2010 Zafira DPF regeneration

godwin

I won't have time to get it looked at for the next week or two and I'll be doing a bit of driving, Is this a common problem? Is it serious problem? It's been fully serviced a few days ago, no dash warning lights also of note the car has only been used for pottering around town, previous to me having it it was owned by an old woman who lived locally.

grogi

godwin wrote: »

I won't have time to get it looked at for the next week or two and I'll be doing a bit of driving, Is this a common problem?

What is the problem?

bazz26

godwin wrote: »

I won't have time to get it looked at for the next week or two and I'll be doing a bit of driving, Is this a common problem? Is it serious problem? It's been fully serviced a few days ago, no dash warning lights also of note the car has only been used for pottering around town, previous to me having it it was owned by an old woman who lived locally.

That's usually your biggest problem there. Diesel cars are not designed for that type of use. The DPF may get blocked overtime if the car is not driven long distances in order for the DPF regeneration cycle to complete and burn off the built up soot. Doing short distances means the DPF regeneration cycle cannot finish burning the soot generated by the engine. If the soot is not burned off then it builds up and eventually blocks the DPF filter. People really need to research these things before buying diesel cars that are not really suited to their use or driving style, to avoid expensive repair bills further down the road.

You say there are no dash warning lights? Is the car behaving unusual in anyway or are you just hearing the fan running alot due to the DPF regeneration cycle running? DPF regeneration is normal as it has a cycle but if that cycle becomes more frequent it could mean that your DPF is blocking up or a sensor is at fault.

godwin

bazz26 wrote: »

You say there are no dash warning lights? Is the car behaving unusual in anyway or are you just hearing the fan running alot due to the DPF regeneration cycle running? DPF regeneration is normal as it has a cycle but if that cycle becomes more frequent it could mean that your DPF is blocking up or a sensor is at fault.

No lights, no fan. Just spoke to my friend(qualified mechanic of 26 years) who services my cars, he said it never happened after he serviced it and drove it a bit, he also gave it a thorough once over and said he noticed absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, he did say it desperately needed a service. He reckons a few days of motor way driving should sort it out, he also said he can 'calibrate' it via computer when I have time. I bought it because it came with the 1.7 Isuzu engine, I hear they are supposed to be rock solid.

bazz26

Did that engine even have a DPF fitted back then?

Diesel engines for the most part are solid but it's the modern complex bits that are added that are not. Things like injectors, turbos, dual mass flywheels, dpfs, etc are not so reliable. Just seems mad to buy a diesel car for just potting about around town in.

ofcork

On the same topic how do you know the dpf is doing a regen I have a 12 diesel avensis for 3 years and never noticed anything different.

mikeecho

ofcork wrote: »

On the same topic how do you know the dpf is doing a regen I have a 12 diesel avensis for 3 years and never noticed anything different.

Dito, f10 bmw, and I never know when a regen happens.

Although I do go on regular long journeys, and leave the auto box pushed left and in sport mode. So it keeps the gearing low and the revs up, along with the pedal flat ;p

Tuco88

Maybe take it for a good hard drive get the rpms up. Drive in 4th gear at 80km or somthing. All a DPF wants is lots of heat to help the regeneration cycle.

godwin

bazz26 wrote: »

Did that engine even have a DPF fitted back then?

Definitely, there is no way it would get through the NTC without one.

ofcork wrote: »

On the same topic how do you know the dpf is doing a regen I have a 12 diesel avensis for 3 years and never noticed anything different.

Excess white smoke & a smell of burning diesel

Tuco88 wrote: »

Maybe take it for a good hard drive get the rpms up. Drive in 4th gear at 80km or somthing. All a DPF wants is lots of heat to help the regeneration cycle.

That's what my mechanic said,if there is no change he can calibrate it for me

Cordell

It will only regenerate when the ECU determines that it is due, so driving at high rpm will not always trigger a regeneration.
The number of km driven since last regen, and the DPF status should be accessible with a good diagnosis tool (opcom clones will usually do).

grogi

Cordell wrote: »

It will only regenerate when the ECU determines that it is due, so driving at high rpm will not always trigger a regeneration.
The number of km driven since last regen, and the DPF status should be accessible with a good diagnosis tool (opcom clones will usually do).

Only active regeneration is triggered by ECU.

Passive regeneration happens spontaneously when the temperature in the DPF reaches the ignition temperature of the soot. You can then clean your DPF by driving like a maniac...

Cordell

Yeah, true. But driving like a maniac will probably create more soot than it clears, you need to drive it like a very fast OAP

miece16

godwin wrote: »

also of note the car has only been used for pottering around town, previous to me having it it was owned by an old woman who lived locally.

the cheap tax crowd. not so cheap when you have to fork over a couple of hundred euro for a new dpf / dpf replacement

ofcork

Funny I was behind an avensis taxi recently and there was a lot of white smoke coming from it strong smelling so I assume that was dpf related.