The great DPF debate! Can it be removed without a software upgrade? Yes!!!

[Jaymz]

Guys there has been quite a bit on this topic and since it is still a little on the unknown side here in Oz, most people would believe there has to be a software upgrade (or known as DPF delete) to stop the dashboard lighting up like a Xmas tree.

Well i can tell you that statement may have some truth if it was totally removed in all its entirety, this inclueds all sensors, you would probably need to hack the ECU for a solution to the Xmas tree problem.
None of us really want to be butchering a brand new car and there is not the experience nor software here in Oz to be playing around with bytes inside a TDI ECU.

Is there a company in the UK that has conquered this? Maybe.
Who is it? Who knows. If you spend hrs in cyberland you may find it.
How long will it take to hit Australian shores? Unknown, probably years.
Is there another way to delete it without any problems? Yes.

Now it should be common knowledge by now that the biggest Euro tuning giant has had a its hand in tuning the majority of cars for the TDI Race series for some time now. These later model cars were fitted with a DPF as standard fitment.
We all know a DPF is great for the environment and stops the later model diesels here in OZ from belching black smoke (read unburnt fuel) out the exhaust, but is a restriction and therefore would be useless in a race car.

Some may know that i have had software from this tuning giant in my car for some time now and have had great results. I could rave about how good it really is but i prefer to let people drive it and judge for themselves. No matter who we are, we all have our own opinions and public forums are often full of uneducated opinions on who has the best software.
(this is the bit where you get to speak up if you have driven my car)

So on to the topic. Where better than to find out how this is done, ask the tuner themselves!
Here's the response:

"We don't turn off the DPF system, nor change byte's to stop the dashboard warning lights coming on.
What we do, is leave the differential pressure sensor fitted in the exhaust and leave it plugged into the loom, but remove the DPF unit itself from the system.
The idea is the ECU predicts the backpressure infront of the DPF unit from the ECU tables. The Diff Press Sensor sees the DPF is full up by a high difference between its reading and the predicted readings and starts the burn off phase.
If the DPF is removed but the sensor is still fitted, the sensor will always be reading the pressure infront of the DPF (as it not there) so that won't cause the burn off to occur, so the car will run correctly and not light up any dashlights.
We have a test mule VW GolfV running in this mode with no problems after many klm's."

So if you pull it out whats going to happen, will you blow black smoke out the back end? Maybe.
This is not for everyone and may only increase how quickly the turbo spools up. But if tuned right the turbo on the GT is good for up to 240hp and may have very little smoke out the back end.
Need proof? Have a look at the race series, very little black smoke out the back end of those cars.

Some of you tree huggers may be thinking by now that by pulling out the DPF you would be doing a whole lot of harm but in all reality you should think back from now to when diesel cars were introduced to OZ and how many are still on the roads these days, all of them sans DPF.
Think of when you have sat behind one of these early oilers (read Landcruiser) and been totally covered in a plume of black smoke!!! They are the real problem

[Jaymz]

So the question begs, who's first??? Any takers.....Greg??????

[Logzy]

Its quite funny that you should sya what you have said about the poressure sensors and deleting the DPF.
Only last night i was looking throught the Workshop manual at the DPF and came to the same conclusion that it monitors the inlet presure and the outlet pressure to determine how full the DPF is.
With equal or near to equal pressures the ecu will think the DPF is ok therefore bothe sensors could be mounted in the new exhaust and with equal pressures being read there would never be a problem.

I dont know that i really want to rip the DPF out as Im sure i could throw my warranty away with it also but once the warranty is over that will be another story.

Take a look at this and you'll see exactly what i mean.

[Mischa]

ill do it when i can afford a downpipe.

[Greg Roles]

So the question begs, who's first??? Any takers.....Greg??????

Dude, I'm ALL for more neddies, but I hate following old belching diesels, and most certainly don't want to become one. I do feel that a properly tuned and chipped car will run very well, as we all know soot is just diesel injected too late in the cycle given the mass of air present. Your chipped air fuel ratios on the dyno day were certainly a lot cleaner than stock.

Given the GT's higher injection pressures and flows, we should have the lowest chance of producing a ton of smog. I still like the idea of a bypass, but with the DPF's immediate proximity to the turbo, this may be tricky to mechanise given the heat involved.

For me it's all about the smog.