Dpf Regeneration Symptoms

[Dave_TDCI]

There's probably a lot of info on this on the internet but I failed to find specific symptoms or information on how to know if your car is going through the process.

I use my Focus Mk2.5 1.6 tdci mostly for work which consists of a motorway journey of about 10mins at least twice a day if not four times.

Because I'm driving at about 120km/h I would have imagined that my car would not need to go through a forced regeneration as the exhaust would be hot enough from these journeys to burn off the soot.

On a few occasions, one which happened my again yesterday I was overtaking a car at 120km and then suddenly the car seemed to loose power, started dropping off from 120km and went down to about 100km and I didn't seem to really be able to increase the speed. I pulled over and stopped the car and the fans continued to run for a few mins after the engine had stopped. I started the car again and the rest of the journey home she was down on power and fans stayed on. Took the car out again today and she's driving back to normal.

This seems to happen me every so often and I'm guessing that it's the car going through a DPF regeneration.

I know that on the Opel Astra a light comes on on the dash telling you when the car is cleaning its DPF but there seems to be nothing on the Focus.

Is this typical sypmtoms of when the car goes though a DPF process or not and is there any indications of being sure your Focus is actually going through a DPF regeneration?

[TomsFocus]

There is a forced regen on these roughly every 500 miles regardless of other factors...sods law means it usually tries to start on a 5 minute town journey for me lol.

10 minuntes on the motorway won't get the exhaust hot enough for passive regen tbh, youd need that just to heat the exhaust, followed by atleast another 10 minutes to burn, and youd have to be doing over 2250rpm.

Fans running and mpg dropping is the best sign to know a regen is in progress, there is no DPF light on Focus' which is daft imo!

The power doesn't usually drop on mine, infact I find it gets a bit more when its chucking in extra fuel lol.

[JC600]

I got told not to switch the engine off if it's gone into regeneration mode.

I've done about 1.5k miles and car hasn't been into regeneration mode yet.

[TomsFocus]

I reckon it has done within 1500 miles, but you wouldn't necessarily notice it, especially if you do a lot of long distance driving.

Yours will also be a coated DPF though on a 2010 model, so may not do the 500 mile interval like the Eolys DPF.

You can stop the engine while regen in process, it will just start again next time you're driving. I'd spend an awful lot of time idling on the drive if I never stopped a regen!

[JC600]

Don't drive it every day, as I have a work van.....but does get a good run out when I do drive it lol

Is there any signs to tell it's regenerating?

[Dave_TDCI]

Thing that puzzles me is I drove a 100 mile trip mostly motorway last weekend and seemed a bit down on power and fans came on so I assumed it was going into regeneration mode again. On the trip home the following day car seemed back to usual again.

Surely that trip alone would have been enough to clean out the soot? Doesn't make sense that it would try do it again yesterday. Or maybe this a completely seperate issue that's wrong with the car...although it would make sense if it was the DPF as it doesn't happen every time I drive.

On Fords part its a bit ridiculous that there isn't something to notify you of when this is happening.

Question is is there an actual way to tell it's gone into regenerating for certain or do most people just assume from certain changes in engine performance?

[TomsFocus]

There is no way to tell for sure from the driving seat that a regen has taken place.

I tend to be fussy about about mpg, so when I see it start to drop on a normal/flat/slow road I know its started a regen. Then I'll park up when reaching my destination and the fans will still be running. The fans continue to run after the regen as well as during, so they do not indicate one in progress at the time.

Dave, I thought the same as you that my driving style would allow it to regen fine on the motorway once a week, but it doesn't happen like that. Motorway speeds just don't get the exhaust hot enough unless youre doing 80 in 3rd for 10 minutes. And the regen software can't 'guess' that you'll be on a motorway for a while, so it just regens when it senses too much back pressure, or at the 500 mile intervals (providing the engine is warm). I notice mine gets a bit hesitant normal driving when a regens in progress, but foot to the floor it feels quicker. So your problem could easily have been a regen. See how often it happens.

[InKontrol]

When mine regenerates (1.6tdci) there's a very noticeable burble coming from the exhaust at idle. Kind of like it, wish it was always sounded like that :D

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

[Dave_TDCI]

Might be worth taking it for a spin during the week and doing about 80 or 90 in 3rd or 4th so for 20 minutes and see if it will bring on a regeneration.

I'll also try to notice if I can hear any change in the exhaust tone.

Kind of suprised, thought my driving would have been ideal for the DPF but it's good to know now.

Mine definitely doesn't have the same pick up when I floor it though during the (supposed) regeneration, strange that it would affect different cars differently, although maybe it's to do with just how full of soot the DPF is

[TomsFocus]

Driving it hard won't start an active regen, as said the ECU won't know that you're going to be driving hard for a long period of time.

IF you could get the DPF up to ~450c just by driving it, it will burn the paticulates without needing any extra help. Thats a 'Passive' regen. But I've found at 70 in 5th its only 200c'ish and you could barely cook a chicken at that temp lol.

Tbh you're better off to just keep driving it as you are and expect the active regens to happen every 500 miles of so. If they happen much more frequently than that, then start looking for faults or try changing your driving style. Mine is happening roughly every 100 miles as the DPF is choked beyond regeneration, really need to get round to changing it!

