Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
Bought my 2.5 year old A3 170 TDI just 10 days ago and I'm starting to regret it.
A few days after I bought the car, the diesel particulate filter light came on. So as per the owners manual, I drove nowhere fast for 30 mins and that seemed to fix the problem. 5 days or so ago, the same light came on and no matter what I tried, the light wouldn't go out. Tonight the flashing glow plug light came on whilst I was driving and now the car appears to be in limp mode. According to the manual, when the glow plug light flashes whilst driving, the car requires an immediate service.
I'm wondering what my options are....
I know that there are firms which will remove the DPF but will that effect the warranty which I have on the car? Will doing so improve performance/economy? Will this make the vehicle fail any emissions part of the MOT test when the car is old enough to have to take these?
Should I get the DPF replaced which I read can cost towards £1000? Only to have the car suffer from the same problem at some in the future?
I really like the car but have to say that I've been left very disappointed by the whole experience. I know I mainly use the car for shortish trips but having to drive at 60kph in 5/6th gear for 15 mins every so often is simply a joke!
Would love to hear from those who have had the same experience.
Many thanks.
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
Could be a faulty pressure sensor, faulty ex temp sensor or could require software up-date!!! Don't remove the DPF, get it booked in to your nearest dealer!!
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
If you find someone with a Vag Com near you they will be able to force the DPF to regenerate and save you a lot of money
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
Dropped the car off at my local audi dealer who will take a look at it on Monday The nice lady said that they will try to put the car in regeneration mode and drive it around to clear the filter. She said that in the case that they do need to replace the DPF, cost would be £1600!
She said that perhaps the car isn't suited to my needs and that a petrol vehicle may be more appropriate. I was speaking to a friend of who drives a diesel Lexus in town with even lower CO2 emissions and doesn't suffer these problems.
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
i will need to buy one of those Vag Coms. If it can prevent this headache, it's money well spent. Are they easy to use?
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
fairly easy, lots of info on the net, but you can mess your car up if you do things wrong:-(
I think the lady at Audi was out of order suggesting you need a petrol
I don't know how much you know about DPF filters but this is the basics, soot and larger particles are stored in the filter at low rpm and low exhaust temperatures. This soot is should be blown out with high rpm and higher speed driving, if this doesn't happen a sensor tell the ECU that the filter is getting full, blocking up, and puts a warning light on to tell the driver to 'go for a drive' as you did. if this is ignored then the ECU will put the engine into limp mode to prevent damage, the only way to unblock the filter then is to force a regeneration with diagnostic equipment, this over fuels the engine which increases the exhaust temperature to burn the soot out of the DPF, this might work or might not, depends upon how blocked the DPF is. If it doesn't the the filter is scrap! I have removed filters with no adverse effect and it should not effect MOT results
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
Just heard from Audi. The DPF is 90% full, they can't regenerate it and they want £1580 to replace it. This really sucks. What a joke.
Surely they should have programmed the EMS to put the filter into regeneration mode once the filter is filling up ... :zx11: This really is the last thing I need right now.
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
don't suppose you have any comeback from the seller? It must have shown up whist they were driving it and they ignored the warning light.
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
Am I missing something or did you say your car was 2.5 years old and still under warranty ?
Is the DPF not covered under the manufacturers warranty? Surely they can't absolve themselves of responsibility just because the car has been driven in a manner which does not clear the filter.
There is also a matter of the sale of goods act. I should take it back to the dealer and ask them to fix it under warranty.
Keep us posted please.
Re: Audi A3 170 TDI - DPF / Limp mode problems
I have come across this problem with a vw golf and the dealer wouldn't cover it under warranty, even charged my customer £70 or so to tell him such.