DPF full

[Paul1972]

Hi all I'm looking for a bit of advice please. I bought my 2011 3l xf about 15months ago ever since I bought it the amber DPF full light comes on between 250 and 800 miles everytime it averages approx 400 mile. I do a fair amount of distance driving with a mixture of round town. Once illuminated take it for a 60 mph run for a while and it clears. Main dealer are saying there is nothing wrong with it but surly it can't be right for light to come on so often

 Last one was 289 miles and that included a 120 miles round trip on a motorway. Any advice would be welcome 

Thanks

Paul

[Guest]

Hi Paul,

I don't run a diesel now and never experienced this problem first hand when I did. However, out of curiosity I did some checking and found this useful piece. Hope this helps.

What diesel drivers need to know about their DPF

August 29, 2014

Here’s what the DPF looks like (Picture © Vauxhall)

Not many drivers know what a Diesel Particulate filter (DPF) is – until it costs them serious money. And replacing one can cost £1000 or more. Green Flag attends a lot of cars that have broken down with DPF problems and they are caused by one primary factor: the DPF is clogged with soot because the driver has ignored the warning lamp. Here’s everything you need to know about the DPF dilemma. 

What is a DPF?

The Diesel Particulate filter is in the exhaust system of all diesel-powered cars sold new since 2009. It is a vital component that is designed to enable cars to pass increasingly tough emissions legislation. The DPF’s job is to trap the particles that are caused by the compression-ignition combustion process and thereby prevent harmful smoke from being pumped into the atmosphere.

How does it work?

Like any filter, the DPF will gradually get clogged with the soot that it traps. However, the car is designed to clean it by heating this residue up, turning it to ash and expelling it. This happens about every 300 miles, either when you travel at motorway speed, or because the Engine Control Unit initiates what’s known as regeneration by raising exhaust temperatures artificially.

Why it goes wrong

In stop/start traffic, or on short journeys, a regeneration may not get time to complete. This will cause the DPF to block partially and an orange light (left) will come on in the instrument cluster. Ignore the light and continue driving slowly or in traffic and eventually the engine will lose power and stop. This will prompt a trip to the garage and things will get expensive. And I mean really expensive: if the car needs a new DPF, we’re talking more than £1000.

 

What to do if you see the warning light

When the DPF warning lamp comes on (check your handbook to see exactly what the one on your diesel looks like) it’s time to take the vehicle on a longer run, preferably on a faster road such as a dual carriageway or motorway. Driving at 40mph or more for 10 minutes should prompt the DPF to go into ‘regeneration’ mode and burn off soot which will clear any blockage.

How to prevent problems in the first place

Before you buy a car, consider the kind of mileage you do. If most of your miles involve short journeys or sitting in stop-start traffic where the car never really gets going, plump for petrol rather than diesel. There’s another good reason for this. Diesel cars are generally more expensive than petrol and because diesel is pricier at the pumps too, you don’t see any payback from a diesel car’s improved economy unless you do a healthy annual mileage.

Why not get rid of the DPF?

One answer to problems with the DPF might be to remove it altogether. But DPFs are installed for a very good reason – they cut pollution – so it’s not a very responsible solution. Also, from February 2014, any car that’s had its DPF removed is an MOT failure. Despite this, there are still companies advertising on the internet to remove DPFs and do the associated re-programming of engine software. Don’t be tempted: it may well invalidate your warranty as well as making your car dirtier and potentially unroadworthy.

