[Dilligaf]

Here we go again bringing up Dpf. Just arrived at work and covered 12 miles to get here and sod's law she decided to start the dreaded regen within the last 2 miles. Thought stuff this and parked in car park and switched her off. Guess it will have to do it on the 12 mile trip home.

Edited by: Dilligaf

 

[Inchindown]

Having only done just over 1000 miles, I've only had one DPF cycle so far. And that happened at just over 600 miles, in the middle of a longish journey.
I don't really think stopping in the middle of a normal DPF cycle is a significant problem. It will just need to be done later. The main problem comes if you were getting the DPF warning light on the dash. Then you would really need to do an Italian de-coke as soon as possible.

Are you getting DPF cycles at regular intervals? If so, maybe you should be watching for one coming up and take the opportunity to make a trip with the revs kept high.

I've been wondering recently if there is any circumstances in which a DPF cycle would never happen. Or is the regeneration cycle using some sort of timer or sensor to force a regeneration even if the filter does not have a build up of soot. I know that with my Volvo, I was never aware of a regeneration happening in the whole 3 years I had it.

My understanding of the DPF system is that when a car is used for driving at consistent high revs, it should burn of all the soot naturally. The DPF regeneration systemis only supposed to be there if your driving style doesn't burn off all the soot during normal driving. It feels like the Antara has a regeneration system which forces regenerations whether or not there is a build up of soot in the filter.

 

[Grumps]

Probably wont do it until it feels like it.

I thought the same but discovered it can wait a few days before it starts another regen.

 

[Dilligaf]

I knew it was coming but was hoping it would make it on the way home. Averages out at 500-510 miles and I left home with 495 done, so it didn't come as a surprise just that at 3-4 am the roads are quieter so I'll leave her in 4th gear and should be completed by the time I get home.
This happened to me once before so I took a longer route but not long enough so went through it all again on the way home. This time I'll let it run its course going home.
Never had a warning light in the 12 months I've had her so must be doing something right.

 

[Antarius]

Here we go again bringing up Dpf. Just arrived at work and covered 12 miles to get here and sod's law she decided to start the dreaded regen within the last 2 miles. Thought stuff this and parked in car park and switched her off. Guess it will have to do it on the 12 mile trip home.

Dilligaf, the same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I started my car up in my driveway only for there to be a "ding" and the amber warning light for a DPF Regeneration appearing on the instrument panel.


Like yourself I thought it would just be a matter of attaining the correct driving conditions to start a "regen" but I was wrong. After making a sixty mile round trip the car decided to complete the regen some five minutes from my home. My problem was that I had no way of determining when the regen started as I never had any burning smell, drop in fuel economy or the "999.9" display.


Thanks to Grumps, I was later made aware that the car will decide when and where it does a regen without any human intervention to make it start.


Not good !!!!!

Edited by: Antarius

 

[smino]

i still think it needs a flooring now and again. dont mean blow the top off the engine but at say pulling away from the front of a set of light for a split second will help with a little pressure to blow out some soot. like if a impatient driver pulls out to over take you the you see the awfull pile of soot n smoke out off the exhaust for say 1-2 seconds.so driving it like a old lady for 20 miles really isnt going to blow the froth off

 

[Antarius]

Not wishing to create panic in the ranks but did you know that the Diesel Particulate Filter is not covered by the Vauxhall warranty as any problems are "considered consumable".

At present the cost to replace the DPF is around £1300 based on a similar DPF for the Vauxhall Zafira.


A friend of a friend had to "garage" his Zafira due to a blocked DPF. The car had made a "DPF Regen" when it had 900 miles on the clock but hadn't done another (as far as he knew) by the time that the car had reached 3000 miles which was about the mileage when the blockage occurred.


A visit to the Vauxhall dealer hit his back pocket as they totally and utterly blamed him for the problem citing that he had not following the instructions. He tried to explain that after the first "regen", he had completely forgotten about the regeneration process and it never entered his mind again.


