Darkside Developments and EGR removal/blanking

[Bigdazd]

So.

On the way to my 3 week europe tour, the dreaded engine light came on. I popped home and plugged in my Carista. Yep, the EGR code come up. I reset using the Carista, and the light came back on after every 200 miles or so. I kept switching it off with no issues. No loss of power, juddering etc, just the light.

After completeing 3508 mles the light is still coming on, so i have searched this forum and read a lot of online chats.

In my mind there are two options:

1. Replace the EGR etc at a cost of approx £1k
2. Blank out the EGR and have it mapped.

Or so i thought... I read on here about the Darkside Develpments blanking plates and mapping etc, so i sent them an email this morning. Explained the situation and my van (2017 T6, 102 although mapped by Pendle in 2019) this is their response:

Here is a link to the EGR delete for your car:

VW Transporter T6 2.0 TDI EGR and Cooler Delete Kit - £175+ VAT
https://www.darksidedevelopments.co.uk/products/vw-transporter-t6-2-0-tdi-egr-and-cooler-delete-kit.html
Estimated labour cost: £225+ VAT

You would have to delete both the EGR and DPF as they work together during the regeneration process and removing one may cause the other to fail.

Here is a link to the DPF delete kit for your car.

VW Transporter T6 2.0 TDI & BiTDI DPF & CAT Delete Downpipe - £425+ VAT
https://www.darksidedevelopments.co.uk/products/vw-transporter-t6-2-0-bitdi-cr204-dpf-cat-delete-downpipe.html
Estimated labour cost: £300+ VAT

After installing you will need the AdBlue, EGR and DPF software removing -

AdBlue, EGR and DPF software removal - £550+ VAT
Or
Custom dyno remap (more power) with software removal- £900+ VAT

For this we would need the vehicle for 2 days for this and we are available on Wednesday 6th November 8am to Thursday 7th November 5pm.

If you would like to book in let me know and I will send you a deposit link.

I was led to believe that blanking the EGR was a lot cheaper than replacing, however after receiving this email i may as well just replace.

Has anyone got any advice or can assist with what i should/can do.

Many thanks.

Darren.

 

[JumpShip]

Replaed ours a while back with a genuine valeo part matched to the original numbers .
Purchased from amazon for approx £250'ish (off the top of my head).
Fitted it myself without too much cursing.

 

[Dellmassive]

How many miles has your van done?.

And your van is 6/7yrs old .... So existing EGR has done well .


I'd say just replace it and have another 6yrs happy driving.

Replacement EGR is around 650 and 1k fitted. ... I've had mine done on both vans.

Looks like now it's your turn. ....

(FYI Adblue and DPF delete will make your van illegal on UK roads, which will also void your insurance)

 

[Bigdazd]

How many miles has your van done?.

And your van is 6/7yrs old .... So existing EGR has done well .


I'd say just replace it and have another 6yrs happy driving.

Replacement EGR is around 650 and 1k fitted. ... I've had mine done on both vans.

Looks like now it's your turn. ....

(FYI Adblue and DPF delete will make your van illegal on UK roads, which will also void your insurance)

Hi.

Sorry, van is a 2017 102 highline. I purcased in 2018 with 11k on the clock. Now has 53,000 on the clock. Have had it fully converted since 2019 and try my best to only put Costco fuel in.

At the price of Darkside Developments its sure looking at the cheaper option to replace.

Thanks for responding.

 

[Burner]

Yeh looked at darkside myself, but way to pricey!!!

 

[Garyde]

Replaed ours a while back with a genuine valeo part matched to the original numbers .
Purchased from amazon for approx £250'ish (off the top of my head).
Fitted it myself without too much cursing.

Can you share a link to the part you bought and what engine was it for?

 

[JumpShip]

I don't have a link cuz its a couple of years ago but it was for a CAAB 102 T5.1
I'll look through and see if i can find any more details

 

[DaveD]

FYI Adblue and DPF delete will make your van illegal on UK roads, which will also void your insurance

It's not as simple as that, any modification that has not been agreed might breach the terms and conditions of the insurance policy, however, the insurer would still be legally obliged (Road Traffic 1988) to pay out on third party claims, if they were found to be justified, so the policy wouldn't be void.
If the modification was found to be a contributory factor in any claim (unlikely in this type of modification, IMO), the insurer could reduce the payout to the policy holder and could even pursue the policy holder for damages relating to the third party claim.
There are probably a few people driving vehicles with such mods who have no idea, having bought the vehicle after the mods have been carried out.
Like I say, it's complicated!

Motor indemnity issues - challenge or opportunity?

Third party motor insurance claims, and more particularly disputes and challenges in cases where insurers are not indemnifying under the policy, is a very broad and fascinating subject. Mastering these issues and deploying the right arguments will pay financial dividends for insurers.

www.cii.co.uk

If insurance companies could shout, "VOID" every time a policy holder broke a law, they'd never pay out anything!

 

[Sasquatch]

I've had a fair bit of experience putting drivers before a court in 32 years of dibbling.

In these circumstances the insurers may decline to pay out on a claim made by the policy holder, but 3rd party cover with respect to the minimum required under the Road Traffic Act is unaffected.

So the driver of such an unlawfully modified vehicle would not be driving uninsured, but could well find any claim they themselves make is rejected. That's the is a difference between a contractual breach and driving without insurance.

The only way for a driver to completely void an otherwise legitimate insurance policy after it has been issued is to "drive otherwise in accordance with a licence", ie, drive with no licence, or drive a class of vehicle for which they are not correctly licenced.

Aside from that they can remove the DPF, drink a gallon of scotch whisky, rob a bank, smoke heroin, eat a dead albatross, speed at 400 mph, none of that negates the minimum 3rd party cover that insurers are obliged to provide to satisfy the R.T.A. and they would still be legally insured.

 

[Bav]

I've had a fair bit of experience putting drivers before a court in 32 years of dibbling.

In these circumstances the insurers may decline to pay out on a claim made by the policy holder, but 3rd party cover with respect to the minimum required under the Road Traffic Act is unaffected.

So the driver of such an unlawfully modified vehicle would not be driving uninsured, but could well find any claim they themselves make is rejected. That's the is a difference between a contractual breach and driving without insurance.

The only way for a driver to completely void an otherwise legitimate insurance policy after it has been issued is to "drive otherwise in accordance with a licence", ie, drive with no licence, or drive a class of vehicle for which they are not correctly licenced.

Aside from that they can remove the DPF, drink a gallon of scotch whisky, rob a bank, smoke heroin, eat a dead albatross, speed at 400 mph, none of that negates the minimum 3rd party cover that insurers are obliged to provide to satisfy the R.T.A. and they would still be legally insured.

The only other scenario I can think of that *might* (I'm not sure) result in an insurer not paying out to a third party, is where they cancel the insured's policy ab initio, as, from a legal perspective, the policy is treated as never having existed.