DPF filter issue

KinnegadKid

Morning All...Mazda 6 2.2 DPF Filter issue..220km on clock .Any ideas on how to get this sorted.
Brief history....dpf light came on 5 months ago....got rid of light....2 months ago came back..got rid of light again.Came back at weekend .Now can wont drive as DPF filter is completely and fully clogged.Ticking over ok but when you rev up its clunky and not breathing great. Any ideas on how I would go about getting this sorted..car is in a small garage but mechanic unsure as to how to go about it?
I haven't a clue about cars.

w211

Typically it should regenerate itself if your car does not have any mechanical issues (egr, injectors). Also it need long driving. 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there is not enough. It should burn all that mess

KinnegadKid

Yea cant drive the car as the power wont build up enough..So so sluggish and when you power up engine it sounds clunky and splutters...Revs up slowly not like it should. Cant drive it..Not revving up correctly as probably full up

Cyclepath

Sounds like that ship has sailed. They get to a point where they can't be regenerated. The Mazda dpfs are known to give problems. a reconditioned one would cost you about €300-400. I haven't used them myself, but a mate went here and they sorted his VW - http://www.thedpfclinic.ie/

Avatar MIA

I've bad news for you. Your DPF is so clogged up it won't regenerate for fear of setting your car on fire It happened to me.) It will remain in limp mode.
You've a few options.

1. Get a new DPF which will be expensive.
2. Get it removed, cleaned and replaced. Fairly expensive.
3. Get the whole system removed. Currently not illegal, but likely to be part of the NCT eventually.

w211

KinnegadKid wrote: »

Yea cant drive the car as the power wont build up enough..So so sluggish and when you power up engine it sounds clunky and splutters...Revs up slowly not like it should. Cant drive it..Not revving up correctly as probably full up

Does it rev if filter are disconnected? If not then you have other issues too what causes the filter problem.

KinnegadKid

I'm looking at option 2 at the moment.... but i dont know much about 3..any feedback or ideas?

KinnegadKid

w211 wrote: »

Does it rev if filter are disconnected? If not then you have other issues too what causes the filter problem.

Mechanic has'nt disconnected it yet so I dont know yet

NomadicGray

I went for a removal on my s40 and Ive been happy with the results since though its a shame to have to do from an environmental stand. Mine wasnt as far gone as yours though so I dont know if that makes a difference.

Avatar MIA

KinnegadKid wrote: »

I'm looking at option 2 at the moment.... but i dont know much about 3..any feedback or ideas?

That's what I went for, was quoted over 3k for a new DPF from main dealer. That was over 3 years ago. And the car passed the NCT. I since sold it. Went back to petrol!

KinnegadKid

NomadicGray wrote: »

I went for a removal on my s40 and Ive been happy with the results since though its a shame to have to do from an environmental stand. Mine wasnt as far gone as yours though so I dont know if that makes a difference.

So its possible to have it removed? I did'nt know that i could go down that road?

_Brian

KinnegadKid wrote: »

I'm looking at option 2 at the moment.... but i dont know much about 3..any feedback or ideas?

I had the dpf on my VW Tiguan cleaned at local garage, from memory he had a lad come in and use some cleaning system rather than strip it all out. That was two years ago and it’s been fine since. I think it cost €180, I do 30-40k km a year.

On my wife’s Mondeo we had the dpf removed, drilled through replaced and deleted off software. Cost €250. Car drive much better afterwards, more power and better mpg. It’s been sold on and new owner knows the work was done, it’s passed nct fine since too.

NomadicGray

It is possible, I had it done by Coby Autos nearly 2 years back. Theres always a chance it'll become necessary to have a working dpf for future NCT test but we've been hearing that for a few years now and still nothing, so there are risks to consider I suppose.

Price up your options anyways and see how it looks Id say

The Bishop Basher

KinnegadKid wrote: »

So its possible to have it removed? I did'nt know that i could go down that road?

To get it done professionally will cost about the same as Option 2 but it's a permanent fix.

You'll get better performance too.

Avatar MIA

Rennaws wrote: »

To get it done professionally will cost about the same as Option 2 but it's a permanent fix.

You'll get better performance too.

Not great for the environment though. If option 2 works out a similar price I'd go with that.

