ours regen about 2/3 times per tank of fuel.
if you only every do short journeys and keep interrupting the regen process it will keep trying every drive cycle until its complete, or it will give you the yellow DPF light of dread.
also low fuel levels will stop the regens, it needs to be above 1/4.
How to reset/regenerate/clear your DPF warning light (Diesel Particulate Filter)
How to reset/regenerate/clear your DPF warning light (Diesel Particulate Filter)
How it works and why the light may come on
The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is part of your exhaust and controls the 'soot' that would otherwise be expelled from the system. You may have noticed that modern diesels no longer leave you in a cloud of smelly black smoke when they accelerate off.
The filter collects a certain amount of these harmful deposits and then burns them off at an extremely high temperature (450 degrees c). In normal driving this will happen without you being aware but on continued short journeys the particals can build up and remain 'stuck' in the system. It's at this point the warning light will come on and your intervention is required.
How to clean, clear and reset (regenerate) the system
You should drive your vehicle for approximately 15 minutes keeping the engine revs between 2000 - 2500 rpm. This is probably best done on an A road. Keep the car in a lower than normal gear (use 'S' on an automatic) in order to keep the revs up.
What happens if I ignore the light?
The simple answer is DON'T! If you continue to drive and simply hope the light will go off (which it won't) you risk two things. Firstly the filter will become so blocked it can no longer be cleared, even by your dealer. It won't be covered by warranty and you'll have no change from £600+. Worse still the Cat/DPF will get so hot in it's attempt to burn off the soot, it can catch fire!
I've tried but the light won't go out
When the filter reaches a certain percentage full it can no longer clean itself and neither can you by driving in the correct style. At this point the vehicle must be taken to a
VW dealer (See - "What happens if I ignore the light")
I've got more than one warning light on
If the
Emmission Control Light and/or the
Engine Managment warning light come on at the same time as the DPF there's a more serious fault. At this point you should contact your recovery company or
Volkswagen Assistance on 0800 777192 if your VW is under 1 year old (Phaeton & Touareg have a 3 year breakdown