Nick Reid is a fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry and head of transformation at Green Flag

[Paul1972]

Thanks I'm aware of the workings of a DPF just wondered if anyone else had come across same prob. I have been doing everything it states in the article however the 300 mile bit is interesting 

Ta

[Paul1972]

Here's my feedback to jag dealer

I purchased a jaguar xf from Hatfield jaguar a little over a year ago now and I must admit on the whole their customer service is second to none. The service department are always as helpful as possible and staff friendly and polite. So why the negative rating you might ask? Well it's really simple and can be summed up in 1 word IAN! Since purchasing the car we have had a repeated problem with the DPF full warning light coming on every few weeks the car has been looked at by the service department many times and on 2 occasions faults have been found and rectified but the problem continues. After a year of this we requested to speak to the general manager (ian) which with hindsight was a mistake. We explained that despite doing quite a lot of motorway journeys as soon as the car does a small amount of around town driving the DPF fullwarming light comes on. He was very dismissive trying to say it was because we were driving around town to much. So to clarify this according to Ian it is normal for a DPF full warming light to come on after only 289 despite during that period doing a 100 miles+ round trip on a motorway and a separate 80 round motorway journey he refused however to put his statement in writing. The problem with Ian is he seem to hear but will not listen to a reasoned logical argument blaming this problem on driving style! It's worth mentioning at this point not only do i drive diesel cars at work but have also owned diesel for the past 20 years well before DPF filters were around, my previous 2 cars were both diesel with Dpf's and in a combined 5 years of ownership the DPF light did not come on once on either of them and if there has been any change in my driving habits I am now doing more distance runs than ever. So to sum up according to Ian's logic there is nothing wrong with the car because the diagnostic machine says so. It's my driving style and the mileage I do and they do not have this problem with any other customers. So the question I must pose is out of hundred of customer does no one drive their cars locally does everyone do exactly 60mph on the motorway (apparently 70 is to fast according to Ian's logic) on every journey. I have even had to go into jaguar today as after a conversation were I agreed to keep a log of the light coming on he would not return my phone calls. If anyone is considering buying a 3l xf here is a list of what in Ian's world is normal.
Light out 801 miles including hull-liverpool airport and back, hull to Castleford and back, hull to ferrybridge and back and hull to Grimsby and back, light on. Light off 289 miles including hull to batley and back and hull to Grimsby and back, light on 501 miles hull to Grimsby and back gilberdyke and back domcaster and back. I think anyone considering buying should look at these figures first

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

changing your driving style might help

when you go on a run on the motorway, just keep it in a lower gear for 10 minutes or so, try to keep the revs raised for that 10 minutes

not bouncing off the red, but with higher revs than normal, its not speed you need , just higher revs,

by keeping your revs raised it will get the dpf up to temperature and remove any buildup in your dpf

the dpf relies on temp to burn off the build up and throw it out as soot, if your cruising at low revs, the dpf never get hot enough to burn the buildup off

when you get to a certain back pressure in the exhaust system, it bring on a regen and the dpf light come on, but when it clears, it only clearing enough just to clear the fault

by keeping your revs up at regular intervals, to get the dpf hot and clear it self will eliminate the need for manual regens when the warning light come on

some people recommend additives, to keep it clear, but it not required 

cheers

Joe

 

[Old Peter]

Hi All,

This is a very interesting topic.  I have had my s type 2.7 Diesel for just over 4 years and so far and fingers crossed,  I have never had the DPF full warning.  Most of the time I have a few short runs and only about once a month I have one of the longer runs which I know will regenerate the DPF. 

So, I have never had the experience of talking to a dealer about the issue, and consequently have never go answers telling me that it is normal. I don't thing a receptive issue is normal.  My car is normal, as when I start  the engine, it takes me to wherever I want to go without warning lights coming on. If a dealer told me what he has told Paul, I would question whether the filter was fit for purpose, and that his answer was one to avoid having to replace it at his cost. There are load of answers meant to blame the driver of the car in question.

Last week, I managed to "bend" the wheel arch of SWMBO's Toyota Yaris Hybrid while getting it of of the garage, and was quoted £358 to repair the damage, with the reason given that  as the car was a Hybrid a special tool had to be used, as electricity was running through the car.  A local bodyshop quoted me £216, and he did observe the electricity is running though all modern cars.

