Thread: Modern Vehicles and Their Modern Problems

For the last few months my Mondeo TDCI has been having issues with frequent DPF regens, around every 100-200 kms some times less. Recently a warning light came on and the led screen saying "engine malfunction". Luckily I was 5 minutes from home. I ran a scan tool giving me error code P2002 followed by "Diesel Particulate Filter Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 1", thought it would be something to do with the DPF. Did a google search, could be one or more of a dozen things, typical. I've checked the more simple and cheap to fix issues like leaking exhaust and/or pressure sensor hoses etc, just my luck, thats all good. So now I have to look at the more expensive solutions, but which one would it be? There is a droning noise coming from the air take but can't locate any leaks
Last owner replaced the DPF and injectors but with second hand parts from newer models, he worked for a wreckers.
Has anyone else had this issue, particularly with TDCI Mondeos?
Should of kept driving my old 96 Camry

Time for a DPF delete???

What it's telling you is the throughput through the exhaust is not as efficient as what the engine management is programmed to be happy with - which is what Google probably told you. The reason for the regens is the PCM is trying to get the exhaust backpressure back to within the acceptable parameters by increasing the exhaust temp to burn the soot out of the DPF and unblock it, when it can't it shits the bed and throws a tanty. If the issue isn't soot blocking the DPF it will keep thinking the DPF is blocked and initiate another regen.

What sort of driving do you do, the DPF setup wants open road driving and round town short trips are the opposite of what it likes. Why it's thinking the exhaust backpressure is not OK is the million dollar question (probably the wrong phrase but there you go).

Best outcome is a buggered sensor or an electrical issue with a connection or the loom, going to an issue with an injection component or the DPF through to a buggered sensor or even a module on the blink. It really needs to be plugged into something that can look at the live telemetry feed off the OBDII port and see what it's actually doing and where the issue actually is. Worst outcome from this is overloading the lube oil with crap as the regen setup increases the exhaust temperature by increasing fuel and retarding the timing, so it's potentially not good for engine health longterm.

Originally Posted by No.3

Time for a DPF delete???

What it's telling you is the throughput through the exhaust is not as efficient as what the engine management is programmed to be happy with - which is what Google probably told you. The reason for the regens is the PCM is trying to get the exhaust backpressure back to within the acceptable parameters by increasing the exhaust temp to burn the soot out of the DPF and unblock it, when it can't it shits the bed and throws a tanty. If the issue isn't soot blocking the DPF it will keep thinking the DPF is blocked and initiate another regen.

What sort of driving do you do, the DPF setup wants open road driving and round town short trips are the opposite of what it likes. Why it's thinking the exhaust backpressure is not OK is the million dollar question (probably the wrong phrase but there you go).

Best outcome is a buggered sensor or an electrical issue with a connection or the loom, going to an issue with an injection component or the DPF through to a buggered sensor or even a module on the blink. It really needs to be plugged into something that can look at the live telemetry feed off the OBDII port and see what it's actually doing and where the issue actually is. Worst outcome from this is overloading the lube oil with crap as the regen setup increases the exhaust temperature by increasing fuel and retarding the timing, so it's potentially not good for engine health longterm.

Thought about a dpf delete but that's a lot of $$$. If it works out to be the same as a proper repair then fuck it, delete delete.
90% open road driving at the speed limit
Going to get it booked in with my mechanic for a proper scan to see what the dpf is doing, or not doing. My scanner is a cheapie that doesn't give that kind of info. Will buy a can of that dpf cleaner that gets sprayed into the dpf just for a short term solution, also to see what happens and to get the car to the mechanics, its does go into reduced power mode.
Inside the exhaust tip is covered with soot and engine oil is black and slightly thicker then it was when I did a oil change back in december.

Have you checked oil level, and can you force Regen with you tool?

Bt50 I had the particle filter, Regen and engine fault lights come on in molesworth last year not the ideal place to have a breakdown but it still drove ok and didn't go into limp mode. Finished the trip and had it looked at when I got home after doing about 1000k with the 3 little lights for company. It was a faulty sensor. A $500 dollar fix been good since then.

A DPF delete is the 'proper repair' for this problem - if you keep the vehicle in good mechanical condition and the injectors and airfilter clean and do mostly open road driving there actually isn't much point to the DPF. It only accumulates soot under higher load conditions (start/stop driving, towing etc).

and remember the inbuilt diagnostic readout is a guide not a definitive.
case in point: nissan xtrail showing 02 sensor fault can be hole in exhaust manifold leak.
subaru legacy showing "lean" on cylinder bank one was air filter oil on air intake sensor.
the list goes on

Yes - my one was the good old P0089 fuel pressure regulator A performance out of specification causing limp mode and check powertrain light to illuminate for a short time. This under power, coasting, or even under braking so not on power at all... The PCM's (or engine management computer's) output voltage regulator was failing, and spiking and surging everything that relied on consistent regular 5V power. It fried a lot of sensors and actuators and three or four other modules before we found that it was not happy...

The live data telemetry output from the OBDII port will tell you a lot more than the codes it's throwing if you can access it.

Originally Posted by longrange308

Have you checked oil level, and can you force Regen with you tool?

Oil level is good, my tool can't do regens.
Today I bought a can of spray dpf cleaning, made one mistake, probably two? 1st mistake I misread the instructions, bad short vision, it said to let spray sit for 30mins then idle car until dripping from exhaust stops. Yeah I got that wrong, I let car idle for 30mins wondering why there was no dripping just stream. Took it for a drive engine light coming on and car going into limp mode. Scanned and instead of only having a "pending code" with yellow light I now also have a "current code" with red light, shit, bad to worse.
2nd mistake buying the can in the first place
Gonna remove dpf, see if I can flush the shit out, if not, fork out for a replacement, second hand to try and clear the codes because I'm gonna sell it and buy a Japanese petrol.

Same kind of issue with the 2018 Mu x of my Partner.
Dpf regen 3 or 4 time over an 80km drive.
Most places say either new dpf or delete dpf entirely and retune and never look back.

have you checked the pipes that go to the pressure sensor to see if they are blocked or split or come off? mondeo says it all tho

common prob with bt50s is the temp sensor in the dpf

Originally Posted by blip

have you checked the pipes that go to the pressure sensor to see if they are blocked or split or come off? mondeo says it all tho

They are all good, replaced the rubber hoses and cleaned out the pipes, still no joy.