Long Shot 'Wanted' or Better Idea..? (DPF related)

[Toms306]

Morning,

Not really sure where to put this as it's not really a 306 'wanted' thread...

Anywho, as we all know DPF's are shit. I'm still having issues with mine, had another failed regen yesterday so the plugs weren't to blame for that. The coated ones are far better than the old PSA Eolys ones tbf, but unfortunately they can't be swapped without hassle. So as much as I've tried to avoid it, looks like gutting is the only option now...feel bad for giving everyone cancer from particulates but never mind, I'll just keep my windows up and AC on...

So, I'm not going to gut the aftermarket one currently on there - partly because the quality is awful, the bend 'looks' quite restrictive, I can't be without a car while sorting it (as the plug issue reinforced to me) and I paid too much for it to see it be destroyed lol. Unfortunately I needed the money last year so scrapped the old genuine one for £60 - REALLY wish I'd kept it and had that gutted now, but I didn't so no point moaning about it.

Problem I have now is that I want/need a genuine one to gut, but 99% are changed on an exchange basis for another genuine one, and the other 1% do what I did and scrap them as they do have a bit of value in the cat.

So I thought I could find an old Focus/CMax 1.6TDCi spares and repairs to buy for ~£500, strip for parts and keep the gen DPF for gutting, using the profit from breaking to pay for the remap as well... Thing is I can't find any!! So if anyone knows of one - please do let me know!! Has to be pre-2009 as they changed to the newer DPF's after that. I believe any between 2004-2009 from Focus or CMax 110s will be the same. Also need to be able to prove it's a genuine DPF before purchase, as they will obviously be high milers and likely to have had a DPF change.

As the above is unlikely, does anyone know of a better idea to get a genuine DPF cheap or free lol? Other than stealing one of course.

Cheers
Tom

[welshpug]

get a non dpf downpipe and a map on it?

will a citroen downpipe work?

[Toms306]

Peugeot and Citroen down pipes are different. Needs to be Focus or CMax, I think Mazda 3(?) and Volvo C30 downpipes may be the same but not 100%.

Cat pipe cans are much smaller than DPF ones so an obvious MOT fail unfortunately.

[welshpug]

will they even know to check for dpf?

[Eeyore]

tom you havent got anywhere to strip a car now? I wouldnt be doing it outside your flat.

[r3k1355]

Can't you just take it to an exhaust place and have them custom make you one up??
You can usually get a full system for 300-400 quid, so one pipe can't be that much??

They could even make it with a faux DPF box on it, so it looks the part and shit.

[welshpug]

buy a better car!

[Seb_Ryan]

You cant buy them off ebay no? That look like a dpf but are just a box?

[Toms306]

will they even know to check for dpf?

Well MOT should be ok for this year ( ) but who knows for next year, I may no longer have a friendly tester... Theres also a lot of VOSA checks round here, and I'm pretty sure they'll know how to check for DPFs. I know some would just risk it but I worry enough as it is lol.

tom you havent got anywhere to strip a car now? I wouldnt be doing it outside your flat.

Thought I could borrow your Nans drive...

But seriously...the rusty old van opposite hasn't moved since I've been here, and my neighbour has been splashing oil, diesel, paint and god knows what else all over his parking space/wall, looks like people aren't really fussed here tbh! It wouldn't be a full break anyway, just strip the valuable stuff and scrap the rest within a week or so, keep it under a car cover at night.

Can't you just take it to an exhaust place and have them custom make you one up??
You can usually get a full system for 300-400 quid, so one pipe can't be that much??

They could even make it with a faux DPF box on it, so it looks the part and shit.

Hmm, can't see it being cheap enough tbh as I still want the cat left in, cats aren't cheap. Wouldn't be able to leave the car anywhere either though, hence needing a spare to have gutted so I can swap them at home.

buy a better car!

Can't afford anything VAG and diesel unfortunately. And EcoBoost Fiestas are still way out of budget.

You cant buy them off ebay no? That look like a dpf but are just a box?

Nah unfortunately not, not that I've found anyway, that would be ideal tbh!

[welshpug]

a work colleague just bout a C4 1.6 hdi, it hasn't got dpf.

WIN.

I wouldnt go vag anyway, even more to go wrong than a ford and more expensive to fix.

[Toms306]

Is the C4 a 90bhp model then? Slow as f*ck if so, I tried a 90bhp Focus before buying mine as the lack of DPF looked good... Unfortunately it also lacked a VNT and any sort of pull at all...

Each to their own though, I prefer VAG over Ford, PSA, GM, etc tbh.

BUT I can't really be changing cars atm so gotta make the most of the Focus lol.

[toseland]

you bought a 4 tonne heap of shit with a DPF and you're worried about the 90bhp hdi in the C4 being slow...


less standards, or more money to be honest..

[Toms306]

It only weighs 50kg more than an equivalent C4 with 20bhp extra and lots more torques... Over a second quicker to 60 than the C4 90...

[welshpug]

yeah.

but fucxking dpf!

which means from your experience, its never actually running 20 bhp more, cos its always in limp mode!

[Toms306]

It's only been in limp mode once (albeit for 2 days), but that was the glow plugs fault...

DPF hasn't actually caused limp yet...I should emphasise YET... It does spend a lot of time feeling choked before a regen kicks in though, be interested to know how much it is actually running atm, not the claimed 109bhp I would bet...

[bigcheez2k3]

Why do you have so much trouble with your dpf?

I drive vans with DPFs in London all day and never have any issues with them. Same as driving parents cars and never needed to worry about it.

