Vauxhall meriva 1.3cdti problem

gilbert_and_sullivan

These DPF's really are a pita and i for one will not be having one.

Difficult one OP, and i understand why you arn't convinced the problem will not reoccur, the lack of warning light doesn't help and unless like some posters here you double as Mystic Meg and can feel in your water when it's blocking up and you should be belting up the motorway at warp speed....handy at Kings Cross one way system at 5pm on a wet friday that one.

I'd carry on with it for the time being, but i would write to Vauxhall and get some written assurance that as this problem has reared it's ugly head whilst still under warranty they will sort it out for a reasonable time period after warranty expires.

Some hands on chaps have resorted to removing these things and pysically reverse steam cleaning them to clean them out, and as said above some are experimenting with removing them altogether, though the jury is still out on how things go long term.

Cool_Username

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Difficult one OP, and i understand why you arn't convinced the problem will not reoccur, the lack of warning light doesn't help and unless like some posters here you double as Mystic Meg and can feel in your water when it's blocking up and you should be belting up the motorway at warp speed....handy at Kings Cross one way system at 5pm on a wet friday that one.

Not the easiest post to read due to spelling and grammar issues but I'll have a bash at deciphering what you're attempting to say - I don't think it's a question of "feeling in your water" when the filter is blocking up, rather a simple matter of getting the car up to operating temperature so that the DPF can regenerate and burn off the offending particles that can cause a problem when the vehicle is used only for short journeys.

I don't think it's a matter of travelling at "warp speed" up a motorway, rather just getting the car up to operating temperature by giving it a run at 60 or 70 miles an hour once a week.

Much more cost effective than selling the car and buying a new one.

custardy

i used to use my petrol turbo car during the week for work
every weekend i would go shopping at a place a bit out of town so i could open her up and get her a decent run
its no biggy really,just one of those things
up to you whether you want to buy another car or work around the DPF
for short in town journeys i would have a petrol car TBH
less time to heat up in the cold and you need to do a certain amount of miles to offset diesel servicing and often higher purchase prices

gilbert_and_sullivan

Cool_Username wrote: »

Not the easiest post to read due to spelling and grammar issues but I'll have a bash at deciphering what you're attempting to say - I don't think it's a question of "feeling in your water" when the filter is blocking up, rather a simple matter of getting the car up to operating temperature so that the DPF can regenerate and burn off the offending particles that can cause a problem when the vehicle is used only for short journeys.

I don't think it's a matter of travelling at "warp speed" up a motorway, rather just getting the car up to operating temperature by giving it a run at 60 or 70 miles an hour once a week.

Much more cost effective than selling the car and buying a new one.

You forgot to write '' see me'' on my report, do get a grip there's a dear.
Were you my old history master in a previous life?:p

Please explain just how the OP is supposed to know exactly when their car has started it's regeneration cycle, and exactly how far they need to drive to complete the operation, and how they are to know if and when it's completed successfully.
If they take the car on a run once a week how are they to know if regeneration has self triggered.

If they are a town or city driver exactly how are they supposed to carry this out and when bearing in mind the car up to this point hasn't warned them.

Cool_Username

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

You forgot to write '' see me'' on my report, do get a grip there's a dear.
Were you my old history master in a previous life?:p

Not to my knowledge. Anyway just to snap us back to reality and out of your little reverie...

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Please explain just how the OP is supposed to know exactly when their car has started it's regeneration cycle, and exactly how far they need to drive to complete the operation, and how they are to know if and when it's completed successfully.
If they take the car on a run once a week how are they to know if regeneration has self triggered.

If they are a town or city driver exactly how are they supposed to carry this out and when bearing in mind the car up to this point hasn't warned them.

Right here goes - my understanding is that the car needs to be brought up to operating temperature on a fairly regular basis in order for the DPF to do its work, this temperature is indicated by the needle moving to the middle of the temperature gauge on the left hand side of the instrument panel behind the steering wheel.

Once you're up to operating temperature as explained above give the car a run for an hour or so, not necessarily on the motorway - perhaps a duel carriageway for example or a bit of open road.

There are plenty of CDTI Corsas, Merivas, Astras, Zafiras, Vectras and so on all buzzing around the country quite happily - I have one of them and so do my father and a few others I know.

Not worth selling the car in question in some sort of knee-jerk reaction now that Vauxhall have fixed the problem and the work will be guaranteed for a year.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Cool_Username wrote: »

Not to my knowledge. Anyway just to snap us back to reality and out of your little reverie...


Right here goes - my understanding is that the car needs to be brought up to operating temperature on a fairly regular basis in order for the DPF to do its work, this temperature is indicated by the needle moving to the middle of the temperature gauge on the left hand side of the instrument panel behind the steering wheel.

Once you're up to operating temperature as explained above give the car a run for an hour or so, not necessarily on the motorway - perhaps a duel carriageway for example or a bit of open road.

There are plenty of CDTI Corsas, Merivas, Astras, Zafiras, Vectras and so on all buzzing around the country quite happily - I have one of them and so do my father and a few others I know.

Not worth selling the car in question in some sort of knee-jerk reaction now that Vauxhall have fixed the problem and the work will be guaranteed for a year.

Thanks for that.