When he asked if Vauxhall expected every Vauxhall car owner with a DPF fitted to their car to have the regeneration process firmly entrenched in their thoughts, he received a resounding "Yes" from both the dealership and Vauxhall Customer Care.


Again.....Not Good !!!!!

Edited by: Antarius

 

[smino]

yes this is the same with fiat 500. there was a tv interveiw with watchdog about this and they went to fiat and they showed them a part in the brochure(in very very small print) that every so often you have to drive the car for 40 miles in 4th to regen the dpf. watchdog had to make a apology to fiat

 

[Dilligaf]

Just got in from work and managed to force regen within 1/2 mile of leaving work then still had to sit on drive for 5 mins whilst it finished. Don't know if it's just me, or has anyone else noticed that if you switch your engine off part way through a regen then when it goes through again it takes longer. I'm sure my Antara's telling me " I'll teach you not to cut me short, I'll make you wait longer now"

That's it I'm cracking up, time for bed before I get the snoring Turkey.

 

[Antarius]

Just got in from work and managed to force regen within 1/2 mile of leaving work then still had to sit on drive for 5 mins whilst it finished. Don't know if it's just me, or has anyone else noticed that if you switch your engine off part way through a regen then when it goes through again it takes longer. I'm sure my Antara's telling me " I'll teach you not to cut me short, I'll make you wait longer now"

That's it I'm cracking up, time for bed before I get the snoring Turkey.

Howdy Dilligaf, how did you manage to "force" your Antara into a DPF Regeneration ?


I would rather force mine to do one rather than do a sixty mile round trip and keep my fingers crossed that it might happen.

 

[Dilligaf]

Afternoon John just drove her home at 50 mph in 3rd gear at 3000 revs, it didn't take long for her to take the hint.

AndyEdited by: Dilligaf

 

[Antarius]

Having read the experiences of the more learned Antara owners, I was anticipating a burning smell, a drop in fuel consumption and the "999.9" computer display.


When I tried to force my DPF Regeneration, I went onto a local motorway and tried many different driving situations including your successful one. The onboard computer did show a drop in the mpg figure but I put that down to driving at 3000 revs in third gear, a fact confirmed by the fuel gauge needle dropping like a stone.


Did you get any clear indications that the regen was taking place and if so, could you advise me of what you saw, smelled or experienced ?


Thanks


//John

 

[Dilligaf]

<span style="line-height: 1.4;">Having read the experiences of the more learned Antara owners, I was anticipating a burning smell, a drop in fuel consumption and the "999.9" computer display.</span>


When I tried to force my DPF Regeneration, I went onto a local motorway and tried many different driving situations including your successful one. The onboard computer did show a drop in the mpg figure but I put that down to driving at 3000 revs in third gear, a fact confirmed by the fuel gauge needle dropping like a stone.


Did you get any clear indications that the regen was taking place and if so, could you advise me of what you saw, smelled or experienced ?


Thanks


//John

I tried it once before when I had done about 490 miles since the last regen and she wouldn't have it. I think it's because it was due as had started approx 2 miles before I had got to work.
I always reset my bc 2 after a regen at it always happens between 500-510 miles later.
The only way I notice regen is as you have stated that when you take your foot off accelerator, the instant mpg is poor. Or its reading 0.7 gph when stationery. I never smell any burning when driving and unless it's still going through regen when you turn off the engine, then chances are that the fan will not be going mad.
It did my head in at first, but I soon learnt to judge it (not always right though )

 

[Isaac Hunt]

I`ve had 4 x Regen`s now, one every 400 miles, fifth one not far away.Only noticed the "Burning Smell" twice, the second one being less than the first, so I reckon it`s just the "newness" of the components that causes this for the first couple of times, then whatever it is that stinks has burnt off, and you dont notice it so much, if at all. Only clues I got on my 3rd & 4th Regen`s,was the much reducedInstant Fuel Consumption, and then the 0.7/9 gph Consumption reading when stationary, and ticking over for a short time, whilst in traffic. I`m not sure if I didn`t detect a bit of a drop in performance too when I pushed it a bit, or whether this was just psychological, as I knew that the Regen was in progress ????. Oh, and John, (Antarius), you will only see the 999.9 Instant Consumption Reading, when coasting in gear, no throttle applied, and a Regen is NOT taking place !!.

