Off Topic Diesel Particle Filters

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Rangers Til I Die

Rangers Til I Die

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2011
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5,906
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West London
Morning All,

I am trying to decide whether to buy diesel or petrol so please ask those of you drive diesels and if you've had any problems with the filters?

There is lots on the net that if the car is not driven at speed regularly then the filter blocks and is expensive to sort out.

Somebody on a motor forum stated that the Recovery Organisations get lots of calls for this problem.
Any experience from this group? Any motor mechanics out there?
Cheers
 
I have a diesel that has a particle filter and not had any issues, however my wife uses the car for long business journeys, so it does get a regular long, fast run out.

The filters do need to be changed after a certain number of miles and, as far as I understand, not replacing them can cause big problems. I'm guessing so long as you stick to the recommendations you should be fine. The drawback is that the replacement is not cheap - mine is about £850!
 
I'd assume it all depends where you live. If you live in a city and spend most of your driving life there, then your diesel vehicle is more likely to succumb to the problem you've stated. Likewise, if you spend it on dual-carriageways and other large roads then diesel becomes a more viable option.

I've personally always preferred petrol though.
 
seagullhoop said:
I have a diesel that has a particle filter and not had any issues, however my wife uses the car for long business journeys, so it does get a regular long, fast run out.

The filters do need to be changed after a certain number of miles and, as far as I understand, not replacing them can cause big problems. I'm guessing so long as you stick to the recommendations you should be fine. The drawback is that the replacement is not cheap - mine is about £850!
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's my problem. Mostly short runs with the occasional longer one. From what I've read, this could spell trouble. I was curious to see if any driver here had actually had the problem. When catalytic converters were first installed, there was a lot of talk about them being a problem and expensive to deal with (which they are), yet we don't hear about that anymore. I wondered if it was similar re the DPFs hence the request for real life experiences.
 
I had a diesel and as I mostly do short trips my mate who is a mechanic had to reset it and told me to drive to Beaconsfield and back as it needs a long run. Now have a hybrid.
 
Wont have a diesel again now after the trouble I had for 5yrs with our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Worst car I have ever had and one of the biggest issues was the DPF. Partly my own fault for getting a new job at the same time as the car and only travelling 7 miles each way to work at an average speed of 21mph (that is not a lie!!). Diesel engines need to be opened up and run for long enough to burn off the carbon build up.

When the C4 Cat blew up that was the last straw and the stars aligned and I bought my Honda CRV PETROL - a car I have fallen completely and utterly in love with.
 
4StringR said:
Wont have a diesel again now after the trouble I had for 5yrs with our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Worst car I have ever had and one of the biggest issues was the DPF. Partly my own fault for getting a new job at the same time as the car and only travelling 7 miles each way to work at an average speed of 21mph (that is not a lie!!). Diesel engines need to be opened up and run for long enough to burn off the carbon build up.

When the C4 Cat blew up that was the last straw and the stars aligned and I bought my Honda CRV PETROL - a car I have fallen completely and utterly in love with.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I looked at the Honda CRV. Pricey but does seem a cracker.
 
4StringR said:
Wont have a diesel again now after the trouble I had for 5yrs with our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Worst car I have ever had and one of the biggest issues was the DPF. Partly my own fault for getting a new job at the same time as the car and only travelling 7 miles each way to work at an average speed of 21mph (that is not a lie!!). Diesel engines need to be opened up and run for long enough to burn off the carbon build up.

When the C4 Cat blew up that was the last straw and the stars aligned and I bought my Honda CRV PETROL - a car I have fallen completely and utterly in love with.
Click to expand...
I have had a C8 since '07 and my experience couldn't be more different from yours.
An absolutely brilliant car if you have kids, you can configure the seating anyway you want, even down to just leaving the drivers seat in, so invaluable for all sorts of reasons, including those I haven't even thought of yet.
 
I work in motor trade but not a mechanic, daf commercial & fiat diesel vans & your right if DPF breaks down it is bloody expensive to replace filter & air flow system unless you've got good warranty terms.
 
I drive a diesel 25 miles each way to work, all A roads buts no dual carriageways and probably average 50mph all the way there with an mpg of around 65. Had no problem with the DPF.
Horses for courses I guess, if I was doing short slow journeys I would have bought a petrol car.
 
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Diesels will eventually be subject to eye-watering charges in Central London when the Ultra-Low Emission Zone comes into force in 2020. There is a sliding scale of time limits depending on the category of diesel engine but they are definitely on their way out. Hybrids are the way forward at present and full electrics will be more popular as their range increases.

Expect many other towns and cities to jump on the ULEZ bandwagon to follow...
 
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