I have tried to keep the fuel system of the diesel engine clean, firstly by using premium fuel  --  I use Shell V Plus, as there is is a Shell Station 500 yards  away from where I live, with occasional fuel system cleaning additive  [Miller oils diesel plus] which seems to work.

Preventing something happening is probably the better choice than fixing it after it has happened.

Regards,

Peter.

P.S.  WiFi is working today in our Holiday cottage [rented] in deepest Devon.

 

[Guest]

Hi Again Paul,

Sorry my previous post was not of much help but as you provoked my interest in the topic, (and also because, besides the Jag, my wife and I run two Audis, A8 and A4, which both have their 3.0TDI lump under their respective bonnets) I decided to do a little more digging around and found that PDF problems are much more common than I could have expected and afflict a wide variety of makes - BMW, Audi, Jag, Mercedes, et al. Seems that any manufacturer subject to EC emissions regulations can and does have to contend with this issue.

Anyway; reading through your later posts and other contributions, it is easy to see that in fact you have two problems. The first being technical and should therefore be readily surmountable and the other a less than cooperative and pro-active management team at the dealership you bought the car from.

Regarding the technical issue. There is a wealth of information available on the web regarding causes and treatments for DPF full problems and I've managed to find a few that may help with this - see the stuff I've pasted below. This confirms much of what has been said in the other posts regarding start/stop motoring and how this can contribute to the build up of soot in the DPF and how long journeys (which help to initiate and just as importantly sustain the auto-regeneration cycle long enough to complete the job) can help to reduce this and therefore get the warning light to go out. The suggestions regarding the use of higher quality fuels and/or some additives are also true as these can work to reduce the amount of soot getting to the DPF from the engine and by reducing the temperature at which carbon will burn within the DPF. However, it seems that the ash left after soot/carbon has burned in the DPF is not always completely expelled and can accumulate with later deposits of new soot/carbon and as a consequence these approaches are only effective in the short term insofar that they can delay the point at which the DPF reaches critical levels of fill, and perhaps more importantly, can also defer the point at which the auto-regen cycle fails to perform effectively (it seems that this function has a limited life expectancy and its performance decays with frequency of use and perhaps also due to the increasing density of soot-ash in the filter). In addition the evidence I've found seems to suggest that the Re-Gen cycle will not remove all the soot-ash present in the filter and over time these deposits will again build up to critical levels thus prompting more frequent Full warnings and, if not attended to effectively, can ultimately cause serious damage to or total loss of the turbo and possibly even the engine itself.

However, from what I have found this is all very fixable as it is possible to have the existing DPF cleaned out to restore its efficiency to something close to when it left the factory. This seems to be a dealer/reputable garage job as there are some horror stories out there of DPFs catching fire or melting during the cleaning process. Also, of course, there is the option of simply replacing the damn thing. Naturally, neither of these options is very cheap.

As to the attitude and behaviour of your local dealership team. I am at a total loss. There is absolutely no way they can be ignorant of the nature of the 'DPF Full' problem and effective remedies to treat this or to effectively detect and remedy any alternative causes such as faulty sensors or ECU problems. Nor can they possibly, or sensibly, claim that this is to do with driving style - how many Jags driven in London ever get above 30mph? Frankly, if the car is out of warranty, and I were him, I would be welcoming you back with open arms. So, I can only assume you still have these guys under some kind of obligation and he (Ian) thinks that ignoring you will make you go away. Either wayI think I would be looking to the next round of escalation through the management chain.

Hope this is more useful than my previous contribution.

Good luck and don't take no for an answer.

Here's the stuff I've found that may be useful to you and others (highlighted bits worth extra note)

Found on the JaguarForum site under DPF Full Any Help.

 

MOST OF the time, I find myself writing about success in diagnosing and repairing vehicle faults. With this in mind, I thought it would make a change to discuss a case of failure.

