Brand new Vauxhall Corsa - help! DPF!

BeenThroughItAll

Strider590 wrote: »

You'd not question a Volvo 240 diesel, but you'd question a Corsa of a larger physical size? Where's the sense in that?

No, I wouldn't, because a Volvo 240 doesn't have a DPF. I would question someone buying any modern diesel, large or small, if their driving profile meant it'd be a bad idea.


Someone doing two miles a week in an old diesel S-Class without a DPF wouldn't bother me, though.

Strider590

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

No, I wouldn't, because a Volvo 240 doesn't have a DPF. I would question someone buying any modern diesel, large or small, if their driving profile meant it'd be a bad idea.

OMG...... EXACTLY!

Size (or perceived size) has nothing to do with a persons driving habits!! Thus making a point about a diesel in a "small" car, wasn't relevant at all.

I need a rest......

darkmatter101

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Someone doing two miles a week in an old diesel S-Class without a DPF wouldn't bother me, though.

What about the older TDI engines before 2007, which did not have the DPF? Take for example a 2006 2,0 tdi. That is still a relatively modern diesel engine (except without the DFP) and I still wouldn't recommend someone driving short trip, 1 mile a day in that. It can still cause loads of other turbo related problems or sludge build up that a petrol car would not.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

The reality is that DPFs are flawed technology that the industry has fitted to diesels as they are required to hit a level of particulates. They are so problematic that manufacturers declare that they are outside warranty, yet do not give clear advice and guidance on how a car must be driven to avoid issues, nor do they provide salespeople with a checklist of advice to ensure that they are not being mis-sold.

The silly thing is that when they offer finance, they are obliged to jump through hoops to ensure that they have not mis-sold the finance, yet the whole car is potentially being mis-sold.

My personal opinion is that the DPF should be warranted unless there is a signed interview which goes through what is permissible and what is not with the car and what the costs are in the event of a problem. If the driver cannot sign up to the conditions, then they shouldn't be sold the car - and of course any sane person would not sign a disclaimer like that and would chose a proper model.

What the manufacturers do not give is a driving guide which will highlight what actions will tend to create particulates and what actions will not produce them and what actions will tend to clear any particulates that are building up. Without that information, how can a driver be expected to properly manage this flawed piece of kit.

That being said, it seems that some engines/cars are more prone to the problem. It is likely that Corsas are because it is in their nature to be cars chosen by lower mileage drivers. It may also be that the engine is more prone to producing particulates or it may be that the set up of the car encourages particulates over other installations of the engine (e.g. very high gearing encouraging heavy use of the accelerator to get reasonable performance).

I have a DPF fitted car and it goes through long phases of being used on short journeys and we don't ever drive it hard. Perhaps it is the gentle driving that avoids the problem, but we are not particularly doing anything that makes me think I am driving in a way that is different from my normal driving.

BeenThroughItAll

darkmatter101 wrote: »

What about the older TDI engines before 2007, which did not have the DPF? Take for example a 2006 2,0 tdi. That is still a relatively modern diesel engine (except without the DFP) and I still wouldn't recommend someone driving short trip, 1 mile a day in that. It can still cause loads of other turbo related problems or sludge build up that a petrol car would not.

A 2006 2.0TDI what?


A colleague of mine runs exactly what I described, an old S Class diesel. Lives just around the corner, averages about 25 miles a week in short trips. I've had cause to work on it a few times for him, and it has no signs of sludge build-up (good quality oil, changed regularly) or 'turbo related' problems.

darkmatter101

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

A 2006 2.0TDI what?


A colleague of mine runs exactly what I described, an old S Class diesel. Lives just around the corner, averages about 25 miles a week in short trips. I've had cause to work on it a few times for him, and it has no signs of sludge build-up (good quality oil, changed regularly) or 'turbo related' problems.

2.0 TDI 140 bhp that is used in the Golf MK5's and the A3 8P's.

firefox1956

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

No, it has absolutely no relevance to the original question of whether or not the bloody DPF should be clogged on a car (of any size, actually) within 300 miles.

I wondered where the thread was going myself..........
I would take the car back for a refund sounds like its going to be a right dog for the OP.

Strider590

IanMSpencer wrote: »

What the manufacturers do not give is a driving guide which will highlight what actions will tend to create particulates and what actions will not produce them and what actions will tend to clear any particulates that are building up. Without that information, how can a driver be expected to properly manage this flawed piece of kit.

If they did, then the driver would have cause to come back and say "I did as you told me and look what has happened".

Also, people, 90% of, are actually completely stupid.

They wouldn't understand the complexities and the simple version would leave them with crazy ideas (like old people that think only light bulbs use any energy). They'd make a bee line for the car manufacturer that gave them the simplest "turn the key and leave it to someone else" solution.

darkmatter101

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

A 2006 2.0TDI what?


no signs of sludge build-up (good quality oil, changed regularly) or 'turbo related' problems.

I remember reading somewhere online that sludge build can happen if you continually do short journeys like 1 mile a day on TDI engines, even the pre 2008 non- DFP engines. Regardless of whether you change your oil every year using fully synthetic?

But I think even if you do 1 mile/day for 5 days then do a long motorway journey for at least an hour during the weekend it should clear up the sludge?

BeenThroughItAll

darkmatter101 wrote: »

2.0 TDI 140 bhp that is used in the Golf MK5's and the A3 8P's.

Erm, I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was suggesting that a VAG group 2.0TDI, which hadn't at any point been mentioned, was suitable for very low mileage use; I was merely suggesting that a non-DPF equipped diesel was less likely to have issues. I was simply illustrating that the presence of a DPF was grounds for questioning a driver's choice, nothing more.


I wouldn't recommend any diesel for very low mileage use of 1 mile a day. Mind you, I wouldn't recommend a car for that, I'd recommend getting off your lazy !!!! and walking.