DPF Regen Frequency / Issues / Force discussion.

[GordyT6]

Hi peeps. All of a sudden my DPF light cam on last Thursday. Took it for a drive and it cleared. Then took it for a long drive out on the Sunday, now it's come on again this afternoon? My Mrs uses it during week and granted she only does 8 miles a day in it. But it's been ok since I've had it until now?
Is there any logic or is it a possible problem?
Ta all

 

[Bobster1974]

Dear members,
I'm about to collect a new Shuttle t6 from a main dealer on Saturday and I'm a bit worried about DPF...it's a 66plate with only 17k miles on the clock.
When I looked at it last week the DPF light was on (yellow warning light).
The salesman explained that it hadn't had a run for a while and if we'd test driven it for a reasonable length of time and/or drive at high revs the light will go out and it was due to the DPF getting up to temperature and burning off.
I did some research and it seems that this is a known issue and just says to the owner to drive a certain way and the temperature will get high enough to clear the issue (high revs 15mins etc.)
I thought nothing of it but then began to do some more research....I assumed this DPF thing was new as I had never seen a similar light on my existing 07 touran even though at times we've not done long journeys.
My understanding is that for the light to come on it has to be already 80% clogged which means a long drive will clear the light but only for it to potentially come back on soon. My touran light never coming on suggests to me that we drive enough distances to not be a problem but will the van I'm about to buy already be too full of particulate that I may never clear it enough to get back to levels that don't mean the light comes on?
I spoke to the salesman and he said "you'll drive back from the dealer, the light will go off and you'll never see it again"
Am I being over cautious and should I be buying a car with a warning light on it only on good faith trusting that it will go out? My concern is that it is nearly full and any issues in the next few months will not be under warranty and my nearby dealer will just say I've not been driving it enough and I'll have to pay £1,000s to get it fixed!!!
Thinking of asking the dealer to put money where mouth is and sign a warrant for 1 year to cover DPF...
Am I being paranoid!?!
Help!!! I'm collecting the new car this weekend...

Any advice would be very gratefully received!!!

 

[Pauly]

It’s not hugely uncommon to see the light (although I never have on mine)
The dpf Regen cycle can only happen when the engine is hot and you have a reasonable amount of fuel in the tank, the usual way to clear it is to take a spin up the motorway not using top gear so the revs stay a bit higher and allow the engine exhaust to get nice and hot and burn off the contents of the dpf, I don’t see the light being on as an indication of impending doom but if you are worried tell the dealer you won’t buy it with the light on and get them to sort it out

 

[.50]

First things first.

Take absolutely NO notice of the salesman. He just wants a sale and will tell you anything to get one.

The van still has plenty of warranty on it, so I would go for it.
Make sure your new best friend, the salesman, makes a note in writing about your concearns regarding the warning light, and then drive it away.

The vans probably done a load of short, cold test drives which has meant the DPF hasn't been able to complete.

 

[Pete C]

If the salesman thinks the light will go out easily, then he should sort it out before you pay for and collect the van.

Pete

 

[Bobster1974]

Thanks everyone sound advice!!!

 

[mopardave]

never seen it on mine in 12500 miles.....oh buggar.....that's the kiss of death!

 

[.50]

If the salesman thinks the light will go out easily, then he should sort it out before you pay for and collect the van.

Pete

I agree.

Let them do whats, ' easy ', to get the light warning light off.

 

[BiTurbo]

never seen it on mine in 12500 miles.....oh buggar.....that's the kiss of death!

No neither have I... seen the dpf light that is..... but I do drive it like I stole it.... keep seeing blue lights...

 

[Bobster1974]

After all your excellent advice I emailed the dealer last night to ask for the light to be sorted before collecting and have received this response this am.
"You have nothing to worry about I have pushed for a re-gen so should all be good when you collect"

Presumably they will to a forced re-generation ? Is that when they run it stationary at high revs to clear the problem . Or I guess they'll just take it for a spin...either way I should be happy with this response???

 

[Lord Mfwic]

No neither have I... seen the dpf light that is..... but I do drive it like I stole it.... keep seeing blue lights...

LOL.
26,000 miles. Less than 1 year old and no lights. I do drive it hard and change the oil every 10k, so I think a bit of high rev driving will keep the lights out. (Except the blue ones)

 

[T6Paul]

Sounds a good response, don't forget to get some pics posted up when you collect the new van!

 

[mopardave]

Now now @BiTurbo ....place nicely! You CAN drive like you stole it.....I've got H4 headlights and being the safety conscious kind of guy I am, I pay a chap to run in front of me waving a red flag. Lazy buggar moans when I get above 10mph! Does wonders for my fuel consumption though!

 

[craigblues]

When do you collect it then? We need pictures, ha!

 

[T6speed]

Seems like a problem my 2014 t5.1 never had any issues and it’s done 140k my new t6 168 Mile and dpf light is on I wished I never got it
Took for drive up motor way and it’s gone but it’s a brand new van dpf light on at 168 mile it’s a joke

 

[Ed Webb]

@T6speed How much fuel do you have? I’m lead to believe although not expierenced it myself that if the vans fuel is below a certain level possibly 1/4 it can’t initiate a regen and therefore will throw up the light until it can do so.

 

[T6speed]

Hi Edd I filled up with good shell as soon as I picked up light has gon off now but seems a little early for it to come on Might be as I’ve had lad fitting alarm and immoliser and tracker and testing anti hijack function where engine shutts down

 

[Charliehelms]

hello all. So my van has just about reached 14000 miles and is just under a year old. The dpf light has just come on. This cant be normal?

 

[Deaky]

It depends on what sort of journeys you make. Simple to clear. How to reset/regenerate/clear your DPF warning light (Diesel Particulate Filter)

 

[Dellmassive]

What @Deaky says.

If your only doing short drive cycles then your not allowing the ECU to run a full regen at the required temp. Speed. Revs Etc.

The light is just a warning telling you to do something about it before it becomes a problem.

A good run up the motorway normally sorts it..

Have you noticed the engine fan running for a while after switching off the van??? (Youve cut the regen phase before its finished)
Thats to cool the engine bay around the dpf as it gets extreamly hot during regen phase.