DPF

[Melman Giraffe]

Hi All

Got a problem with the DPF on my 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS (A207) Convertible E 250 CDI Diesel

When plugged into the Diagnostics we get this message

The soot content of the particulate filter is not OK, There is a component fault

I've put some DPF cleaner in the fuel and gave it a good run (car is in limp mode) cleared the fault and with 5 mins the engine light was back on and the car went back into limp mode,

Anyone had similar and if so what was the fix?

[eddy77]

It rather sounds like the dpf is clogged. Take it to someone who can interpret the codes. I’d avoid the dealer and find a good independent. If the dpf is clogged they can either be replaced £££££ or cleaned for a lot less £300 or so).

[Melman Giraffe]

All sorted - DPF cleaned and sensors replaced

[gizlaroc]

Why is it blocked though?

There must be a reason?


Do you do lots of 40+ minute runs?

Is your thermostat getting to 90ºc and staying there rock solid?

Unless you work out why it is getting blocked it will be blocked again in a few thousand miles.

[Melman Giraffe]

gizlaroc said:

Why is it blocked though?

There must be a reason?


Do you do lots of 40+ minute runs?

Is your thermostat getting to 90ºc and staying there rock solid?

Unless you work out why it is getting blocked it will be blocked again in a few thousand miles.

I do very few long runs which is the problem, i will be giving the car a good run every month from now on

[Sheepshanks]

How does the regen work in these? I've got an old C Class, no dpf, but I'm interested as will need to replace it.

Wife's VW Tiguan just does an active regen itself every couple of hundred or so miles. She mainly does 3-4 mile trips - 8 miles is about as far as car normally goes and she's forever catching it mid-regen, but it just starts again next trip.

Apparently they never passive regen in the UK as the exhaust doesn't get anywhere near hot enough. Indeed we used her car for a fast trip across the M62 to see her family and then next day it did an active regen on the school run.

[gizlaroc]

I guess it depends on the age of the car, most Mercs actually burn off the soot while cruising around at 40mph quicker than at 70mph, they do take ages to start though.
The problem is most do't tell the owner it is doing a regen.

I have driven round with a Snap On diagnostic unit plugged in, you can see the soot levels decrease.

Some cars inject fuel into exhaust to get the temps up, problem is, if you stop half way through it puts that fuel into the engine oil.
Look at the issues Land Rover are having. My old many has just dumped his Disco Sport as it was asking for fuel changes every 4000 miles or so due to oil dilution.


One thing that is so important, is use an oil with a very low ash content, and if you do lots of short journeys use an additive.
I use Archoil 6200, my EGR at 110k miles was spotless.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE812Iw354o

[stevemcs]

They usually stop regening for a reason, either there was a fault - if the EML is on then they just won't regen at all until its fixed, some look at oil quality, some look at fuel levels,

[deebs]

Sheepshanks said:

How does the regen work in these? I've got an old C Class, no dpf, but I'm interested as will need to replace it.

Wife's VW Tiguan just does an active regen itself every couple of hundred or so miles. She mainly does 3-4 mile trips - 8 miles is about as far as car normally goes and she's forever catching it mid-regen, but it just starts again next trip.

Apparently they never passive regen in the UK as the exhaust doesn't get anywhere near hot enough. Indeed we used her car for a fast trip across the M62 to see her family and then next day it did an active regen on the school run.

I'd recommend having a read up what happens when your wife catches it mid regen. It doesn't just stop and harmlessly pick up where it left off.

[Sheepshanks]

deebs said:

I'd recommend having a read up what happens when your wife catches it mid regen. It doesn't just stop and harmlessly pick up where it left off.

Can you expand on that, please?

The problem is it's not easy to tell it's doing a regen, particularly because we always turn stop/start off, which would give it away as you stopped as it doesn't operate whilst in regen. It's only once you get out that you can hear the cooling fan roaring that you know you've caught it. The car idles and drives completely normally.

The only 'precaution' I take is the car is only ever run on Shell V Power - VW forums suggest you get lower regens with it. It costs a bomb but the car only uses a tank per month. Oil is changed annually, so about 5K miles.

[gizlaroc]

Buy some archoil 6200 and regular diesel.

[deebs]

Sheepshanks said:

deebs said:

I'd recommend having a read up what happens when your wife catches it mid regen. It doesn't just stop and harmlessly pick up where it left off.

Can you expand on that, please?

The problem is it's not easy to tell it's doing a regen, particularly because we always turn stop/start off, which would give it away as you stopped as it doesn't operate whilst in regen. It's only once you get out that you can hear the cooling fan roaring that you know you've caught it. The car idles and drives completely normally.

The only 'precaution' I take is the car is only ever run on Shell V Power - VW forums suggest you get lower regens with it. It costs a bomb but the car only uses a tank per month. Oil is changed annually, so about 5K miles.

As another poster has already said, you end up with excess fuel in the cylinders and engine oil. Fuel is a great solvent, so it eats away at stuff youd rather it didn't. Have a Google around, here's one result:

"A significant disadvantage associated with active regeneration is the dilution of the engine oil caused by small a small amount of diesel during the post-injection cycles, where fuel is injected into the cylinder after the regular combustion. A thin layer of fuel can build up on the cylinder walls, which leads to premature engine wear, and drivers are warned to consider shorter oil service intervals.

There have been various studies into the engine oil dilution issue and the scale of the problem varies according to the make and model of the diesel car in question. Evidence suggests that the problem is worsened when the regeneration process is halted prematurely or when a car is used for short trips."

[Sheepshanks]

deebs said:

As another poster has already said, you end up with excess fuel in the cylinders and engine oil.

I know that happens - JLR and Mazda have massive issues with it - but why would it be worse with failed regens?

I can't recall ever seeing oil dilution mentioned in Mercedes forums, and a very quick Google throws up one incident and turns out that was a guy measuring the oil level incorrectly. With VW I've seen oil analysis results from US users (Americans like to send their old oil for testing) with 3.5% dilution at 15K miles - JLR were getting much worse than that after a few K miles.