DPF cleaning. Is it any use? if so has anyone had it done in Cork?

RINO87

Hello.

Car is a 2010 Saab 93x 1.9 TTID 155K Miles. I think my DPF may be goosed. Am I best looking at getting it replaced altogether, or should I look at cleaning first? If anyone has any experiences with DPF cleaning good or bad I'm all ears, ideally would like to get it done in/around Cork city. I do decent mileage and cant really afford much downtime.

Theres' a backstory here. I had an issue with my instrument cluster. Speedo was stuck at max, and it triggered a constant check engine light ( persisted even with key out of ignition, but was never "fully" lit. Would light up fully at startup, and when you would expect it to go out, it would dim, to about half brightness).

When this happened I got it read on a Tech 2. No faults being triggered. I decided to drive on while waiting to source replacement clocks. In this time I hit limp mode, got it read on Tech 2 - showed blocked DPF. We decided on a forced regen, which went fine. Few weeks later same story, limp mode again. Again code read was forced DPF. Mechanic reckoned the false check engine light was not allowing a passive regeneration. Forced regen with tech 2 again, car running perfect again.

Got the faulty instrument cluster replaced last week. Was in slow traffic and hit limp mode. Took the car for a good run on the M8, car exited limp mode and was driving great. This evening I hit limp mode again, but a run up the M8 did not solve the issue. Its gone if I stop and re-start the car, but will come back after a driving at a rate that would normally see a passive regen, which makes me think that when the car attempts to do it, it refuses to do so.

At 155K miles I reckon the DPF is end of life, or else clogged with ash and wont regenerate. I'm going to bring the car to a mechanic again asap and get the codes read, but in the meantime I'm wondering if getting the DPF cleaned at this mileage will be of any use?

I love this car, beatiful to drive (when not in limp mode!) but a new DPF is going to be a massive bill, but is it the better option??

Thanks!!

Ubbquittious

Got mine done by a lad up near Birdhill, co. Limerick. Sold the car soon after, but there was more wrong with it than just the DPF so it's hard to tell how much difference it made

martinr5232

Cleaning the dpf is pointless unless you sort out the underlying cause of it getting blocked in the first place, something is causing it not to regenerate.
Usually you would repair the fault then do a static regeneration that burns off the soot.

Sometimes the soot content is too high that it wont regenerate itself through static regen then you either replace or remove and clean.

FR85

Have the TTiD myself in a 180 Aero, nice car but I actually had to get the DPF deleted as it was diluting the engine oil with fuel which is never good and since getting it done the car has been transformed. You can get it washed or you could try a Terraclean but at this stage you are just buying time. The replacement cost would be a good portion of the cars value. Major thing you need to look at depending on your engine is the swirlflaps in the inlet manifold, known to break due to sooting and oil and also the egr valve is known to clog.
If you are on facebook check out "Saab Owners of Ireland", we're a nice bunch and there is some fantastic knowledge and advice available, post your questions up there and answers will be given!!

FR85

martinr5232 wrote: »

Cleaning the dpf is pointless unless you sort out the underlying cause of it getting blocked in the first place, something is causing it not to regenerate.
Usually you would repair the fault then do a static regeneration that burns off the soot.

Sometimes the soot content is too high that it wont regenerate itself through static regen then you either replace or remove and clean.

The underlying cause i think in this case is age/milage. They hit a level where the system crashes and just wont respond and then something needs doing. From constant hot cold, hot cold the honeycomb starts to crumble and the system cant work properly.
OP, check the service history, the ttid is fussy about oils, should be 0w40 for the twin turbos and oil plays a major part in the dpf process. A lot of the time the wrong oil is used in the ttid. If your around Dublin/Kildare we can take a look at the soot content using my esid2.

