Engine emissions light

[Scotclimb]

Hi our engine emissions light came on about a month ago after a longish journey. I had a guy do a forced regeneration on it which solved it. It has now came back on, it’s yellow in colour. Has anyone had this and if so can you give any advice/tips. My guy said he could remove the dpf and manually clean it. Is this the way or could it be something else. It’s a 2008 2.4 deisel 174 4 motion. Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Hi our engine emissions light came on about a month ago after a longish journey. I had a guy do a forced regeneration on it which solved it. It has now came back on, it’s yellow in colour. Has anyone had this and if so can you give any advice/tips. My guy said he could remove the dpf and manually clean it. Is this the way or could it be something else. It’s a 2008 2.4 deisel 174 4 motion. Thanks

DPFs don't last forever. Generally they will last for uptown 150,000 miles BUT a lot depends on the type of driving. Shortish trips are not good.
Diagnostics should confirm it is the DPF and if ash/soot levels are high then replacement or a clean might be needed.

Diesel particulate filters, all you need to know about DPFs | RAC Drive

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are a complex but necessary addition to modern diesels, but what are they, what do they do, and how do you maintain them?

www.rac.co.uk

 

[Scotclimb]

DPFs don't last forever. Generally they will last for uptown 150,000 miles BUT a lot depends on the type of driving. Shortish trips are not good.
Diagnostics should confirm it is the DPF and if ash/soot levels are high then replacement or a clean might be needed.

Diesel particulate filters, all you need to know about DPFs | RAC Drive

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are a complex but necessary addition to modern diesels, but what are they, what do they do, and how do you maintain them?

www.rac.co.uk

Thanks welshgas. My guy is going to put his diagnostic kit on it and see what it comes back with. He can’t do this till next week. Is it ok to drive with the light on? Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks welshgas. My guy is going to put his diagnostic kit on it and see what it comes back with. He can’t do this till next week. Is it ok to drive with the light on? Thanks

The soot levels will continue to rise and eventually it will go into “ Limp” mode, with a limit on revs/power, provided the DPF is the cause.

 

[westfalia]

I've had lots of lights flash up over time, yes it will be
okay to drive with the lights on.
I doubt that it is your DPF, probably the EGR sensor or even one of
the 3 sensors, or even the EGR itself.

 

[Scotclimb]

The soot levels will continue to rise and eventually it will go into “ Limp” mode, with a limit on revs/power, provided the DPF is the cause.

Thanks again. Don’t know if this is worth mentioning but occasionally it doesn’t start at the first turn of the key. I just assumed I was doing it to quick and not allowing the glow plug to go out. But it has also happened when been on the go all day. Thanks

 

[Scotclimb]

I've had lots of lights flash up over time, yes it will be
okay to drive with the lights on.
I doubt that it is your DPF, probably the EGR sensor or even one of
the 3 sensors, or even the EGR itself.

Thanks I’m hoping the guys diagnostic machine flags up an easy fix. This van we’ve only owned fir two months and spent loads already. It’s only 89k miles so hoping to keep it for a while. Just like to get it all working well before a trip around Europe next spring. Thanks again

 

[Perfectos]

Is the van a Manual or DSG ?
roughly how many miles and over how many journeys have you done since the forced regen ?
presumably the forced regen was done whilst driving ? (Static? )
Have you done:
lots of sitting in traffic ?
Motorway driving ?
localish journeys ?
Early morning cold weather starts ?
has the van been driven hard recently, high revs 2500 - 3000 revs for 20 + minutes, after the oil has reached temperature?

Starting, flick the ignition on and count how many seconds the glow plug light take to go out ? A couple of seconds is normal

have you experienced any other issues In Your ownership, you mention you’ve spent a load on the van, was this maintenance related ?

 

[Scotclimb]

Is the van a Manual or DSG ?
roughly how many miles and over how many journeys have you done since the forced regen ?
presumably the forced regen was done whilst driving ? (Static? )
Have you done:
lots of sitting in traffic ?
Motorway driving ?
localish journeys ?
Early morning cold weather starts ?
has the van been driven hard recently, high revs 2500 - 3000 revs for 20 + minutes, after the oil has reached temperature?

Starting, flick the ignition on and count how many seconds the glow plug light take to go out ? A couple of seconds is normal

have you experienced any other issues In Your ownership, you mention you’ve spent a load on the van, was this maintenance related ?

It’s a manual. Tge regen was done with me driving and tge mechanic sitting passenger with the diagnostic kit. I think the light may take longer than a couple of seconds but I’ll double check. Very rarely cold morning starts. Never r see I’ve it hard. Some motorways and local. Thanks and any tips greatly appreciated

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Our similar age 174 T5 had engine light come on. My garage said if the van was running normally it was probably one of the DPF sensors not the DPF. I believed them and drove it like that for 18 months. It ran perfectly. I eventually got a £65 code reader that confirmed which sensor it was. The new sensor cost £18 on EBAY but you then have to “adapt” it using a laptop. That was a bit of a phaff. All easy to find on YouTube though.
I wrote how to do it.