1. Better for the environment. See recent article about the damage caused by diesel engines.
2. Future proof re NCT
3. Will not hinder sale. One eager person declined viewing my car once I told him I had the DPF removed. Sold it eventually for the asking price, but it may reduce your prospects.

bazz26

OP, what is your driving style like? If you are doing mostly short stop/start city type driving then that may well be the route problem of why your DPF is getting blocked. Diesel engines are not designed for this type of usage as they need to be running long enough to get up to an optimal temperature for the DPF to burn off all the excess diesel soot. Short trips don't allow that so the soot just builds up inside the DPF until it completely blocks and the car's ECU then puts the car into limp mode (reduced power) to protect it from further damage.

To answer your question though, there are DPF cleaning services out there that will remove the DPF, clean it and put it back in. The NCT don't currently check DPFs but with all the emission and pollution restrictions coming down the line it's only a matter of time before they start doing this at NCT time so I'd be very wary about permanently removing it.

w211

bazz26 wrote: »

OP, what is your driving style like? If you are doing mostly short stop/start city type driving then that may well be the route problem of why your DPF is getting blocked. Diesel engines are not designed for this type of usage as they need to be running long enough to get up to an optimal temperature for the DPF to burn off all the excess diesel soot. Short trips don't allow that so the soot just builds up inside the DPF until it completely blocks and the car's ECU then puts the car into limp mode (reduced power) to protect it from further damage.

To answer your question though, there are DPF cleaning services out there that will remove the DPF, clean it and put it back in. The NCT don't currently check DPFs but with all the emission and pollution restrictions coming down the line it's only a matter of time before they start doing this at NCT time so I'd be very wary about permanently removing it.

There is always an option to use the straight pipe 364 days and 1 day the DPF filter. Yes it needs the software adjusting too

The Bishop Basher

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Not great for the environment though. If option 2 works out a similar price I'd go with that.

1. Better for the environment. See recent article about the damage caused by diesel engines.
2. Future proof re NCT
3. Will not hinder sale. One eager person declined viewing my car once I told him I had the DPF removed. Sold it eventually for the asking price, but it may reduce your prospects.

Agreed but all options have pros and cons.

I've heard numerous stories of people paying to have them cleaned or a recon fitted only to end up back in the same position months later.

Removing is a permanent fix but is obviously not good for the environment.

I've removed them myself in the past, purely for performance but my current car has one fitted and i've no plans to remove it unless it starts giving me grief.

Likewise i'd have no problem buying a car with the DPF removed once the car was well maintained and the job was done correctly. I've sold 3 cars this way without any hassle but I'm sure some would walk away.

Swings and roundabouts..

trigger26

I went for option 3 on a ford focus and it was a nightmare, car kept cutting out when coming to traffic lights/stopping. Brought it to 3 garages, no one wanted to know, eventually after 4 months in one garage they replaced spark plugs, filters and EGR valve got it going again, its is going very well now though. If I was to do again I would replace it properly, cost me as much in the end plus a lot of stress.

The Bishop Basher

bazz26 wrote: »

The NCT don't currently check DPFs but with all the emission and pollution restrictions coming down the line it's only a matter of time before they start doing this at NCT time so I'd be very wary about permanently removing it.

It would be very difficult to test for unless they come up with a specific particle test.

The DPF can be hollowed out from the top and welded back up so it can't be seen by the tester without dropping the exhaust.

Even if they do finally bring it into the test, it'll only be for newer cars so won't impact everyone and given the mileage is extremely unlikely to affect the OP.

I was advised not to do it for NCT reasons over 6 years ago and went ahead with no regrets. If I decided to do it again tomorrow the NCT wouldn't be a concern as i'm driving a 08 which would be incredibly unlikely to be included in any future NCT changes. And even if they did decide to bring it in i'd just be back to square one anyway and would get a new DPF fitted.

The Bishop Basher

trigger26 wrote: »

I went for option 3 on a ford focus and it was a nightmare, car kept cutting out when coming to traffic lights/stopping. Brought it to 3 garages, no one wanted to know, eventually after 4 months in one garage they replaced spark plugs, filters and EGR valve got it going again, its is going very well now though. If I was to do again I would replace it properly, cost me as much in the end plus a lot of stress.

Sounds like you had other issues which, once they were sorted, fixed your car.

You may not have had a DPF issue at all.

_Kaiser_

I'm having a similar intermittent problem with my A6 which is odd as it lives mostly on the motorway for at least an hour at a time. Gets very smokey but a run in 4th for 40km at motorway speeds seems to sort it out again.