Emmersonn

Try these lads. Used them myself in the past . Excellent service.
http://fermoygarage.com/chip-tunning/dpf-removal/

RINO87

FR85 wrote: »

The underlying cause i think in this case is age/milage. They hit a level where the system crashes and just wont respond and then something needs doing. From constant hot cold, hot cold the honeycomb starts to crumble and the system cant work properly.
OP, check the service history, the ttid is fussy about oils, should be 0w40 for the twin turbos and oil plays a major part in the dpf process. A lot of the time the wrong oil is used in the ttid. If your around Dublin/Kildare we can take a look at the soot content using my esid2.

Thanks, checked the service book, I have 11 stamps with 5W30, the early stamps are from Saab garages so my guess is the later indy's followed what the Saab guys were using. I appreciate the offer, but I hit limited performance again this morning, would be worried driving from Cork to Kildare in limp mode! Need to get this sorted, I have a lot of ground to cover next week.

CJhaughey

There is a crowd in Littleisland that specialise in cleaning DPF's might be worth giving them a shout and seeing if they have an exchange unit that you can swap over or have yours cleaned?
http://dpfireland.ie/

vectra

Emmersonn wrote: »

Try these lads. Used them myself in the past . Excellent service.
http://fermoygarage.com/chip-tunning/dpf-removal/

I was actually going to recommend them myself.
Get it deleted and remapped at the same time, It will transform your car.

RINO87

What is the current stance on delete and NCT though?

vectra

RINO87 wrote: »

What is the current stance on delete and NCT though?

Visual check as far as I am aware.
The garage removes the dpf. Cut a hole in the top of it and gut it, weld it back up and refit it, then either map it out or remap as well.

FR85

vectra wrote: »

Visual check as far as I am aware.
The garage removes the dpf. Cut a hole in the top of it and gut it, weld it back up and refit it, then either map it out or remap as well.

Cleaner way of doing it is to release the first 3 bolts on the exhaust, let the lot of it hang on the rubber mounts and get the biggest drill bit you can find and drill straight through it then map it out.
It's the way mine was done and it gives the appearance that it wasn't tampered with in anyway, cutting and welding is a giveaway if they bring in a visual. Also when you cut them and gut them it makes them a hollow box, if they do a tap test they'll know it's been gutted.



I've had two gutted cars go through the NCT with no hassle, drive the sh1t out of it to the center to give it the clean out and when you get there just clean the soot off the tail pipes.

Tony H

had mine deleted and remapped by fermoy garage as well , went through nct twice since then with no problems .

FR85

RINO87 wrote: »

Thanks, checked the service book, I have 11 stamps with 5W30, the early stamps are from Saab garages so my guess is the later indy's followed what the Saab guys were using. I appreciate the offer, but I hit limited performance again this morning, would be worried driving from Cork to Kildare in limp mode! Need to get this sorted, I have a lot of ground to cover next week.

If you have an intermittent EML light it maybe interfering with active regeneration. Passive is happening every time you drive but for active to happen you need to hit a few scenarios, DPF needs to be at a soot level of about 68%-72% and the car needs to be up to temp and once the process has started the most important thing to do is let it finish. You'll know it's happening as there might be a lull in power, your mpg with hit rock bottom and if you are in traffic the car might high idle and the cooling fans might kick in. If you stop the engine during active regeneration the soot level will climb on the next startup and the excess fuel injected will sit in the cylinders and drain into the sump.
Get them to check that the EGR Valve isn't coked in soot also as this will most likely put you into limp mode meaning you cannot maintain more then 2k revs with the knock on of not being able to passive/active regen it.
Split intercooler hose could also be a culprit as the car will be over fueling and sooting up everything.

RINO87

Thanks for the info folks,

EML Light was sorted when I got the clocks replaced last week, so that can possibly be ruled out. Limp mode came on last week and a good burn up the M8 at high revs sorted it. The car drove back brilliantly, I have no loss of power whatsoever when not in limp mode.

