Mazda 6 Forums UK

General Category => General Discussion => Discussions about DPF => Topic started by: Willpower on October 19, 2011, 09:10:37 am

Title: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Willpower on October 19, 2011, 09:10:37 am
Please use this area to discuss any issues with the DPF system in your car.

Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Stilje on October 20, 2011, 09:40:28 pm
It should be possible to start a complete regeneration and clear the warning light simply by driving for 10 minutes or so at speeds greater than 40mph.

Can I ask to which engine this refers? I have done much reading on the DPF system and from what I can gather the engine revs have to be over 2000rpm as well as the speed of more than 40mph for the regeneration to occur.

This is what I can remember from the previous forum and others about that refers to my '08 facelift 2.0L Diesel sport.

My cars journey to and from work 5 days a week consists 20 miles on a motorway and then about 5 miles of stop start rush hour traffic so on the motorway runs I ensure the revs are above 2000rpm for as much of the journey as possible before I hit the city traffic.
It had an oil change at a Mazda dealership 2 weeks ago and so far the oil level is holding steady. Let's hope it stays that way!
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Willpower on October 20, 2011, 11:28:43 pm
As stated, the post was brought across from Mazda3forums as this site had lost all previous information. The original article came from the AA website so is pretty generic.
However the principles behind DPF regeneration will be broadly the same for the Mazda6.
For more detailed information I suggest to everyone that a read through your handbook would supply more accurate information.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Rob on October 21, 2011, 08:43:14 am
I have just recently had the car serviced, the dpf starting flashing after 11200 miles so i knew it would be the oil/diesel % mix reaching the limit, so even with 10000mile motorway driving @ 2000 revs + i wonder can anybody actuallly do the full 12500miles before the oil needs changing? Also at no point during that 11200mile did the dpf light come on, does that mean that my car was always in passive regeneration? The oil level was 12mm from the dreaded X mark, taken on flat ground
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Tareim on October 29, 2011, 07:03:21 pm
I can't find any info on DPF warning lights in my manual, there is a sedimentor warning light on there, is that the light for DPF's?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: rrobson on October 29, 2011, 08:42:10 pm
just flicked through the manual today, and its over 2k revs and over 25mph (40kph) where it will clean on its own.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Hybrid on October 29, 2011, 08:42:43 pm
I can't find any info on DPF warning lights in my manual, there is a sedimentor warning light on there, is that the light for DPF's?
Diesels built  before 2005 dont have a dpf.

Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Tareim on October 30, 2011, 01:42:20 pm
ah thank you hybrid, this is my first diesel car and seen so much about DPFs causing issues, didn't think to check when they were first introduced
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: AlanDH on November 05, 2011, 01:26:16 pm
HI all

Re the DPF warning coming on after 11,200 miles. I understand the light is also used as a service indicator and has to be reset when the oil is changed otherwise the ICU thinks the oil hasn't been changed and tells you so. I had my 6TS serviced at a local independand garage and this happened 1100 miles after the service. The garage claimed they knew nothing about resetting the service indicator which isn't included in the open service software they have. It cost me another £200 for a second oil change and a reset at the main agents, whom I don't like due to their patronising attitude. It seems that only Mazda agents have access to this particular bit of kit. If true it sounds very like protectionism at our expense.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Rob on November 05, 2011, 02:25:04 pm
Re the DPF warning coming on after 11,200 miles. I understand the light is also used as a service indicator and has to be reset when the oil is changed otherwise the ICU thinks the oil hasn't been changed and tells you so. I had my 6TS serviced at a local independand garage and this happened 1100 miles after the service. The garage claimed they knew nothing about resetting the service indicator which isn't included in the open service software they have. It cost me another £200 for a second oil change and a reset at the main agents, whom I don't like due to their patronising attitude. It seems that only Mazda agents have access to this particular bit of kit. If true it sounds very like protectionism at our expense.

Thats what i thought it might have been originally but dealer told me the the level / % of diesel mixed into the oil was the reason it came on ( flashing ), so does anyone know anything about this sensor? I used to change the oil every 6000 miles on the old cars that i had, but i agree having to reset ecu or is it icu, after oil change is just another way of stopping the average man looking after his motor cheaply i cant believe what they charge for just a oil change nowdays, maybe its just me. Anyway managed 48mpg after the service so pretty happy with that
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: gor131-x on November 05, 2011, 11:01:04 pm
Hi Guys

Im new on here and i have posted a thread on here about me in the process off buying a 2008 mazda 6 2.0d sport,always bought VAg so im completely blind about Mazda's but ive fallen in love with this one and i am terrified about this dpf thing as the one im buying has a solid amber light!!!!

Im thinking of getting the DPF removed and get it done by a company called Sinspeed, anyone heard of them and has anybody had the DPF removed?

Pros and Cons?

Thank You
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: rogershirley on December 04, 2011, 08:59:32 pm
I just wondered how many people still have trouble with rising oil levels, I have owned my 6 for about 9 months done about 11000 miles mixed driving but most on dual carriageways and motorways, twice a week I drive at 70 mph in 4th gear for ten minutes or more,still got rising oil levels, anyone give me an idea what else might be causing this?
     Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Rob on December 05, 2011, 09:08:55 am
I just wondered how many people still have trouble with rising oil levels, I have owned my 6 for about 9 months done about 11000 miles mixed driving but most on dual carriageways and motorways, twice a week I drive at 70 mph in 4th gear for ten minutes or more,still got rising oil levels, anyone give me an idea what else might be causing this?
     Thanks in advance.

You have the same model as me and i far as i led to believe due to design of DPF system for 2.0 ltr model ( closed loop for 2.2 engine ) you will always get a oil level increase over time no matter how you drive, basically its a by-product of the regen process, weather passive or forced. If anybody disagrees please let me know and i will gracefully be corrected. I did 10000 motorway miles @ 2000 rev+ in last 12 months and after 11200 miles the level was about 1cm below X.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: PieEater on December 16, 2011, 08:43:17 pm
My car is currently at the dealers for them to do a regen and relearn.  £150.  Just 2.5k shy of it's next service (87500 service)  DPF light started flashing last week but went off and stayed off all week.  Started flashing again so got it booked in.  Just for reference, 80% of my driving is motorways.

I bought the car from main dealer with extensive warranty but have been told that this wouldn't be covered.  Didn't think regens would be covered but if the dpf needs replacing, it's £1500.  How is it my aircon is covered (which they fixed ) but not something that makes my car work?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ColinB on December 16, 2011, 09:55:19 pm
Quote
but not something that makes my car work?

The DPF tends to be a component which stops cars working! There seems to have been a major design flaw in the 2.0 DPF fitted engines, hence the introduction of the 2.2D. This is an improvement but is still not suited to short runs and low mileages although so far I have to say that my car (59 plate TS2) has been faultless and a great drive. I'm only doing 9k per year at the moment but it does include a decent blast down dual carriageways at least once a week.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: old onions on December 19, 2011, 01:17:51 pm
Gor131-x
Sinspeed are small outfit , less than a mile from where I live.
I visited there once to investigate DPF removal, but there was not really anyone there who could take me through the full procedure and implications.
I do know several users of the previous forum have had the dpf removed there without problems, and have been pleased with the results.
As far as I can ascertain, as well as removing the medium inside the filter itself , they fit an emulator to "fool" the ECU into thinking that the DPF is still functioning normally. Sinspeed told me that they would "guarantee" that the car would not fail the MoT test on emissions as a result of the DPF removal

Andy 
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mazda-campaign on December 29, 2011, 10:53:35 am
Hey all, most of you may remember my posts on the old mazda6forum - i had an engine run-away in my 6 2.0d. Still fighting the case!

Anywho, i have personally been to sin-speed for an ABS issue on my VW, i was there for about 4 hours and must have see about 4 Mazda's pulling up requested they remove the DPF units, whilst i have not seen their work on the DPF's word has gone around that they can do a decent job.

Good to see the site up and running again.

Kind Regards,

Mehdi
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: PieEater on December 29, 2011, 06:06:14 pm
Out of interest, how much would it cost to have the dpf removed?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mazda-campaign on December 29, 2011, 08:15:02 pm
well ive heard some people paid from £200 to £550, if thats something to go on i am happy i could help. lol
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: old onions on December 30, 2011, 09:56:37 am
Sinspeed quoted me £650 for the full job.
Removal of DPF, and emptying the absorbant media, refitting the canister,  fitting the emulator, reprogramming the ecu and road testing.

That may seem expensive, but set against the cost of £2000 minimum for DPF replacement at a dealer it is a better option.

Andy
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mazda6 on January 07, 2012, 02:33:05 pm
The local garage & the dealer tried (but failed) to force regenerations and told me to replace the DPF £2500 So, i decided to get the DPF removed by www.remap24.co.uk in Halifax. Few weeks later  passed an MOT without any problems.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MonkeySpanner on January 10, 2012, 03:04:57 pm
My car is currently at the dealers for them to do a regen and relearn.  £150.  Just 2.5k shy of it's next service (87500 service)  DPF light started flashing last week but went off and stayed off all week.  Started flashing again so got it booked in.  Just for reference, 80% of my driving is motorways.

I would recomend that you get your EGR valve checked out as with that milage its more than likely stuck open and so you are not getting a propper regen even while doing motorway driving.
I've had a similar problem at the same milage and ended up having to replace the DPF with an aftermarket one for £300 from "cats & pipes". But after a lot of research I found the the root cause was the EGR valve was stuck open which caused it to get permenantly blocked.
The EGR valve is very easy to get at just below the inlet manifold and to remove, check and clean as takes about an hour to do.
I only wish I had checked it before it had gone too late and completely blocked the DPF :'(

The first item the Mazda Service training manual tells the dealers to check is if the EGR valve stuck when the DPF light comes on but even after the third time they had it in to do a regen they never bothered to check it & I had to find it myself.

Good luck ;)

Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Rob on January 10, 2012, 07:52:07 pm
monkeyspanner, did you clean out the EGR yourself?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MonkeySpanner on January 10, 2012, 08:57:21 pm
Hi Rob,
Yep it’s pretty straight forward. Remove some of the air hoses and then just 4x12mm bolts, as long as you have a good set of 6 sided sockets to get a good hold of the bolts on their flat edges.
Two from the EGR cooler and then the two mounting it on to the engine had to use a mirror to see the lower one.
Once you have it out the only tricky bit is removing the solenoid/motor as it held on with 4xPhilips screws which can slip if you don’t put it in a vice, but there's just enough room to get a grip on them with a good vice-grip if you do get stuck.
The valve stem can then be removed by compressing the spring to release the retaining clips. To clean it and the valve seat I used a dremmel with a wire brush attachment to do the cleaning.
Be careful though where the valve stem enters the main body of the valve as this uses a wire mesh as the seal and is awkward to clean(more a washing & rinsing process) plus you don't want to deform it or one of the wires in the mesh as they may obstruct the operation of the valve.
After this it was actuating as smooth as silk while and closing fully before I cleaned it I had to gently tap the valve out with a small hammer it was so sticky and you could still blow through it when closed. I dread to think how tight it was when the engine was up to temp.
I plan on taking it out again soon to see if there has been much build up and as its so easy to do I would check it at least once a year to help avoid DPF issues.

