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Technical DPF ? and How to get the engine cover off

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Technical DPF ? and How to get the engine cover off

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Dieselweasel

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Honest John has me worried - his column in Saturday's Daily Telegraph has a letter about the 500, and he reckons that there is a problem with the DPF on these engines......:mad:

I've tried to see if my wifes 08 panda has one. There is a large canister like a catalyst fed from the turbo right on the front of the engine, before the exhaust goes under the car. Have I got one, or is it just an oxidation catalyst ?

Whilst under the bonnet, I tried to remove the plastic cover from atop the engine. Except its not just a cover, it seems very firmly attached and has the air filter within it. How can I remove this to have a look ?
 
from what i understand, which isnt much:p, the only issue is if the engine isnt run long enough for the filter to get up to temp and work properly, it causes some sort of clogging(?) or breakdown of the filter
 
Dieselweasel said:
Honest John has me worried - his column in Saturday's Daily Telegraph has a letter about the 500, and he reckons that there is a problem with the DPF on these engines......:mad:

I've tried to see if my wifes 08 panda has one. There is a large canister like a catalyst fed from the turbo right on the front of the engine, before the exhaust goes under the car. Have I got one, or is it just an oxidation catalyst ?

Whilst under the bonnet, I tried to remove the plastic cover from atop the engine. Except its not just a cover, it seems very firmly attached and has the air filter within it. How can I remove this to have a look ?
Click to expand...
Honest John is a fool.

That is all.
 
AFAIK no Panda currently has a DPF although the 2010 model will have on the 75 BHP version.
 
306maxi said:
Honest John is a fool.

That is all.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

He's wrong to single-out the 500 (if that's the case) as every manufacturer using a DPF to meet EU emission regs has had "issues".

Never yet had one that couldn't be fixed (and always well-within warranty). ;)
 
I've always found HJ to be spot on actually ! His recommendation was one reason why I bought the panda - and I havent been disappointed.

The car does get a regular thrash to warm everything up, including a motorway run (where economy drops to 46mpg, from teh 62 average. Must be the brick aerodynamics!)

Okay, so how do I get the engine cover off. Any ideas ??? Some fixings appear to be well recessed and requiring of a very strange socket
 
The air filter housing is *meant* to be a simply pull off from its two mounting spigots if you unclip the MAF sensor at the front. (Pair of pliers to squeeze it together)
In practice I found it much easier to use an allen key to unscrew the whole spigot - the hex-hole is in the top of said spigot - as I suspect the use of too much force can split the air filter housing.
mjengine.jpg
 
D4nny8oy said:
:yeahthat:

He's wrong to single-out the 500 (if that's the case) as every manufacturer using a DPF to meet EU emission regs has had "issues".

Never yet had one that couldn't be fixed (and always well-within warranty). ;)
Click to expand...

You should get in touch with Grimwau, he's having recurring issues with DPF regenerations etc etc.
 
The letter to HJ was about a diesel 500 running out of control on its sump oil.... He had reports of other fiat multijet diesels doing same, Reckoned the engine excess fuelled to regen the blocked DPF, filling the sump with unburnt diesel.....with hilarious consquences.

It wasnt the damaged done to the dpf, but the overspeeding engine that worried the contributor.

But then again, if the dpf was blocked, wouldnt the engine be noticeably weaker ?

I take it the dpf is the small pint can sized thing after the turbo on the front of engine ?
 
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I have had several diesels in recent years, but not this time around. That's why I went back to petrol this time and bought a 100HP. I am not buying anything with a DPF, too many people are having too many problems. The technology is quite utterly insane. Do some research, see what is happening, see what the dealers are telling prospective owners, see what the AA is advising. See what is in the small print on manufacturers websites and in the owner handbooks.

Most especially if you are going to buy a delivery van, a car for use as a taxi, or you are going to pootle round on short trips, do not under any circumstances even think about a diesel fitted with a DPF. I think by the start of next year, virtually every diesel will have a DPF.

In case you think my views are extreme, all I can say is, do some research. Oh - and ask yourself why it was reported in 'Auto Express' on the 22nd of April this year that Honda announced that they are going to stop making diesels? Could it be that they do not want to compromise their reputation of making impeccably engineered vehicles that are not in the habit of breaking down?

