Hi to all from a new member. I purchased a very expensive motor home last July (2012) built on a Ducato 130bhp as my previous motor home (bought March 2012!!) was on a Peugeot Boxer and let me down on two consecutive holidays resulting in recovery. Both of these breakdowns were directly linked to DPF sensor problems. Even though the sensor had been replaced after the first breakdown, the problem quickly re-appeared. At great considerable expense, I decided that enough was enough and exchanged the vehicle for my Ducato based motor home. I have just returned from motoring around France and have covered 6000 miles in my Ducato BUT the engine management light has come on and the Fiat garage has diagnosed the problem to be ( guess what?? ) a problem with the DPF sensor!!!! They have ordered a new sensor and I am currently waiting for it to arrive and then to be fitted.
Am I just an unlucky punter or is this a common problem? What is the answer to this problem as I am now really anxious about using the vehicle for its primary purpose ie. touring?
Incidentally, I have just purchased a brand new Fiat 500L and I love it!

DPF's rarly cause issues if used properly. I assume when doing touring you're doing decent journeys at constant speeds, 40MPH + on motorways etc?

When in use does the engine get used at idle to power things etc

Do you occasionally drive it hard to stretch its legs (as strange as it may sound being a camper).

Thanks for replying to my item. I drive the Auto routes when abroad and love the fact that I can open the throttle and cover the miles quickly! Never use the engine to power any on-board equipment so can not really think of a reason for the problem.
Since posting, I have surfed the net and there are numerous items about DPF problems with many various marques and they all appear to stem from the need to get Euro 5 requirements. Many sites suggest the removal of the DPF and re mapping. I really do not want to do this as it would invalidate the Fiat warranty and its only covered 6000 miles so should not require any remedial treatment.

DPF is a balls on most vehicles problems at that mileage doesn't sound right though which sensor is it?

moodrater said:

DPF is a balls on most vehicles

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no it's not. Works fine on thousands of vehicles.

OP if it's under warrantee I'd get them to sort the problems, they should be able to find out what's at fault all being well.

Many thanks for replying to my dilemma. The garage said that it is the DPF sensor and they have ordered a replacement, that's all I have been told. The vehicle is still under warranty and they are doing the work under this. My real problem is one of confidence in a vehicle that goes abroad regularly. I've been down this road before with the Boxer.

Dido its worth getting a fault code reader so if the engine management light comes on you can tell if its something critical or not and thus avoid unnecessary recovery. If its a pressure sensor it may just be the rubber hose is pinched, kinked, damaged or leaking. Hard to know with a motorhome chassis.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

no it's not. Works fine on thousands of vehicles.

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You really think a system that can wash the cylinder bore with diesel and dilute the engine oil to the point that its lubricity is seriously compromised isn't a balls that used to be called bad injectors and you fixed it pronto. Let alone the service interval being drastically reduced through excessive regeneration caused by normal city driving, normal short commutes and simply turning off the engine at a time and place that suits you the driver.

Another brainwashed one. So you're moaning because you can't abuse a car and decided to buy a diesel car for something a petrol would be better suited for.

As said, the majority using the vehicle properly don't have issues!

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Another brainwashed one. So you're moaning because you can't abuse a car and decided to buy a diesel car for something a petrol would be better suited for.

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Pfft you have a great imagination and skills of fanciful extrapolation.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Another brainwashed one. So you're moaning because you can't abuse a car and decided to buy a diesel car for something a petrol would be better suited for.

As said, the majority using the vehicle properly don't have issues!

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Unfortunately I think that you are on the wrong part of the forum. With the Ducato we do not have the option of going petrol, either buy new or stick with pre dpf.

I do not really understand what using a vehicle properly is - some reps will do 60,000 miles a year and some pensioners will do 2,000 miles a year. It cannot be too much to expect that car manufacturers design this in.

Regarding the op - nearly all motorhomes will do under 4000 miles per year but all that will be on fairly lengthy runs. So by the operating criteria shouldn't be a problem but obviously sometimes is.

On the Similar Posts Box at the bottom of the page shows over 140 posts regarding dpf problems, so not insignificant I think.

gbtyke said:

Unfortunately I think that you are on the wrong part of the forum. With the Ducato we do not have the option of going petrol, either buy new or stick with pre dpf.

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I'm not on about just the Ducato though, I'm on about DPF vehicles in general.

gbtyke said:

I do not really understand what using a vehicle properly is - some reps will do 60,000 miles a year and some pensioners will do 2,000 miles a year. It cannot be too much to expect that car manufacturers design this in.

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Not going half mile at a time in it. Annual mileage has nothing to do with it, is length / distance of each journey.

gbtyke said:

Regarding the op - nearly all motorhomes will do under 4000 miles per year but all that will be on fairly lengthy runs. So by the operating criteria shouldn't be a problem but obviously sometimes is.

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Bingo, you've got it in one. So in these cases the vehicles are not being used incorrectly.

gbtyke said:

On the Similar Posts Box at the bottom of the page shows over 140 posts regarding dpf problems, so not insignificant I think.

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Over what time and against what number of vehicle with DPFs? It'll be a very small percentage, and then how many will be caused by incorrect use?

Back to OP though, it do sound like you've been unfortunate in this case and had 2 duff DPF vehicles if its happened twice in a row, and you're doing decent runs.

Thank you to every one contributing to my post. I really do feel that to achieve Euro 5 emission compliance, manufacturers have NOT developed a satisfactory solution. I can only think that there will be lots more problems down the line as these engines become older and well used. Think I'll look for a low mileage, used Euro 3 or 4 model. What a waste of my hard earned retirement money!!

Dido said:

Thank you to every one contributing to my post. I really do feel that to achieve Euro 5 emission compliance, manufacturers have NOT developed a satisfactory solution. I can only think that there will be lots more problems down the line as these engines become older and well used. Think I'll look for a low mileage, used Euro 3 or 4 model. What a waste of my hard earned retirement money!!

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You're covered by warranty though and changing would probably cost more that fixing the most expensive things.

I can only say that when I bought my hymer motorhome 10 years or so ago I had a choice of the new model with the 2.8 jtd engine , or the last of the old model with the 2.8 idTD engine [ no electronics , injector pump ]

guess which I chose and why !

OK , it's 10 years old now but I shan't be changing it

lebesset said:

guess which I chose and why !

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LOL, based on some years as a service engineer in the white goods field I would never buy a new model of anything when the run-out model is likely to have all its snags sorted.

This is why my current van is based on the 2006 JTD chassis rather than a early X250

lebesset said:

I can only say that when I bought my hymer motorhome 10 years or so ago I had a choice of the new model with the 2.8 jtd engine , or the last of the old model with the 2.8 idTD engine [ no electronics , injector pump ]

guess which I chose and why !

OK , it's 10 years old now but I shan't be changing it

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That engine hits the sweet point between reliability, simplicity and economy like the last of the 1990s vw tdis / psa tds. Local bus company has ducato panoramas with that engine with over 400k miles still on original engine and gearbox, the only think thats clapped out on them is the immobiliser and speedometer.

The only reason I have jtd myself is I only paid €1100 for it - 3 years old - 60k miles. It was written off because the dealer wanted €6000 to replace the entire injection system I sourced and fitted the parts for €350 :yum: