2008 530D - DPF warning
Discussion
Had a PDF warning on dash on Sunday night. I've booked the car in for tomorrow morning for a diagnostic. Am I likely to have any options apart from replacement? I've read it could also be something like a split vacuum hose that could bring this warning up whichight also explain the feeling I have that it has some turbo lag, either way im guessing it's not going to be cheap?
Just got back from having the car diagnosed.
DPF is blocked, glow plugs all have fault codes, car not reaching temperature ( 80 c ) .
So they presented me with two options
a) DPF delete and remap but not change glow plugs - £550
b) change all glow plugs and thermostats then do re gen - £500
Part of me wants to g o with re map and delete so problem doesn't arise again, but Im not convinced car will pass MOT in future which will then give me another large bill to replace DPF etc.
I would guess having the glow plugs and thermostats changed with the re gen will as well as curing the problem reinstate any lost performance any way. He said it was down on power quite a bit mainly due to the blocked DPF.
But will a re gen definitely clean the DPF? What if its blocked more than they can tell at the moment?
Also car has 138,000 miles and does a mixture of 3-4 miles in Milton Keynes so pretty high speeds and acceleration or longish journeys and I dont particularly drive slow.
DPF is blocked, glow plugs all have fault codes, car not reaching temperature ( 80 c ) .
So they presented me with two options
a) DPF delete and remap but not change glow plugs - £550
b) change all glow plugs and thermostats then do re gen - £500
Part of me wants to g o with re map and delete so problem doesn't arise again, but Im not convinced car will pass MOT in future which will then give me another large bill to replace DPF etc.
I would guess having the glow plugs and thermostats changed with the re gen will as well as curing the problem reinstate any lost performance any way. He said it was down on power quite a bit mainly due to the blocked DPF.
But will a re gen definitely clean the DPF? What if its blocked more than they can tell at the moment?
Also car has 138,000 miles and does a mixture of 3-4 miles in Milton Keynes so pretty high speeds and acceleration or longish journeys and I dont particularly drive slow.
Edited by Spanglepants on Thursday 20th October 11:22
I meant to say they would change the glow plug controller as well but forgot what it was called 
.
. Vee said:
My opinion . . .
If you are going to keep the car then the glow plugs and thermostats need changing anyway.
Whilst the intake manifold is off they may as well sort out any swirl flap leaks (if not previously done) and also change the glow plug controller (only an extra £90 for the part iirc).
Then have the forced regen and see if that clears it.
If it doesn't then have it cleaned.
If you are going to keep the car then the glow plugs and thermostats need changing anyway.
Whilst the intake manifold is off they may as well sort out any swirl flap leaks (if not previously done) and also change the glow plug controller (only an extra £90 for the part iirc).
Then have the forced regen and see if that clears it.
If it doesn't then have it cleaned.
Theres one other thing thats bothering me.
He was suggesting to get the DPF delete and re map, I asked but what about the glow plug issue? He answered that if its not giving me any problems starting now it shouldn't be an issue?
My answer was so i get the remap etc done then 6 months down the road the glow plugs get worse and i get another big bill for that as well?
im a bit confused as the car drives and starts fine, albeit i feel performance is down a bit, and need to be reassured that
a) the DPF can definitely be cleared after glow plug and thermostat renewal and i won't get " It did'nt work so it has to be cleaned" - yet more money!
b) although i won't, its tempting to go for the DPF delete so it doesn't happen again in the future.
Im going on about big bills but I previously had a 525D that cost me about £3000 in repairs - including a ridiculous and frustrating episode with wrongly diagnosed glow plug failures and replacements and then with my current 530D having a £850 bill for new clutch and flywheel about 2 months ago.
I simply can't carry on throwing money at a car if its unnecessary.
Thanks for the replies so far.
He was suggesting to get the DPF delete and re map, I asked but what about the glow plug issue? He answered that if its not giving me any problems starting now it shouldn't be an issue?