Replacing and adapting the Exhaust Pressure Sensor

I have a 2008 T5 174 California and have replaced the G450 exhaust pressure sensor (076906051A) and adapted it using VCDS Lite. 2 years ago the engine light came on in our Cali. My VW specialist garage told me the error code suggested it was the exhaust pressure sensor and that as the van was...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

I personally would be wary of some people who want to sell you a DPF clean. It looked a bit of a racket to me.
On VW it’s often the sensor that’s faulty not the the actual item.

 

[Scotclimb]

Our similar age 174 T5 had engine light come on. My garage said if the van was running normally it was probably one of the DPF sensors not the DPF. I believed them and drove it like that for 18 months. It ran perfectly. I eventually got a £65 code reader that confirmed which sensor it was. The new sensor cost £18 on EBAY but you then have to “adapt” it using a laptop. That was a bit of a phaff. All easy to find on YouTube though.
I wrote how to do it.

Replacing and adapting the Exhaust Pressure Sensor

I have a 2008 T5 174 California and have replaced the G450 exhaust pressure sensor (076906051A) and adapted it using VCDS Lite. 2 years ago the engine light came on in our Cali. My VW specialist garage told me the error code suggested it was the exhaust pressure sensor and that as the van was...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

I personally would be wary of some people who want to sell you a DPF clean. It looked a bit of a racket to me.
On VW it’s often the sensor that’s faulty not the the actual item.

Thanks for your reply. Just read your how to. I did replace tge moo valve about five weeks back. I didn’t do any ecu stuff. Just swapped it over. Would this be tge cause as I never cleared any codes?

 

[Perfectos]

My questions were leading :
the fact the forced Regen resolved the issue points towards the DPF (as your mechanic has intermated).
short journeys are no good for these vans.

Hard driving is good for the emissions paraphernalia, which is sort of counter intuitive!

on the T5 it is possible to clear the yellow EML by driving technique.
this is a suggestion only and is up to you to DYOR.
There used to be Info on tinternet To support this :

I have used this technique on aT5 to Good effect (I.e fixed and resolved the issue)

Start and immediately Drive the van to carry out a journey in excess of twenty minute after the engine reaches full operational temperature, when the van nears full operating temp, it’s easiest to do this on a dual carriageway with little to no traffic (so you don’t have to stop)
drop in a gear that will give you 2500+ Rpm - 3500 rpm (constant range)
Drive for twenty minutes+ (This will get the engine ad hot as it can be)
the Orange EML may go out during this time, if it does carry on for a fully twenty minutes as above RPM.
ideally after 20 minutes you want to use engine breaking to increase the revs upto 4 - 4500 rpm whilst engine is under no load (I.e engine breaking, going down the gears to increase RPM to Max in short burst keeping the revs fluctuating artificially high between 2500 - 4500 Rpm)
Dropping down through the gear box whilst using the engine to break forces greater volume of hot exhaust gasses at a high temperature through the exhaust system and more importantly the DPF, (the previous driving technique will have burnt a lot of soot, which may require some assistance in leaving its home)
this can cause a visual blank cloud from the exhaust (under engine breaking) essentially forcing the soot that has been burnt in the DPF to be expelled en mass from your DPF (rather than over a period of time during a normal DPF cycle).

The starting issue may be the starter battery on its way out.
How old is the battery ?
Drive you van like you stole it occasionally and take it on some nice long runs

 

[Scotclimb]

My questions were leading :
the fact the forced Regen resolved the issue points towards the DPF (as your mechanic has intermated).
short journeys are no good for these vans.

Hard driving is good for the emissions paraphernalia, which is sort of counter intuitive!

on the T5 it is possible to clear the yellow EML by driving technique.
this is a suggestion only and is up to you to DYOR.
There used to be Info on tinternet To support this :

I have used this technique on aT5 to Good effect (I.e fixed and resolved the issue)

Start and immediately Drive the van to carry out a journey in excess of twenty minute after the engine reaches full operational temperature, when the van nears full operating temp, it’s easiest to do this on a dual carriageway with little to no traffic (so you don’t have to stop)
drop in a gear that will give you 2500+ Rpm - 3500 rpm (constant range)
Drive for twenty minutes+ (This will get the engine ad hot as it can be)
the Orange EML may go out during this time, if it does carry on for a fully twenty minutes as above RPM.
ideally after 20 minutes you want to use engine breaking to increase the revs upto 4 - 4500 rpm whilst engine is under no load (I.e engine breaking, going down the gears to increase RPM to Max in short burst keeping the revs fluctuating artificially high between 2500 - 4500 Rpm)
Dropping down through the gear box whilst using the engine to break forces greater volume of hot exhaust gasses at a high temperature through the exhaust system and more importantly the DPF, (the previous driving technique will have burnt a lot of soot, which may require some assistance in leaving its home)
this can cause a visual blank cloud from the exhaust (under engine breaking) essentially forcing the soot that has been burnt in the DPF to be expelled en mass from your DPF (rather than over a period of time during a normal DPF cycle).

