Technical DPF removal illegal as of February 2014

[Brummy Exile]

The Department for Transport has reacted to the ‘ruse’ of removing or hollowing-out the DPF to overcome regeneration / blockage problems.

From February 2014 it is an MoT failure if the exhaust system is incomplete. See:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...63018/diesel-particulate-filters-guidance.pdf

The press release states that it will be illegal to drive without the DPF if one was originally fitted.

I foresee lots of issues. People have removed DPFs based on advice given in good faith that it was legal. Some cars may have had a DPF removed by a previous owner who has not informed the new owner.

It’s going to be interesting!

I bought a 1.4 petrol Doblo to avoid the DPF issue – glad I did.

 

[varesecrazy]

I wonder what the deal is if you paid a company the £500 " going rate" last month to have it removed..,
you'll have to buy a new unit AND pay labour for it's installation and re-calibration = cheaper to scrap SOME vehicles..!! esp. if it's doing Short journeys and will choke-up anyway..!

Charlie

 

[Brummy Exile]

I wonder what the deal is if you paid a company the £500 " going rate" last month to have it removed..,
you'll have to buy a new unit AND pay labour for it's installation and re-calibration = cheaper to scrap SOME vehicles..!! esp. if it's doing Short journeys and will choke-up anyway..!

Charlie

Or get the car MOTed in January and sell it PDQ before the new requirements come into effect. A dirty trick but I feel sure that many will be tempted!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Re: DPF removal an MOT FAILURE as of February 2014

Titles is misleading, it always has been illegal to remove the DPF, it's just now an MOT failure from Feb 2014, and about time also if you ask me!

 

[dave]

Re: DPF removal an MOT FAILURE as of February 2014

would be better if they forced car makers to make them so they dont block or force them to put a large sticker on the display models saying why you shouldnt buy a city car with one or if you intend to do loads of short trips only.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Re: DPF removal an MOT FAILURE as of February 2014

would be better if they forced car makers to put a large sticker on the display models saying why you shouldnt buy a city car with one or if you intend to do loads of short trips only.

Agreed. Should be on the rating sheet things they put in the windscreen showing the MPG and estimated fuel cost.

 

[Simonosteopath]

Wow, I'm glad I read this! I was seriously considering getting mine removed from my 500 Multijet. It doesn't have any problems as I use it mainly for long steady motorway journeys, but I'm peeved by the reduction in what is otherwise an exceptionally good fuel consumption!
It seems I'll be hanging on to my DPF for now. Bu99er!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

but I'm peeved by the reduction in what is otherwise an exceptionally good fuel consumption!

Its exceptionally good fuel consumption anyway in a 500 isn't it? If I can get around 70mpg out of a Bravo with a DPF then a 500 should easily exceed this.

 

[Simonosteopath]

I agree, I occasionally get 70 mpg too, and have managed even better on some journeys. I just know I could get even more without a DPF regenerating regularly. Another thing: I know it's the only way to work these systems but it does seem counterintuitive to have to burn more fuel, and therefore produce more CO2, just to reduce particulate emissions!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I agree, I occasionally get 70 mpg too, and have managed even better on some journeys. I just know I could get even more without a DPF regenerating regularly. Another thing: I know it's the only way to work these systems but it does seem counterintuitive to have to burn more fuel, and therefore produce more CO2, just to reduce particulate emissions!

CO2 doesn't kill people though, Diesel particulates do.

 

[Simonosteopath]

Are you kidding?? What do you think the effects of CO2 are? Global warming, more storms, floods, rising sea level... It kills people alright!
But anyway, for now I'd just rather save fuel

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Are you kidding?? What do you think the effects of CO2 are? Global warming, more storms, floods, rising sea level... It kills people alright!

CO2 is carbon dioxide, it's a naturally occouring compound. If you think it's increasing global warming and is the main cause then perhaps we should all stop breathing.

Global warming is a natural event which we may be slighting speeding up, and even that's not been proven.

At least it's not directly killing people with slow painful cancers and lung diseases which diesel particulates have been doing for decades.

 

[Alsatian1]

CO2 is carbon dioxide, it's a naturally occouring compound. If you think it's increasing global warming and is the main cause then perhaps we should all stop breathing.

Global warming is a natural event which we may be slighting speeding up, and even that's not been proven.

