Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050
Other Stuff => The Blue Oyster bar => Topic started by: Brockett on June 06, 2018, 22:11:16
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A day of shame. Not in 54 years of motorcycle and cars have I had a breakdown such that I would need be rescued... until today. I took my newly acquired Fiat Doblo out on a fishing trip. And then on the A12 up flashed the message "ENGINE FAILURE". No I can hear it running normally so I carry on to a slip road and pull over. After a 10 minute wait I started the engine only to see the same dire legend. Out with the mobile and call "Auto Aid" ( and here thanks to whoever it was on here that suggested their service). 40 minutes later a wagon arrived the driver plugged his techno dodab in and said DPF is blocked. After some chat we agreed that I should drive the car at no less than 3000 revs to see if would clear. I sped off with him following.I drove another 40 miles in third and fourth and kept the 3000 + revs all the way. Fingers crossed the filter has cleared enough so that I can keep it going a bit longer.
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:fix: Did you have a James Bond-esque smoke screen behind you?
My Vauxhall Mokka has an automatic DPF cleaning cycle which can be a bit alarming if you didn't know that the car did it from time to time. Fingers crossed for the Doblo...
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The mrs had a Quashqui with a near blocked DPF when we bought it.
Town driving and getting the turbo to kick in briefly will block the DPF quickly and not allow a 'regeneration cycle'
She had to drive for more than 30 mins holding over 3k rpm to generate the heat in the exhaust gas to burn off the particles in the filter.
If you regularly driver for more than 30 min on the motorway at a fair pace will generally prevent a build up of particles.
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@ Brocket, might be worth trying some of this. Worked on my lads Ford Mondeo and lasted for the next 12 months before he got rid! Even after using it and clearing the DPF the engine management light stayed on & he had to get it reset.
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/fuel-oil-additives/wynns-diesel-particulate-filter-cleaner-325ml
Little bit to read as well. There are other car maintenance places that could help if required!
https://www.halfordsautocentres.com/advice/car-care-advice/dpf-cleaning-at-halfords-autocentres
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I work with prototype vehicles and the DPF can be a real pain in the arse. If it gets to the point that the engine light is in it may need a reset with a scan tool. Every now and again do a fairly steady state drive (motorway) with high engine speed (~2000/2500) and lowish load will help clear things. On newer vehicles that have a regen engine mode (automatically selected via ECU) it will recommend a downshift visible on the dash to raise the engine speed and burn off the carbon.
For those that are worried or don't know a whole lot about it - the DPF basically filters carbon particulates (unburnt fuel). To clear this the engine may select a regen mode if operating conditions allow. During this time the engine will use more fuel to raise the exhaust temperature and burn the carbon particulates - clearing the filter.
:)
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As well as the DPF, modern diesels have Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and the "soot" can cause problems there too. The EGR valve can stick, or operate only partially, and (more expensively!) the EGR cooler - on some VW engines at least - can become clogged.
Law of unintended consequences yet again .... legislate for (allegedly) cleaner vehicles, and all the botched "cover it up" engineering such as catalysts, DPFs and EGR systems makes the vehicles unreliable and very expensive to maintain.
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The previous owner did an average of 4200 miles per year for four years and probably all local driving. I have it booked into a trustworthy garage to give the whole car a good going over to check on what needs a bit of TLC/ replacements. I only paid £2500 for the car with 87000 on the clock. So bought it with the knowledge that I would probably spend £1000 on it to ensure it is fit for the next 50k miles. Has had replacement water pump and cam belt, front discs and pads, rear brake lines and brake fluid, new battery, EGR and tyres all in the last 18 months. We have to check it to be sure but I think it has can bus so I'll get the garage to source and fit the tow bar and get their electrickery expert to complete the wiring, but that won't be cheap. That said I want a good job done and not just a cheap one.
No pockets in a shroud and time runs ever faster once the big 70 comes around.
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Gut the DPF and get it mapped out of the ECU and while you're at it blank off the EGR.
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The sneeky bleeders have now put a functioning DPF as an MOT requirement now I believe, otherwise I would definately agree.
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Yes it is, so anyone who has removed/gutted the DPF is likely to regret it...
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We got a few Fiat vans at work. Ideal for stop/start short trips. :icon_no: Every so often I come back and see one of them sitting in the yard with its bonnet up, revving like buggery to get it to reset. Brilliant. :crazy:
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My fuel tanker is Euro 6 so it's equipped with a DPF. There are warning signs all over it instructing the operator to keep it away from anything flammable when it regenerates....Strangely I was speaking to a farmer today, he was telling me about a new tractor he had on demonstration and the dealer told him not to use it for bailing straw, turning hay or ploughing stuble again due to the fire risk. :)
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:icon_exclaim:
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That's like saying "don't buy this tractor"...
When the dpf regeneration kicks in on my car it smells hot. I wouldn't park it on long grass or it would set fire to it.
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I switched to them after RAC put my premium up, after not calling them out for years in the car and never on my bike. So glad to hear they seem good and they are incredibly cheap but do not expect to be using them. I hope!
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I've been with RAC 25+ years, every year when they put the premium up I phone them and get it knocked down to near the previous years price.
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Yes I have done that before,then you think I can save £100 a year so why give them the money. In your case £2500 so I hope you used them a lot lol
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I did think about how much I've paid them over the years, if I'd stuck it in a savings account and paid cash for any breakdowns I'd probably be in profit.
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I'm with Britannia Rescue, have been for years. I was glad of them last Friday when I collected a rear wheel puncture on the Glee (fortunately I noticed weird handling and a whining noise, and pulled into a convenient petrol station). This was on the west Wales coast road, near Aberaeron. I called Britannia, who got a the "rescuer" to me with a substantial bike trailer, within an hour, and took me to a (mainly car) tyre dealer at Aberystwyth who'd confirmed they could get, fit, and balance the correct tyre. All sorted within a couple of hours. So , if only for peace of mind, I'm more than happy to pay a rescue service.
I dare say I could have done all of this myself, but it would have taken a lot longer and probably more expense (and it could have been a wet evening,not a dry,pleasant afternoon!). And no, a tyre plugging outfit wouldn't have helped - the cut in the tread area was about an inch long, probably from running over a piece of metal.
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I'd be very suprised if even a car place couldn't get a bike tyre in Aberystwyth.
Cambrian tyres, who are one of the largest tyre distributors in the Uk are based just back from Aberystwyth prom.
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Yes indeed, Mr D, so I gathered ..... I couldn't really have chosen a better place to pick up the puncture. The petrol station people were friendly, it had a shop and a coffee machine..... and I could just about see the sea from where I'd parked the bike!
And as an aside, did you see the pic in MCN last week of a punctured scooter tyre "repaired" with layers of insulating tape?