Motoring Discussion > DPF's and the MOT changes. Miscellaneous
Thread Author: - Replies: 13

 DPF's and the MOT changes. - -
Interesting conversation the other day.

In the back of my mind is pre planning what to do when the DPF as fitted to our C2 Diesel decides to play up, hopefully some time off but pays to have a plan imo.
One of the options was to get the DPF removed and programmed out of the ECU, not something i want to do particularly, as the MOT might well cover this type of thing soon enough.

One of the many long life exhaust and tuning companies offers this service, so i filled in an online form and got a call back from a localish franchise the following working day.

I asked the question he didn't possibly expect, what happens with the forthcoming MOT changes?
It seems they can only offer the service as of present regulations, they are not an MOT station, if things change then they cannot be held responsible etc etc, he waffled too long over this.

Well i knew all that so he didn't tell me anything i didn't already know, finally i asked him for a price.

New stainless down pipe to replace DPF, remove and reprogram ECU (sent off) to remove DPF from it's memory.
Between £800 and a 1000.

Now i haven't got a quote from Citroen for refilling the additive tank and replacing the DPF, which i might well remove and reverse steam clean meself when the time comes, others with Pug's seem to have had success doing this.
It appears the Pug/Cit system is fairly reliable and doesn't, hopefully, give too many problems.
I reckon if our DPF continues OK up to say 60K, then costs up to £800 at the garage (Bromptons Indy will be getting a call..;) for another 60K, why would anyone take the gamble at the frankly silly price quoted.

I wonder how much it will be to reverse the de-DPF for those who have had this done if the MOT tester fails it, re-reprogram ECU (if possible) new DPF...kerching.
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dog
I take it you've read the thread entitled VW Crafter CR35 2.5TDI - DPF!!! at 'the other place' gord (tech.)

I don't do DERV (except for commercial vehc's) but those blimming DPF's put me orf for life!

Trouble is, in poor areas like Cornwall, folk buy these DPF equipped diesel engine cars 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand,
and use them for quite short journeys - don't bare thinking about, does it :(
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - -
>> I take it you've read the thread entitled VW Crafter CR35 2.5TDI - DPF!!! at

Certainly have D, a joke of a vehicle, however it seems the owner is currently using it on a contract with stops a mile apart.
We as car drivers wouldn't dream of doing such short runs in a car with a DPF unless we wanted serious problems, but many vans do this type of running day in day out, not all can be DPF free....or is this just the start of hundreds of similar reports i wonder.

I knew when we took the C2 on that it had the DPF, with Cit's EOLYS system, it does however get enough long journeys to keep the thing happy so far, and Cit's system does seem to work quite well.
It definately gets enough Italian (or Greek) tune ups to keep the cobwebs blown out.
SWM loves the thing, it goes like hell and gives 53mpg around town and local blasts, obviously better on a run.

As for future car replacements for us, the success of the LPG conversion has confirmed that route as well worth consideration again.
Not sure as i'll be getting another DPF vehicle though, any i buy will be out of warranty soon if not already.

 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dog
>>SWM loves the thing, it goes like hell and gives 53mpg around town and local blasts, obviously better on a run<<

Blimey! that's twice what I get from the Lancer, perhaps I'd better look again at 'heavy oil' :)

Obviously it's illegal, and no one on this forum would con-sider it gord but, how about heating oil (Kerosene),
I pays about 57p a litre for the stuff and I dare say it could be mixed with 'heavy oil' and used in say a Pug 309 type jobbie by dubious characters, like Lud ;}
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - -
I'm definately in the proper Diesel fuel only camp, alternatives like re-refined cooking oil might be worth it in an old Diesel worth the price of a Wimpy burger, if it goes pop simply rinse and repeat, but i wouldn't risk ruining a decent car with the muck.

Currently paying 66ppl for LPG, gives my MB about the same running costs as a Corsa.
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dog
>>Currently paying 66ppl for LPG, gives my MB about the same running costs as a Corsa<<

But is the cost of the conversion worthwhile for the average bear covering the average mileage for S,D & P??
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - RattleandSmoke
I assume removing it will also increase engine performance slightly, so it becomes a performance mod which you need to declare to the insurance company.