The starting issue may be the starter battery on its way out.
How old is the battery ?
Drive you van like you stole it occasionally and take it on some nice long runs

Thanks I’ll give that a try tomorrow evening after work. After trying this and it doesn’t work and the light remains on, would it then be best to get my mechanic to put his diagnostic tool on and see if it brings up any clues??

 

[Perfectos]

Thanks I’ll give that a try tomorrow evening after work. After trying this and it doesn’t work and the light remains on, would it then be best to get my mechanic to put his diagnostic tool on and see if it brings up any clues??

Yes definitely get it in to a Mechanic if it doesn’t resolve the issue after trying the suggested driving technique.
Good luck, hope it resolves the issue.
please report back to let others know accordingly

if the light changes to red before attempting do Not attempt the process As it means the system has logged another fault or it has become worse.

Edit if this doesn’t resolve the EML ( Orange light) get your glow plugs checked by the Mech. As this could also be the issue and the cause of the intermittent starting

 

[Lambeth Cali]

My T5 doesn’t always start first time. I have started to thinks it’s the steering lock. I jiggle the wheel until I hear a click and then it seems to start. Seems odd I know. It’s possible that it’s actually the warming up issue and me clicking on steering lock just takes 5 seconds so coincidentally fixes the problem.

My 12 year old battery died in lockdown so I have had that replaced.

My main suggestion would be if the van is running well and not in limp mode it might not be DPF at all. I spent hours driving at 70 in fifth. Waste of time for me. It was the sensor all along. I would recommend taking to a garage with code reader or getting one yourself. Very useful for £60 and told me exactly what sensor it was. You do need to “adapt” the new sensor though or you haven’t really got a new functioning sensor which would mean regens not happening when they should.
Three years on and light never came back on. My 2008 van has only done 50k miles. I’m not a hard driver but mainly do long holiday journeys. I believe my DPF is fine and should last.
My code reader told me exactly what sensor it was. If you use a garage though it needs to be one who will do the adaptation not just replace the sensor.

 

[Scotclimb]

My T5 doesn’t always start first time. I have started to thinks it’s the steering lock. I jiggle the wheel until I hear a click and then it seems to start. Seems odd I know. It’s possible that it’s actually the warming up issue and me clicking on steering lock just takes 5 seconds so coincidentally fixes the problem.

My 12 year old battery died in lockdown so I have had that replaced.

My main suggestion would be if the van is running well and not in limp mode it might not be DPF at all. I spent hours driving at 70 in fifth. Waste of time for me. It was the sensor all along. I would recommend taking to a garage with code reader or getting one yourself. Very useful for £60 and told me exactly what sensor it was. You do need to “adapt” the new sensor though or you haven’t really got a new functioning sensor which would mean regens not happening when they should.
Three years on and light never came back on. My 2008 van has only done 50k miles. I’m not a hard driver but mainly do long holiday journeys. I believe my DPF is fine and should last.
My code reader told me exactly what sensor it was. If you use a garage though it needs to be one who will do the adaptation not just replace the sensor.

Thanks that’s great advice. I’ll leave it up to my mechanic as he has a diagnostic kit and he’s not expensive. In fact he’s going to diagnose it for free as it was him that done the regen. Thanks again and as soon as it’s fixed I’ll report what my fault was.

 

[Perfectos]

Thanks that’s great advice. I’ll leave it up to my mechanic as he has a diagnostic kit and he’s not expensive. In fact he’s going to diagnose it for free as it was him that done the regen. Thanks again and as soon as it’s fixed I’ll report what my fault was.

Don’t forget to give him a shout on here when he fixes it, many people look for good Independent mechanic recommendation rather than use Main Dealer, particularly when out of warranty

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Yes there’s nothing like a good mechanic or garage. I’ve been using ‘Peter Norris’, an unauthorised VW garage in South London, for 9 years for van and Golf.
It seemed crazy to drive around with the engine light on for 18 months, but they told me it was the sensor and I trusted them. The van drove perfectly the whole time, 130kph in France all day long.
Of course if he had been wrong it could have been catastrophic but he knows what he’s doing.
I wouldn’t trust a certain Croydon VW garage to change a bulb!