Cheers

Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: PieEater on January 14, 2012, 06:46:20 am
I would recomend that you get your EGR valve checked out as with that milage its more than likely stuck open and so you are not getting a propper regen even while doing motorway driving.
I've had a similar problem at the same milage and ended up having to replace the DPF with an aftermarket one for £300 from "cats & pipes". But after a lot of research I found the the root cause was the EGR valve was stuck open which caused it to get permenantly blocked.
The EGR valve is very easy to get at just below the inlet manifold and to remove, check and clean as takes about an hour to do.
I only wish I had checked it before it had gone too late and completely blocked the DPF :'(

The first item the Mazda Service training manual tells the dealers to check is if the EGR valve stuck when the DPF light comes on but even after the third time they had it in to do a regen they never bothered to check it & I had to find it myself.

Good luck ;)

Thanks for the advice.  Out of interest, can I request this be done as part of a service?  Would a non Mazda garage know what an EGR valve is?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MonkeySpanner on January 14, 2012, 02:37:56 pm
Hi PieEater

As the EGR valve is not listed as a service item to check they will probably charge you the hourly rate to carry out this work for 2hrs worth of labour.
Any garage would be familiar with the EGR valve as they've been used all makes of cars for a long time so if you have one that you really trust then they should be able to do it no problems.
The only fear I would have with a main dealer is that they wouldn't bother spending the time trying to clean or recondition the valve if it were stuck as nowadays they just prefer to swap parts out and would then look to charge you for a new one which at a guess would be at least >$500 given that I heard that a recon kit can cost £250 for some cars yet I had no issues or need for any kit when I did it myself.
Personally I don't trust main dealer garages any more as they typically use apprentices to do the work and the last time I had a Mazda main dealer do my service I found that they hadn't even bothered to tighten the oil filter, as it was only finger tight and leaking oil so maybe I'm a bit biased. I now do the service myself and then just get the dealership to do the resets and re-cals.
One quick check you can do  though or get a local garage to do which will only take 15min at most is to remove the EGR connector pipe to the inlet manifold.
This is the aluminum covered/heatshielded pipe on the front right handside of the engine that is at an angle. If you remove this and find a lot of carbon build up on the inlet manifold port then theres a good chance that the EGR valve is not closing properly on mine this port was about 30-40% clogged with carbon. I would recommend though that you do not try to remove this carbon build up with out first removing the rubber pipe below feeding into the manifold as the carbon will end-up falling down into this and may get down into the intercooler by the time you get the rubber pipe off.
With this EGR pipe removed you will also be able to get a look at the stem or shaft of the EGR-Valve to see if there is any buildup or tarnish which is what causes the valve to get stuck.
With these two quick checks you'll have a good indication if you need to dig deeper and then decide if you want to take it to your main dealer.

Knowledge is Power :)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Elwood on January 15, 2012, 01:48:41 pm
This information about removing and cleaning the EGR valve is extremely interesting. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, but I don't seem to be able to find the EGR. Desciptions of its location lead me to a lump of metal with a black cap,of sorts,which is situated about midway down the front of the engine block,behind the fans and slightly right of centre. If this is the EGR, I can see no way of removing it as there are two nuts/bolts underneath. Access to these nuts/bolts is completely blocked by some sort of very stiff cabling or piping which is impossible to move.
Is there any possibilty that someone could post a photograph(s) of said EGR valve so that I can see if I'm looking in the right place?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MonkeySpanner on January 16, 2012, 08:20:45 pm
Hi Elwood

It sounds like you got the right one alright, I've just taken a photo of the EGR Valve which is attached. In doing so I spotted that there two more 14mm bolts which I had forgotten about.
I have also tried to highlight the bolts for the EGR Cooler with the yellow arrows which need be removed on the right hand side of the valve.
The cable you having trouble with is for the starter motor, if you don't have a swivel socket drive that lets you get around it you should be able to get enough freedom in the cable if you disconnect the top connector from the starter motor and remove the cable clip which is just visible in the bottom right corner of the picture. Naturally you should have your battery disconnected before starting this.
I have also attached a cross section schematic of the EGR Valve where I have highlighted the wire mesh seal that I mentioned to be careful of in a previous post.

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MonkeySpanner on January 16, 2012, 08:24:13 pm
Doesent Seam to have got the photo here goes again

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Elwood on January 18, 2012, 03:50:22 pm
Thanks a lot, MonkeySpanner, for the photo and schematic. Very useful and very helpful.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Steve_c on January 23, 2012, 07:04:21 pm
I apologise if this is old news to people, but I did a fair bit of investigation on DPFs after I bought my Mondeo, and it appears that there are three types;

cDPF (c=coated). This is the type fitted to the MK4 Mondeo TDCi (Peugot engine, apparently). This type "regenerates" as / when required by heating up to burn out the ash that has accumulated in the filter. This process does not use any additional additives.

Additive type. Used on Ford Focus diesels (around 2008) and presumably many other cars. A sensor in the exhaust system measures the internal exhaust pressure, and at the specified limit injects a small dose of additive into the DPF where it ignites, elevating the temperature of the DPF to remove the trapped ash. This additive apparently requires replenishment every 37.5K and is horribly expensive.

Fuel type. I believe this is the type used by Mazda, Mercedes and others. Essentially, a small amount of diesel fuel is deliberately injected into the cylinder on the exhaust stroke. This fuel is not burnt in the cylinder, but is forced out past the exhaust valves and enters the exhaust system. When the exhaust gets up to temperature, this fuel is combusted, raising the exhaust / DPF temperature to burn out the ash. This is presumably why you would need to maintain engine RPM at 2000+.  I don't know whether the fuel is injected on every exhaust stroke.

The problem with this method is that some of the fuel is forced past the piston rings and into the sump due to the internal cylinder pressure. A few years ago, this would have been fine, as the diesel fuel was sufficiently volatile to simply evaporate away. However, the government (obviously experts in such matters) decided to increase the permissible level of "bio-fuel" in diesel. Unfortunately, bio-fuel isn't particularly volatile, and doesn't evaporate away - it just sits in the sump contaminating your engine oil and, more importantly, continually adding to the volume of fluid in the engine. As the volume increases, so does the crank-case pressure.  The obvious down-side of running at higher revs to raise the exhaust temperature is that more fuel will be forced past the rings into the sump.

As the pressure increases, if the fluid level is high enough, oil / bio-fuel mix can be forced upward back past the piston rings where it ignites. At least, that's how I understand it - I'm quite happy to be proved wrong (I want a Mazda 6 for my next car!).
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: doninphi on January 23, 2012, 08:41:28 pm
That all makes sense.

So how does my 09 Mazda show when the fuel/oil mix gets bad like this? I know when the DPF gets blocked the DPF light comes on, but is there a light I should look out for in the event of the engine oil becoming too contaminated?

Ta.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ColinB on January 23, 2012, 09:30:49 pm
You need to check the dipstick regularly. In addition to the usual F(ull) and E(mpty) marks, there is one further up marked X. If the oil level approaches the X mark then you need to change the oil as there is too much diesel in it.

I have a 2.2 diesel and the DPF arrangement has been improved over the 2.0 diesels which reduces the likelihood of sump comtamination. My TS2 is now approaching 2 years old and in each year the oil level hasn't budged between annual services. My driving pattern is mixed but usually includes 15 miles or so on a dual carriageway at 60+ mph once a week and this seems to have kept the DPF happy so far!
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Steve_c on January 24, 2012, 07:13:59 pm
Sinspeed told me that they would "guarantee" that the car would not fail the MoT test on emissions as a result of the DPF removal

As I understand it, there isn't an emissions test for Diesels in the same way as petrol engines.  If that's the case, it's a pretty easy claim to make.

Having re-read some of the previous posts, I'm a little confused.  IF the problem on the 2.0 litre engines IS caused by fuel being injected on the exhaust stroke and forced past the piston rings, it doesn't seem logical that removing the internals from the DPF housing will do anything to resolve that problem.  Unless reprogramming the ECU prevents fuel being injected on the exhaust stroke?

From other forums, I've read that modifications to the ECU will constitute an MOT failure from some point during 2012.  I have no idea how the testing station would determine whether the ECU / fuel map has been changed, but I wonder how a car with a reprogrammed ECU would fare under the new rules.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: PieEater on January 26, 2012, 04:58:36 pm
Do the new models suffer from this issue?  Just thinking ahead about my next car and I like the styling on the new 6  :)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: PEH on January 30, 2012, 04:34:02 pm
I've found this forum to be very informative and joined the mazda campaign forum as well.
My Mazda 6 experience has been mixed, but now feel that I am coming to terms with the 'quirks' of this DPF design issue.
Brief summary of other posting:

The DPF light first started flashing in 2010 and I had it serviced independently. The DPF light remained flashing and my garage (I had used them for years and have found them trustworthy and reliable) advised me to take it to another independent outlet to get the DPF "regenerated", which I did.
All remained well till service needed in October 2011. The DPF light was flashing prior to service and this time a different independent carried out the service and "regenerated" the DPF.

All appeared well until I was on a longish journey in early January 2012. I was driving on the M6 (in 6th gear) after around 90 minutes drive time, when the engine power dropped off on an incline. I dropped down the gears 5th then 4th until the road levelled off and power came back.
This happened a few times, then the DPF started flashing.

The DPF continued flashing and I nursed the engine so I could get home (around 60 miles). Then the amber engine warning light came on close to home.
As I was close to home, I nursed the engine even more and parked the car on my driveway.
I have covered less than 3000 miles since the service.

I contacted a local dealer who was helpful (that surprised me). The dealer told me that the oil level has to be reset electronically after an oil change (that precludes any DIY work). The independent pointed me to a different independent.
I've been to that one today and the DPF and warning light has been cured - for now at least.

Both independents and dealer are Leeds based. I will transfer allegiance to the one I visited today.

Hopefully this will help someone else.

Garage website www.motocity.co.uk (http://www.motocity.co.uk)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: m.j.holroyd on February 07, 2012, 08:04:16 am
O.k here we go with another D.P.F issue.Alot of my motoring is local (not the best choice of engine i now realise) I've only owned the car for 10 days and the dreaded D.P.F comes on. solid not flashing. Read the handbook took the car for a good blast up the duel carriagway approx 26miles round trip.Kept the car in 5th as to keep the revs over 2000.The light DIDN'T go out.Stopped the car re-started no light.Harrah,i thought only for it to return 10-15 mins later.The car is due a service for which is being done thursday 9th. Is the light coming on as a "service reminder" and do i need to instruct the independant garage anything.E.g re-setting the oil level electronically. thanks in advance. Michael
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ColinB on February 07, 2012, 09:00:53 am
Check out this topic: http://www.mazda6forums.co.uk/newforum/index.php?topic=270.msg829#msg829
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: StaceyR on February 29, 2012, 10:13:14 pm
I also have a mazda6 with dpf problems, have had the DPF replaced less than a month ago but now got flashing light (wasnt on still first) and engine management light, went to my own garage who says the egr valve needs replacing at a hefty cost.  Could he be right, he has put some cleaner in it at the moment and told me i am ok to drive and the light might go off.  I thought it just needed regenning but he says that is not the case.  Please tell me I am not damaging my car by driving it.

