Diy 1.6 Tdci Dpf Change - With Pictures!

[TomsFocus]

Hello!

I may make this into a guide, but people may be interested to get a rough dea if they want to change theirs/yours. :)

Firstly I'll say, it's fairly involved and probably not a good job to start with if you're new to mechanics!

I stopped taking pics when it started raining and when I started rushing but hopefully you get the main jist lol.

Safety first! 4 axle stands on my soft driveway lol...wish it was solid!

Remove the undertray T30 bolts, and also the front part, but not pictured.

Check that this pipe is screwed in - cheap aftermarkets have welded pipes which would've been a pain! The pipe costs about £20 if you do need a new one.

Spray penetrating fluid on that and the down pipe nuts and anything else that might be seized.

Up top again now. Remove engine cover 10mm nuts

Next remove the airbox for access. It just pulls out but also has a rubber ring at the front and you'll need to remove the turbo and oil breather pipes.

Next the metal boost pipe needs removed. Hose clamps each end and a couple of 10mm bolts.

Next the fan needs removing - Haynes and mechanics have told me that the rad needs removing as well. Sod that lol, brute force got it out eventually!

This is the stupid lump of crossmember that completely ruins the excellent quick release design of the fan cowling!

Slightly more room with the fan gone!

Next remove the temp sensor. 19mm nut.

Pressure pipes -

Then the heatshield, 10mms

All clear, finally see the DPF itself!

Remove the rear bolts - try not to round them lol.

Remove V band clamp on turbo, and 10mm nuts securing DPF can to the engine. Remove the DPF...over halfway point now!

Checked the turbo for play, all fine, phew!

Swap lower pipe onto new DPF

Swap rear heatshield onto new DPF.

And put DPF back, tighten V band clamp and rear bolts. And that's as far as I got today! Hopefully finish tomorrow...

[jeebowhite]

Good man, looks like a great guide! look forward to seeing it completed!

[mudman]

Can't wait to see the out come tom

[TomsFocus]

Well, its all back together! :D Its basically a reverse of removal as Haynes would say.

Reset the DPF learned values with Forscan (very simple but vid uploading anyway), it said specifically not to force a regen after that so I didn't. Seems to drive ok and hasn't brought the fault code back even after a hard boot...redlining a diesel in the first 3 gears ftw haha.

I'm not impressed with the quality of the replacement DPF tbh though. Particularly where the top pressure pipe has been welded in the wrong angle. I had to try and bend it a bit just to get the fan back in! Didn't want to bend it too far or risk crushing it so theres still a tiny amount of room between them. The bracket for the one of heatshield nuts was about 1cm off where it needed to be and didn't have the locating hole for the bolt on bracket either, so have just left that off. One of the DPF can captive nuts came off so it's only held on one side, but tbh its secure anyway. And one of the lower heatshield captive nuts is damaged somehow, needs a tap through I guess but I don't have a tap. Theres also more turbo whistle than before, it may be due to the 'empty' exhaust tbf, or it may be a leak somewhere, will have to keep an eye on it I guess.

[TomsFocus]

Hmm, youtube ruined the quality of this! Hopefully its still readable though.

[jeebowhite]

Looks good mate, and I would send photos of the wrong brackets etc to the seller and demand a part refund :D

otherwise as long as its not going to damage the fan better still, who knows you might still get many years out of it yet! and if you have a welder nearby, you could possibly get the brackets welded and hole made so you can fully resecure it!

[TomsFocus]

It's the supplier, not the seller though. I've already had a replacement sent as the first DPF arrived broken!

Might try emailing the manufacturer and asking what their quality control consists of though lol.

[jeebowhite]

haha, definitely and send the evidence that its clearly not right!

[TomsFocus]

UPDATE

So, after 3 months the car started to feel a bit 'crap' again, lacking top end and a bit juddery on acceleration. Plugged into FORScan and the DPF code has come up again. :(

I've been doing over 1k a month, half of that motorway at 70, half B roads, very rarely in town traffic. Only been run on BP diesel as well (coincidence really though) so I don't know why it's blocking up again tbh.

It may just be a one off but I'll check it again in a weeks time and see it the code comes back.

[John2015]

I've got a Ford C-Max 1.6 diesel, I had the same problem but there was no warning lights on the dash and felt slow and sluggish. I took it in to fords and then fitted a new DPF and cost me £800. But I'm glad I had it good and recommend to anyone to take it to fords. Hoe you get it sorted and let us know how it runs when it's finished.

Sent from my iPad using Ford OC

[Dee_82]

that seems awfully quick unless there is an underlying problem, I don't suppose you have you old DPF? might it be worth gutting that, fit it and see how it runs, removing the software isn't strictly necessary on a short term but it might help identify any other issues.

Ive heard that DPfs can mask problems an is quite a common reason for these engines having issues, on a DPF-less car you might see it bellowing crap out the rear....