We base our success on experience gained from our willingness to adopt new products and evolution of our techniques. So when presented with a new product from an automotive chemical firm, we had no hesitation in trying it out. The product is designed to treat blocked diesel particulate filters (DPFs). To apply it, you remove the lambda sensor and spray the aerosol directly into the leading edge of the DPF filter housing.

Let’s begin with an overview of the need for DPF filtration, current legislation and problems with DPFs that we all know and love. We all know that a DPF’s main job is to stop tiny pieces of un-burnt carbon from entering the atmosphere. There are two basic means of improving the combustion of the soot through the DPF system; namely, additive systems where urea is added into the exhaust stream or thermal systems, where an increase in exit temperature is used to burn off residual carbon from within the DPF substrate.

Excessive soot

So what causes excessive soot within the DPF? Can it be incomplete combustion and nothing else? Once excessive soot is produced there are collateral problems that increase the effects of a blocked DPF and cause premature failure. The EGR valve can fail and there can be problems with the intake swirl flap and turbocharger – this brings me nicely to the subject of this month’s article.

A BMW was presented to our workshop with restricted performance. An initial examination confirmed a blocked DPF. The extent of the blockage meant we could only treat it chemically.

As previously stated, it is imperative to ensure all critical components function correctly, with this in mind, the EGR valve (which was sticking), the lambda sensor and temperature sensors were pre-cleaned prior to the application of the DPF cleaner directly into the casing, as per instructions.

First, we allowed the chemical product to treat the soot prior to a regeneration drive cycle. We then used the Autologic platform to instigate the regeneration process – of course, this cannot under any circumstances be conducted with outstanding DTCs or system errors.

With the lambda sensor replaced and vehicle at normal operating temperature, my son David took the vehicle on the mandatory drive cycle, all the time monitoring data via the serial platform.

Having covered only a short urban drive cycle, David observed burning embers on the road surface in the rear view mirror – hardly ideal. Returning to the workshop promptly, first indications appeared well, the DPF sensor value had reduced considerably and power had improved too. However, exhaust fumes within the driving compartment suggested that all was not well. Getting the vehicle in the air and examining the DPF casing exposed a critical and worrying condition. During the process of burning off carbon from within the filter, temperatures had reached a critical level… sufficient to actually melt the DPF casing!

Where does this leave us? We thoroughly reviewed our process – nothing had changed from many previous successful regeneration procedures except the application of a direct additive product.

Unlike the previous successful use of intake systems cleaning, where complete control of both function and result is possible, this particular method once applied has no predictability.

The obvious conclusion to which, excluding total thermal failure as with our BMW, is that this method threatens the integrity of the DPF substrate with no means of warning.

 

Further information

For more magazine articles see our technical library at aftermarketonline.net/technical. Frank Massey and ADS offer a range of professional training courses for every level. For details, call Annette Parkinson on 01772 201597 www.autoinform.co.uk/training.

 

New laws will change the regeneration game

Current Euro 5 legislation is soon to be replaced by Euro 6 in 2014, whereby the permissible levels of harmful emissions will be drastically reduced and the correct function and servicing of the DPF will become essential.

It is likely manufacturers will adopt additive treatment systems given the current problems in the use of diesel powered vehicles in unfavourable conditions. These include poor and inappropriate servicing regimes, low quality oils and short journey drive cycles.

Additionally, the mechanical functionality of the engine is vital. Correct soot removal from the DPF requires all diesel system components to operate to exact specifications.

 

Types of regeneration

What are the technical options available to regenerate the DPF filter?

Passive regeneration

During suitable driving conditions, the exit exhaust gas temperature will reach up to 500ºC. This will burn off low and moderate soot deposits without any internal or external stimulus.

Active regeneration

Stimulated by an increase in back pressure, mileage or time driven since last DPF regeneration, a series of active events will take place the outcome of which is designed to increase the exhaust gas temperature even further. We have seen this rise to 800ºC during serial data logging.

Forced regeneration

This process is only available through serial intervention and only then if a strict series of parameters are met. These include all of the previous mentioned components.