Thanks
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: m.j.holroyd on March 16, 2012, 06:23:17 pm
Ahh,Stacey i feel your pain. I too had a flashing d.p.f light along with engine management light. All i can tell you is that i was advised by Mazda "NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR WHILST THE D.P.F LIGHT IS FLASHING" . I can also inform you that, if you have the "engine management" light up this will throw up a fault code on any reputable garages diagnostics equipment. I can only speak from my own experience, as i am no mechanic. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MicBarra on April 16, 2012, 09:45:06 am
Ey up ladies and Gents,
As most of you know i have had my TS 2.2 since end of Feb and during which time i check my oil level. The last time i checked the oil level it was spot on the F level but I had then checked it y'day it is on the X mark... So thinking this just could be the DPF i took the car for a 40 minute spin down the A19 at 2500 revs, got back home, waited a few hours and then checked again, but the oil level hadnt changed.
I have received a letter from a Mazda dealer indicating that my service is due but i get 2 years free service with the car from the dealer i bnought the car from. So i have booked the car in for a Oil and filter change.
Should this keep the DPF problems at bay or am i in for a bumpy ride?

Cheers
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: m.j.holroyd on April 21, 2012, 06:12:34 pm
Hi, before we start,like i have said in previous posts i am NO mechanic,so,don't take this as gospel.
The reason your oil level rises is because this is how the d.p.f regens.There are posts on here that go into much more detail.
Taking it for a run will not make the oil level go down.The oil level rises gradually between services,once it reaches the X mark get it booked in. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ColinB on April 22, 2012, 08:06:28 am
Quote
The oil level rises gradually between services,once it reaches the X mark get it booked in. Hope this helps.

Not necessarily, it depends on what sort of driving you do. If your oil level has risen as quickly as that then it suggests that you are just doing a lot of short runs or that there is something wrong. But you certainly need to get the oil changed asap if it is up to the X mark.

I have had my TS2 2.2 for two years (I do about 9k per year) and the oil level didn't move between changes but it does get a decent run at least once if not twice a week.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MicBarra on April 23, 2012, 08:09:16 am
Oil level has been changed but due to be being pretty ill ive been unable to check the work over lol....
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Pgregs1 on May 11, 2012, 09:44:55 am
Hi Rob,
Yep it’s pretty straight forward. Remove some of the air hoses and then just 4x12mm bolts, as long as you have a good set of 6 sided sockets to get a good hold of the bolts on their flat edges.
Two from the EGR cooler and then the two mounting it on to the engine had to use a mirror to see the lower one.
Once you have it out the only tricky bit is removing the solenoid/motor as it held on with 4xPhilips screws which can slip if you don’t put it in a vice, but there's just enough room to get a grip on them with a good vice-grip if you do get stuck.
The valve stem can then be removed by compressing the spring to release the retaining clips. To clean it and the valve seat I used a dremmel with a wire brush attachment to do the cleaning.
Be careful though where the valve stem enters the main body of the valve as this uses a wire mesh as the seal and is awkward to clean(more a washing & rinsing process) plus you don't want to deform it or one of the wires in the mesh as they may obstruct the operation of the valve.
After this it was actuating as smooth as silk while and closing fully before I cleaned it I had to gently tap the valve out with a small hammer it was so sticky and you could still blow through it when closed. I dread to think how tight it was when the engine was up to temp.
I plan on taking it out again soon to see if there has been much build up and as its so easy to do I would check it at least once a year to help avoid DPF issues.

Cheers
that sounds a good idea im not very mechanically minded but may take mine to my local garage and get it done there & watch them do it then next time maybe do it myself ,anyone know how much a garage would charge to do this ??
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Pgregs1 on May 14, 2012, 01:28:36 pm
I've found this forum to be very informative and joined the mazda campaign forum as well.
My Mazda 6 experience has been mixed, but now feel that I am coming to terms with the 'quirks' of this DPF design issue.
Brief summary of other posting:

The DPF light first started flashing in 2010 and I had it serviced independently. The DPF light remained flashing and my garage (I had used them for years and have found them trustworthy and reliable) advised me to take it to another independent outlet to get the DPF "regenerated", which I did.
All remained well till service needed in October 2011. The DPF light was flashing prior to service and this time a different independent carried out the service and "regenerated" the DPF.

All appeared well until I was on a longish journey in early January 2012. I was driving on the M6 (in 6th gear) after around 90 minutes drive time, when the engine power dropped off on an incline. I dropped down the gears 5th then 4th until the road levelled off and power came back.
This happened a few times, then the DPF started flashing.

The DPF continued flashing and I nursed the engine so I could get home (around 60 miles). Then the amber engine warning light came on close to home.
As I was close to home, I nursed the engine even more and parked the car on my driveway.
I have covered less than 3000 miles since the service.

I contacted a local dealer who was helpful (that surprised me). The dealer told me that the oil level has to be reset electronically after an oil change (that precludes any DIY work). The independent pointed me to a different independent.
I've been to that one today and the DPF and warning light has been cured - for now at least.

Both independents and dealer are Leeds based. I will transfer allegiance to the one I visited today.

Hopefully this will help someone else.

Garage website www.motocity.co.uk (http://www.motocity.co.uk)
hi how much did they charge you for the regen ,took mine into a garage as dpf light flashing i thought it was because it hadnt been reset after service last month which it hadnt but when they put it on diagnostic it came up with regen needed & no other faults ,so garage has cleared the regen code (not sure if same code as reset code after service ) will wait to see if dpf comes back on again if it does will have to get regen done ,i was born 1 min from that garage & is still quite local for me so might take there if it needs it ,thanx
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: lord_doodle on June 08, 2012, 05:35:47 pm
Well i have a 55plate facelift 2.0ltr D. I have had nothing but problems with my DPF even doing many miles on motorway, it just kept blocking and having to have a manual Regen. The worst and final straw was after taking it in to check why it is automatically regening every 50 miles, they could not find any fault or reason for this. I then drove just over 60 miles down the M6 and all the lights came on, went into limp mode and could not go any further. Took back to the garage who said that when they checked it before we left the soot level was only at 4% which is normal, but when they had it back the soot level was over 19% and no one could explain what would make this happen so quickly and must have been a coincidence that it happened just after being with them. To this day i don't believe it, and instead of having the new DPF they said i must have as it was over the 15% soot mark i have had this removed (bypassed) so it no longer has any problems. It has been 11000 miles and not a problem (touch wood) so to everyone with problems i suggest just removing and making the car work properly.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Pgregs1 on June 08, 2012, 06:14:45 pm
Well i have a 55plate facelift 2.0ltr D. I have had nothing but problems with my DPF even doing many miles on motorway, it just kept blocking and having to have a manual Regen. The worst and final straw was after taking it in to check why it is automatically regening every 50 miles, they could not find any fault or reason for this. I then drove just over 60 miles down the M6 and all the lights came on, went into limp mode and could not go any further. Took back to the garage who said that when they checked it before we left the soot level was only at 4% which is normal, but when they had it back the soot level was over 19% and no one could explain what would make this happen so quickly and must have been a coincidence that it happened just after being with them. To this day i don't believe it, and instead of having the new DPF they said i must have as it was over the 15% soot mark i have had this removed (bypassed) so it no longer has any problems. It has been 11000 miles and not a problem (touch wood) so to everyone with problems i suggest just removing and making the car work properly.
hi how much did it cost to get it removed & has your mpg improved any ?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: thevilla1 on August 23, 2012, 09:41:20 am
Hi all..

after being in limp mode with flashing dpf for over 6 months... i thought it was time to sort it out...

id heard of sinspeed .. but couldnt be arsed to drive it to london..from birmingham.

eventually found a local place about 5 miles from me...they removed the filter from the exhaust..remapped the ecu so it doesnt think it has a dpf anymore.. and boosted the BHP from 143 to 175

ive done over 2k miles since... no problems at all.   total cost...£425

not sure about rules posting / advertising garages etc... so if you are in bham area.. the garage is in blackheath / halesowen area...

let me know if you need further info
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MicBarra on August 23, 2012, 09:53:22 am
I've had a few quotes and that is £100 cheaper than what I have been quoted. Youve done well there mate
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Ainaa on October 15, 2012, 07:18:30 pm
Hey,

Could someone please help as I have a Mazda 6 (90,000) on the clock. Quite a good runner considering its cheap and cheerful :)  but I am having a problem. Since last week my engine management light and traction control light has come on.

My friend has looked under the bonnet and found a breather pipe going to a rga valve ripped. He replaced that but the lights are still on. I've taken it into a local garage who informed me that my dpf filter was playing up and needed replaces although this would cost me just under £1000.

Because my DPF light was not on I checked with another garage who gave me the following fault codes;

P242F

P1391F

P2459

C1119

They did a DPF regeneration and cleared all fault codes. This seemed to cure the problem till I drove up a hill in the rain and my traction control light and engine management light came back on. :(.



My question is because my DPF light is off do you think my DPF filter is ok ? And what could be wrong with my traction ?

Regards,

Ainaa
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MicBarra on October 16, 2012, 09:10:53 am
Hi,
Can you confirm that your M6 is a 2006 1.8 model??
My TC and Engine management light has only ever come on my M6 when the battery has been disconnected which yours obviously hasnt.

Is there a sensor or something which can get clogged up which could cause this?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Craigy1D on December 08, 2012, 08:19:35 am
Hi,

I'm unclear on why it's necessary to have an ECU remap when you have the DPF gutted? Passive regens occur in response to normally driving conditions during which the ECU hasn't changed any aspect of the fueling, etc.

Active regens I wouldn't have thought occur at random, but rather in response to pressure sensors detecting a pressure build up in the exhaust system? If that's the case then gutting the DPF will mean the pressure never builds high enough to trigger an active regen.

So I'm not really sure what the remap is supposed to achieve?

Thanks,
Craig
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: jonny007 on December 28, 2013, 12:40:51 pm
I'm not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere on this site, but I thought this thread would be the best place to post this.

For anyone that doesn't know; the presence of a DPF will become part of the MOT from Feb 2014. If one is found to be missing that was factory fitted, it will apparently be an instant fail.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter)

Some good discussion on this Skoda thread:
http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/297243-dpf-removal-check-to-be-part-of-uk-mot-test-from-february-2014/?st=0 (http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/297243-dpf-removal-check-to-be-part-of-uk-mot-test-from-february-2014/?st=0)

I am not sure how testers will be able to verify that DPFs have been removed as the Mazda's is inside the same 'box' as the CAT. Will have to wait and see how the new guidelines are implemented in Feb. However any 6 owners who have had a 'DPF-tomy' might want to get them MOT'd in Jan.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Farnsworth28 on February 14, 2014, 07:57:24 am
Chaps,

The dreading DPF light started to flash in my 6 last night. This is after covering 10k miles in 6 months. We are currently trying to get it booked into Invicta Maidstone this morning. Because the missus requires the car for her job I couldn't take any chances.

What does concern me though is that I checked the oil on Tuesday as well as topping up the screenwash and the oil level was fine. It was below full and nowhere near the dreaded "X" mark.

It is 2.5k away from the 62,500 service so I am a bit perplexed as it doesn't require a service yet.

Any Thoughts?

Farnsy
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: DaVe on February 14, 2014, 12:41:39 pm
I was talking to two Mazda mechanics Wednedsay, They both said at the moment it will fail if they can clearly see the DPF has been removed, but its not as easy as that because they cant tell unless they remove part of the exhaust system and MOT times will not allow for this as it will take too long to carry out the work, But there is talk and tests higher up about them looking deeper into this regarding software side and in the future it will be tested on the computer and not visual, not sure when or how long these changes will be but they are all aware of these removals and are testing different ways to find out if it has been removed (I think he said Germany is where the tests on the software are being carried out).

