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[jimbobmccoy]

While I may not be on the money about what it does, I have had a car scrapped due to a blocked one.

'Twas a work car, pug 407 (I think, the sporty looking one) used for a mix of motorway and town driving, so should have recharged regularly. Ended up blocked and blowing the exhaust off the brackets!!

Out of interest looked at removal implications and mot seemed to be an issue-this was 5 yrs back tho.

Seemed a fantastically flawed engineering idea, aimed purely at the business market.

Diesel cars-fleet use.
3 years/60-80k miles, mainly motorway use.
Car moves on, business customer happy. Short time later, second owner gets shafted.

[jimbobmccoy]

That being said, if your journeys suit it, I still think a modern diesel is hard to beat from an economy perspective. As much as people moan about rev ranges and the like, most modern 2 litre diesels will easily drive as well as their equivalent petrol counterpart (IMO)

Of course they drive differently, but if we're all as good a driver as we think we are that shouldn't cause us an issue should it?

[05omegav6]

While I may not be on the money about what it does, I have had a car scrapped due to a blocked one.

'Twas a work car, pug 407 (I think, the sporty looking one) used for a mix of motorway and town driving, so should have recharged regularly. Ended up blocked and blowing the exhaust off the brackets!!

Out of interest looked at removal implications and mot seemed to be an issue-this was 5 yrs back tho.

Seemed a fantastically flawed engineering idea, aimed purely at the business market.

Diesel cars-fleet use.
3 years/60-80k miles, mainly motorway use.
Car moves on, business customer happy. Short time later, second owner gets shafted.

No main dealer would ever sanction such 'adjustment', hence asking the question here

Interestingly, although the MoT ruling comes into force in February, I'm not sure how enforceable it is... after all, some cars may have been previously availble with/without a DPF as a factory option. Equally would Police spec vehicles been required to have them and at what point did they become mandatory...

[Vamps]

While I may not be on the money about what it does, I have had a car scrapped due to a blocked one.

'Twas a work car, pug 407 (I think, the sporty looking one) used for a mix of motorway and town driving, so should have recharged regularly. Ended up blocked and blowing the exhaust off the brackets!!

Out of interest looked at removal implications and mot seemed to be an issue-this was 5 yrs back tho.

Seemed a fantastically flawed engineering idea, aimed purely at the business market.

Diesel cars-fleet use.
3 years/60-80k miles, mainly motorway use.
Car moves on, business customer happy. Short time later, second owner gets shafted.

So I should be Ok buying a 16k miles with expectation of running for 3 years, 45k and moving on............

It's amazing the different opinions you get of different forums........

[05omegav6]

Depends on how the car was used Vamps

If it's an ex rental car, expect it to be bloxed, one 'owner' never serviced, six months old pos.
Motorbility car? might have done one long motorway trip each week and nothing else, or might have done two miles to the shops everyday...

Compared to the Omega, a diesel car might cost between 2 and 12ppm less to run, assuming you can get anywhere near the combined economy figures...

Lpg does offer diesel running costs without ruinous repair bills

[Kevin Wood]

The thing is, a petrol cat will survive a load of abuse and it only takes a few minutes of even urban driving for it to start working and cleanse itself, so there is no issue with short trips. DPFs are a different animal and simply don't survive being used mainly for short trips. They will and do fail very early.

MOT emissions checking doesn't currently determine whether the DPF is functioning. I'm not even sure it's possible from a tailpipe test, as if you brought in a vehicle that's in the process of regenerating, you'd be on a hiding to nothing. This is why the ECU on an EU4 car is required to monitor and manage the DPF condition and light the emissions light if there's a problem. It's also why an emissions light is an MOT failure.

[05omegav6]

Hypothetically then, could a tech 2 make the DPF disappear 

Rapidly narrowing my choice of cars down to two, either a v6 diesel Vectra (assuming the dpf 'issue' can be dealt with), or a V70 T6 (lpg'd if it'll take it) and hope the slushbox holds out

[chrisgixer]

Front wheel drive auto? Wince. C70 auto box failed after refurbing throttle body. 70k on the clock. Granted yours is a newer model but fitting all those gears in between the output and the wheel means an offset drive line, and instantly becomes weaker. But they may be more reliable these days?