The word on the street is that the manufacturers are tearing their hair out over DPF. I reckon that the industry will eventually come up with a 'fix', perhaps using different technology, but until then............................
 
ferrous oxide said:
I have had several diesels in recent years, but not this time around. That's why I went back to petrol this time and bought a 100HP. I am not buying anything with a DPF, too many people are having too many problems. The technology is quite utterly insane. Do some research, see what is happening, see what the dealers are telling prospective owners, see what the AA is advising. See what is in the small print on manufacturers websites and in the owner handbooks.

Most especially if you are going to buy a delivery van, a car for use as a taxi, or you are going to pootle round on short trips, do not under any circumstances even think about a diesel fitted with a DPF. I think by the start of next year, virtually every diesel will have a DPF.

In case you think my views are extreme, all I can say is, do some research. Oh - and ask yourself why it was reported in 'Auto Express' on the 22nd of April this year that Honda announced that they are going to stop making diesels? Could it be that they do not want to compromise their reputation of making impeccably engineered vehicles that are not in the habit of breaking down?

The word on the street is that the manufacturers are tearing their hair out over DPF. I reckon that the industry will eventually come up with a 'fix', perhaps using different technology, but until then............................
Click to expand...
This is old old old news though. DPF's aren't just something that has come along in the last couple of years. DPF's also murder fuel economy.
 
ferrous oxide said:
Oh - and ask yourself why it was reported in 'Auto Express' on the 22nd of April this year that Honda announced that they are going to stop making diesels? Could it be that they do not want to compromise their reputation of making impeccably engineered vehicles that are not in the habit of breaking down?
Click to expand...

Of course it be that Auto Express would make up a story about the Pope being a fan of the turqoise Proton Satrias to sell a magazine?
 
DPFs seem to have problems on cars that are not driven reasonably hard. That is anyone who watches their economy basically.
The Focii here at work dont have any problems with DPF but they get a good thrashing.

The Panda doesnt have a DPF at the moment, but will be an option with the 2010 upgrade.

The plastic cover does pull of the top of the engine after disconnecting the wires but is very stiff.
I used an allen key and undid the bolts. On mine they were stiff as they had started to corrode into the engine, so it might be worth adding some copper grease. There is no reason to take this off but if you do have a look at the fuel pipes on the battery side of the engine as one of mine was rubbing quite badly. This has been a recall but we havent had any notice from the dealers.
 
LOL @ all the hysteria over DPF's:rolleyes:

The DPF is just ONE component on a car & with the amount sold you expect (by law of probability) to get some problems.

The majority of DPF problems are not with the actual DPF itself (I have actually ever known one DPF to get changed)

The DPF (its its various forms) have as 306maxi said been around for years & with the tightening of emission laws (jan 2010) will be more common. Fiat have a good system unlike most manufactures, Fiat dont win awards for 'greenest' cars for nothing & have already met (and surpassed) iniment emission laws.

Problems I find are;
1) lack of understanding of the system (which is partly sales dept fault)
2) gossip, the earth isn't flat;)

Costs will fall of course but its no more expensive than a electric steering system, head gasket/valve repair etc....why buy a car if this is the way you look at cars. 'Yeah but in the old days we never had all this technical mumbo jumbo'....reason for that is because they were crap, slow, uneconomical and pollutive (is there such a word:confused:)

Next time your behind a diesel & it accelerates leaving you rushing for the recirculation button on you heater to stop you choking on the crap I'll bet you'll think 'wish he had a DPF';)

p.s. yes I do have a large stake in DPF's
 
T14086 said:
LOL @ all the hysteria over DPF's:rolleyes:

The DPF is just ONE component on a car & with the amount sold you expect (by law of probability) to get some problems.
Click to expand...

Sadly idiots like honestjackass need to either make stuff up or make things seem worse than they are to appear to be on the side of the consumer and maintain their popularity.

On an unrelated note does anyone here play HonestJohn reviews to help with insomnia? Maaaaaan he's boring to listen to.
 
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