Additive treatments

These fall into three categories:

• Fuel tank additives which promote a reduction in the temperature at which carbon can be passively burned off

• Induction additives such as BG products which are injected directly into the air intake system whilst the engine is running. The advantage of this method is control of process and it completes treatment of the entire intake and exhaust system

• Direct additives act as an initiator, creating an environment that promotes an increase in the combustibility of the soot deposits. The problem with this method lies within a total lack of control and predictable reaction once applied.

 

 

 

Another interesting bit:

(i have never considered higher grade fuel due to cost but with such low miles i guess it might be worth it.... will also look into cleaning my mass airflow sensor to make sure more chance of correct burn)

So what can be done to keep your DPF clean and happy?


So it turns out, short trips and urban driving don't do your DPF and favours, only assisting in filling the DPF faster. This is because when an engine is cold it doesn't burn fuel as cleanly as when the engine is hot, another side effect is that the exhaust doesn't get hot enough for a long enough period of time to carry out the DPF regeneration. So how can you combat this. Well depending on how many short trips you do over a week or fortnight, the best thing you can do is get your car on the dual carriageway and then drive according to the following points!!
 

·       Ensure engine is at operating temperature.

·       Drive in fourth or fifth gear.

·       Drive above 50 mph.

·       Keep engine speed between 2000 and 3000 rpm.

·       Keep going for at least 20 miles.

As long as the above is followed, if vehicle senses that a DPF regeneration needs to be carried out it will do so automatically without the need for any diagnostic tools!!! 

 

Another thing you can do, is to use either the more expensive diesels such as BP Ultimate or other premium fuels, or a good diesel additive. This is because better diesel has a higher cetane rating, the higher the cetane rating the better the combustion quality or cleaner burn, in turn not loading the DPF as much, resulting in less frequent DPF regeneration processes. A good side effect of using better diesel is better EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) health and it helps to keep the engine internals cleaner.



Another step to take is to ensure servicing work is carried out at the correct time and to the correct standard. See here. What is a car service.
This is because some vehicles have an additive tank which needs filling with the correct additive as part of some service schedules.


So what actually goes wrong with your DPF. Well some common issues are...


 

·       The pressure differential sensor can fail.

·       Too many DPF regenerations have been carried out. (They have a limited lifespan).

·       The DPF has become overloaded and automatic regeneration is not possible. In this case you need to force the regeneration process using suitable diagnostic equipment.

·       The DPF can break apart internally. 

·       The temperature sensor can fail.

·       The additive tank can run empty. (If fitted).

There are other failures but these are the most common.

 

The following is from the same thread but from another contributor.

Repeated DPF regen, weather forced or passive will lead to a permanently blocked DPF, all you are doing is burning off the soot, which turns to ash, this also blocks the filter, in fact its usually ash that kills them, not soot.

 

[Paul1972]

Thanks some good info in there especially the the lower gear on a run dealer has been telling me doing that would inhibit regen

[Trooper2142]

One thing  that hasn't been mentioned is engine Oil, do you know what Oil is in your engine it should be a Low Ash C1 Oil. 

I use a WSS M2C 934B C1 Low Ash oil this number is not mentioned in the Handbook on the x type and dealers were and maybe are still using the 913 B oil in the x type which will cause the DPFILTER to get blocked as it is not a Low Ash C1 oil .

I've had my x type for 4:5 year's and have never had a full dpf warning come on, i've seen or heard a Regeneration happening ( ie idling revs higher than normal, a louder sound from the exhaust, and some members say they can see a lower mpg showing ).

I use Shell V Power Diesel like old Peter and keep the engine revving higher at times especially coming out of a roundabout.

Regards Tom.

[Paul1972]

Not sure tom jag main dealer have serviced it so should be right and tried all different fuels seems to make little or no difference

[Allandon]

Hi Paul, et al. Hope you don't mind a newbie chipping in here. Paul, you are not alone! I purchased my 2013 3.0L Diesel XF Portfolio just a couple of months ago from H.A Fox of Guildford. Given my experience of them I am beginning to think that they used to trade out of Peckham under the name of "Boycie"!