[Toms306]

Are your vans newer? Or using any dpf other than the terrible PSA additive version? The eolys ones just aren't up to the job, never were, hence changing to the coated ones for euro 5. The software is also crap imo, tries to start regens in stupid places (30mph stop start town runs) but worst part is it can't accurately read the soot loading, even with dealer tools on this type of dpf they're innacurate. Add that to the fact there is no dpf light at all on the mk2.5 focus so anyone without diags doesn't even know there's a problem until its too late and cuts out overtaking a lorry on the motorway...

All DPFs aren't bad, infact the much newer ones from about 2012 ish seem to be working better, as well as being freer flowing to start with. But the eolys type is just shit lol.

[bigcheez2k3]

Not sure what year yours is but we have 60+61 plate Caddys and Transporters. Sitting in traffic daily because London lol

[Toms306]

VWs use a coated DPF system and better mapping. Its only PSA (or their engines) which use the shitty additive DPF. There are fewer problems on the Focci post Euro 5 (2009) where they switched to a coated DPF, its still a bit restrictive though, was about 2012 iirc where the PSA engines got a freer flowing one.

You must still notice active regens or get DPF lights driving round London all day though? Unless they're given forced regens every month or something.

[toseland]

from what i hear VW dont do what they are supposed to anyway..


when do you drive fast enough to appreciate the second faster 0-60?

[bigcheez2k3]

VWs use a coated DPF system and better mapping.  Its only PSA (or their engines) which use the shitty additive DPF.  There are fewer problems on the Focci post Euro 5 (2009) where they switched to a coated DPF, its still a bit restrictive though, was about 2012 iirc where the PSA engines got a freer flowing one.

You must still notice active regens or get DPF lights driving round London all day though?  Unless they're given forced regens every month or something.

Nope, nothing. They sit in traffic and get caned away from lights among other things.

I've noticed the fans on a couple times lately with higher revs but it's my understanding a regen is when you drive at high revs for a sustained period.

[Toms306]

from what i hear VW dont do what they are supposed to anyway..


when do you drive fast enough to appreciate the second faster 0-60?

Lol, yep, rather than actually fit all the emissions rubbish they fool the tests instead apparently now.

Joining motorways and overtakes are where the acceleration and torques come in... Not really enough power to do it in the 110 imo, it's noticeably worse in a 90!

VWs use a coated DPF system and better mapping.  Its only PSA (or their engines) which use the shitty additive DPF.  There are fewer problems on the Focci post Euro 5 (2009) where they switched to a coated DPF, its still a bit restrictive though, was about 2012 iirc where the PSA engines got a freer flowing one.

You must still notice active regens or get DPF lights driving round London all day though?  Unless they're given forced regens every month or something.

Nope, nothing. They sit in traffic and get caned away from lights among other things.

I've noticed the fans on a couple times lately with higher revs but it's my understanding a regen is when you drive at high revs for a sustained period.

That's a passive regen when you drive fast enough to get the exhaust hot...never happens in the Focus, I've done plenty of live tests watching the DPF temps...can sit at 80 all day and not burn the soot... Have to really try to get it hot, like 80 in 4th...

It may work in the VWs as the coated DPFs are designed to burn soot at a lower temp, but I don't know enough about them to say so.

In London I would expect plenty of active regens, where the ECU detects a high soot loading and starts a regen itself, getting cylinder/exhaust temps as hot as possible - basically changes the injection duration, closes the EGR, bypasses the intercooler and sticks the glow plugs on (hence why glow faults cause limp mode). These are also set at about every 500 miles as a fail-safe on the DV6, I would guess its the same with the VWs but don't have personal experience. The Mk4 Golfs got away without a DPF lol.

You should also have a DPF light on the VWs, glows orange with 25% soot loading
and red with 50% loading iirc. I can't believe that the newer VW's are so clean burning they don't keep filling the DPF...

[bigcheez2k3]

When the fans are on, it idles at 1000rpm but no lights and temp stays at a solid 90 like it will regardless of what I do.

[Toms306]

The temp stays the same...you're not looking at the needle are you? It's lying to you... Could be anywhere between 80 and 100c and sit at 90 lol...

When the fans are on it 'may' be doing a regen then, you wouldn't necessarily know tbh. I can usually tell by a change of engine note (sounds rougher) and the MPG dropping when it should be steady. Sometimes can smell it also, hot cat stinks, and smells of hot soot as well. Others reckon they see smoke but I've got factory tints so cant see anything lol. And of course the fans running on after switch off are the biggest telltale of a regen being stopped midway.

[Niall]

Ive noticed when the kia does it and i stop half way through it absolutely stinks of tyres! Smells like a drift day lol

Have to say though, my DPF has never caused an issue in the 72k of London driving it has done. You've just bought a shit heap as per usual Tom

[Redordead89]

Hi Tom, couldn't you do 306 again? Phase1 for lack of electrical and dpf hleadaches? Spend the change on a holiday?

[bigcheez2k3]

Hi Tom, couldn't you do 306 again? Phase1 for lack of electrical and dpf hleadaches? Spend the change on a holiday?

A 306 won't do inifinite mpg, or have the toys, or cost the 13p Tom would like to spend.

[Redordead89]

Lol Worth a try!
Just a thought!?!? I know an Hdi can be mapped for more power but can't it be mapped for more mpg than the already acceptable 40-50'ish mpg out the box??
And yes I know you don't get an Hdi in a phase 1!

[bigcheez2k3]

Lol Worth a try!
Just a thought!?!? I know an Hdi can be mapped for more power but can't it be mapped for more mpg than the already acceptable 40-50'ish mpg out the box??
And yes I know you don't get an Hdi in a phase 1!

You don't get an XUD in a Ph3 but I have one. HDi in a Ph1 would probably be just as simple.

[Redordead89]

Full on rewire no?
Big fan of the xud cos I've had loads of them but for a daily wouldn't an Hdi in a phase 1 be a win?