Simply way round it, don't buy a diesel if you do lots of short trips, or buy an older car without one.
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - -
>> But is the cost of the conversion worthwhile for the average bear covering the average
>> mileage for S,D & P??
>>

It's an individual choice IMO, not purely on cost alone, though taking 20k miles as a payback figure would probably be fair given the fuel consumption of my old beast.

It's enabled me to keep the non PC car with it's proper slush box as daily runner, something i might have had to sell druing my agency time between proper jobs.

I'd now find it hard to go back to paying £1.35 a litre and only getting 22 mpg.

The deciding factor for me was that we have a long established indy selling LPG at good prices not far away, and another slightly more expensive but cheaper than filling stations on route to work.

Edit..fair comment Rattie, but older Diesels need to be carefully bought, you don't know if some clown has been down the comedy fuel route with it (credit to NC here, he rightly calls these the comedy fuel threads), and they are hardly likely to tell you, despite them being fully signed up to the cult.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Tue 11 Oct 11 at 13:55
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dog
I like the smell of LPG gord - reminds me of caravanning :0)

Our gas hob is LPG as we're too far orf the beaten track for mains gas, I find it surprisingly economical in use!
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Mapmaker
A tank of red diesel with a teaspoon of cooking oil added would, by my reading of the legislation, be perfectly legal. It would be biodiesel - being a mixture of diesel and biofuel. And it would, without doubt, be within spec as diesel - as it had come off the same production plant as white diesel.

But at about 45-50mpg refilling is so infrequent who cares?
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dave_
Doesn't red diesel dye clog up HPCR injectors quickly? With regular VOSA roadside spot checks and punitive fines for those caught using gas oil on the road (well, those with a permanent postal address anyway), I wouldn't want to risk it.

My (non-DPF) Mondeo has just passed its MoT with an emissions figure of 0.61 against a pass mark of 1.50. No idea what that means, but I took Z's advice and gave it a good ITU the night before the test. It obviously worked :)
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Tue 11 Oct 11 at 16:51
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dog
Here's a bit I finding I be on the ww ~ uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071130014800AA1LRmQ
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Dog
And how's about this one then ... I'm not advocating anyone actually using heating oil in a road going or any other vehicle but - the way things are going with the UK/€urope/US economies and being a sowf Londoner, I like to keep my options open!

"Re- Central Heating Oil and running vehicles on it. Throught the last eight years or more the MOD has had a ONE FUEL POLICY. That is they used the same fuel for heating [believe me nights in Iraq and damn cold and in Afghanistan 40 below is usual] running tanks, cars, lorries and areoplanes. Why because it basically the same stuff, refine more carefully and you get petrol, less refined you get diesil. Rudolf Diesel deliberately designed his engine to run any kind of volatile fuel, which in his time meant every type of cooking oils including whale oil. He did as says ''Many people in counntry districts will not have any petrol/gasoline station near to them. They must be able to use whatever oil in closest to them.''
Modern Central Heating oils may need, in some instance, the addition of UCL as they contain less crude oil that the diesel sold than that we buy at the pumps, so in your car/lorry/truck, a drop of UCL will be needed. To be honest the main difference and the strongest reason for official bodies say it CANOOT BE USED, THAT IS WILL DAMAGE YOUR ENGINE IS FINANCIAL. They, the Government would lose millions in tax if people started using Central Heating Oil which does not carry the same tax. YOU MIGHT GET ROUND THIS IF YOU NOTIFIED THE AUTHORITIES AND TOLD THEM. They could then bill you each year or six months for a fuel duty".

Source www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=540694&i=20
 DPF's and the MOT changes. - Shiny
The most common heating oil (kerosene) is not suitable for use in most diesel engines, because it burns hotter and has lower viscosity and lubricity which causes undue wear of the injection pump. Some heating systems use gas oil with which you will fair well with.
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