automotive dud?

bluespit

bluespit

Senior member
 Near Chester
Site Supporter
replaced our reliable old A class with a 58 plate Fiat Sedici 4x4 diesel

test drive was great, good deal worked out, everyones happy

until just 15 miles after collection engine management light comes on, back to the dealer who diagnosed blocked DPF. Now i know about these things and that they kill many old cars due to the huge cost of replacement. (in excess of £1500 as a starting place). Dealer says he'll sort it, local garage with long standing good reputation. I'm not so confident

FIAT - Failed Italian Automotive Technology

DPF filters are fitted to almost all post 2006 diesel cars, progress eh?

hummmpppphhhhhh
 
There are kits available to block them off, will be big business soon. Seems to be regular fix for the Range Rover now.
 
are you confusing DPF with EGR? you can block the exhaust gas recirculation valve but the DPF needs to be able to flow freely.

(PS just read about you pet- sad story which I hope turns out well for you all)
 
Thanks for that :thumbsup:

I was referring to something like this: http://www.removemydpf.co.uk/land-range-rover-dpf-removal/
 
ah, these don't block them off they bypass them.

depending on the company they just remove the DPF and add a piece of exhaust pipe, which should then fail the next MOT (visual inspection of DPF). Better solutions involve cutting the DPF open, removing the innards and welding up the casing. Remapping the ECU to take account of the change in exhaust pressure is necessary and the end result, whilst likely to pass an MOT visual inspection, is still technically illegal as the emission of soot will be outside manufacturers tolerance.

my little garage are trying some magic dissolving solutions - with little success so far
 
I read just the other day of a place that cleans out the DPF for £150
Cant remember where I read it though, it may have been an advert in the free car sale paper
 
Loads of places provide a DPF replacement pipe that looks just like the real thing only it has a free flowing, non blocking internal. A lot of them also provide a hand held unit along the same lines as the Superchips Bluefin that will code the DPF out of the edu and remap the car at the same time. Ecotune provide this service and have been doing it for at least 5 years that i know of. I had it done on one of my cars 4 years ago. My DPF was actually fine but I wanted to remap and thought I might as well do that at the same time as it increases power. It also cost less than half the price of a replacement DPF.
 
nictrix, that's what my dealer is attempting with little success, a combination of magic fluids and forced regens

Mowflow, i can't find any suppliers who offer legal replacement pipes and plug in remaps, do you have a linky?
 
a small update. I'm quite liking the odd little FIAT, the light is still on but FIAT have diagnosed just a faulty sensor and say it's OK to drive.

the new sensor is being fitted tomorrow but I think its something else as the car stinks of diesel exhaust when first started and stationary. It must be fumes coming into the cabin from somewhere and as the original diagnosis was excessive back pressure that sort of supports a blocked DPF.

Dealer is committed to getting it right though so I'm relatively comfortable with him for now
 
We have massive problems with DPF's and blocking up...

Removing them and mapping them isnt the answer im afraid.....

We see many cars that had this done and the software off the mapping company is poor,this then can throw multiple codes that have you chasing your tail to try and diagnose problems..

Also the DPF regen software on some cars is not held only in the engine ECU...Its can also be held in gearbox and ABS/DSC/TCS modules,these modules use the DPF regen info to modify software behavior in there own modules over set time periods.... So..... The modules dont see the info needed for DPF regen down the canline from the main engine ECU.... This in turn throws faults codes and in some cases puts the car in limp mode...

This can happen 1000's of miles down the line...

All diesels after 2013 have to have DPF's by law,but as mentioned a lot have from 2006> so be careful... Personally i would have a diesel given to me,they are troublesome and expensive unless you have high miles usage....

Diesels days are numbered.....
 
Running a relatively new diesel car privately on under 12k miles a year is a game of wallet roulette :o so many expensive things to go wrong that soon eat into the £ saved weekly at the pump
Hope the FIAT works out ok for you but longterm i would be expecting regular fault lights on & regular visits to the garage :o
Did you consider a Daihatsu Terios or Suzuki Sx ?
 
The Sedici is an SX4 with different badges, it's made by suzuki in a suzuki factory on the same line as the SX4. Most of the SX4s around are only 2WD and we specifically wanted a 4WD version. All the 4WD versions use the 1.9 FIAT diesel engine until about 2011. That engine is in all sorts of cars from SAAB to Vauxhall, Suzuki to Alfa.

perhaps we should have bought another Vitara or Jimny!

Still I remain an optimist :?
 
Three days and about 70 miles and time for a cautious update. Sensor replaced, EGR valve cleaned and ECU reset. Lights off, economy up and smell gone

Fingers crossed
 
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