Having had the vehicle for just a couple of months the DPF amber warning light has appeared a total of FOUR times. A longer journey as per the handbook has always cleared the warning light but I am beginning to worry whether this is simply storing up trouble for the future. HA Fox response has been to stop answering my emails!! The salesperson who sold me the vehicle even said (following the second warning light), that should it happen again to get in touch and they would "bring it in and take a look at it". That hasn't happened and, as I say they are now completely ignoring my emails.

I bought an "approved" Jaguar from a main dealer purely for the "peace of mind" it was supposed to give. Nothing could be further from the truth. Surely, not all Jag main dealers can be this cavalier with their after sales? Have these people never heard of Mercedes? I need to keep chipping away at them because from what I read, future DPF problems could be extremely costly. I am planning to start using a premium grade diesel rather than the Tesco stuff I've been using and will start doing a regular longer journey more often but quite frankly, citing a particular "driving style" or driving short journeys as the cause of DPF warning light is absolute nonsense as far as I'm concerned.

All the best - Allan

Edited October 20, 2017 by Allandon
typo

[Old Peter]

Hi Allan,

The problem you have is not uncommon and I don't mean the problem t=with the DPF.  Some Main Dealers are not very good at customer service but more interested in selling cars.

The DPF Full issue is one thing that has never happened to me, as I was advised very early in my driving of a modern diesel that premium Fuel was by far the best option to ensure that the engine ran nicely.  I do a lot of short runs and a longer run about once a month and I find that an additive about every two months keeps everything to do with the fuel system in order  ---  injector and DPF cleaner from Millers Oils  --  and there are others.  Between Tuesday and Thursday I visited the North Yorkshire moors and drove over 400 miles [up hill and down dale included] and even with traffic jams the car returned just over 40 miles per gallon.  My driving stye is not that of a boy racer, nor is it a 40 mph in the middle land of the motor way but the style  that most experienced drivers use  ---  just steady, quick when you need to. and careful when the traffic is very heavy and road conditions are not good.

The Dealers should really be a bit more expert in telling you the reason for a problem but the Owners Handbook does give you some information regarding the care needed to ensure DPF causes you no problems.

Regards,

Peter.

[Allandon]

Hi Peter, thanks for that. Would you (or anyone else) happen to know the position on using an additive in respect of the Jaguar approved warranty. I'm happy to try anything, including the use of an additive but don't want to find out later that it invalidates any warranty cover I might have. Cheers.

[Old Peter]

Hi Allan, 

I have had a look at the Jaguar Warranty Benefits leaflet, and under "Owner's Responsibilities" there is a paragraph stating that there will be no responsibility accepted by Jaguar -- etc ....... for the use of supplemental additives and flushing agents for fuel or engine Oil  [unless specified as part of a Jaguar service requirement].

The previous paragraph refers to the use of bio diesel or bio ethanol in concentrations that exceed 5%.  This would exclude regenerated chip Oil, or at the other extreme very powerful fuels.  I don't think that an egg cup full of an additive would exceed 5% of 65 litres of top quality diesel.

However, if you are unsure, I would write to a main dealer or indeed Jaguar for confirmation that  a small amount of an DPF/EGR/Injector cleaner would invalidate the warranty.

The Owner's handbook does say that you should not put any additives at all into the fuel or engine Oil.  Most peculiar!

Regards,

Peter.

 

[Allandon]

Just as an aside and by way of light relief; I've been reading various tips and suggestions about trying to avoid or overcome the DPF problems. These include a different driving style, longer runs and even using the paddle shifts to make the engine work that little bit harder.

