Car problems stopping me sleeping, grr.

Tute

Tute

Tute

Soldato
Joined
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Devon, UK
Hi all. Not sure what the point of this thread is, just need to vent.

As probably all of you know, I bought a Leon FR TDI at the end of 2009. It was on 54K miles at the time. Since then, i've had about 40-45K miles of happy, trouble free motoring (bar a failed injector, covered by warranty) and whilst 45MPG isn't the best, it's far from the worst either.

The problems then started.

First I knew of it was when I got an engine error light on the M5 motorway one day, resulting in a loss of boost completely. Nothing would get rid, so I limped it back to the dealer who read the fault as "catastrophic underboost", but could not suggest any definite way to fix it. I had them check for the usual signs, but apparantly the turbo looks good and there are no leaks.

They reset the code and sent me on my way.

Now, since then, whenever the car has been on "DPF regen" - basically when it heats the DPF to clear away the build-up, I get very lumpy power delivery. The car "urges" under acceleration. It's a very odd feeling, but never seemed to throw any fault lights, so the dealer were utterly useless. I decided to just ignore it as the car seemed to be working.

So, 10K miles later and the main difference seemed to be that it was running a regen a lot more than usual, and having trouble clearing it. Often the filter light would come on and i'd have to go hoon it to clear the DPF up.

Until today.

Today I took the car a total of about 100 miles, and it was an absolute pig. Juddering, making odd noises, repeatedly going into limp-home mode, repeatedly trying to regen the DPF with little success. It feels down on power somewhat - not totally lacking in boost, but like the usual available oomph isn't all available.

I don't really know what to do - I don't want to have to drop what is looking like £1200 on a new DPF for a car that is worth probably less than four times that.

So yeah, i'm at my wits end. And here I am at 3.30am worrying that i'm going to have to sink that kind of money into a car that is barely worth it.

As for changing car, i'm SO CLOSE to being able to, it's just a race to see who can get there first - me with the money or the DPF failure. Because as I said, having to drop four figures on a new one would not be fun.

Thanks for reading.
 
DPF's are PITA, my 59 reg Accord, which has spent 50 of its 67k miles on the motorway, has just had to have a new DPF, fortunately company car and covered under warranty.

Ive been told a common mod is to basically to take out the dpf completely.Might be something worth considering?
 
If you sold yours as damaged could you add that £1200 and buy a similar one that you knew was all working great ?

If not then its worth it . If so then do the above
 
"andy" said:
If you sold yours as damaged could you add that £1200 and buy a similar one that you knew was all working great ?

If not then its worth it . If so then do the above
Click to expand...

Trouble with that plan is - his was one that he knew was all working great until recently.

He could very easily buy a replacement only for it to start doing the same thing.

If it IS the DPF on this one failing, fixing it leaves him with a car he knows and a fixed DPF vs a car he doesn't know with another ticking time bomb of a DPF.
 
I had the DPF taken off my A4 a few months ago. I've gone for a replacement pipe rather than having the DPF cut open, gutted and welded back up. Some say its an MOT failure but having shown the guy who will be doing my MOT what I've done, he said as long as it passes emissions he'll pass the car.

I also had the EGR valve removed at the same time. This can either be turned off or completely removed and replaced with a pipe. I've replaced it altogether. Only thing that is still on the car that needs removing is the EGR cooler which I also (fingers crossed) think is leaking as the car is going through a tank of coolant a month (either that or the head is porous and its all over :eek: )

The car will need to be mapped to ignore the fact that the DPF is no longer there. Here you need to take care as some places just turn off the light so the car still tries to regen. I'm sure the SEAT forums will be able to help you there.
 
Hey dude, sorry to hear of the car troubles, mine is also being a pain in the rear at the moment. My advise is drop the cash on it and get it done, this in turn will allow you to sleep and as a result life will be much better.

At the end of the day you have put 50k on it and now you need to show it some love, granted the bill will be four figures but trust me it could be a whole lot worse.
 
I'd have less qualms about cutting the DPF off or replacing it if I was planning on keeping the car - but i'm not. It was bought as I knew i'd stack miles on it. If this had happened a year ago it would have meant paying up and i'd have been a lot more happy to do so knowing that i'd still be getting a year out of it.

But i'm done now. I don't have to do those miles anymore. I'm in the process of eyeing up various petrol hot hatches so I can change away before it starts going wrong.

I'm just worried that the car will throw a massive bill before I can - a bill that i'll have to pay on a car that I want to get rid of anyway. It would really bother me having to drop four figures on a car only to pretty much hand the keys to someone else and watch them drive it away, with me being all that money lighter.

Yes, I know, it's total chance and **** happens. Doesn't mean I want it to though.
 
I've read of people having the DPF "done" for as little as £300. If you are getting shot what do you care how good the job is as long as the car behaves itself for a short time.

Rather that than forced to pay over £1000.
 
The situation isn't so bad, you've had a good run over the last couple of years and now it has come round to the inevitable time where you need to spend some money on the car. Certainly not the end of the world and to be losing sleep over it... well, you are lucky that something so minor appears to be such a major issue.

I would either fork out for the DMF replacement and keep hold of the car for another 6 months or so or make the change now with whatever budget you have. As you are now considering a different type of car probably the latter.
 
the thing is with diesels have failing DMF's costing £1200, doesn't that nearly wipe out all savings you have made by choosing a diesel in the first place, especially combined with a higher initial purchase price?
 
Thats what I was thinking reading this. Your car has done similar miles to what ive covered in our 1.8t golf (45k) but we've had ours a year less than you. So although you made a saving in fuel, mine is still on its original cat at 190k, that 1200quid eats a huge chunk of the fuel saving you've made
 
NathWraith said:
the thing is with diesels have failing DMF's costing £1200, doesn't that nearly wipe out all savings you have made by choosing a diesel in the first place, especially combined with a higher initial purchase price?
Click to expand...

Only if you drive in a manner that makes the DPF fail, havn't managed to make the DPF ever regen on my Leon because it spends it's life on the motorway where black tar burners belong ;).

While this looks like DPF failure you'd need to 100% confirm it's only that with VAGCOM because for example, limp mode shouldn't come on with DPF regen activated (that just enables high idle + high temp burn through) and it would indicate you have another failure.
 
There are many reports of this happening on the SEATCUPRA.net forums - so that's why i'm 98% sure it's the final thrashings of a DPF desperately trying to cling to life.

Matt82 said:
Thats what I was thinking reading this. Your car has done similar miles to what ive covered in our 1.8t golf (45k) but we've had ours a year less than you. So although you made a saving in fuel, mine is still on its original cat at 190k, that 1200quid eats a huge chunk of the fuel saving you've made
Click to expand...

Thanks man, real help. :p
 
I think I would be getting rid of the DPF.....or as some1 said above open ...remove guts....weld together.

Surely thats the cheaper easier option.
 
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