Technical InterimOilChange:ServiceDPFresets

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Technical InterimOilChange:ServiceDPFresets

Caravadossi

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No problems for 3+ months – but Sat night the “anti-pollution” warning flagged-up (result of chugging along here in the un-gritted snowy rurals?). I believe the solution is to keep the engine running until the warning disappears – but conditioned by decades of phantom FIAT warnings, by instinct I switched-off and re-started.

I’ve been using the clear long-route from home since at 2K revs & +60mph - but still left with an interesting 5 mile ski at 5mph on snow & ice (inc. the aptly named Folly Lane) to reach home.

I’ve a 45K miles interim oil change due tomorrow. I use an independent with Examiner(?) kit. Just seeking advice re the service & regen/DPF reset ??

Should I be requesting some print-out regarding regen/DPF?

Hopefully, I won’t be changing the oil for it to be immediately degraded by a regen process kicking-in.

Croma II 1.9/16v 150HP
 
If you were worried then you could get the garage to force a regeneration but if the light / warning hasn't returned then more than likely the car has sorted the issue out itself i.e. regenerated on the move. If the warning recurs then just leave the car idling until the regen finishes.

The regen cycle takes place many times between oil changes (as often as once every 300 miles or so, depending on use) so even if the car immediately regenerates the DPF after your service it really won't make much difference.

The DPF and its regeneration cause some people a lot of trouble, but really it depends on the car's use; you're quite correct in assuming that the DPF becomes clogged due to prolonged low-speed use, especially combined with cold weather or short journeys.

The two types of use which seem to trigger a regen on my car are stop-start traffic and sitting at 70 mph - most of the rest of my driving is done at 1700-1800RPM and this kind of use seems to allow the car to go a long time between regen cycles.

In short, it's probably not worth doing anything about it. The garage should reset the oil change warning system anyway as part of the service, leaving you scope for many more regens. Perhaps this will help reassure you:- I change the oil on my car myself, but every time I get the oil change warning come up I have to take it to the dealer. Last time I did this, the car had done over 21,000 miles since previously having the warning reset.

In other words, if you're having the oil changed every 9,000 miles then you've probably got another 9,000 - 12,000 miles before the DPF regen cycles have contaminated the oil enough for the car to think it needs changing.

I hope you can understand what I mean :eek:
 
I got quite bothered about the engine noise on my 1.9 16v diesel at one time. I got advice from a very good Fiat garage, who told me to "drive it like I'd stolen it".

I tried an hour of motorway in 4th gear, but it didn't have much effect. It seems to need proper driving with acceleration up through the gears, low road-speed with high revs. High speed travel probably wind-chills the exhaust, so it doesn't get hot enough (my theory only). After driving in a more lively way, it got a lot smoother, but was still a bit rattly.

Then, when the snow fell last week, I ended up wheel spinning all the way up a hill for a good few minutes. The temp got really high, eventually I got warnings and I think it went onto limp-home mode (it wouldn't let me rev any more). It's been amazingly smooth ever since - almost like a petrol engine.
 
My useage is mainly 40/60 mph main roads, a little motorway, and almost no town traffic. Regens about every 400 miles, when travelling 60-70 on about 1500 rpm. Looking at the instant mpg, this goes down to about half, and the regen uses about .5 litre. Has been averaging about 40 mpg overall, measured by fuel input.
The ECU is supposed to learn after a ECU reset, depending on the driving.
 
The Fiat Ecu Scan software supports the Fiat Croma since the latest release yesterday.
I installed it on my MacBook Air running Vista, it shows information about the dpf and the regeneration.
You can reset the oil degeneration as well. I don't know if it as an effect on the oil change light.
You only need a cheap Vag-Com USB Interface KKL 409.1 OBD2 cable to connect your laptop.
It works perfectly, an amazing piece of software!
 
In short, it's probably not worth doing anything about it. The garage should reset the oil change warning system anyway as part of the service, leaving you scope for many more regens. Perhaps this will help reassure you:- I change the oil on my car myself, but every time I get the oil change warning come up I have to take it to the dealer. Last time I did this, the car had done over 21,000 miles since previously having the warning reset.

In other words, if you're having the oil changed every 9,000 miles then you've probably got another 9,000 - 12,000 miles before the DPF regen cycles have contaminated the oil enough for the car to think it needs changing.

On that basis, I left it with them and told them not to bother with any re-sets as at around 5Kmls/Q it’d be due back around June for the 54K service.

Perhaps fretting unnecessarily – but I’d never seen the warning light before; it’s my first experience of diesel motoring; & my Croma is the only one my independent has laid hands-on.