I'd of thought an auto would be much easier day to day. Preferably correct wheel drive though.

...not helping am I Dad?

[chrisgixer]

What's the wheel well like in the vectra estate btw?

[05omegav6]

T6 is AWD , if the box goes bang, one from a diesel manual XC70 AWD might be encouraged to fit, but don't really want to think about that bridge unless I get to it

Vectra C estate will take a full size spare, so has potential for lpg... but, the only decent petrol choices are the 1.8 or the 2.8. The 2.2 is a dog of an engine. 1.8 is only a five speed, and rarely available in white... 2.8 a bit more common, but as you've seen, fitting LPG is easier said than done due to the complete lack of clearance around the plenum

[Marks DTM Calib]

A few DPF facts

1) Its a fine ceramic filter which traps the particulates in the exhaust gases
2) Its nothing like a cat
3) Its a requirement to meet Euro 4
4) It MUST regenerate around every 1000k miles.
5) If they are able to regenerate then they could last the life of the car (somehwat type dependent)

And its no4 that is the issue for your average user who does short trips as you can see a clog with only say 1200 miles on the clock from new or 1200 miles after its bought second hand (or less!)

The regen has the engine inject fuel late in the combustion cycle to raise the exhaust temperatures to circa 500 deg C (its a bit less on the shitroen engine due to magic additive they add, probably around 450 deg C), regen typicaly takes around 8-10 minutes and only works well with the engine loaded and at circa 2000rpm plus.

Removal involves dropping the DPF, cutting the top off and then removing the internal filter, weld back upa dn refit and its not possible to see the modification. The MOT smoke test also can not detect it.

Not sure about the 3.0 CDTi Al regarding tech 2 disable, it can certainly be deleted by other means though.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I guess in theory, if you're aware of the DPF and how it works then what could possibly go wrong?     

Provided you give it a weekly 'Italian tune' that is..... 

[Marks DTM Calib]

I guess in theory, if you're aware of the DPF and how it works then what could possibly go wrong?     

Provided you give it a weekly 'Italian tune' that is..... 

Its more a case of being able to recognise when its started the regen and being able to drive so that it completes its cycle.....not always possible if in a city or town centre.

And clearly, for your average person on the street its a techniology which is very beyond them and hence all the issues that get seen on all makes of vehicles fitted with them

[chrisgixer]

I can't help wonder why manufacturers appear to struggle with the basic tune?

Chipping remapping or retuning a diesel appears to see good improvements on all front's afaict. Better power output is the first obvious one. But also better economy as well, with less smoke.
My understanding is the black smoke is caused by Unburnt fuel, so what's the difficulty about tuning a diesel that means its easier to fit a Dpf than tune the engine to give less smoke or a cleaner burn?

I'm missing something clearly. No pun intended.


Apart from waisting fuel, why can't the Dpf set its own throttle at 2000rpm while the car is on the drive? Do its regen, then let the driver in his way?
Edit, actually, that wouldn't be very fool proof.

[I_want_an_Omega]

I guess in theory, if you're aware of the DPF and how it works then what could possibly go wrong?     

Provided you give it a weekly 'Italian tune' that is..... 

Its more a case of being able to recognise when its started the regen and being able to drive so that it completes its cycle.....not always possible if in a city or town centre.

And clearly, for your average person on the street its a techniology which is very beyond them and hence all the issues that get seen on all makes of vehicles fitted with them

So, how exactly would you do that? I had a '59 C5 with the 2.0 140 Hdi engine. I did over 60k in it in two years. It was used for long runs most times it was used - about 60 miles up & down the A1, so at motorway speeds. In all the time I had it there was no clue that it ever did a regen. No lights, never felt anything unusual at all .........