SEAT Alhambra DPF repeatedly blocking
Discussion
After many years of my wife refusing to believe that driving the kids 100m to school in a 2L diesel could have any ill effects, last year's trip to cornwall was nearly scuppered by a blocked DPF.
Following an active region at the roadside, and another a few days later in St Ives when the warning light appeared again, I got a professional chemical clean when we got home.
From that day onwards (though I can't recall if this happened prior to the cornwall trip), the engine fan has kicked in after every journey of more than a few miles. It stays on for about 10 minutes, as if a region cycle has been interrupted. I've dropped it in to the local garage a few times, no fault codes exist so they've been scratching their heads. I've pretty much only used the car for 40 minute journeys to work, all motorway, since last year so the dpf should be pretty clear, or so I thought.
Last week, during a trip to the south coast, after 90 miles, DPF light came on again. Cue region at the garage, cleared from 35 grams of soot down to 2 grams. Three days later, another long journey of over an hour and a half, and the blocked light comes on again.
Garage now recommending a change of DPF.
Question to all you lovely wise folk, do you reckon the problem lies deeper? Would the ECU be having issues, hence no region cycles really happening? Do I run the risk of a EGR also being blocked? Am I throwing money down a deep deep well in trying to get this sorted, or should I finally say goodbye to the old girl (2014 , 68,000 miles?)
If anyone's had a similar experience I'd be really grateful to hear of how you fixed it.
Thanks.
Following an active region at the roadside, and another a few days later in St Ives when the warning light appeared again, I got a professional chemical clean when we got home.
From that day onwards (though I can't recall if this happened prior to the cornwall trip), the engine fan has kicked in after every journey of more than a few miles. It stays on for about 10 minutes, as if a region cycle has been interrupted. I've dropped it in to the local garage a few times, no fault codes exist so they've been scratching their heads. I've pretty much only used the car for 40 minute journeys to work, all motorway, since last year so the dpf should be pretty clear, or so I thought.
Last week, during a trip to the south coast, after 90 miles, DPF light came on again. Cue region at the garage, cleared from 35 grams of soot down to 2 grams. Three days later, another long journey of over an hour and a half, and the blocked light comes on again.
Garage now recommending a change of DPF.
Question to all you lovely wise folk, do you reckon the problem lies deeper? Would the ECU be having issues, hence no region cycles really happening? Do I run the risk of a EGR also being blocked? Am I throwing money down a deep deep well in trying to get this sorted, or should I finally say goodbye to the old girl (2014 , 68,000 miles?)
If anyone's had a similar experience I'd be really grateful to hear of how you fixed it.
Thanks.
HSmith22 said:
After many years of my wife refusing to believe that driving the kids 100m to school in a 2L diesel could have any ill effects, last year's trip to cornwall was nearly scuppered by a blocked DPF.
Following an active region at the roadside, and another a few days later in St Ives when the warning light appeared again, I got a professional chemical clean when we got home.
From that day onwards (though I can't recall if this happened prior to the cornwall trip), the engine fan has kicked in after every journey of more than a few miles. It stays on for about 10 minutes, as if a region cycle has been interrupted. I've dropped it in to the local garage a few times, no fault codes exist so they've been scratching their heads. I've pretty much only used the car for 40 minute journeys to work, all motorway, since last year so the dpf should be pretty clear, or so I thought.
Last week, during a trip to the south coast, after 90 miles, DPF light came on again. Cue region at the garage, cleared from 35 grams of soot down to 2 grams. Three days later, another long journey of over an hour and a half, and the blocked light comes on again.
Garage now recommending a change of DPF.
Question to all you lovely wise folk, do you reckon the problem lies deeper? Would the ECU be having issues, hence no region cycles really happening? Do I run the risk of a EGR also being blocked? Am I throwing money down a deep deep well in trying to get this sorted, or should I finally say goodbye to the old girl (2014 , 68,000 miles?)
If anyone's had a similar experience I'd be really grateful to hear of how you fixed it.
Thanks.
Get the best trade in or WBaC type offer and get shot imo.Following an active region at the roadside, and another a few days later in St Ives when the warning light appeared again, I got a professional chemical clean when we got home.
From that day onwards (though I can't recall if this happened prior to the cornwall trip), the engine fan has kicked in after every journey of more than a few miles. It stays on for about 10 minutes, as if a region cycle has been interrupted. I've dropped it in to the local garage a few times, no fault codes exist so they've been scratching their heads. I've pretty much only used the car for 40 minute journeys to work, all motorway, since last year so the dpf should be pretty clear, or so I thought.
Last week, during a trip to the south coast, after 90 miles, DPF light came on again. Cue region at the garage, cleared from 35 grams of soot down to 2 grams. Three days later, another long journey of over an hour and a half, and the blocked light comes on again.
Garage now recommending a change of DPF.
Question to all you lovely wise folk, do you reckon the problem lies deeper? Would the ECU be having issues, hence no region cycles really happening? Do I run the risk of a EGR also being blocked? Am I throwing money down a deep deep well in trying to get this sorted, or should I finally say goodbye to the old girl (2014 , 68,000 miles?)
If anyone's had a similar experience I'd be really grateful to hear of how you fixed it.
Thanks.
I had a Volvo D5 that had similar issues, a d it turned out to be a sensor problem.
There is a flow sensor before and after the DPF, and the ECU uses the difference in these values to determine how full the DPF is and hence when to run a regen cycle.
Changed the sensors. No more problems.
There is a flow sensor before and after the DPF, and the ECU uses the difference in these values to determine how full the DPF is and hence when to run a regen cycle.
Changed the sensors. No more problems.
legless said:
I had a Volvo D5 that had similar issues, a d it turned out to be a sensor problem.
There is a flow sensor before and after the DPF, and the ECU uses the difference in these values to determine how full the DPF is and hence when to run a regen cycle.
Changed the sensors. No more problems.
Would this issue through up a fault code?There is a flow sensor before and after the DPF, and the ECU uses the difference in these values to determine how full the DPF is and hence when to run a regen cycle.
Changed the sensors. No more problems.
HSmith22 said:
I've pretty much only used the car for 40 minute journeys to work, all motorway, since last year so the dpf should be pretty clear, or so I thought.
If you're thinking passive regen should keep it clear, then apparrantly VW Group, and probably others too, don't work like that - at least in the UK, as they never get anywhere near hot enough in normal UK use.Ours is in a Tiguan, and is the newer engine, but the previous one works the same - it should active regen around every 300 miles. Had it happen in ours on a Monday morning doing the school run after a fast 400 mile trip over the weekend.
I guess you need to find someone who knows about these things beyond looking at codes. Perhap a model spedific forum could be more helpful.
Thanks everyone for all your help.
With a new dpf being a third of the cars WBAC’s value I was a bit torn about getting a replacement. The garage offered another ‘legally grey’ option, that would have meant they’d always have to do the MOT, but when I looked into it, it wasn’t that grey more deep black!
Anyways, next throw of the dice is a removal and sonic clean before I bite the bullet and start looking at a new, petrol (hopefully without a gpf) option.
Thanks again everyone for making my first foray into piston heads territory such a good and informative experience.
Cheers
With a new dpf being a third of the cars WBAC’s value I was a bit torn about getting a replacement. The garage offered another ‘legally grey’ option, that would have meant they’d always have to do the MOT, but when I looked into it, it wasn’t that grey more deep black!
Anyways, next throw of the dice is a removal and sonic clean before I bite the bullet and start looking at a new, petrol (hopefully without a gpf) option.
Thanks again everyone for making my first foray into piston heads territory such a good and informative experience.
Cheers
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