So get to temperature as shown on the temperature guage, (then run for another 20 minutes or so to get the exhaust hot enough for regeneration you do know that), then take it for an hour or so on a dual carriageway type of road going nowhere near where you wanted to, and hopefully the car will have triggered a regeneration cycle of it's own accord.

The OP must be overjoyed at that every week for however long they intend to own the car.

Goodness me, speeling.

Cool_Username

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Thanks for that.

So get to temperature as shown on the temperature guage, (then run for another 20 minutes or so to get the exhaust hot enough for regeneration you do know that), then take it for an hour or so on a dual carriageway type of road going nowhere near where you wanted to, and hopefully the car will have triggered a regeneration cycle of it's own accord.

The OP must be overjoyed at that every week for however long they intend to own the car.

Goodness me, speeling.

No need to thank me, cheers though.

Whether they're overjoyed or not is a matter for them - running the car in the way that has been described certainly makes more sense than trading in an 08 Meriva still within its warranty period and losing thousands by replacing a car that is in all likelihood perfectly serviceable now that it has been repaired.

All that fuss just for the sake of taking the car down the motorway for twenty minutes at sixty then turning around and coming back. Or incorporate it into your weekly-routine by, for example doing your shopping a little further from home now and again or taking the dog to a beach for a walk.

I appreciate that you're attempting to make it sound like I'm advocating driving the car from London to Glasgow at 90mph every other day but I think we can all see that this isn't what is being suggested. Just a run down the motorway or open road once a week.

Not really that much of a hardship if you ask me.

oldagetraveller

Not exactly the same as the OP's circumstances but might be worth them bearing in mind when making their decision?
http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?187177-Meriva-1.3CDTi-2007-BEWARE-ENGINE-BLOWN

roysterer

Cool_Username wrote: »

Not to my knowledge. Anyway just to snap us back to reality and out of your little reverie...


Right here goes - my understanding is that the car needs to be brought up to operating temperature on a fairly regular basis in order for the DPF to do its work, this temperature is indicated by the needle moving to the middle of the temperature gauge on the left hand side of the instrument panel behind the steering wheel.

Once you're up to operating temperature as explained above give the car a run for an hour or so, not necessarily on the motorway - perhaps a duel carriageway for example or a bit of open road.

There are plenty of CDTI Corsas, Merivas, Astras, Zafiras, Vectras and so on all buzzing around the country quite happily - I have one of them and so do my father and a few others I know.

Not worth selling the car in question in some sort of knee-jerk reaction now that Vauxhall have fixed the problem and the work will be guaranteed for a year.

This is the biggest load of crap I have heared in my life.
Why are DPFs fitted? As I understand its to reduce emissions.
therefore you suggest take the car for a nice long run for an hour or so once its nice and warm (every week) so that the car spews out less emissions!!!!!! you are causing more harm to the envioronment taking unecessary trips just to make the item work properly. The garage salesman at no point made this clear to me, If its true then I guess it would be tomorrow (April fools day) when they put these cars on sale.
I have asked the Vauxhall dealer if this is correct and the answer was NO.
Are Vauxhall telling me lies?
I have had 2 Diesels for the past 13 years without any problems. I have never felt the need to drive to Bristol from Gloucester to do my weekly shoping, or Take the dog for an hour drive before he has his walk.

How often does the regeneration take place? I was told it only takes place when it needs to. Can I be guaranteed that it will take place when I take it on the weekly run that you suggest, How do I know if its taken place?
The handbook says if the DPF warning light flashes keep driving until the light goes out then you know the regeneration has taken place. I never had a warning light come on. So why did mine block up, Why could the garage not force a regeneration without partially cleaning the filter first.

If this is what Vauxhall are all about then KEEP CLEAR OF VAUXHALLS.
My Father in Law has a Renault Modus diesel 3 years old. Normal motoring similar to me without problems. He had it MOTd yesterday at the Renault
main dealer. The mechanic claimed not to have known of Renault diesels having this sort of problem. I have since found out that the Vauxhall Zafira diesels are a load of S_it as well, A work colleque regularly takes his to the garage for a couple of hunded quid bill, for some problem or other related to immissions.

DONT BUY A VAUXHALL IF YOU WANT GOOD RELIABLE MOTORING.

Any Vauxhall mechanics out there to proove otherwise. The dealer had my car for 8 days.
Friday= Computer say no
Monday= Computer says no.
Tuesday= Computer says no
Weds= Computer says no
Thurs= Computer says no
Fri= Computer says no
Fri (pm) Computer says yes.
Sat and Sun= computer not switched on. GOOD OLD VAUXHALL.

RANT OVER!!!!!!! sorry in advance for the spelling.

goldspanners

roysterer wrote: »

This is the biggest load of crap I have heared in my life.


DONT BUY A VAUXHALL IF YOU WANT GOOD RELIABLE MOTORING.

its true though, modern diesels with DPF need regular hot running to keep the DPF clear.
there are lots of vehicles with DPF not just vauxhall. i think i remember a similar thread last week about DPF on a mazda 6 and the op stated something similar to you about not buying a diesel mazda 6.

there are lots of things dealers and dealer mechanics will not tell you about, either because they don't know about them or they don't want you to know about them.

get a petrol car instead for short journeys.