Dave
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: DaVe on February 14, 2014, 12:47:00 pm
Chaps,

The dreading DPF light started to flash in my 6 last night. This is after covering 10k miles in 6 months. We are currently trying to get it booked into Invicta Maidstone this morning. Because the missus requires the car for her job I couldn't take any chances.

What does concern me though is that I checked the oil on Tuesday as well as topping up the screenwash and the oil level was fine. It was below full and nowhere near the dreaded "X" mark.

It is 2.5k away from the 62,500 service so I am a bit perplexed as it doesn't require a service yet.

Any Thoughts?

Farnsy

The same two Mazda mechanics I spoke to also spoke about the DPF light coming on but they said it could also be related to the cam chain and the issues towards the 2.2 diesel as this could mean the chain needs checking to see if it has stretched.

Dave
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Farnsworth28 on February 14, 2014, 06:19:13 pm
Dave,

The misses spoke to Mazda and they said the flashing DPF light was because the car was due a service. I wasn't happy as the car has done approx 10k and not the manufacturers recommended 12.5k for a service interval. What ever happened to the good old spanner indicator?

I will have a discussion with Mazda as I am not impressed, the manual says if the DPF light flashes then take the car to the garage. Using the DPF light as a service indicator is wrong and will ultimately lead to confusion or sheer blind panic  :'(

Farnsy

Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: DaVe on February 14, 2014, 06:28:13 pm
Dave,

The misses spoke to Mazda and they said the flashing DPF light was because the car was due a service. I wasn't happy as the car has done approx 10k and not the manufacturers recommended 12.5k for a service interval. What ever happened to the good old spanner indicator?

I will have a discussion with Mazda as I am not impressed, the manual says if the DPF light flashes then take the car to the garage. Using the DPF light as a service indicator is wrong and will ultimately lead to confusion or sheer blind panic  :'(

Farnsy



Yeah it is strange to get it flashing for a service most cars usually say (service ---- miles) when you turn the ignition on my on VW you can even turn it off, I think with the chain issue the light stays on but that would still panic anyone, any lights on my dash I automatic think the worst followed by oh god how much..

I wonder if there is a reset like the VW you could do ?

Dave
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Little John on February 19, 2014, 01:02:29 pm
The DPF light sucks.  We were going down to Surrey for Christmas and the DPF light started flashing on the motorway.  Since we had a long way to go we thought we'd better stop and get it checked out.  The guy from Green Flag was pretty adamant that it was a problem and we'd have to be recovered home.  Took it into our local garage the next day (Christmas eve!) and they told me it was a 'software glitch' and they'd reset the software and it was now OK.  Ever since I've been wondering whether what they really meant was 'we forgot to reset the service indicator' when they did the service three months earlier.  Given that the car is out of warranty and they didn't charge me, you have to wonder....
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Sarge17 on February 28, 2014, 07:47:02 pm
Hi guys. Just to make this clear from the off, i am in no way mechanically minded & have of course looked online for the answers to my questions but have been blinded with jargon so if anyone can give me an idiots guide then this idiot would be very grateful!

I've owned a 56 plate for just under 2 years now. The car has just done over 150k miles. Recently the DPF has started flashing. Took it for a much needed motorway run at 3000 revs for a good 30 mins with no luck. Did a little investigating online which led me to check the oil. It was past the F mark and up around the dreaded X. So today i took it for a full service & oil change. Then on the way home took it for another 10/15 min motorway run in 4th gear at 70mph with about 3500rpm. The light continues to flash.

From reading online i'm guessing the light doesn't just turn it's self off and requires it being plugged into a machine to do this. I have seen on youtube the trick for turning the light off without going to a garage but obviously don't want to do so if it is a genuine warning. So how do i know that the oil change and/or the motorway run has worked or not?

Thanks in advance for any help...
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Elwood on March 02, 2014, 07:14:25 pm
Hi guys. Just to make this clear from the off, i am in no way mechanically minded & have of course looked online for the answers to my questions but have been blinded with jargon so if anyone can give me an idiots guide then this idiot would be very grateful!

I've owned a 56 plate for just under 2 years now. The car has just done over 150k miles. Recently the DPF has started flashing. Took it for a much needed motorway run at 3000 revs for a good 30 mins with no luck. Did a little investigating online which led me to check the oil. It was past the F mark and up around the dreaded X. So today i took it for a full service & oil change. Then on the way home took it for another 10/15 min motorway run in 4th gear at 70mph with about 3500rpm. The light continues to flash.

From reading online i'm guessing the light doesn't just turn it's self off and requires it being plugged into a machine to do this. I have seen on youtube the trick for turning the light off without going to a garage but obviously don't want to do so if it is a genuine warning. So how do i know that the oil change and/or the motorway run has worked or not?

Thanks in advance for any help...

I'm guessing that your oil/filter change was done by a garage which doesn't have the facility for resetting the DPF light. A main dealer would have done this as part of the service.

The flashing DPF light is acting as a service warning light. If the light is on permanently, then, usualy, this means the DPF is very badly clogged which is a far worse situation.

My car is similar to yours and I have used the tips found here http://www.cdn.dk/mazda6/tips.htm to good effect I have done them all except for the automatic wipers as my car doesn't have them.

Only the other day, I used the procedure for recalibrating the injectors and this made a very noticeable difference to the car's performance.

The DPF cleaning process is quite brutal and somewhat alarming as the engine revs up and slows down of its own accord and, at times, runs roughly. But it works and everything settles down, in the end.

I was quite apprehensive when I first used the procedures. I thinks many others have done the same with success.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Sarge17 on March 03, 2014, 02:06:26 pm
Thanks for the reply and the handy link. I had heard about resetting the DPF light using the process in this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtFifQvQNnM but i guess you can only recommend what has worked for you.

Correct about the garage not having the facility to turn the light off but i did get a full service for £128. So if i have had the oil filter changed will i still need to carry out the cleaning process or just reset after oil change option?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Elwood on March 03, 2014, 07:38:48 pm
Thanks for the reply and the handy link. I had heard about resetting the DPF light using the process in this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtFifQvQNnM but i guess you can only recommend what has worked for you.

Correct about the garage not having the facility to turn the light off but i did get a full service for £128. So if i have had the oil filter changed will i still need to carry out the cleaning process or just reset after oil change option?

It depends what the garage included in the service. From your previous post, I would suspect the DPF needs a manual regeneration as per the tips sheet. I used this method on my car last year. I was quite apprehensive, especially when the engine started growling and revving a lot, but everything settled down. It took well over half an hour and a lot of smoke came out of the exhaust. Remember, the engine has to be at full working temperature before you start, so a good run beforehand is recommended.

Follow the instructions on the sheet and you should be OK. When I did it, I rigged up a piece of wire with a large crocodile clip at one end which I then attached to the negative terminal of the battery.

What oil did the garage put in your car? I use Mazda's DEXELIA DPF 5W-30 even though it's a bit expensive, but it is the life blood of the engine. The oil must be a DPF designated oil.

If you do any of this, I'd recalibrate the injectors, as per sheet. I don't think your garage would have done that, either. If you follow the procedures, I think you'll find a noticeable difference in you car.

Hop this helps.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Sarge17 on March 09, 2014, 06:40:15 pm
I finally got around to trying some of this today and it worked a treat. I used the guide to clean the DPF and reset the light using the "after oil change" process.

I was unsure about calibrating the injectors though, i've probably mis understood the instructions, namely step 3:-


How to calibrate the injectors
1. Make sure the engine is warmed up (important).
2. Start the engine.
3. Connect the pin in the red circle 5 times within 5 sec. to earth (chassis).
4. The glow plug light flashes 5 times when the calibration is finish (< 3 min). **
5. If not got to (2).

Does that mean you have to connect within 5 secs? (i'm guessing probably not) or connect one end into the fuse box and touch the chassis 5 times within 5 seconds with the other? (or vice versa) I tried both with no luck. Should you leave the wire connected on the 5th time?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Elwood on March 09, 2014, 07:36:57 pm

I was unsure about calibrating the injectors though, i've probably mis understood the instructions, namely step 3:-


How to calibrate the injectors
1. Make sure the engine is warmed up (important).
2. Start the engine.
3. Connect the pin in the red circle 5 times within 5 sec. to earth (chassis).
4. The glow plug light flashes 5 times when the calibration is finish (< 3 min). **
5. If not got to (2).

Does that mean you have to connect within 5 secs? (i'm guessing probably not) or connect one end into the fuse box and touch the chassis 5 times within 5 seconds with the other? (or vice versa) I tried both with no luck. Should you leave the wire connected on the 5th time?

Pleased to hear that the DPF cleansing and reset went OK

When I recalibrated the injectors I used a length of solid core wire. One end I stuck into the indicated pin and left it there. Taking the other bare end of the wire, I quickly (within 5 secs) stroked it 5 times across the negative terminal of the battery. After that I completely removed the wire from the car as it's no longer needed. If this has been done correctly, the glowplug light is illuminated and stays on until the process is complete. When the recalibration is complete, the glowplug light flashes 5 times and you can then switch off the engine.

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Sarge17 on March 18, 2014, 09:20:13 pm
Finally got around to doing the injectors and at the 2nd time of trying managed to do it. Only had a short drive since but the car seems to respond a bit quicker. Thanks Elwood for all your help
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Elwood on March 19, 2014, 11:47:07 am
Finally got around to doing the injectors and at the 2nd time of trying managed to do it. Only had a short drive since but the car seems to respond a bit quicker. Thanks Elwood for all your help
You're welcome and pleased it's worked for you.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Jonnyyfronts on July 22, 2014, 03:50:57 pm
I hope the good people on this site can help. I'm sure my DPF is doing a regen at almost exactly every 200 miles no matter what the conditions are!  I've noticed that my tick over revs increase slightly for 20 mins or so and at this time my ave MPG drops like a stone!

I will be giving it it's 4th oil change since March because the sump keeps filling up with diesel even though 90% of my driving is on dual carriageways and motorways!!!

Has anyone else noticed this and can anything be done to stop it happening so frequently?

Andy.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: makkmartono on September 18, 2014, 07:14:36 pm
Hello people,

How often does the new skyactiv-d regenrate it's DPF filter.
My 10 plate sport used to it every 250-300 miles.
Also how long does it take on this car?

Thanks
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: molliejuno on November 07, 2014, 04:13:56 pm
Hi I have the dpf light flashing and car in safe mode. I believe this has come on as my oil was contaminated with diesel where the regeneration of dpf was not finishing due to me only doing short journeys. I have had oil and filter change but light is still flashing and in safe mode. Is there a way I can reset this myself.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Farnsworth28 on November 07, 2014, 06:07:57 pm
If your car has recently been serviced then I would get it checked for the tolerance on the Timing Chain. This is a well documented fault. I really hope I am wrong though as it is expensive to fix.