At least it's not directly killing people with slow painful cancers and lung diseases which diesel particulates have been doing for decades.

This is exactly my opinion! How can we be taxed on something that has not been proven beyond doubt. The earth goes through cycles, and we are overdue an ice age anyway so I do not believe me in my little car is killing the world. Country's like China and India are producing enough CO2 for anything I do not to matter one jot anyway.

But I am aware diesel particulates cause horrendous local pollution, which is a different thing entirely.

 

[Simonosteopath]

It's all bad. We should get bikes!

 

[dave]

Are you kidding?? What do you think the effects of CO2 are? Global warming, more storms, floods, rising sea level... It kills people alright!

then how come the more we cut out co2 the worse the weather gets :chin:

 

[johnhififan]

Pass the soap box,
Nature is balance otherwise we wouldn't be here, the more co2 the more co2 absorbing plants there will be producing oxygen. The hotter the planet gets the greater the loss of heat to space. The more news channels the more we hear about weather events, which we wouldn't have even known about 50 years ago.

Anyway back to mot's how's the mot tester going to know if there's a dpf or not, he can't disconnect the manifold and look down the pipe, or can he.

 

[varesecrazy]

Pass the soap box,
Nature is balance otherwise we wouldn't be here, the more co2 the more co2 absorbing plants there will be producing oxygen. The hotter the planet gets the greater the loss of heat to space. The more news channels the more we hear about weather events, which we wouldn't have even known about 50 years ago.

Anyway back to mot's how's the mot tester going to know if there's a dpf or not, he can't disconnect the manifold and look down the pipe, or can he.

current practice with Catalysts says it's just a visual inspection..from the examiner..However he'll also use an exhaust probe to test the Cat's function.., not so easy with a DPF..,

I'm sure the test will take longer and cost more..!!
charlie

 

[Ulpian]

There is a direct correlation between industrial output (burning fossil fuels), increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere, and human population growth.

World population has increased from around 600 million at the time of the Roman Empire (population of the Mediterranean basin and Gaul around 60 million), to around one billion in 1800, 2.5 billion sixty years ago when I was born, and 7 billion now.

The lines on a graph displaying fuel burning, CO2 levels and population growth follow pretty closely. Nature is now experiencing an escape from the 'balance' that existed for the past few million years. Frenzied coal and oil burning have been behind the majority of the increases - no cheap energy, no growth.

Having said that, particulates are cancer causing solids, and anything that reduces them is fine by me.

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

Good point dave
LUIGI

 

[Andoo]

Hi all, just got me a 2009 Doblo Freedom 1.9 JTD. Some pikey tw@t stole the DPF....which I didn't know about until I'd had it a week!

I saw it advertised as for sale with a duff turbo. At the price I got it for, I wasn't bothered as a turbo is cheap. I paid 1200 quid for the car.

A few dings, but still almost immaculate



Anyway, I get it home and start checking out the pipework as I was convinced the turbo was fine (no smoke or noise). I crawled under the front and see the pipe has come away from the intercooler. Turns out the clip has rusted away & fallen off

One new clip later and all was well :slayer:

I drove it round the block and no more misfire, but I did wonder if there was a blow in the exhaust, so I jack her up and see 3 feet of pipe missing A garage job IMHO as the rear section was held up with brake pipe!

Anyway, I replaced it with a straight pipe and everything ran ok, but the MIL was on. I got it mot'd by fitting an LED with a time delay in place of the MIL

So, my next problem is the car wants to regenerate and causes a proper fog which is not only embarrassing, but it stinks :bang:

I switch off, then restart. Ok during daylight hours, but no use at night as the lights go out

I can pay 150 quid to get it reprogrammed to let the ECU "forget" it has a (or in my case, doesn't have a) DPF. I am also getting it mapped up to 152bhp since 120bhp just isn't enough :devil:

However, I recently learned about the Mot change regarding DPF. My only way around this is to purchase a pretend DPF online.

My car is very clean with 0.04 on the emissions. It gets driven hard once warm and the turbo is in excellent nick.

I do worry about soot and particulates, but they need to come up with a better design as the current design just causes all manner of misery

I rather think using some kind of cavitation to extract the soot would be better than the high pressure burning mess they currently use.

I am presently designing a better filter