My answer was so i get the remap etc done then 6 months down the road the glow plugs get worse and i get another big bill for that as well?
im a bit confused as the car drives and starts fine, albeit i feel performance is down a bit, and need to be reassured that
a) the DPF can definitely be cleared after glow plug and thermostat renewal and i won't get " It did'nt work so it has to be cleaned" - yet more money!
b) although i won't, its tempting to go for the DPF delete so it doesn't happen again in the future.
Im going on about big bills but I previously had a 525D that cost me about £3000 in repairs - including a ridiculous and frustrating episode with wrongly diagnosed glow plug failures and replacements and then with my current 530D having a £850 bill for new clutch and flywheel about 2 months ago.
I simply can't carry on throwing money at a car if its unnecessary.
Thanks for the replies so far.
I should have said to be more accurate that i was offered a gutting of the DPF so its housing would still be there visually but obviously no inners.
But as i understood it , if it hasn't been brought into place already, that more stringent checks will be in the MOT to check for gutted DPFs by more emissions checks?
But as i understood it , if it hasn't been brought into place already, that more stringent checks will be in the MOT to check for gutted DPFs by more emissions checks?
Why are you suggesting i said something that i never. Read the post again, I've already said I'm not going for a DPF delete. I did nothing but repost more accurately what they had offered as an option and which i believe will be found on an MOT, the BMW specialist was saying it would not be noticed which i don't believe.
Welshbeef said:
Spanglepants said:
I should have said to be more accurate that i was offered a gutting of the DPF so its housing would still be there visually but obviously no inners.
But as i understood it , if it hasn't been brought into place already, that more stringent checks will be in the MOT to check for gutted DPFs by more emissions checks?
Why are you even suggesting to want to emit more pollution which causes lung cancer in children? (Just for you to save a few£) But as i understood it , if it hasn't been brought into place already, that more stringent checks will be in the MOT to check for gutted DPFs by more emissions checks?
My last word on this as its plainly obvious im not having the 
DPF removed.
You've just quoted one of my first posts on this thread, since then me and you have replied to each other even, I agreed with you back then I wouldn't go down that route then after all that you accuse me of wanting to make the world's children sick to save £2.50.
I wasn't going to say this but another reason I mentioned the DPF removal I was seeing if anyone had read between the lines regarding the specialists advice.
I.e Telling me it was ok to go with DPF delete and remap instead of the more sensible option which I'm going for. Basically the delete and remap was being pushed but I feel I was being done over by that as I'd already been told glow plugs and thermostats were no good, how comes thats no longer an issue if I went for delete and remap. More work, more money?After this work gets done I'll probably look elsewhere to get the car looked after.
All this crap over a thread on a poxy DPF, really? It's exactly why I'm not a prolific poster on here.
Thanks to those that did help.
DPF removed.You've just quoted one of my first posts on this thread, since then me and you have replied to each other even, I agreed with you back then I wouldn't go down that route then after all that you accuse me of wanting to make the world's children sick to save £2.50.
I wasn't going to say this but another reason I mentioned the DPF removal I was seeing if anyone had read between the lines regarding the specialists advice.
I.e Telling me it was ok to go with DPF delete and remap instead of the more sensible option which I'm going for. Basically the delete and remap was being pushed but I feel I was being done over by that as I'd already been told glow plugs and thermostats were no good, how comes thats no longer an issue if I went for delete and remap. More work, more money?After this work gets done I'll probably look elsewhere to get the car looked after.
All this crap over a thread on a poxy DPF, really? It's exactly why I'm not a prolific poster on here.
Thanks to those that did help.
Thank you, I'll be picking the car back up this afternoon, also asked them if swirl flaps are present and what state they're in while they've got the manifold off. Also asked them to clean the EGR, assuming that's not done as a matter of course.
nickfrog said:
Welshbeef said:
No you said there were two options presented to you ( by a garage...) one to fit the DPF. Why even post that up unless you are considering it as an option.
He says he does NOT want to do that - how else do you want him to say it ?
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