It's a pain though. Have to get it cleaned apparently but I'd be inclined to get it removed entirely if no ill effects. Car will be 10 years old and have about 400k km on it next year so I'll probably be changing at that stage anyway.

livingthedream

Cyclepath wrote: »

Sounds like that ship has sailed. They get to a point where they can't be regenerated. The Mazda dpfs are known to give problems. a reconditioned one would cost you about €300-400. I haven't used them myself, but a mate went here and they sorted his VW - http://www.thedpfclinic.ie/

I used these guys last year for my 520d.
***EDIT****

Aggh it was actually these guys that I used http://dpfdoctor.ie

#goldfishmemory

*****EDIT***

They did a full recondition for 300 euros iirc.

They were good to deal with too. Turns out I had some other issues that caused the dpf to get clogged. Knackered glow plug control unit and EGR meant that the car wasn't even trying to regen so just got clogged up.

Parts replaced, dpf cleaned and all good again..

~LTD.

Rennaws

Rennaws wrote: »

It would be very difficult to test for unless they come up with a specific particle test.

The DPF can be hollowed out from the top and welded back up so it can't be seen by the tester without dropping the exhaust.

Even if they do finally bring it into the test, it'll only be for newer cars so won't impact everyone and given the mileage is extremely unlikely to affect the OP.

I was advised not to do it for NCT reasons over 6 years ago and went ahead with no regrets. If I decided to do it again tomorrow the NCT wouldn't be a concern as i'm driving a 08 which would be incredibly unlikely to be included in any future NCT changes. And even if they did decide to bring it in i'd just be back to square one anyway and would get a new DPF fitted.

It's not very difficult to to test. If the exhaust opacity value is more than 0.10 you don't have a working DPF. My '14 Sprinter had opacity of 0.00 last time it was tested and the previous van without DPF was creeping up towards 1.00 which went down to about 0.50 when new injectors were fitted.

If you regularly drive to Dublin please have a working DPF as the PM2.5 values have been hovering in the past few weeks both sides of 100 micrograms per cubic meter. The USA consires 35 ug/m2 a safe value and they are aiming for 12 so Dublin air quality is way worse than that.

Audioslaven

Take the filter out and back wash it with a high volume of water like a wash down hose. Don't use a power washer.

I did this on a pretty full Mazda 3 DPF filter over 2 years ago and it worked wonders.

vectra

Worth trying this company?

http://dpfdoctor.ie/

Vicxas

Had the same issue on my Mazda 6. However the sensor in my exhaust went so the DPF didn't know when to generate.

I went to sportchip in blanch and they removed the innards of the DPF and remapped the ECU to not check for the DPF.

Have had no problems since

grogi

trigger26 wrote: »

I went for option 3 on a ford focus and it was a nightmare, car kept cutting out when coming to traffic lights/stopping. Brought it to 3 garages, no one wanted to know, eventually after 4 months in one garage they replaced spark plugs, filters and EGR valve got it going again, its is going very well now though. If I was to do again I would replace it properly, cost me as much in the end plus a lot of stress.

Spark plugs?????

Old diesel

Id recommend an oil change when DPF fixed

If the DPF tries to regenerate but is unsuccessful (repeatedly) then on these Mazdas you can get oil contamination with diesel.

Frequently shows up as rising oil levels.

sunnysoutheast

Might be full of ash, think it happens to all DPFs eventually.

w211

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

Might be full of ash, think it happens to all DPFs eventually.

Yes it can happens if you do not drive a long distances. Less than 1 hour are all short distances.
EDIT: If car have a bad EGR or injectors, it never will regenerate

pablo128

A mate of mine takes the dpfs off, leaves them sitting overnight in a strong solution of tfr, and jet washes them out both ways the next day. The odd one still shows a fault but the majority of them are fine.

ldy4mxonucwsq6

Your car is in restricted performance mode. You can get a DPF service, clean and flush done for around €200.

However if its totally clogged (which sounds like it could be) then a replacement DPF would be needed (upwards of €2k).

I had this problem with my own car at 60,000 kms. I knew it was because of the regular short journeys I was taking.

You need to recognise the signs of passive regeneration so as not to interrupt this process and know how to force a regeneration when the DPF light comes on. I think yours might be beyond either though if its in limp home mode.

knifey_spoonie

I think is should be clarified that it is a NCT failure to remove the DPF.

The wording is along the lines of "Manufactures original emissions control systems is damaged, modified or absent"is a major defect.