I left word for “German oil” as used in my last GP service - meaning Unipart (FuchsTITAN), as I’ve some at home for possible top-ups. But in the comms chain – this got translated as VW/QuantumPlatinum (Castrol). I’ve had a brief squint at the relative spec sheets, and the VW/QP looks closer to the Selenia WR spec than the Fuchs - & is C3 compliant.

Anybody any experience with QP oil with their Croma?

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Croma II 1.9/16v
 
I got quite bothered about the engine noise on my 1.9 16v diesel at one time. I got advice from a very good Fiat garage, who told me to "drive it like I'd stolen it".
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I once had to do an airport run to drop my partner off. However, she had got the times mixed up and I was a bit pushed to make it on time. I am not confessing to any law breaking, but let's just say it got some stick.On the drive back you could definitely tell a difference being far more responsive from a standing start.
 
I tried an hour of motorway in 4th gear, but it didn't have much effect. It seems to need proper driving with acceleration up through the gears, low road-speed with high revs. High speed travel probably wind-chills the exhaust, so it doesn't get hot enough (my theory only). After driving in a more lively way, it got a lot smoother, but was still a bit rattly.

Looks as if “around 450°C” is required within the filter - & the “engine coolant temperature must be above 70°C”

Source:
http://www.autodiagnos.com/fileadmi...al_bulletins/fiat/fiat_particle_filter_ad.pdf

-------------------
Croma II 1.9/16v 150hp
 
The Fiat Ecu Scan software supports the Fiat Croma since the latest release yesterday.
I installed it on my MacBook Air running Vista, it shows information about the dpf and the regeneration.
You can reset the oil degeneration as well. I don't know if it as an effect on the oil change light.
You only need a cheap Vag-Com USB Interface KKL 409.1 OBD2 cable to connect your laptop.
It works perfectly, an amazing piece of software!

Any chance of a few screenshots, showing the Croma's DPF info?

Apologies in advance if you're a PC-wiz... Ctrl-PrintScreen takes a shot of the active window, then paste into Paint and save as a .jpg :)
 
I've just bought a cable and will be giving the software a try in the near future, will post the results on here for the 2.4JTD.
 
This is the information about the DPF on my 1.9 jtd 8V:

Particle filter obstruction: 45,79%
Average distance last 5 regenerations: 1073 km
Last 5 regenerations average duration: 605 sec
Particlr filter status: Normal clogging
 
Hi,does this KKL cable need modifying or can we just plug and go?
 
Hi,does this KKL cable need modifying or can we just plug and go?

No mods required for basic Engine/EOBD functions. I too have just added a cable and FiatECUScan to my collection of diagnostic kit (already had EngineCheckPro and other ELM327 based software).

The cable I bought came from Autotec-Direct.com, costing £13.85 including VAT, P&P & next day recorded delivery. There are other cables out there. I also use Gendan.co.uk who sell basic KKL kit.
 
Next time anyone with FiatECUScan plugs into their Croma please can they check the following:

1) Paramameters : Odometer - does the value match, is near, or totally different to the dash value

2) Actuators : Water in Fuel Light test - does this work flasing the light on/off on the dash? Also if you retest again does it still work/flash?
 
I bought the cable on eBay, no modifications are needed.
This is the title on eBay:

Vag-Com USB Interface KKL 409.1 OBD2 OBD AUDI VW SEAT


Odometer - is totally different to the dash value

Several actuators don't work but the most inportant, oil change, works.

This free product still needs some work.
 
Thanx guys.Crombel have you reset oil change service light with this software?@
 
The light wasn't on but I could reset the counter (Next oil change) and the Oil deterioration indicator.

As the Particle filter obstruction is on 85,95% I think regeneration will occur soon.
I prefer to let it happen automatically rather then forced.
 
Next time anyone with FiatECUScan plugs into their Croma please can they check the following:
1) Paramameters : Odometer - does the value match, is near, or totally different to the dash value

Odometer in car: 68600 km
Odometer in FiatECUScan:14893,3 km
Over a distance of 362 km (in car) FiatECUScan counts 3,1 km more.

Could it be that the FiatECUScan-odometer counts the distance since last service reset?
 
Odometer in car: 68600 km
Odometer in FiatECUScan:14893,3 km
Over a distance of 362 km (in car) FiatECUScan counts 3,1 km more.

Could it be that the FiatECUScan-odometer counts the distance since last service reset?

Don't think so because I'm coming up to 12K miles since last service and this doesn't correlate with 7000 odd km.
 
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