DPF in high mileage BMW 520d F10

TestersWanted · 30-05-2017 10:50PM #1

Hi folks,

I have a 2010 520d F10 automatic with 275,000 kms on the clock. Yesterday I got this error message

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Took it to my local mechanic who recommended I take it to Auto-Tranz in Walkinstown, which I did (and incidentally, can not thank enough for helpfulness and honesty). They had never seen the fault code before but they said there were other faults showing regarding the DPF, which could be having a knock-on effect on the gearbox sensors. I'm not sure I understood the explanation so I won't try to repeat it, but the upshot of it all was, they said it would be pointless doing anything with the gearbox until I got the DPF sorted out.

Having barely heard of a DPF before today, I've been trying to find out a bit about them. I've read that:

- The DPF can get clogged up if the car never does long journeys, but I do a round trip from Galway to Belfast most weeks.

- A blocked filter can cause reduced power and fuel efficiency. I haven't experienced that. The car is driving perfectly and is as economical as ever (48 mpg on the motorway).

- The DPF can regenerate itself if you do long journeys at higher revs to make the engine run hotter. I normally potter along at c. 125 km/h which is around 2100 r/min.

- A dealer with the right equipment can cause the engine to run at high revs via the ECU and regenerate the DPF that way.

- The DPF should be replaced every 125,000km.

- The DPF lasts for the lifetime of the car.

- Replacing the DPF can cost at least €1000.

- Instead of replacing the DPF you can get it cleaned and put back in for approx €250

- Instead of replacing the DPF you can just take it out. As you might imagine, I'm confused. I'd hate to spend €1000 on replacing the DPF if all that's needed is to drive for a while at higher revs!

A couple of other details that might be relevant...

- When I bought the car it had 135,000 km on it. I don't know if the DPF was replaced before I got it but I haven't replaced it since.

- I've never got a warning message about the DPF.

- Auto-Tranz guy said the OBD had a few error codes about low voltages. I got a new battery a couple of weeks ago. Would that have any bearing on anything? Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

bazz26 · 30-05-2017 11:16PM

What kind of driving are you doing, lots of short trips? This can cause the DPF to block overtime and eventually the car will through up alerts and affect performance. It is also possible at that mileage that the DPF has simply come to the end of it's life span.

Also when you replaced the battery did you get the new battery coded to the car's ECU? The battery needs to be coded using software so that it is setup to accept the correct load and charge properly. Not getting it coded will result in your battery having a shorter life and potentially cause electrical glitches.

TestersWanted · 30-05-2017 11:28PM

bazz26 wrote: »

What kind of driving are you doing, lots of short trips? This can cause the DPF to block overtime and eventually the car will through up alerts and affect performance. It is also possible at that mileage that the DPF has simply come to the end of it's life span.

Also when you replaced the battery did you get the new battery coded to the car's ECU? The battery needs to be coded using software so that it is setup to accept the correct load and charge properly. Not getting it coded will result in your battery having a shorter life and potentially cause electrical glitches.

I do a round trip from Galway to Belfast most weeks and longish trips often at weekends. Other than that, just school runs, trip to the local shop, not a huge amount.
I'm pretty sure the mechanic who installed the battery would have coded it to the ECU but I will check with him. Thanks.

Toyotafanboi · 30-05-2017 11:36PM

Nothing here really has me thinking DPF. Are you sure you don't mean DMF, as that would tie in with the rest of your story. Is your car manual or auto?

TestersWanted · 30-05-2017 11:49PM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Nothing here really has me thinking DPF. Are you sure you don't mean DMF, as that would tie in with the rest of your story. Is your car manual or auto?

It's auto (sorry, should have said that - updated post to clarify). I'm sure it was DPF.

Leonard Hofstadter · 30-05-2017 11:58PM

The blasts to Galway should, in theory, be more than enough to clear any DPF blockages. You could get the DPF removed (that would be the cheapest option), just bear in mind that while it's not currently (to the best of my knowledge) an NCT failure it probably will be made compulsory for it to be retained in the future as it does stop an awful lot of toxic sooty cancer causing particulate emissions from the engine being polluted into the atmosphere.

rex-x · 31-05-2017 12:00AM

Where does the gearbox come into this? A drivetrain error will be relating to your engine rather than the gearbox?