Farnsy
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: markiboy44 on January 26, 2015, 03:52:00 pm
Hi I have the dpf light flashing and car in safe mode. I believe this has come on as my oil was contaminated with diesel where the regeneration of dpf was not finishing due to me only doing short journeys. I have had oil and filter change but light is still flashing and in safe mode. Is there a way I can reset this myself.

did you get this sorted?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: MicBarra on February 02, 2015, 02:38:25 pm
Whenever mine flashes I try to avoid driving it until i can take it to get the Oil/filter changed along with a DPF Reset.
Last time they had performed a DPF regen which they never charged for.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mareng73 on February 28, 2015, 03:09:31 pm
If manufacturers want a) Lower emissions b)Lower Fuel consumption, then why are we having to burn extra fuel increasing fuel consumption and still emitting the carbon from the DPF ( as ash they say).
Matter cannot be created nor destroyed. So what goes in comes out. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen ( and perhaps a few other trace elements) are part of the combustion process so carbon is still going to go into the atmosphere.
It was always said that lowering emissions of large marine diesels the fuel consumption would rise but they have to deal with NOx & SOx, whether they worry about DP's (a bit of soot) I don't know, but they do have to carry and burn low sulphur fuels for European coasts and the US.

I believe earlier ( or even present) Mazda3's used the Urea injection system. Has anybody had any experience with that?  If it was a good system I wonder why it was not incorporated on the Mazda6.
My dealer said if spilt on the carpet it would make a mark (as it is based on ammonia or bleach). But then if you take precautions this would not happen. It does sound like very little is needed. A similar system is used on marine diesels.

I did see a U-Tube video of somebody jet washing there DPF filter out.  Now if the filter is full of soot which is mainly carbon, you can soak carbon in a rich solution of of washing up liquid and water allow to stand overnight say (may be a shorter time)  then just wash out as soap dissolves carbon. Try it on a burnt oven bottom or baking sheet that has sugar burnt in.
I used to soak my EGR (mechanical type) in soapy water  and it came out spotless, with no effort. I have also decarbonised marine diesel (QE2 Engine type) caged exhaust valves burning heavy fuel oil and they came out spotless using the same method.
So all may not be lost. 
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ghm5 on March 29, 2015, 07:26:44 pm
Hello Everyone, I'm new to the forum, I have a Mazda 6 2.2 diesel I am having some problems with frequency active regens of the dpf does anyone have any advice? My car does this every 60 - 80 miles (every second day), I am in talks with Mazda and they have tried....egr cleaning, injector relearns but this hasn't helped and they can't find anything wrong, they say the dpf levels are okay and the car is fine. I travel mainly on A roads and motorways. Thanks hope someone could maybe help with previous experiences. The cars great apart from this issue.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: sjz6065 on April 13, 2015, 06:38:45 pm
Hey everyone, new to the forum, names ryan and i  drive a 2011 takuya mazda 6. recently bought the car about 3 months ago and now having problems with the DPF but thankfully will be fixed under Mazda warranty. the question im asking is am i better to remove the DPF all together and remap the car sensibly. id like to hear peoples thoughts on this.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: V 249 on April 13, 2015, 07:06:35 pm
DPF I believe if you remove it you could have problems as non standard for future MOT's.

Suggest you read previous reports on this forum re Timing chains possible problems on the 2.2 Diesel engine.

Many posts have been made.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ColinB on April 14, 2015, 05:24:41 pm
If you remove the DPF and it is discovered at the MOT then the car will fail. Some people have been relying on the difficulty of observing whether the DPF has been removed and chancing it. The authorities are of course well aware of this and are likely to tighten up the test as if the DPF has been removed then the car will blow out a lot of particulates when revved in the same way as non DPF cars do.

If you have the 2.0 engine then it is subject to DPF related problems. The later 2.2 diesels are better but not immune.

Which is why I bought a petrol this time round!
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: dazwell on May 04, 2015, 05:28:47 am
Hi all, just looking at buying a Mazda 6 2.2d tsp 2011 model and looking at some concerns about DPF issues and timing chain issues. I'm new  to Mazda cars has always had VW. Took the car for a test drive  and the car drove great but the DPF light was on.! Guy a mainstream dealer said it was due to not being driven and needing a service. Had to owners one was which JTC600 then one lady owner, which I'm going to contact. Has anyone got and experience with 2011 model? Abd should I just look else where ? What else should I be looking out for? Thanks for help in advance .
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: V 249 on May 04, 2015, 10:43:27 am
Let the dealer put it right before you touch it. If he insists on anything else look elsewhere .
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: stevem100 on June 30, 2015, 09:43:18 pm
Does this DPF problem including warning lights and messages still happen on 2014 model 2.2 175 skyactive engines ?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: makkmartono on July 01, 2015, 03:27:07 pm
The new one is a completely different system. You shouldn't experience this with the new one.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: stevem100 on July 03, 2015, 06:23:21 pm
Thanks very much for your reply if you have any other points on the car i should feel free to make contact
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: wocky on May 10, 2016, 10:55:17 am
Eventual fix for 2007 Mazda 6 TS2 2.0 MZR Diesel 143ps DPF problem
I hope this will help some people, as I used a lot of info on the Forums working my way thro to an eventual fix to DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) causing engine management (MIL) to go into limp mode. The first sign of problems was the occasional loss of power when cruising, which quickly fixed itself. Then weeks later when towing a Caravan from  Gloucestershire to Cornwall, the DPF light began flashing. It never illuminated solid to give me a chance to clean the DPF by reving the engine, and almost immediately the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) light came on and the engine went to reduced power in limp mode. For some unknown reason the ABS error light (C1119) also comes on. After discussion with a Green Flag Engineer, I continued to Cornwall (with Caravan) on reduced power. I then booked the car into Mazda Truro where they topped up the oil (turned out to be the wrong spec oil) and did a forced regeneration of the DPF. All was well with full power restored and no warning lights on .After 30 miles on the return journey with Caravan, the same happened again. DPF light began flashing and almost immediately the MIL light came on and the engine went to reduced power in limp mode. I continued the journey for another 150+ miles without event. I then decided that I had lost faith in Mazda’s ability to solve the problem as I could not afford repeated expensive visits to a Mazda dealer, as many others have said, after reading the Forums. I then purchased an ELM327 adapter (for Mazda and Ford) which used free Forscan software, from a well know online supplier (now priced at £16.95) and did a manual DPF regen myself (not for the faint Hearted, what a smell). This took some 30 minutes and was quite intensive. Unfortunately within 100 miles the MIL and DPF lights were on again. I then cleaned the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve and link pipe. The link pipe was almost solid with Carbon. After checking oil spec (must be ACEA C1) realised that the last oil change done by an independent service engineer, was the wrong spec so I changed the Oil and Filter and did another forced regen and cancelled the error codes. I then drove reving the engine at over 2000 for 15 mins sometimes to give the DPF chance to regen. At this time I was also using the ELM327 to monitor the Soot levels. I must say that at no time did the oil level on the dip stick rise towards the X mark. No good. The DPF light came on again but this time I had the ELM327 and laptop with me and when the DPF light began flashing, I plugged it in and spotted an intermittent mass air flow error (P0104) which almost immediately disappeared to be replace by MIL error and warning light. I had not seen this error recorded before. I purchased a cheap MAF sensor but it gave no power so I then bought a Denso unit (original manufacturer) for about  £100. I continued to monitor the soot levels but the errors returned again. So this time I took off the DPF and pressure washed from both sides. Very little soot/ash seemed to come out but the action also removed the top surface of the filter matrix (I think this was very important). I started the engine with a wet DPF and let it idle for 30 minutes until the steam stopped. I then cleaned the EGR valve and link pipe again although they were not very dirty.
I continued to monitor the soot levels first weekly, but now monthly. The DPF is now cleaning as the soot levels increase then fall back to almost nothing. I have now done over 4000 miles with no problems and have driving as before, with no special reving of engine over 2000 for 15 mins.
My conclusion is that the original problem was an intermittent fault with the Mass airflow sensor that resulted in excessive soot generation when giving a false signal. This almost completely blocked up the EGR valve pipe to the inlet manifold. Whether the wrong spec oil had a part to play in the DPF blockage I do not know, but the Mazda info says it is vital so in this instance I believe them.
BUT...I think the key fact is that the heavy soot formed a cap on the front of the DPF that could never be burnt off properly during a regen as it never got hot enough on the front surface, so that it took very little in order to block again, even though the original faulty MAF sensor was now performing fine. The pressure washing took this soot cap off, as it also took off some of the front of the filter matrix!
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Willpower on May 10, 2016, 01:27:42 pm
Very informative. Thank you.  I presume after all this that you have not had any reoccurance of the DPF / MIL  lights. Have you had a chance to try towing again and see if that makes any difference ?

Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: wocky on May 10, 2016, 04:04:13 pm
Hi Willpower.
No re-occurrence at all and no error codes when I check with the ELM327. For some £16 it's a fantastic bit of kit with software updates coming out every few months. As I said above, I have been monitoring the soot levels and see that they drop from time to time to almost zero which to me means that the DPF is regenerating. No, I have not towed the Caravan since but when I do I will not allow the Engine to labour at low revs as I did before, just in case! I have done a number of long journeys, 150+ miles when no regen has taken place, but mainly short of only 3 to 5 miles for weeks at a time. The soot levels as monitored by the exhaust pressure sensor need to above a threshold level before the engine management initiates a regen cycle. In fact in the early days after pressure washing the DPF, I had the ELM327 and laptop with me when I took some rubbish to the recycling centre some 3 miles from a cold start. When I got out of the car I could smell a burning smell, and plugged in the ELM327. To my surprise the 3 exhaust temperatures were up over 600 degs C and a regen was taking place. This was a surprise for a short journey as the engine had barely got hot.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mart2008 on June 28, 2016, 05:26:58 am
Hi Guys. I thought that I would share with you all, my experience that I had with my Mazda 6 TS 2.0 Diesel (2008). I have only had the car since January and it always 'missed' at around 1800rpm, just a very short, hesitant lack of power, mainly on the motorway in top gear. I knew that something wasn't right but I put up with it. Anyway, back in the beginning of May, it very suddenly got much worse where the EML came on and all sorts of other warning lights came on and off, (ABS etc). The car went into limp mode but got me home. I left it over night and the next day, it was worse. It started ok but had no power and I had a job to drive it so I parked it up and booked it into my local Mazda dealers in Cardiff. I struggled to drive it there but I got there. They kept it over the weekend but I eventually got a call to say that I could pick the car up. I was told that the cat was blocked and the car tried to do a regeneration but failed due to the blocked cat, causing a lot of back pressure. They did a forced regen and managed to unblock the cat (don't know how). I was told to monitor it and see how it goes but if all fail's, I might have to fork out for a replacement DPF!!! My place of work involves a 40 mile motorway drive so I had plenty of chance to give it a good blast to clear out any further soot and hopefully prevent it from happening again. However, I still had that occasional 'miss', 'hickup' or whatever you want to call it. I started to do a bit of research on DPF's, cat's and their problems and came across an additive called 'Cataclean' which claimed that it not only cleans the cat, it also cleans DPF's and the whole of the fuel system in general. The best price that I could find was with Eurocarparts at £13.99 a bottle. I'm sure that Ebay sell it cheaper but I don't trust a lot of products on there as there are a lot of fakes around. So, I bought a bottle and followed the instructions which states that the whole bottle is to be added to around a quarter of a tank of fuel. Then drive the car for at least 10-15 minutes before adding more fuel. What I did was drive the car over a couple of days to use up the quarter of a tank of fuel then refueled. Lad's, this stuff works! Not only was the annoying hickup gone, the car definitely had more power, crisper acceleration and an improved MPG. Definitely the best £13.99 I have ever spent. It certainly worked on my car and I have not had any reoccurring problems in the last 7 weeks. It does say on the bottle that it can be used 3-4 times a year if required unlike other additives that have to be added to every tank full of fuel. Worth a try guy's, if you are having similar issues with your car.     
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mareng73 on July 15, 2016, 07:04:44 pm
The new one is a completely different system. You shouldn't experience this with the new one.


