Technical The DPF nightmare

[Majikthyse]

Our Ducato 2.3 Multijet (bought new in 2013) broke down 4 weeks ago when on holiday, with DPF error. Engine went into limp mode and then virtually shut down. Shipped back from Jersey (where it's easier to get an Aston Martin fixed than a Fiat), Fiat garage said it was DPF pressure sensor which they replaced. They did a forced regen and handed it back to us. The van then broke down 3 weeks later with same error. Went into different Fiat garage (as insisted upon by Fiat recovery service) who said new sensor was faulty, so replaced it again. We collected the van and it broke down that evening with the same error. So they did yet another forced regen and they say it is OK now. Forgive me for a bit of doubt about that.

We have done 27,000 miles since new, with a trip of about 60 miles on open roads at least twice a week. We have never seen any evidence that automatic regeneration has been happening. No warning light, no heat, no revs rise etc. Would the ECU record any regen that went on? Or have we done enough faster trips to make it unnecessary? Or is the ECU failing to trigger auto-regen?

Neither garage has the slightest clue as to why 2 forced regens would be needed in 3 weeks. We are of course worried as the warranty runs out in 2 months.

 

[corcai]

Neither garage has the slightest clue as to why 2 forced regens would be needed in 3 weeks. We are of course worried as the warranty runs out in 2 months.

Sticking egr springs to mind will fill up dpf very quickly.
Other culprits - lots of low speed, start stop, urban driving, driving like a granny, you need to get the exhaust system good and hot every now and then in any diesel.

 

[Majikthyse]

Thanks - would sticking EGR valve show up on code reader?

 

[varesecrazy]

Thanks - would sticking EGR valve show up on code reader?

should do ,
on some kit you can actually drive it from the laptop.
Charlie

 

[andydiver]

Any egr or other such fault would show up and likely log a fault code too. The garage are likely using a reader and blindly following the manual in changing the dpf pressure sensor against some fault they find logged. This might be a wiring fault to the sensor, possibly a bad earth but a bit young for that. Suggest getting your own copy of multiecuscan, a cheap windows 10 netbook, laptop or tablet and the cables, especially if you do long distance travel. You can connect, note and clear any errors anywhere and list that data here for advice. It sounds highly likely to me this is a benign intermittent fault you will need to experience, reset and clear a couple more times with educated fixes as data indicates. My main point is you could clear the engine limp mode and complete many more miles when this happens again, on your own. You can also view full data on dpf clogging and regen. If serious the fault will recurring straight away.
Of course also log the issue with Fiat and discuss your warranty, but that's no good in some backwater on the continent.

 

[Majikthyse]

I have now obtained from the Fiat garage what they say is the van's full service record. They say they replaced the EGR sensor, which had previously been replaced by the other Fiat garage, 3 weeks ago. But that garage said they replaced the DPF sensor. I don't think these are the same thing. Or is someone getting their terminology wrong? This saga has been greatly confused by Fiat breakdown service insisting on using a different garage the second time.

The record just received from the second garage looks dodgy to me. They have retyped information into an email, including typos. This took them 3 days to produce, so I wonder what they are hiding.

 

[varesecrazy]

I have now obtained from the Fiat garage what they say is the van's full service record. They say they replaced the EGR sensor, which had previously been replaced by the other Fiat garage, 3 weeks ago. But that garage said they replaced the DPF sensor. I don't think these are the same thing. Or is someone getting their terminology wrong? This saga has been greatly confused by Fiat breakdown service insisting on using a different garage the second time.

The record just received from the second garage looks dodgy to me. They have retyped information into an email, including typos. This took them 3 days to produce, so I wonder what they are hiding.

have they quoted part Numbers..??

 

[Majikthyse]

have they quoted part Numbers..??

No - I could ask.

 

[BGD]

One of the biggest problems I've come across with these is that ....with due respect....there is a very very substantial difference between what a proud and careful motorhomer thinks giving his vehicle a "bit of a hard run" now and then involves, and what any and every commercial driver does to his white van every single day.

These engines were not meant to be, and were not designed to be, mollycoddled.
They were designed to be thrashed, day after day, over stellar mileages.
When we tell people to run their MH hard now and then, we mean HARD. Consistently. Foot to the floor, revs right up and keep them up. Make the engine REALLY work periodically, otherwise you are just storing up DPF and EGR valve problems for yourself.