[TomsFocus]

that seems awfully quick unless there is an underlying problem, I don't suppose you have you old DPF? might it be worth gutting that, fit it and see how it runs, removing the software isn't strictly necessary on a short term but it might help identify any other issues.

Ive heard that DPfs can mask problems an is quite a common reason for these engines having issues, on a DPF-less car you might see it bellowing crap out the rear....

It can't be ash blocked already, must be that it's not burning the soot for some reason, but I'd have thought my driving would allow it to regen passively quite often. It did get really bad jumpy/lacking last week and kicked in an active regen (smelt and fans on high) so that may have caused the code, will leave it another week and see if the code comes back during the week.

Didn't keep the old one no, scrapped it for £60 unfortunately. So now looking for another knackered one to have gutted if possible. I can afford the remap now so that's not much of an issue this time.

I have factory limo tints so wouldn't see any smoke anyway haha.

[Dee_82]

if its not doing passive regens it would be handy to know what temps its running at and getting up too, I often use forscan to record a run every month, allows me to see whats going on, recording the temps for a trip might shed some light on it.

or just get rid, you tried the "right" thing to do, no need to feel guilty ;)

[TomsFocus]

Yeah good point, I could with a small OBD thing really, can't leave the laptop logging on a long trip. Anyone know of a small data logger that works with FORScan?

It will be going if it is blocking this time, no way round it, cant be replacing DPFs every few months lol. As said I have the funds for the remap now, which I didn't have before xmas, also have a welder mate so just need an old DPF to have gutted now really.

[Dee_82]

the bluetooth units aren't any good as it might not pick up all the available modules. im pretty sure mine doesn't pick up the temp sensor but perhaps others might.

What I normally do is use my cabled ELM 327, running the cable down the side of the drivers side door, the laptop or tablet can sit on the floor in the back, before I got my tablet I used to use a small inverter to power the laptop or the battery would die.

[TomsFocus]

Ah I see, I thought that maybe the case.

The old 'car' laptop doesn't hold battery long enough to do anything, so I used the newer one sat on the passenger seat for logging. I'll have to set it up again this week.

[TomsFocus]

So I finally got round to doing this lol. 2 runs of mixed driving. Coolant temp, glow plug operation and VNT vanes all working well on both tests.

1st run:

DPF pressure Max - 12kPa

Rough average - 3kPa

DPF temp Max - 338c

Temp during const' 70mph - 280c

2nd run (warm start)

DPF pressure Max - 9kPa

Rough average - 3kPa

DPF temp Max - 324c

Temp during const' 70mph - 290c

So it turns out 70 in 5th isn't getting the DPF anywhere near hot enough to regen passively which seems daft. But more worrying is the pressure in the DPF...bear in mind its only 3 months old and covered around 3k miles.

[Dee_82]

what is it like on a 3000 rpm long run?

[TomsFocus]

I don't know...the mpg would make me cry doing that lol.

[Dee_82]

ha, bring it up to temp, crank it up to 3000rpm, an slowly roll it back, youll find the sweet spot for the temperature, those max temps look way to low to regen passively, capturing an active regen might be interesting as well. if that is also failing because temps are too low then that would explain why your filling up with soot so quick

[TomsFocus]

It only regen'd on Friday so shouldn't do another for a while, can't seem to guess it yet though.

I may try a 3k run though, will see. :)

[TomsFocus]

Sooo... Still getting the regen duration fault code. The code pops up pretty much as soon you take it over 3k'ish.

Even driving at 3k still isn't getting it hot enough to passively regen btw.

I' think I've ruled out the pressure sensor by linking the sensor with itself and finding it reads 0 difference as it should in that instance.

I haven't been able to find an old DPF to gut and can't really afford the remap now as I'm moving house soon.

So I'm a bit stuffed tbh, not sure what else I can do with it? I would try changing the temp sensor if it's cheap enough but can't even seem to find it on ECP or the like, and I don't want to know how much Ford would charge for it (though I may be able to blag a discount). I could also try changing the pressure pipes for some silicone ones if anyone knows the ID of those?

[jeebowhite]

Go get the darned thing removed :-D

[Randoms]

Sorry to crash this thread but can anyone advise how often the regeneration is roughly to take place? (Understand there ate various factors)

I've had my focus for since mid march and it's regenerated at least 4 x that I know of, that said I've done lots of miles (about 2.5k).

I noticed that the regen is usually after I've been driving around town rather than the long motorway runs - or has it happened more frequently but I don't notice it when driving higher speed/motorway?

Sorry for random babbling

[TomsFocus]

Can't afford to now Jeebs, that would be my preferred method tbh! Also never found a spare I could gut, as I can get it gutted cheap enough...but can't afford the remap to go with it now I'm finally sorting my life out.

Randoms, regen should be roughly every 500 miles on a good DPF with long distance driving, so yours sounds about right. :)