Though I have the  2.2  Gen 3  2013 - on model and have no problems so far, I would not say the problem has gone away, especially if you drive it round the town all the time  or in 6th gear on the  motorway.  There are a few sad stories on the Mazda6OwnersClub forum  like above. Unfortunately Mazda seems to have closed all the loopholes for self maintenance which is not playing fair considering the problem was their poor design in the first place and you are at their mercy.
That ELM 327 adapter sounds like  a good investment,  I wonder if it works on the Gen 3 and using a Samsung Tab S tablet rather than a laptop and can you reset the pcm  after an oil change.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: stevem100 on July 15, 2016, 08:00:47 pm
I think the solution on the GEN 3 sky active is oil and filter change every 6000 miles for your own peace of mind. That's what i'm doing. Although i think Mazda should do the intermittent one for free. ;D Hang on there is a couple of pigs flying over  :-X

cheers steve . 8)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mareng73 on July 16, 2016, 11:18:26 pm
Why cannot all garages be as clean tidy as Motorcity in Leeds?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Willpower on July 17, 2016, 08:30:13 am
Why not give them a thumbs up  (http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j124/willpower128/Emos/goodjob.gif)  here     http://www.mazda6forums.co.uk/index.php?board=17.0   so that others can be confident in going there ?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Kryz_w on August 22, 2016, 07:50:19 pm
Hi folks

I brought a ten year old Mazda 6 2.0 Diesel and almost immediately got the dreaded DPF light.  Brought the car fairly cheaply (£1.2k, with 103k on the clock), but wanted something for motorway driving, as I was moving from London to Birmingham.  I got the place I brought it from to do a regen, and that fixed it for a short time but it came back (ironically whilst I was on a motorway) a week or so later.

Stayed on for the next few weeks (in which time I went up and down the motorway London to Birmingham about six times) until I took it to a garage in Brum this weekend, where he plugged it into the diagnostics and reset the data for me.  DPF light off, but I don't hold out to much hope for the future.

As you can guess from the price I brought it at this isn't a car I want to spend money on and am more concerned about safety than anything else.  So question is, if the DPF light comes back on am I safe to carry on driving - as I said I don't really care if the car stops working?

Thanks
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Flibbertygibbert on September 13, 2016, 02:19:29 am
Wouldn't a lot of problems be solved by manufacturers putting something in place where the cars trip computers actually tell you that it is performing a Regen and when it is complete etc and when it is needed. ie like Error DPF at 40% please drive above 2k RPM for more than 20mins. Then a countdown to completion? Just so drivers have an idea what the hell is going on. I have a 2.2 Sport 2011 and have no idea when it does this.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Mahindinho on November 22, 2016, 02:00:47 pm
Hi. I've been meaning to write this up for the last few months. I've got a 2007 2.0D, the last of the Mk I's. It's been a damn fine car, and it's now done 120k miles.

The only problem with it has been the dreaded DPF light. Over the last two years, it's been a real pain. I do 14,000 miles a year which includes a 20-minute blast down the motorway every weekday morning, and a 1hr+ motorway journey at least every two weeks. So why the hell do I have a problem?!

The DPF light usually starts flashing when I'm driving from Manchester to London, roughly when I get to Birmingham. Surely that's a really odd time for the DPF to need a regen? The car would lose power, as though the turbo was being cut, and eventually the damn light would start flashing.

I should point out that, as far as I know, I've never had to do a standard regen as the light never comes on without flashing. If you see what I mean.

Anyway, I found out how to "hotwire" a full regen, so that's what I did a couple of times. Didn't work. I tried various DPF cleaners, including 3 cans of Forté recommended by a mechanic friend. Didn't work.

So I finally bit the bullet earlier this summer and took it to RRG Mazda in Stockport. They said that, yes, my DPF was buggered so they'd take it out and clean it for £500 -- if that didn't work, they'd knock the £500 off a new one. Fair enough. I swore under my breath and gave them the money.

It didn't work, and the replacement turned out to cost £2000 -- WHAT?! No way I'd be doing that for a car worth about £1500, so I bought an OBD scanner (which I can highly recommend) and decided that I'd just reset the damn thing and look for a new car.

Then I remembered AS Cars, a Mazda 6 specialist in Middlewich, Cheshire (http://www.as-cars.co.uk/). I'd found them online a few years ago when looking for some replacement wheel nuts, and they seemed to do a roaring trade in breaking and servicing Mazda 6's. I spoke to them on the phone, and they said that they'd take a look when I brought the car in for a service -- it was due one anyway.

I told the chief mechanic the OBD codes I was getting -- think one was 0299, but I can't remember the other. He came back five minutes later to tell me that my turbo hoses had split, and that could be the cause. They replaced them as part of the service (which was nice), AND I'VE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE!!!

In fact, the car now feels like it did six years ago when I bought it. I've done 3000 miles since then without a glitch. BRILLIANT!

So, if your light is flashing, look beyond the standard "your DPF's buggered" diagnosis and check your hoses. I'm especially disappointed that a main dealer didn't spot the problem.

Since then, I've taken the car back to AS Cars for an MOT. That, plus a new (well, second hand) wheel and tyre, new front suspension gaiter, new rear pads, new hatch bootlid struts and some welding on the exhaust came up to £230. They'll be seeing a lot of my car in the future  :)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: stevem100 on November 25, 2016, 12:23:33 pm
YEP well done  :)It just shows not all garages and dealers are the same  >:( IT PAYS TO LOOK AROUND. The good ones are out there somewhere  :) And when you find one stick with them and sing there praises  ;D LET OTHER OWNERS KNOW STOP THEM GETTING MUGGED.
cheers steve  8)
Title: DPF regeneration
Post by: Desmond Beattie on February 20, 2017, 03:21:57 pm
Hi all.
I have a 2012 2.2D hatch which I bought to tow a caravan. I have noticed that it often goes into regeneration, around every 10 days or 300 miles although some times sooner. My type of mileage should be good for a deisel being mostly motorway and dual carriageway with very little town driving. I had the dealer take it in for a forced regen, oil and filter change. They said they checked all sensors and all was correct. I checked the oil level (cold) and was 1mm below the full mark. It's now 3 mm above full. Today after a short stop (15 mins ) I restarted the car and it shuddered badly for several seconds. On the way home it went into regen and was still in regen when I arrived home. I restarted the car about another 15mins later and the shuddering happened again. Took it for a long drive, high rev lowish speed until regen completed. No more shuddering. My question is how frequently should regen take place that would be considered acceptable and is it normal to get shuddering on restarting during a regen.  Secondly does anyone know why it states in the Canadian manual for this car that it states it is not suitable for towing!
Title: Re: DPF regeneration
Post by: apav on February 21, 2017, 11:00:52 am
Do you get the DPF light on  when you mention that the DPF regenerates?

The 300 miles distance for regeneration is about right. It depends on how much the DPF is full but the days do not matter.

The DPF needs to regenerate despite driving on the open road. This is nothing to worry about.

Was it necessary to do the forced regeneration? Did you ask the dealer to give you the readings from the DPF? Be aware that the forced regeneration is not good for the car and if it is not necessary, you should not do it.

The oil level increases but that depends on how the engine operates. Has your car done the work for the injectors and the timing chain?

Does the shuddering regenaration happen with the DPF light on and then it goes off? Any distance around the 200 miles mark is where the DPF needs to regenate if your driving was not good for the DPF. The engine does not operate smoothly when it regenates but it should not be something excessive. What did the dealer advise you on this matter?

I have no idea why the Canadian car cannot tow but the European car can. Just follow the guidelines with regards the max weights.
Title: Re: DPF regeneration
Post by: Desmond Beattie on February 21, 2017, 07:32:23 pm
Thanks apav for your prompt reply.  No I do not get the DPF light on the dash, I just recognise the sudden increase in fuel consumption which falls to around 25mpg for around 10 to 15 mins for no obvious reason. The forced regen was something the garage requested to do after I complained about fast rise in sump oil. The oil was between the full mark and the 'X' mark on the dip stick taken 10mins after completing a long journey. The car had just had an oil and filter change 400 miles previously.
The shuddering effect I put down to having stopped during a active regen and resuming my journey 10 mins later. I had assumed that there was excess fuel in the cylinders that caused rough starting and shuddering but maybe I am wrong on that one. I am not sure about what you mean about the injectors and the timing chain. I am aware that the chain is meant to be checked every service by interrogation of the engine management system ( I assume the dwell angle of the valves ?). Has there been a recall about this?. The agent has discussed driving technique and advises driving above 2000rpm for 10-20 mins regularly which I assume once a week will suffice. Again thanks for your help apav.
Title: Re: DPF regeneration
Post by: apav on February 22, 2017, 08:27:33 am
I have the 2.0 and I notice this vibration more when the car is close to a service. I have a feeling that closer to the service, the oil has most of its useful life completed and the regenerations are not as effective as before.  I am due the second service since I got it, I am almost at 100K miles. I notice the instant consumption increase as well but I have never seen the DPF light flashing except for the service. I have switched off the car with increased instant consumption on the display and the next time I started it, it was either fine or made a slight vibration. Even when it was fine, after driving for a few miles, the regeneration started again. I consider all that normal as long as I see no DPF. I just pay attention to the behaviour of the car and I do not push it.

I have the impression that the dealer fetched out an unnecessary forced regeneration. If there was a DPF light on, I would do it but not without it. Somebody else with your engine has written about his experience with the leaking injectors. There is extra fuel which destroys the quality of the oil and that causes extra problems. One of them was that the DPF was trying to regenerate all the time and it ended up blocked by a film of waste which he jet washed. After fixing the injectors, the oil quality improved. If you keep servicing at the dealer, they will notify you about the timing chain. There is no official recall but when you argue your case, they cover part of the cost. There are many stories written in here but each of them is different. So it is down to the dealer level.

I am not sure about the dealer's driving suggestions. I use the car on the weekends only. I drive 2 miles to the supermarket and 2 miles back, I then do a 46 miles return trip to the country side, including 5+5 miles getting out and back in the city, and then the next day I just drive away from the city, mostly with minimal traffic but this is unpredictable. I never cruise more than 1,500 rpm and I occasionally go around the 2,000 mark to deal with a steep hill. I never push the car or anything like that. I got the car with 76K miles and it is now 99K miles and overall I have a 66mpg consumption calculated manually. My average consumption in the display was 36mpg and it has now climbed to 53mpg without any resets in between. It keeps increasing by 0.2-0.3mpg every 1K miles I add on the clock. I have never seen the DPF flashing other than the 87.5K miles service. According to the dealer my car should not work properly but it does. In my opinion, as long as you drive on open road with constant load, without the need to stop start driving, braking and accelerating all the time, the engine produces enough heat energy to regenerate the DPF. On top of that, the engine management does the trick with the increased fuel to cover any other case. Another thing that helps the DPF is not to go on full throttle but be a bit patient when the car does not have the power to accelerate.

