor would they cause a DPF failure.  Short journeys will cause it to block unless regular runs of at least 20 minutes above 40mph will clear it.

Has the 'forced regen' been tried?  That is done by the Dealer setting a command in the on board computer.  You then go for a longish drive and if all is well problem solved.  It certainly does not cost £600!!

Deleting a DPF (or CAT) makes the car illegal on the road and when you sell it you either have to refit one or declare it removed.  And yes the rules are getting tougher so good choice to get it sorted.

Richard

[goose]

I dropped the car with Grosvenor (http://bmwspecialistreading.co.uk/) yesterday @ 0830..  by 1030 they had called me to say that they could not force it to regen.

I do long'ish journeys quite often..  few hundred mile round trips every few weeks.

I know I dont really need the cleaning work & swirl flaps done, but I guess it makes sense to do it whilst the plugs are being done.

Fingers crossed for a few yrs of trouble-free driving after this.

goose

[martin33100]

[quote="goose"]
I dropped the car with Grosvenor (http://bmwspecialistreading.co.uk/) yesterday @ 0830..  by 1030 they had called me to say that they could not force it to regen.

I do long'ish journeys quite often..  few hundred mile round trips every few weeks.

I know I dont really need the cleaning work & swirl flaps done, but I guess it makes sense to do it whilst the plugs are being done.

Fingers crossed for a few yrs of trouble-free driving after this.

goose
[/quote]Have you ever gone into your hidden menu to see what temperature your engine is running at?

[goose]

Ive had the car just over a year now - and admit, I didnt know there was a hidden menu  :blink:

They showed me my swirl flaps, and they were toast. I think I may have dodged a bullet there.

Have picked the car up now, and it goes like stink. What with the cleaned DPF, inlet manifold and EGR valve, and new oil breather filter,  the trottle response is super quick.

They said my DPF was the worst they have done..  they removed 120g of ash (beating their previous record of 100g!)

goose

[Nine468]

Just had a few bits of work done to my car, regarding the DPF...

I have had all 6 glow plugs replaced, both thermostats replaced , the swirl flaps deleted, and the dpf regenerated...

[ I didnt need the swirls removing that just piece of mind for me.]
The stats needed replacing as they were reading low. A typical BMW trait apparently...

My garage that did the work told me that the dpf had tried to regen but as 4 of the 6 glow plugs had failed it couldnt get hot enough to do the regen, apparently what ive been told in a regen that happens is,,,,
the glow plugs fire up,
the engine backs off the timimng so as to lean off the engine,
this then raises the exhaust temp,
which allows the correct temp to be acheived to do the dpf regen.

I also got a 110 scanner to monitor the exhaust back pressure and temps, this helps me monitor if the car is getting ready for a regen / run up the M way...
The build up of soot in the dpf makes the back pressure increase , if its not burnt off/ regen,d it blocks up thus triggering a fault on the I drive...Which is what happened in my case.

My car is now in rude health...

I hope this is of some use to others that might not know what has to be in place for a regen to happen, as i was somewhat in the dark about it before i spoke to my indie garage...

[goose]

2 months later, and DPF warninig light back on..  not a happy man  >:(

Dropped it back at the garage this morning, and was told "dont worry about it"..  hhmmm really?!?

Waiting for call back

[goose]

So all x6 new glow plugs that went in 8 weeks ago are cooked. Which is why i'm told the DPF would not heatup/regen, and why in turn then it threw an error code and went into limp mode.

So by process of elimination I'm told its the £124 glow plug controller unit that had failed.

I only wish they could have found the cause of my woes, before sticking me with nearly £1800 of cost to cure symptoms

Hopefully thats the end of this now, for a very long time!!!

goose

[X5Sport]

If they got it wrong they should refund some of the costs in my view.  Garages should really offer some kind of warranty on their fixes.  It won't happen as they would go bust very quickly from all the wrong diagnosis made, but it would improve the ability of some of the 'technicians' to get the job right first time.

I don't know whether they would even gave looked at the controller first time, but I would have made sure it was cycling correctly and only turning on/off in the right way.

I know I say it time and again, but relying on fault codes is not how you fix things - cars, boilers, computers etc.  Proper in depth knowledge and working from 1st Principles and asking the question 'so why did that fail?' until you hit the root cause is how it should be done, or at least it was how I was taught in the 1980's!  Working on kit covering safety of life meant getting it right 1st time EVERY time!!

[weirdfish]

DPF, one of the things you just don't want to hear when you own a good old deisel, personally I think they're over engineered and are far too easy to clog up, and before all the Eco warriors start, I know they're there for a reason, but just think how much extra pollution it took to make the damn things.
I've just had the " limited performance" ping up on my saab, and yes, it's a blocked dpf, my local guy, who I use all the time, has said the only real way to clear it is to remove and let it soak in cleaning solution for 12hours then blast it out with a jet washer.
Out of curiosity I rang a saab specialist, they said they could do a " forced regen", basically adj the timing/fuelling of the car and letting it stand there revving for a length of time in order to get it hot enough to try and burn the soot out of the dpf, but they also said, if this doesn't work they'd have to remove it and clean it manually.
I wonder which one people would choose, I know which one I'm having done.
As you've said, too much is deduced these days from fault codes, when good old detective work is what's needed, I blame the accountants that run the big dealerships these days, all they see are figures.

[X5Sport]

Petrol cars to get them too under EU7 emissions regs....no one will escape

[Steamyrotter]

[quote="X5Sport"]
....no one will escape
[/quote]


They won't be able to cuz the things keep blocking.....
O:-) >:D

[X5Sport]

[quote="Steamyrotter"]
[quote="X5Sport"]
....no one will escape
[/quote]


They won't be able to cuz the things keep blocking.....
O:-) >:D
[/quote]

......forum cynic )

[Steamyrotter]

[quote="X5Sport"]
[quote="Steamyrotter"]
[quote="X5Sport"]
....no one will escape
[/quote

They won't be able to cuz the things keep blocking.....
O:-) >:D
[/quote]

......forum cynic )
[/quote]

Or the gearbox goes tits up......

O:-)