You should be aware that it may depend on the individual NCT tester if a car with a removed DPF will pass, some may not notice the rewelded exhaust but others might and fail the car.

Lastly, it was a piece of equipment the was deemed necessary for the vehicle to be legal within the EU so you should probably make sure your car has one working.

w211

knifey_spoonie wrote: »

I think is should be clarified that it is a NCT failure to remove the DPF.

The wording is along the lines of "Manufactures original emissions control systems is damaged, modified or absent"is a major defect.

You should be aware that it may depend on the individual NCT tester if a car with a removed DPF will pass, some may not notice the rewelded exhaust but others might and fail the car.

Lastly, it was a piece of equipment the was deemed necessary for the vehicle to be legal within the EU so you should probably make sure your car has one working.

364 days you can drive without

markpb

OP you could ask the garage to do a static regeneration to clear the filter. It's usually about €50 and should clear the filter enough to take the car out of limp mode and get you driving again. Once that's done, a long spin on the motorway at high revs should clear the rest out.

Irish Steve

Static regeneration will only work if there are no other faults on the engine and systems, it will fail at some stage if (for example) there is a problem with the DPF pressure sensor, among other issues.

The underlying issue is that there were warnings earlier when the Engine management light came on, there has to be an underlying reason for that, and while turning it off once may be a valid diagnostic technique, if it then returns, there is an issue there that needs to be dealt with before it becomes more serious, which is why it's now gone into limp mode, or worse.

Yes, there are some issues with the lack of clear indication of what's going on, some manufacturers are less than helpful in terms of providing accurate information to both owners and the trade about what's going on, and what the codes produced by the Engine management systems really mean, and on some engines, the codes produced can be more misleading than helpful.

Mazda's are known for DPF problems, and the NCT centres are indeed failing the cars where they can see that the DPF has been "doctored", so getting the internals ripped out and the computer changed to delete it may well only be a short term solution.

KinnegadKid

Thanks lads for the replies and info. I will update ye over the next few days.Going with option 3 removal of DPF filter and remap...Will keep ye all in the loop. Thanks

grogi

w211 wrote: »

364 days you can drive without

It is a very responsible stand not to care about the quality of air around you... Very adult indeed.

w211

grogi wrote: »

It is a very responsible stand not to care about the quality of air around you... Very adult indeed.

You can hold your farts back if it helps. There are load of countries, who does not care anything about pollution. And do not forget the volcanoes, these pollute even more.

grogi

w211 wrote: »

You can hold your farts back if it helps. There are load of countries, who does not care anything about pollution. And do not forget the volcanoes, these pollute even more.

Last time I heart this was in my son's preschool: "Miss! Miss! He farts more than I do!"

CoBo55

trigger26 wrote: »

I went for option 3 on a ford focus and it was a nightmare, car kept cutting out when coming to traffic lights/stopping. Brought it to 3 garages, no one wanted to know, eventually after 4 months in one garage they replaced spark plugs, filters and EGR valve got it going again, its is going very well now though. If I was to do again I would replace it properly, cost me as much in the end plus a lot of stress.

Spark plugs? I'd say the original egr valve was stuck partially open, that really should have been spotted by whoever did the dpf removal, good to hear it's going well now.

KinnegadKid

Morning boardsies...Well dpf taken off.Completely caked solid.The drive last Monday must have been the final nail.Damage done inside the engine. Rattling like a bag of nails now ....

zilog_jones

Aren't the Mazda 2.2 diesel engines the ones which have oil dilution problems when DPF regen doesn't work properly? When was the last time you checked the oil levels? This could be bad...

Old diesel

zilog_jones wrote: »

Aren't the Mazda 2.2 diesel engines the ones which have oil dilution problems when DPF regen doesn't work properly? When was the last time you checked the oil levels? This could be bad...

Yes the very ones (the older 2.0 common rail also had the same issue when fitted with a DPF).

It can happen on some other non Mazdas* too BUT Mazda seem by far the worst.

Edit it also happens afaik when the DPF works fine but DPF regens are repeatedly interupted (ie parking the car and turning off the engine while regen is still going on).


*Honest John flagged it as an issue on 1.3 diesel Fiat 500s for example

Henry Ford III

w211 wrote:

364 days you can drive without

That's pretty irresponsible.

ELM327

Yes, the 1 day he uses it may do some damage to the engine.
To resell a car on like that in the future is indeed irresponsible and I hope he'd let future owners know

grogi

John Cadogan as always to the point...