Last nights trip up the M8 didn't see the same results. Anyway bringing it to a saab indy in the morning. Getting it hooked up to a tech 2 might start pointing us in the right direction.

alanhiggyno1

RINO87 wrote: »

Thanks for the info folks,

EML Light was sorted when I got the clocks replaced last week, so that can possibly be ruled out. Limp mode came on last week and a good burn up the M8 at high revs sorted it. The car drove back brilliantly, I have no loss of power whatsoever when not in limp mode.

Last nights trip up the M8 didn't see the same results. Anyway bringing it to a saab indy in the morning. Getting it hooked up to a tech 2 might start pointing us in the right direction.

It's could be anything from glow plugs to a simple termastat that is causing it not to get up to temp to regeneration stage.check those first to rule out faulty dpf

grogi

RINO87 wrote: »

Thanks, checked the service book, I have 11 stamps with 5W30, the early stamps are from Saab garages so my guess is the later indy's followed what the Saab guys were using. I appreciate the offer, but I hit limited performance again this morning, would be worried driving from Cork to Kildare in limp mode! Need to get this sorted, I have a lot of ground to cover next week.

Sae classification is pointless in this age...

You shod have been using an ACEA C2 or C3 oil.

FR85

Just checking in to see what the outcome of this was?

_Brian

So we had two vehicles done in the last few years.

2.0 Mondeo, €350 to have dpf removed and remap done. It was done in a day, considerable increase in power noticed. Car it a little smokey on hard acceleration, more fuel economy. Sold car on as we were upgrading, I would wonder about particle emissions passing as it was never smokey before removing dpf and is now when pushed hard. I know chap I sold it to so will know about nct at the time.

2.0 Tiguan, dpf cleaned, €150, have done about 45k km since. Drives as if new dpf installed, same power and economy as before, no smoke from engine at all.

Presuming cleaning lasts I think that’s the route I’d go again.

magentis

Great thread for people with lung cancer.

FR85

magentis wrote: »

Great thread for people with lung cancer.

Should cars with deleted DPF's have warning stickers on them like fag packets do?



"Diesels Cause Lung Cancer and Impotence"


I don't think that would go down well at a steam engine rally.

RINO87

FR85 wrote: »

Just checking in to see what the outcome of this was?

Hi, sorry should have given an update. On my way to the mechanic the last time I got stuck in limp home, it decided to regenerate as a was taking it fairly handy along an R road. Strange enough.

The plan was to replace Dpf, but it wouldn't be in for a few days. Had a wedding to attend that weekend so was told to take a chance on a bottle of JLM dpf cleaner. I haven't had limp mode again yet since but I'm certain it's only a matter of time. At 157k, the filter has got to be full with ash and no fuel additive will clear that.

The cost of replacement (getting a good deal on a genuine part), and a proper off the car cleaning are fairly similar, will have to cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, car drives great, but like I said it's gotta be only a matter of time before it causes issues again.

vectra

RINO87 wrote: »

The plan was to replace Dpf, but it wouldn't be in for a few days. Had a wedding to attend that weekend so was told to take a chance on a bottle of JLM dpf cleaner. I haven't had limp mode again yet since but I'm certain it's only a matter of time. .

I heard actually that JLM stuff is very very good.

markpb

RINO87 wrote: »

Limp mode came on last week and a good burn up the M8 at high revs sorted it.

How do you manage that in limp mode? My insignia won't go above 3k RPM in limp mode and struggles to get above 60kph downhill. Once it's in limp mode, there's no way it's going to trigger an active regeneration.

RINO87

markpb wrote: »

How do you manage that in limp mode? My insignia won't go above 3k RPM in limp mode and struggles to get above 60kph downhill. Once it's in limp mode, there's no way it's going to trigger an active regeneration.

I literally just put foot to the floor in a low enough gear. I had the range in lower gears but no power in 4/5/6

RINO87

vectra wrote: »

I heard actually that JLM stuff is very very good.

Over 2k miles later and it's still driving well, but my problem did appear to be ash content and I can't see how a fuel additive can help here. I feel I'm just buying time.


....there we go now I've jinxed it.