Yeah James, that's true, I'd forgotten about the noise change lol. Can't usually hear the engine over the stereo though haha.

[Dales]

Without sounding too stupid.

What is the dpf and what is it doing when its having a regen.

Im obviously thinking its cleaning it self out in some way. Is this what causes problems with the turbo.

Is this also an issue with the 1.8 diesels.

Reason why I ask is I was actually thinking of getting a diesel Focus to use for work. Just wasn't sure on the 1.6 or the 1.8.

Although I thought the 1.6 did have issues with the turbo for some reason.

[TomsFocus]

In simple terms, soot is just partly burnt diesel, the DPF just heats up to fully burn these particles. Well that's the idea, in reality it doesn't work that well lol.

When it blocks, it causes backpressure when can damage the turbo, but there are many causes of turbo failure on the 1.6 TDCi.

The 1.8 TDCi doesn't have a DPF. But it can have other problems.

[Dales]

Cheers. wasn't sure what it was. Didn't want to sound stupid either :D

But if you don't ask.

[simcor]

Mine is the ELOYS fluid dpf setup. Mine does roughly two regenrations a week usually soon after I have filled up one of them happens. When it is doing one when coming off the power it chucks clouds of smoke out the exhaust and MPG drops as soon as the revs get high enough again the smoke dissipates which I assume is the fluid being added to lower the temperature the spot is burned at. I always notice mine is doing a regeneration process tbh. Mind you it does Chuck out a cloud of grey smoke now under hard acceleration which it didn't do when I first got it, but it is on 73k miles and I think the DPF is probably getting to the point of needing to be changed. Oh joy lol

[Kye]

It is easy to see why people get the DPF's removed. They're far more hassle than they worth it seems.

I've got a few friends in the motor industry as mechanics. They have all said that the DPF will be dropped from future cars (some time) as they cause too many problems.

This thread is a bit of a shock to learn that the regen might not happen as often as you might expect or like.

[TomsFocus]

2 a week is quite a lot, how many miles is that? And are you filling the tank or just dribbling a tenner in lol?

I have rear tints so can't see any smoke on mine...

[Dave_TDCI]

If I had my way I would definitely remove my DPF because of all the horror stories I've heard and read.

Only thing is if they are made part of the NCT/ MOT I don't want to be shooting myself in the foot either.

Is there a certain mileage limit that the DPF usually is recommended to be changed at? I've 102,000miles on the clock, or if it's driven as the DPF is designed to be should it last the life or the car no?

[simcor]

2 a week is quite a lot, how many miles is that? And are you filling the tank or just dribbling a tenner in lol?

I have rear tints so can't see any smoke on mine...

200-250 miles a week fill tank to brim every week usually on approx half a tank of fuel when I fill up.

[TomsFocus]

Dave, an additive DPF (like yours and mine) should be changed at the 75k mile service. However most fail before that so yours might have already been changed. Mines beyond repair just 49k! The newer coated DPFs from about 2010 are designed to last the life of the car...I bet they wont though lol.

I don't know about the NCT, but they are part of the MOT now, just visual currently but will probably go to an electronic check soon.

Simon, I'd say that's too often tbh, really shouldn't be regenerating every 100 miles! Also, what sort of mpg are you getting? You should easily do 600 miles to tank so could fill up half as often as you do currently.

[simcor]

I do quite a lot of short journeys so that's all I can put it down too. I was struggling to get 40mpg until a week ago when I found the cracked egr cooler since replacing that my MPG readout was only about 2 MPG out rather than 7 as it was before. So far this week I am already showing nearly 50MPG on the OBC so I am hopeful for 50MPG at least this week when I fill up.

[Dave_TDCI]

Hopefully mine has been changed by now by a previous owner, bar the problem with the dpf trying to regenerate every so often the car seems to drive great.

Would a DPF with high mileage or partly clogged affect the cars performance or would it only be noticeable when it's been clogged fully and is on the way out?

If the DPF is now been tested in the MOT then it's almost certain to apply soon to the NCT.

I imagine the DPF is one of those things that will be completely phazed out in the next few years (hopefully anyways) with all the problems they cause. Although the same could be said about the dual mass flywheel which seems to be around for quite awhile now

[Dee_82]

the dpf is a visual test only on the MOT, if it looks good it is good, smoke test is the one to catch you out, someone on here said the test is getting changed for euro V and newer engines in 2018 which will test emissions and or software via obd, ive not found any UK reference to this as yet though

[TomsFocus]

Would a DPF with high mileage or partly clogged affect the cars performance or would it only be noticeable when it's been clogged fully and is on the way out?

I imagine the DPF is one of those things that will be completely phazed out in the next few years (hopefully anyways) with all the problems they cause. Although the same could be said about the dual mass flywheel which seems to be around for quite awhile now

The performance will get slightly worse continually as the DPF fills up, just as it does as an air filter blocks. But its so gradual you probably won't notice. Well, not until it drops into limp mode anyway!

I don't think DPFs will be phased out, they do work well for reducing particulates, which is what the gov't is interested in. Plus they are already finding ways to make them last longer (getting rid of the additive for a start!). But look at the problems EGR valves still cause and they've been around for 30 years lol!