 

[Scotclimb]

My T5 doesn’t always start first time. I have started to thinks it’s the steering lock. I jiggle the wheel until I hear a click and then it seems to start. Seems odd I know. It’s possible that it’s actually the warming up issue and me clicking on steering lock just takes 5 seconds so coincidentally fixes the problem.

My 12 year old battery died in lockdown so I have had that replaced.

My main suggestion would be if the van is running well and not in limp mode it might not be DPF at all. I spent hours driving at 70 in fifth. Waste of time for me. It was the sensor all along. I would recommend taking to a garage with code reader or getting one yourself. Very useful for £60 and told me exactly what sensor it was. You do need to “adapt” the new sensor though or you haven’t really got a new functioning sensor which would mean regens not happening when they should.
Three years on and light never came back on. My 2008 van has only done 50k miles. I’m not a hard driver but mainly do long holiday journeys. I believe my DPF is fine and should last.
My code reader told me exactly what sensor it was. If you use a garage though it needs to be one who will do the adaptation not just replace the sensor.

I’m hoping it is just a sensor. I’m not clued up on how ecu’s work or engines but if it were a faulty sensor ,after the forced regeneration was done why did it take a month for the light to reappear?. Thanks again for your advice

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I’m hoping it is just a sensor. I’m not clued up on how ecu’s work or engines but if it were a faulty sensor ,after the forced regeneration was done why did it take a month for the light to reappear?. Thanks again for your advice

I think at the start of my problem it did go out once for a few weeks. I thinks my garage cleared the error and then it came back on later, but I don’t drive the van for weeks sometimes.
How many miles has it done?
See what your mechanic says.
The sensor swap takes five minutes but the adaptation was an hour’s phaff. We had to download VCDS Lite (free) onto my wife’s work laptop. Her IT guy was howling with laughter at the VCDS website with it US flag and crossed guns! He insisted we delete it afterwards. There’s lots of YouTube instructions about it and it worked exactly as it should.

 

[Scotclimb]

I think at the start of my problem it did go out once for a few weeks. I thinks my garage cleared the error and then it came back on later, but I don’t drive the van for weeks sometimes.
How many miles has it done?
See what your mechanic says.
The sensor swap takes five minutes but the adaptation was an hour’s phaff. We had to download VCDS Lite (free) onto my wife’s work laptop. Her IT guy was howling with laughter at the VCDS website with it US flag and crossed guns! He insisted we delete it afterwards. There’s lots of YouTube instructions about it and it worked exactly as it should.
View attachment 86809

Thanks again I’ll update once I get it fixed. Thanks

 

[Scotclimb]

Thanks that’s great advice. I’ll leave it up to my mechanic as he has a diagnostic kit and he’s not expensive. In fact he’s going to diagnose it for free as it was him that done the regen. Thanks again and as soon as it’s fixed I’ll report what my fault was.

Update on emissions light. Haven’t had a chance to get to my mechanic. But going out in the van this morning I turned key in ignition waited for glow plug light to go off. And on first attempt it was dead. Nothing on the turn of the key. Started again and it fired up. And now tge emissions lamp is off. How bizarre?? Any ideas what this means.

 

[Scotclimb]

Hi our engine emissions light came on about a month ago after a longish journey. I had a guy do a forced regeneration on it which solved it. It has now came back on, it’s yellow in colour. Has anyone had this and if so can you give any advice/tips. My guy said he could remove the dpf and manually clean it. Is this the way or could it be something else. It’s a 2008 2.4 deisel 174 4 motion. Thanks

Got out this morning and at first attempt van didn’t turn over. Then it fired up on second turn of the key. But weirdly tge emissions lamp has gone out. Just luck or something else?? Thanks

 

[Scotclimb]

DPFs don't last forever. Generally they will last for uptown 150,000 miles BUT a lot depends on the type of driving. Shortish trips are not good.
Diagnostics should confirm it is the DPF and if ash/soot levels are high then replacement or a clean might be needed.

Diesel particulate filters, all you need to know about DPFs | RAC Drive

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are a complex but necessary addition to modern diesels, but what are they, what do they do, and how do you maintain them?

www.rac.co.uk

Update on emissions light. Haven’t had a chance to get to my mechanic. But going out in the van this morning I turned key in ignition waited for glow plug light to go off. And on first attempt it was dead. Nothing on the turn of the key. Started again and it fired up. And now tge emissions lamp is off. How bizarre?? Any ideas what this means.

 

[WelshGas]

Update on emissions light. Haven’t had a chance to get to my mechanic. But going out in the van this morning I turned key in ignition waited for glow plug light to go off. And on first attempt it was dead. Nothing on the turn of the key. Started again and it fired up. And now tge emissions lamp is off. How bizarre?? Any ideas what this means.

Unfortunately not, but such behaviour often makes it more difficult to diagnose the root cause of the problem.