DPF issues

[jos163]

Good evening all.

I have owned an Audi A3 Sportsback since 2014.  It was a 2.0L diesel, 138 bhp, 55 plate.  It was a fantastic car, bomb proof to be honest however due to the fact it had done many, many miles I eventually surcumbed to changing it a month ago due to spiralling cost.

I part exchanged it for a 2014 Audi A3, TDI SE 1.6L diesel, 105 bhp.  It goes quite well for a small engine.

However in recent weeks I’ve been experiencing issues when I stop in front of my house with the fan still going.  I contacted the garage to be told that it related to DPF in relation to extreme heat and soot build up on the exhaust system.  I was told by the garage to give the car a thrashing every 3 to 4 weeks in fourth gear for a number of miles as this would clear the system as there is no way of knowing when the actual build up of soot will take place.

This was done Wednesday night last week however by today the same problem again happened in front of the house.  The car was thrashed again this evening on an unnecessary extra journey and is now ok again.

it seems to be a waste having to thrash the car in this way in order to reduce soot build up as it undermines the normal fuel savings I am now making through normal standard driving.  The garage have also said that the car needs to do long journeys.  However on some days it will only do about 20 miles a day as I am working from home, and other times I will do 90 miles a day round trip or other work related journeys.

 I understand that it all relates to emissions, however it all sounds strange and a hassle to be honest compared to my old trusted 55 plate Audi A3.  Does this relate to diesel engines in general and other makes beyond 2013 build?

Any suggestions or guidance gladly received.

Many thanks,

Richard

 

[Steve Q]

Hi Richard all modern diesels have dpfs now I'm afraid. If the car doesn't do long runs then the dpf can clog and worst case scenario it'll have to be replaced which will cost around £1000+

Cheers

Steve 

[jos163]

Thanks Steve for the info.

I’ve been reading up about this. The garage I purchased the Audi from advised me to drive it for a few miles in 4th gear every three to four weeks in order to help clear the system.

It’s a bit hit and miss really isn’t it as sometimes the Audi is used for the school run.

A friend of mine has an Audi A5 Quattro and is in the garage as I speak being repaired.  He confirmed a similar price to what you have noted.  Expensive consequences.

Richard

[Steve Q]

They are very expensive repairs! 

Cheers

Steve

[Dan3222]

There an option to take. You can take the car into a VAG garage and have the DPF cleaned. In a nut shell the car engine is run using a computer program which cycles the engine RPM’s to produce a burn that cleans the filter. This is only successful if you take the vehicle in before the DPF gets too clogged.

If you don’t do many miles you don’t really have to do extra trips everyday. Just occasionally, when the engine is fully warmed up just drive in say 3rd gear instead of 5th for bursts of about one minute. This produces very hot exhaust gasses which burn the soot build up in the DPF. And, again when engine is up to temp just boot the car occasionally, have a bit of fun, safely of course.

[Magnet]

Hello Richard,

To me, your average journey runs would not seem abnormally low enough to cause recurrent issues, and the need to give it an "Italian tune" should not be necessary to the extent you have recently tried. 

If this were mine, I would be following Dan"s advice and give it one more high rev. cyclic burst run, when it is really hot, to see if this 'buys' you some extra time between issues. If it doesn't, then it would be time to have a serious chat with the selling dealer, although you don't tell us when you bought it ( obviously this will have an effect on what they would be expected to do). 

If the issue continues, and the dealer is reluctant to rectify it (if a recent purchase) then my next move would be to get the car assessed and reported on by an Audi dealer. This would be necessary to further any negotiations. 

This issue may relate back to the previous owner's usage. Did you attempt to check its background before purchase?

Good luck in getting it sorted.

Kind regards,

Gareth.