 

[Antarius]

<span style="line-height: 1.4;">Having read the experiences of the more learned Antara owners, I was anticipating a burning smell, a drop in fuel consumption and the "999.9" computer display.</span>


When I tried to force my DPF Regeneration, I went onto a local motorway and tried many different driving situations including your successful one. The onboard computer did show a drop in the mpg figure but I put that down to driving at 3000 revs in third gear, a fact confirmed by the fuel gauge needle dropping like a stone.


Did you get any clear indications that the regen was taking place and if so, could you advise me of what you saw, smelled or experienced ?


Thanks


//John

I tried it once before when I had done about 490 miles since the last regen and she wouldn't have it. I think it's because it was due as had started approx 2 miles before I had got to work.
I always reset my bc 2 after a regen at it always happens between 500-510 miles later.
The only way I notice regen is as you have stated that when you take your foot off accelerator, the instant mpg is poor. Or its reading 0.7 gph when stationery. I never smell any burning when driving and unless it's still going through regen when you turn off the engine, then chances are that the fan will not be going mad.
It did my head in at first, but I soon learnt to judge it (not always right though )

Thanks for that Dilligaf, I will bear that in mind as I await my next DPF regen.


There really is something sadly wrong when we are all discussing and in my case, dreading the next regen.


I had a Ford Kuga for three years and never had any problems with it whatsoever and I think that it was because of that experience, I am maybe expecting too much, especially when I read about other car makes and models having similar issues to those I am experiencing with the Antara.

 

[Antarius]

I`ve had 4 x Regen`s now, one every 400 miles, fifth one not far away.Only noticed the "Burning Smell" twice, the second one being less than the first, so I reckon it`s just the "newness" of the components that causes this for the first couple of times, then whatever it is that stinks has burnt off, and you dont notice it so much, if at all. Only clues I got on my 3rd & 4th Regen`s,was the much reducedInstant Fuel Consumption, and then the 0.7/9 gph Consumption reading when stationary, and ticking over for a short time, whilst in traffic. I`m not sure if I didn`t detect a bit of a drop in performance too when I pushed it a bit, or whether this was just psychological, as I knew that the Regen was in progress ????. Oh, and John, (Antarius), you will only see the 999.9 Instant Consumption Reading, when coasting in gear, no throttle applied, and a Regen is NOT taking place !!.

Cheers for that information Isaac

.


It is strange that there are so many variables being experienced by Antara owners when a regen is about to start or is taking place.


At least I now know what not to look for.

 

[Inchindown]

I've only had one regen cycle so far and that was at just over 600 miles.
The first thing I noticed was the instant mpg dropped to about 25 on a flat road. When I noticed the mpg drop I took my foot of the accelerator and the instant mpg went to around 75 mpg, instead of the usual 999.9.

Drove on for about 10 to 15 minutes while not letting the revs drop below 2000 and then things were back to normal.

 

[JR123]

. Edited by: JR123

 

[Dilligaf]

It confuses me as everyone else says drive it like you've stolen it and I drive at 50 in sixth and it doesn't make that much difference. I only get the revs up for regen and now average 37mpg before and 35 after.

 

[Antarius]

I've done 1,200 miles in mine from new and had 2 regens so far in 3 weeks. The first was around the 550 miles mark and second at 1,100.

The second just happened yesterday, I have been down south and back around 600 miles total trip and 95% motorway driving at 70. Around 100 miles from home the car decided to do a regen, it took around 25 minutes for the regen to complete despite changing down and I thought it was never going to end and just had to watch the MPG and range fall through the floor. (I still managed to average 39.2 mpg on the run and before the regen it was reading 41.7mpg)

I can not understand how the regen works, surely after driving 500 miles at 70 (motorway driving) one would have thought that the exhaust would be getting warm enough to not need to do a regen, clearly this is not the case!

Hi JR and welcome to the club

What model and colour of Antara do you have ?