The manual states that you have to drive more than 9mph, not less than 10mins and not to idle for long time. It says about the 2,000rpm in combination of speed more than 25mph. When I bought the car, it was displaying an average speed of 22mph. This is below the recommended speed for a healthy DPF. Despite my gentle low rpm driving, the car was regenerating a lot at the start, I could notice this from the exhaust cool down when I was turning off the engine, but gradually it stopped doing that and the engine operates more smoothly. Now the average speed in the display has been increased to 30mph without any reset since I bought the car. Also, I do not know what oil the dealer used when I bought the car, Castrol he said but with no details, but when I changed it with ACEA C1 at the service, I noticed that the car since then is working better and the consumption has been improved. From what you are saying, I would not worry about the DPF. Just check your oil level. If your average speed in the display is more than 25mph, you are doing enough to keep the DPF clean. There is a reader which you can buy and display your DPF fullness in a phone or a similar device. I do not have that but others have written about that and they have said that the DPF goes close to full and then to almost empty. So I think my driving is helping the DPF to do that.
Title: Re: DPF regeneration
Post by: Desmond Beattie on February 22, 2017, 12:05:58 pm
Thanks apav. Will just have to keep an eye on it and give more thought to driving style.
Title: Re: DPF regeneration
Post by: Jerby on February 26, 2017, 10:23:42 am
A regen ocurs around 250 miles depening on your mpg. Less mpg = more regular regens. The car needs to carry out a full regen before stopping the engine if at all possible. If not it dumps fuel into the oil (hence your increase in oil level). There is no exact mileage that the regen happens and certain parameters need to be met before a regen occurs.
Forscan is your answer. Great bit of kit and its an app.

For those who have to do forced regens or are a town/city driver you have bought the wrong car.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: wocky on May 16, 2017, 02:48:23 pm
Following on from Rely #84.
I thought I had fixed this DPF problem then 12 months later it came back.
Same problems with Engine in limp mode and DPF and Engine Management Light on.
This time I decided to completely strip down the EGR valve which I was reluctant to do before as I did not know its construction.
The electric motor on the valve is completely separate so 4 screws gets it off the main body with no “bits” to fly off.
What I found was very interesting.
The construction is the same as an intake or exhaust valve.
I could not move it as it was seized with carbon in the valve stem guide.
After some gentle tapping with a hammer and applying carburettor cleaner, I got it to move.
I disassembled it and removed the valve from the guide, cleaned it all so the valve now moved easily.
It has a wire gauze scraper in the end of the guide hole to clean the valve stem which after 80,000 miles had become solid with carbon.
I think when I cleaned it originally still fully assembled I had softened the carbon which enabled the valve to go on working correctly for some time.
After refitting the EGR valve back to the car I did a Manual regen using Forscan.
I have now been using Forscan Lite on my phone to monitor the Engine Parameters.
It turns out that the DPF is regenning correctly every 100 to 110 miles and I notice that when it is doing this the EGR valve is closed.
I would point out the electric motor of the EGR valve only PUSHES OPEN and relies on the spring to return it so the position of the motor in Forscan is not necessarily the position of the valve.
I believe that the fundamental cause of all my problems has been the EGR valve sticking open.
On most occasions my engine lost power then went to limp mode after I had been cruising when the valve probably got stuck open.
I seriously suggest that anyone with DPF problems strip and clean the EGR valve first because the error codes in the Engine management to not tell the root cause only the resulting errors.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: TURBOLRF66 on August 18, 2018, 05:10:01 pm
It should be possible to start a complete regeneration and clear the warning light simply by driving for 10 minutes or so at speeds greater than 40mph.

Can I ask to which engine this refers? I have done much reading on the DPF system and from what I can gather the engine revs have to be over 2000rpm as well as the speed of more than 40mph for the regeneration to occur.

This is what I can remember from the previous forum and others about that refers to my '08 facelift 2.0L Diesel sport.

My cars journey to and from work 5 days a week consists 20 miles on a motorway and then about 5 miles of stop start rush hour traffic so on the motorway runs I ensure the revs are above 2000rpm for as much of the journey as possible before I hit the city traffic.
It had an oil change at a Mazda dealership 2 weeks ago and so far the oil level is holding steady. Let's hope it stays that way!

Hello there

Hope your well

The DPF system of the generation one mazda 6's requires a specific set of parameters for the 'PASSIVE' regeneration cycles to occur. These are as follows

The above specifics are taken from the official workshop manual exerts - and also if your DPF is above 120% clogged (yes that is correct - mazdas technical theories somehow bypass the natural mathematics of life) this means that 'PASSIVE' regeneration cannot take place and 'FORCED' regeneration will have to take place via a dealer OR if you have the VCM 1 or VCM2 module and required software package.
If 'FORCED' regeneration takes place your engine oil WILL require replacement (DPF 5w-30 ACEA C1, JASO DL1) and ideally you should replace your filter and definitely the crush washer too for the sump plug or your risk sump cracking.

Hope this information helps

Regards

Turbolrf66
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on August 19, 2018, 08:21:44 am
For which generation car and engine is that?

For the second generation 2.0 engine, it is 25mph, 3rd gear and I can check whether there is a rpm threshold. I definitely do not drive at 2K rpm but have no DPF problems.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on August 19, 2018, 08:22:42 am
Also, do you have a copy of the official workshop manual to spare?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Browny_37 on September 12, 2018, 12:55:53 am
Wouldn't a lot of problems be solved by manufacturers putting something in place where the cars trip computers actually tell you that it is performing a Regen and when it is complete etc and when it is needed. ie like Error DPF at 40% please drive above 2k RPM for more than 20mins. Then a countdown to completion? Just so drivers have an idea what the hell is going on. I have a 2.2 Sport 2011 and have no idea when it does this.

I notice my car runs on slightly after releasing the throttle whilst an active regen is in action. Makes the car feel like its not responding to letting off of the throttle.
Watch the instantaneous consumption too, it will hold out in the 60-70mpg range rather than 99.9mpg. Whilst off of the throttle for a few seconds.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Cata on October 09, 2018, 03:21:54 pm
Hi everyone,
Kinda new on here, as i have recently purchased a superb 08 Mazda 6 estate Sport 2.0 d ????
All good..until the DPF started flashing and car went into limp mode..
My question: Has anyone recently removed the dpf and had no troubles with mot?
If so i would appreciate if you know a garage that does it in Edinburgh.
Cheers
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on October 10, 2018, 11:14:16 am
Reset the DPF light:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV3_TYoWzAs

If you are lucky, it has not been reset for while and that is why it went on limp mode.

If it was not flashing and suddenly came on and went in limp mode, then it may not be a reset problem.

Change the oil and the oil filter if you have no trace of history.

If you remove the DPF/EGR, the car will be illegal but you can always find an MOT centre to turn a blind eye with that.

In general, you do not need to remove the DPF/EGR but you have to replace the oil from time to time and reset the service interval.

Keep in mind that the DPF/EGR removal will cost you more than the value of the car.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Feefo on November 06, 2018, 07:13:20 am
Hi guys
I hv Mazda 6 sport estate 2010 plate, luv my car, engine management light came on, plugged in machine to find out what was wrong, said build up of ash, tried to force  a regen but because Emil was on it kept stopping anyone know what else I can try
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on November 06, 2018, 10:09:46 am
Somebody else had that. He managed to reset EML and start the regeneration. This did not happen in one go. While the regeneration was happening, the EML would kick in and stop it. So a new reset and a fresh regeneration. This happened several times but at the end worked.

If the car drives, I would just drive it without stopping, i.e. no traffic lights route. Sooner or later, it will regenerate.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Paul c on December 12, 2018, 09:12:50 am
Sorry if it was mentioned already but it's a long thread, did anyone remove the dpf on a 14 mazda 6?  Where is the dpf located? I have a re mapper ready to go I just need to take it out
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on December 15, 2018, 08:31:55 am
 :(

Don't do it!

Part exchange it with a petrol one and go for trips with the money you will need to pay to the exhaust butcher and the wannabe ECU brogrammer.

Unless you have a friendly corrupt MOT garage that can let it go through and you cannot care any less about anybody else.

To make the DPF happy you need to drive with at least 9mph, not driving less than 10 minutes and not idle for long time.

All that is so easy to achieve and if you cannot, you should rethink whether you really need any type of car.

(https://mazda6dieselproblems.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/driving-conditions.jpg)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Paul c on December 15, 2018, 08:39:35 pm
Ohh the dpf is gone I have a very good tuner that has tuned all my cars. They are nothing but trouble. I actually have it arranged now, it's being done first thing after Xmas
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: ColinB on January 06, 2019, 06:30:22 pm
MOT examiners are now specifically looking out for DPF removal in which case an automatic fail. The crud out of the exhaust will be the giveaway.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: wocky on January 29, 2019, 11:00:44 am
Define fix for me.
2007 mazda 6 2.0 diesel.
Update on posts #84 and #102
Since stripping and cleaning the EGR valve stem and carbon scaper gauss 18 months ago I have not had any problems.
I do occasionally monitor the regen with forscan software to give me confidence that all is well.
I would like to emphasise to clean that valve if you are having problems with dpf.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on January 31, 2019, 06:46:58 pm
What is the carbon scaper gauss?