Toyotafanboi · 31-05-2017 12:05AM

This may be a classic case of bring the car to someone who knows what they are talking about, a good independent or main dealer.

Sounds like the first mechanic had no clue, who sent you to a gearbox centre who also hadn't a clue.

TestersWanted · 31-05-2017 12:13AM

captainspeed wrote: »

The blasts to Galway should, in theory, be more than enough to clear any DPF blockages. You could get the DPF removed (that would be the cheapest option), just bear in mind that while it's not currently (to the best of my knowledge) an NCT failure it probably will be made compulsory for it to be retained in the future as it does stop an awful lot of toxic sooty cancer causing particulate emissions from the engine being polluted into the atmosphere.

I don't mind getting it cleaned or even replaced, as much for the environment as for the NCT, but at the moment I'm just trying to understand the options so that I don't end up spending a fortune on it if there's no need.

TestersWanted · 31-05-2017 12:14AM

rex-x wrote: »

Where does the gearbox come into this? A drivetrain error will be relating to your engine rather than the gearbox?

Both my local mechanic and the guy at Auto-Tranz said it was a gearbox error.

rex-x · 31-05-2017 12:17AM

TestersWanted wrote: »

Both my local mechanic and the guy at Auto-Tranz said it was a gearbox error.

On what grounds? It sounds like you need a proper mechanic

TestersWanted · 31-05-2017 12:22AM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

This may be a classic case of bring the car to someone who knows what they are talking about, a good independent or main dealer.

Sounds like the first mechanic had no clue, who sent you to a gearbox centre who also hadn't a clue.

The mechanic has never let me down before, the error code was related to the gearbox, and the gearbox centre, if you read the reviews here or elsewhere, are about the best in the country. In fact, what I was told is if I brought it to a main dealer, they would more than likely send it to the same gearbox centre.

Toyotafanboi · 31-05-2017 12:24AM

TestersWanted wrote: »

The mechanic has never let me down before, the error code was related to the gearbox, and the gearbox centre, if you read the reviews here or elsewhere, are about the best in the country. In fact, what I was told is if I brought it to a main dealer, they would more than likely send it to the same gearbox centre.

Then how come nobody knows what is wrong with the car?

TestersWanted · 31-05-2017 12:29AM

rex-x wrote: »

TestersWanted wrote: »

Both my local mechanic and the guy at Auto-Tranz said it was a gearbox error.

On what grounds? It sounds like you need a proper mechanic

On the grounds that the error code was specific to the gearbox. I may have the terminology wrong here but when he plugged in his computer and read the faults there was one that was specific to the gearbox but the guy had never seen it before, there were a couple that were related to the DPF, and a couple of other faults that mentioned low voltages. The gearbox guy said it was possible if the DPF was blocked it could be affecting the power (he didn't specify engine or electrical power and I didn't think to ask) going to the gearbox and thereby causing it to show this unusual error. That's why he said it would be better to get the DPF issue sorted first and clear those faults. Then if the gearbox error was still present at least we would know it was a gearbox problem and not a knock-on effect from some other problem.

TestersWanted · 31-05-2017 12:42AM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

TestersWanted wrote: »

The mechanic has never let me down before, the error code was related to the gearbox, and the gearbox centre, if you read the reviews here or elsewhere, are about the best in the country. In fact, what I was told is if I brought it to a main dealer, they would more than likely send it to the same gearbox centre.

Then how come nobody knows what is wrong with the car?

Well until I posted here it seemed like they had narrowed it down to being a problem with the DPF and my question was just to try and understand a bit more about that.

Vicxas · 31-05-2017 06:44AM

TestersWanted wrote: »

Well until I posted here it seemed like they had narrowed it down to being a problem with the DPF and my question was just to try and understand a bit more about that.

It sounds like they best guessed it was the DPF, however you would notice a DPF problem (a drop in performance, or a drop in MPG).

I think you should bring it to a main dealer to see what they think.