It occurred to me that when I had my old X Type, I used to drive everywhere in sport mode. Having consulted the manual to find out how to select sports mode on the XF (yeah, I know, what a newbie)! - I decided to give that a go. Now, I know it's less economical and far too early to say whether it might help with the DPF issue but I will say one thing -  Jeeeeez - what a weapon!!! Phew!!

[V6Leaper]

On ‎21‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 9:29 AM, Old Peter said:

Hi All,

This is a very interesting topic.  I have had my s type 2.7 Diesel for just over 4 years and so far and fingers crossed,  I have never had the DPF full warning.  Most of the time I have a few short runs and only about once a month I have one of the longer runs which I know will regenerate the DPF. 

So, I have never had the experience of talking to a dealer about the issue, and consequently have never go answers telling me that it is normal. I don't thing a receptive issue is normal.  My car is normal, as when I start  the engine, it takes me to wherever I want to go without warning lights coming on. If a dealer told me what he has told Paul, I would question whether the filter was fit for purpose, and that his answer was one to avoid having to replace it at his cost. There are load of answers meant to blame the driver of the car in question.

Last week, I managed to "bend" the wheel arch of SWMBO's Toyota Yaris Hybrid while getting it of of the garage, and was quoted £358 to repair the damage, with the reason given that  as the car was a Hybrid a special tool had to be used, as electricity was running through the car.  A local bodyshop quoted me £216, and he did observe the electricity is running though all modern cars.

I have tried to keep the fuel system of the diesel engine clean, firstly by using premium fuel  --  I use Shell V Plus, as there is is a Shell Station 500 yards  away from where I live, with occasional fuel system cleaning additive  [Miller oils diesel plus] which seems to work.

Preventing something happening is probably the better choice than fixing it after it has happened.

Regards,

Peter.

P.S.  WiFi is working today in our Holiday cottage [rented] in deepest Devon.

 

I cut & paste this from the above post -  *** The Diesel Particulate filter is in the exhaust system of all diesel-powered cars sold new since 2009.***  I note that Old Peter (Hi Peter), car is a 2007 however.  I don't have any knowledge of and am not gesting either so am simply asking, did Jaguar introduce DPF filter before mentioned in the above article i.e. year 2009?  If not could it be that the warning light hasn't come on because there isn't one fitted?  That would be a good reason not to come on!

[Old Peter]

Hi Graham,

There is definitely a DPF in the 2007 Jaguar s type.  It was fitted in all 2005 2.7 onwards diesels to meet the EU4 requirements and I believe some of the 2004 models.

My neighbour has a DPF in his Mazda 6 2.0 litre diesel also.

Regards,

Peter.

PS. Jaguar say all of the 2004 models.

[Old Peter]

There is an interesting programme on BBC Radio 5 this morning at 11.00 am which should be of interest to Diesel drivers.  Apparently there have been 1,800 drivers prosecuted for having taken off their DPF from their cars.  The DPF filter reduces particulates by 20% and while it is not illegal for a garage to move it it is illegal for a driver to drive with it removed. Curious!

However, the MOT is being strengthened in 2018, and new all diesel vehicles will have to have a DPF fitted from 2018.

You will be able to listen to the programme  bathe on the radio at 11.00 am and also a little later via the BBC News online.

I have put the full article on Facebook fir those who use it.

Peter.

[Allandon]

Well now, despite a round trip from Dagenham to Bath in excess of 300 plus local driving and switching to V Power premium grade diesel, that blasted light came on again this week. The good news is that H A fox are now talking to me again (amazing what the truth posted on social media will do), to be fair, they came up with a plausible excuse for the breakdown in communications. Upshot is that they have agreed to take the car in to investigate the DPF problem. Here's the kicker; they have said they will need the car for at least 3-4 days as investigating DPF issues can be quite problematic.

I don't know whether to feel quietly confident that they are preparing for a thorough investigation or miffed that they are yanking my  chain! Has anyone else ever been told such a task would require them keeping the car for such a time??

They have asked whether I would need a courtesy vehicle so may not have much choice!