Do you have any photos from the EGR cleaning? Removing, etc?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Bigkris on March 04, 2019, 10:04:57 am
I'm not to sure if this is in the correct section, if not can a mod please put in where it's supposed to go  :)
After having the dreaded DPF problem on my Mazda 6 2005 - 2007 I was unable to find any decent how to guide on how to sort this problem.
In my case I have the DPF light flashing, Engine management light on and for some reason the traction control light was on. The car was in limp mode with no power at all.
There are plenty of companies offering DPF removal and delete etc but with the tougher rules with the MOT this is obviously no longer an option.
I'm pretty handy with the spanners but the whole process is relatively easy and can be completed by anyone who has basic DIY mechanical skills.
Removal of the DPF.
As you will be removing electrical connectors, disconnect the battery for safely purposes.
Next jack the car up as high as you can, obviously support the car using axle stands etc and ensure the car is adequately supported.
Essentially you are just removing the exhaust, but the DPF has several sensors and some fuel pipes connected to it.
We are now going to remove the sensor connectors. There a four of these, all are the clip type of connectors where you press in one side and pull it away, obviously take care when doing this as you don't want to break the wires from the connectors. I also labeled each of the connectors with masking tape and marker pen to ensure I reconnected them in the correct order.
 These four connectors can be found under the car Under the passenger front foot well near the sill (UK model RHD car)
Once these have been disconnected, follow the wires towards the DPF and you will see they go through two black clips that secure the to the underside of the car. These simply unclip using a flat screwdriver in the slot.
Next we are going to remove DPF itself.
I found it alot easier to remove the support bar that holds the two front exhaust hangers, these are held in place by 4 x 17mm nuts. Use plenty of penetrating fluid on these and they should come off without any issues. You can remove the whole bar then the two exhaust mounts ( they will remain attached to the DPF)
Now on to the front fixings of the DPF. I used a trolley jack to take the weight of the DPF just to ensure it doesn't drop down as there is two fuel pipes attached to it.
The DPF is connected to the downpipe with two sprung 14mm nuts again, plenty of penetrating fluid will help here.. On my car the studs came out, this was OK, just a pain to reassemble.
Once these are removed, the DPF should be free bit you will need to remove the two fuel pipes. You will need pliers to squeeze the pipe clips to move them off the fuel pipe, once they are off the pipes simply pull off. Again I marked these with my tape and marker to ensure they went back on correctly.
Also make sure you don't lose the small pipe clips.
The DPF is connected to the rear sections by a single exhaust clamp. However after years of heat and corrosion the clamp was well and truly seized in place as was the joint so I found it much easier to remove the whole exhaust. If you need to do this as I did you will need to remove another two exhaust rubber mounts which are located towards the rear of the DPF section. There is also two further rubber exhaust mounts located either side of the back box. The Jack that is supporting the front section can now be lowered and the exhaust including DPF should be free from the car and you will be able to pull it out from the rear of the car.
You will need to separate the rear section from the DPF, mine was well and truly seized together and no matter what I did it just wouldn't separate. I had no other option but but to cut a small channel down the rear pipe part in order to free the two parts, there is a small channel already there with a small locating lug on the DPF section of pipe to ensure when you reassemble it goes together correctly.
Cleaning the DPF.
I used a product called Wynne's 18985 off car DPF cleaner.
This was purchased from eBay for just under £30. I went for this particular cleaner as the reviews were good, there are other products on the market but I can't comment on how effective they are.
To clean the DPF you firstly need to remove the sensors connected, again the penetrating fluid will be your friend here. I had to leave one in place as it was just to tight and I didn't want to risk damaging it. I don't know if this will have any long term effects but I am hoping it won't!
Again I marked where all sensors and the holes they came from.
Once all of the sensors have been removed, you need to block  all sensor holes, both fuel pipe ends and the end of the DPF that connects to the down pipe (end closest to the engine)
I used latex gloves however, these didn't seem to be man enough for the job, it leaked quite alot and needed resealing so maybe marigolds or something like that may be better - I will call these glove seals now so you can follow the rest of this guide.
Once you are satisfied all areas the DPF cleaner could escape from has been sealed face the pipe you have not sealed in the air. I used a set of step ladders and hooked the mount where the rubbers connect to the car to hold the pipe upright. Double check you have not damaged any of your glove seals while doing this.
Then pour in the contents of your DPF cleaner.
The bottle says leave for at least 90 - 120 minutes but I left mine overnight for around 8 hours, agitating the whole unit from time to time.
Once you have left it for your desired amount of time, direct the base of your DPF over a drain. (this is because the liquid that comes out is really mucky!)
Make a hole in your glove seal to allow the liquid to drain out.
Once it is empty, remove all of your glove seals.
Then pour 2 - 3 kettles full of boiling water down the end of the pipe you poured the cleaning fluid.
You will notice that it flows slowly for the first few seconds the you will really see it clearing.
As I still had it hooked on the step ladder, I was able to point a hose pipe down the same end of the pipe.
I did this for a couple of minutes until the water ran clear.
I then pointed the hose up the other end (engine end)
Give it a good flush through with the water and use a soft brush to remove any left over ash you can't get to with water alone.
Once you feel you have removed as much as you can give it a little rinse from the other end again to ensure nothing remains.
I left mine in the sun for a few hours to dry out thoroughly before refitting.
Refitting.
As I took it off as one piece I refitted as one piece.
Refit all sensors that have been removed.
Reconnect the DPF section to the rear section. There is a small locating lug on the DPF section and a small channel on the rear section. Make sure these line up correctly as the exhaust will not fit back on the car if you don't!
As I had to cut an extra small channel to remove the two sections I fitted an exhaust sleeve from GSF to ensure a good connection.
Before refitting the exhaust, start the engine and give it a few revs to ensure there is no excess soot / ash in the down pipe. (make sure you do this during the day as it will be loud!)
Refitting to the car is basically the reverse of removal.
Slide the whole unit back under the car from the rear.
(I did this on the trolley jack again)
Reconnect the back box rubber mounts.
Place the small pipe clips over the fuel pipes on the DPF then raise the trolley jack up enough for you to be able to reconnect the fuel pipes to the DPF and secure the clips.
You can then raise the Jack enough to
refit the front of the DPF pipe to the down pipe. If like me your studs came out you can either replace them with new ones, try to separate them with a socket and mole grips or just spend ages underneath the car and eventually getting them back in not forgeting the springs.
Then refit the front exhaust mounts and support bar.
Refit the final two rubber exhaust mounts.
Reconnect the four connectors and secure the wires into the two black clips.

Take a few minutes to admire how clever you are as you have just saved a fortune on a brand new DPF!

Dash warning lights.
If you had the DPF warning lights on you dashboard, your car will no doubt still think that your DPF filter is blocked.
You have a couple of options here.
If you have Mazda or another decent diagnostic software that deals with DPF you can reset the ECU this way.
Alternatively you can force a DPF regeneration.
There is a cheat method on the Mazda 6 to do various maintenance options.
For this particular procedure you will need to run the engine until it has warmed up to at least 70 degrees. Then connect  a jumper wire from the negative terminal to the service pin.
Then start the engine and press the accelerator pedal two times.
(for some reason I had to do this twice in close succession for it to work - four times)
If you have done it correctly You will notice the revs go up to around 1800 rpm.
As my filter was so blocked it took 4 attempts for the regeneration to start properly (it failed after around a minute on the first 3 attempts)
Mine took 46 minutes and the revs dropped, the light went out, came out of limp mode and full power was restored.
The link below will show you where the service pin is and various other options you can do. Credit to the author for creating this webpage.
If you find the car won't force a regeneration, firstly check you have connected the jumper correctly by turning ignition on, press the accelerator pedal five times, the glow plug light should then flash five times. (this is the service interval reset)
 The fuse box on the UK version of the Mazda 6 is located to the right hand side of the battery with a black cover on the top of it ( this is where the service pin is)
I hope this guide will be of some help to others out there. The job isn't nearly as daunting as garages etc make it sound and only cost me around £40 all in for the exhaust clamp and cleaning fluid, when searching  myself people were saying they had to scrap their car because of DPF filters being blocked.
In hindsight I should have taken pictures but I have tried my best to describe everything I did.
Another thing I noticed was the cleaning fluid smells exactly like oven pride? Not sure if the chemical used is the same? Only difference I know for sure is the DPF cleaner has the consistency of water whereas oven pride is more of a gel.

Link to service pin location and cheat guide.

https://chiptuning.com.au/procedure-for-emergency-dpf-regen-on-mazda-6-2-0d-mzr-cd-2007-09/






Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Jimbo806 on March 05, 2019, 08:07:57 pm

the DPF has several sensors and some fuel pipes connected to it.


FYI the black rubber pipes are for the differential pressure sensor, they're not fuel pipes.  :)
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mg_080 on April 17, 2019, 12:33:28 pm
Hello everybody. I'm new to this forum and new to Mazda. Recently bought 2014 Mazda 6, Estate, Sport Nav, 2.2 diesel. engine code is SH if I'm not wrong. Car has done 70k miles so far.
Few days after picking it up from the dealer I noticed slight engine hesitation when cruising at around 1500rpm, and one day when stopped traffic lights, engine started knocking at idle and stalled. After restarting it, it would knock at idle and went normal at higher revs.
I took it to Mazda for diagnostics and they advised it's carbon buid up in the engine and possible turbo fault however I was suspicious and took it to independent garage who, after checking car, said they don't see anything wrong with it and definitely can't see what is wrong with the turbo. How odd I thought.
So after picking car up from them I drove for a day or too, all fine and car started playing up again. I realised it was hesitating when dpf regen started.
I did one of those carbon cleaning services and I must admit car feels smoother but when it does dpf regen and I stop at traffic lights I can see revs going up and down and if I drop from high revs to low quickly I can hear loud knocking coming out from it for few moments.
I'll mention that after carbon cleaning car doesn't stutter at around 1500rpm like it used to.
Now I know that dpf regeneration takes place every 70/80 miles which is about half of what these cars should do from what I read on this and other forums.
Does anyone know what to do and where to start to get down to the bottom of this issue? Or do I just try and get rid of this car?
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: apav on April 19, 2019, 10:03:30 am
If you can afford buying a petrol car, do the swap now.

Your engine sounds like it has very limited life expectancy.

There is a series of checks you have to do but they will cost you money.

You need to check the injectors that they are not leaking.

You need to check the oil pick up that is clean.

You need to check whether your engine is one of those which needed rebuilt.

The turbo suffers from bad oil circulation. So if your injectors are leaking and the dealer spotted this problem, sooner or later, your engine and/or turbo will give way.

Any knocks from the engine are a big no, no matter whether it is a petrol or diesel. I would not drive this car with the engine doing that.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mg_080 on May 08, 2019, 12:02:30 pm
Just an fyi, it turned out camshaft on my car was warn out, metal particles in oil blocked oil strainer and caused damaged to turbo due to oil starvation. In case anyone experiences hesitation in their Mazda 2.2 diesel from 2012/2013 production years, inspection of camshafts might be necessary.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: Willpower on May 08, 2019, 10:10:48 pm
Just an fyi, it turned out camshaft on my car was warn out, metal particles in oil blocked oil strainer and caused damaged to turbo due to oil starvation. In case anyone experiences hesitation in their Mazda 2.2 diesel from 2012/2013 production years, inspection of camshafts might be necessary.


http://www.mazda6forums.co.uk/index.php?topic=3267.msg12996#msg12996
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mareng73 on December 03, 2019, 05:32:47 pm
You can reset your oil light after an oil change by using Forscan and a bit of wire to earth a special connection in the fuse box under the bonnet. Think I saw something on this forum somewhere. I have done it myself , but on a Gen 3 and it works. You can also connect up the wire , turn on the ignition engine off and press the accellerator 5 times in 5 seconds.
If you contact Mazda UK they will send you the info for your car as fuse boxes may vary.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mvglenogle on October 30, 2021, 05:22:02 pm
Despite driving over 13k miles/year I  still require to change the oil every 6500 miles, just as they say in the handbook
about very low mileage driving.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mvglenogle on October 31, 2021, 12:56:18 pm
Many thanks to Mareng73 for that comprehensive reply.
Problem/resolution  by you described exactly , I am sure.
The car was bought in 2018,  10k on clock , from Milcar Mazda , with a 12 month warranty and I wrote to the main Mazda Tech people ,explaining problem  after RED light came on after 6500 miles , mostly motorway driving.
They blamed my driving and changed oil/filter  under warranty.
Of course , it kept happening every 6500 miles thereafter , out of warranty.
 Crooks , by any other name.
We never had these problems with the Sulzer RD90's , a proper engine !
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mareng73 on May 09, 2022, 09:50:24 pm
HI all

Re the DPF warning coming on after 11,200 miles. I understand the light is also used as a service indicator and has to be reset when the oil is changed otherwise the ICU thinks the oil hasn't been changed and tells you so. I had my 6TS serviced at a local independand garage and this happened 1100 miles after the service. The garage claimed they knew nothing about resetting the service indicator which isn't included in the open service software they have. It cost me another £200 for a second oil change and a reset at the main agents, whom I don't like due to their patronising attitude. It seems that only Mazda agents have access to this particular bit of kit. If true it sounds very like protectionism at our expense.

If you equip yourself with a wifi OBD reader and Forscan lite software, downloadab?e   at about £4  you can reset oil condition after changing it.
Title: Re: Discussions about DPF
Post by: mareng73 on June 30, 2022, 07:13:34 pm
Many thanks to Mareng73 for that comprehensive reply.

 Crooks , by any other name.
We never had these problems with the Sulzer RD90's , a proper engine !

As long as they were Swiss Sulzers, the Geordie ones had their ways.
But then did you experience a Doxford with common rail fuel system and a few scavenge fires to boot.