Bigus · 31-05-2017 06:59AM

Auto trans are basically saying something erroneous might be the more likely cause of the gearbox fault code,

they have obviously been down this road before after charging somebody big money for gearbox repairs , only for the fault to reappear , and customer then blames them.

However it's likely the battery REPLACEMENT was the more likely culprit along with the CAR not being told it had a new battery with consequently higher voltages going to all the sensors.

It may well have dpf issues also, but my money would be on electrical voltage problems .
This is not a job for a main dealer but rather a good BMW Indy with expensive diagnostics software.
I'd try mactronics broomhill industrial estate green hills road, or Airton garage around the corner .

Wailin · 31-05-2017 08:07AM

Take it to a main bmw dealer and pay the €80 for a diagnostics. Had a similar fault show up and they diagnosed it as a faulty egr valve which was replaced (under warranty lucky enough) and problem gone.

Once they diagnose the problem take it to a good indy and get the work done.

TestersWanted · 31-05-2017 08:09AM

Bigus wrote: »

Auto trans are basically saying something erroneous might be the more likely cause of the gearbox fault code,

they have obviously been down this road before after charging somebody big money for gearbox repairs , only for the fault to reappear , and customer then blames them.

However it's likely the battery REPLACEMENT was the more likely culprit along with the CAR not being told it had a new battery with consequently higher voltages going to all the sensors.

It may well have dpf issues also, but my money would be on electrical voltage problems .
This is not a job for a main dealer but rather a good BMW Indy with expensive diagnostics software.
I'd try mactronics broomhill industrial estate green hills road, or Airton garage around the corner .

Thanks, I will do that. I have used one before and he was excellent but I wasn't able to get to him this week,

macrubicon · 31-05-2017 01:26PM

I have seen that error on other BMW's and it can also be caused by an EGR valve

grogi · 31-05-2017 01:30PM

macrubicon wrote: »

I have seen that error on other BMW's and it can also be caused by an EGR valve

The 3rd party scanners sometimes might misunderstand what the code means. The dealer should have the equipment updated with newest software supporting with the software of the car.

Having that in mind, the mechanics at the dealer are not omnibuses either.

alanhiggyno1 · 01-06-2017 12:02AM

Well If it turns out to be egr make sure u change the glow plugs and glow plug controller module too as I had this problem and sorted it out. The module will still store the the codes of the old egr even with the new egr fitted.get a good mechanic who knows these German cars inside out like I did for peace of mind. My car is going perfect since

Leonard Hofstadter · 01-06-2017 12:39AM

Bring it to a BMW specialist, they will know what's wrong with it and won't charge an arm and a leg to fix it. I believe Motor Confidence is the one to go to if you're based near Dublin, I'm not really sure where the best place to go in the rest of the country is, though, I don't know if Murphy Motor Works in Cork is still going or not.

Andreirau · 26-07-2018 08:52PM

Hi, any more updates on this problem? I have the same problem with my 520d from 2011. Thanks

TestersWanted · 26-07-2018 09:53PM

Actually this is what happened...

My regular mechanic cleared the fault a couple of times and I would be 2km down the road when it would reappear. Basically I just ignored it for a while after that, then one day I needed brake pads so I took it to a young mechanic just up the road. Never even mentioned the DPF fault but when I collected the car he told me he had cleared it. I asked him how he did it and he said his cousin works in a BMW garage so he asked him for advice. Said cousin told him when that fault appears the recommended solution is to replace the DPF but oftentimes if you clear the fault in a particular way (apologies if I'm misusing terminology here) the fault goes and stays gone. That's what happened in my case - the fault has never come back since.

I guess the moral of that story is to take it to a dealer because they have a level of BMW knowledge that perhaps other mechanics lack, but be aware they might recommend an expensive fix that's not strictly necessary.

Andreirau · 27-07-2018 07:36AM

I’ll try the dealer today but just to be on a safe side could you tell me where wast this guy that sorted your problem so I could go to him if the dealer can’t sort the error?

Leonard Hofstadter · 27-07-2018 08:41AM

Take it to a specialist, well one that knows what they are doing at any rate. Fionnsport in Cork is fantastic, he really knows what he's doing and he will be a heck of a lot cheaper than a BMW dealer as well.

DPF in high mileage BMW 520d F10

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