I've been a naughty boy & used the wrong diesel - what do I do now?

[Diesel_vert]

My observation of overseas forums is that DPF issues are no less common in the UK and Europe than it is in Australia, nor is it an issue isolated to the Volkswagen Group.

Owing to the nature of the technology and how it is implemented, it's simply inevitable that issues may crop up if the vehicle is used under certain conditions. Vehicle manufacturers so much as admit this implicitly in the owners manual, by advising the driver to operate the vehicle in a certain manner in order to alleviate the problem.

It remains up to the purchaser to research and determine how much of a potential inconvenience that may or may not be, according to their anticipated driving conditions and expected usage patterns.

Was a time when I ran my 2007 Comfortline TDI auto pretty much exclusively on Shell. We shop at Coles, their pump is closest & when I travel down the Newell Highway, they seem to have the keenest prices & accessible low flow pumps. However, when I popped the sensor that looks after the particulate filter (I'm a user, not a mechanic these days - can't remember the name), the shop that replaced it & (naturally) did a regen then told me that Shell is too sulphury for the filter & I should use BP & Caltax. Since I've done that (& it hasn't hurt the wallet since the ACCC got into Coles & Woolworths), my around town economy seems to have got a tad excessive & it's maybe half a litre less sharp on the highway. That was 10-12000ks ago.

Unless there was an issue, it sounds as if you'd have been better off leaving things alone.

Since 2009, the level of sulfur in diesel for Australia, at less than 10 ppm, matches that of the UK, EU, NZ, Japan and Korea. The limit in the US and Canada is 15 ppm. These fuels are necessary for the optimal function of the DPF.

From 2006 to 2009, the level of sulfur in diesel here was 50 ppm, similar to other advanced economies, though Germany adopted 10 ppm diesel earlier than most other countries.

I bought a brand new Navara STX-550 in 2012 with the Renault engine and the DPF box in the exhaust is there but there is no filter inside it's just an empty box, now this tells me something why is the Australian version of that vehicle the only one not fitted with a DPF?? the 140kw models have them but the european engined one doesn't.

Our light vehicle emissions standards are not as stringent compared to those in the European Union.

In the EU, new models released after 01/09/2009 must comply with Euro 5 emissions standard, which are strict enough as to having the effect of making DPFs necessary. By 01/01/2011, all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles must comply with Euro 5.

In contrast, new models released in Australia after 01/11/2013 are required to comply with a "watered down" Euro 5 emissions standard, which are lenient enough not to require the fitment of DPFs, depending on the engine. Euro 5 in its entirety is not due to kick in here until 01/11/2016 - a full 5 years and 10 months after its introduction in the EU.

Hence why many passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are not fitted with DPFs here.

[Transporter]

My observation of overseas forums is that DPF issues are no less common in the UK and Europe than it is in Australia,

Only the difference is the number of diesels here, I think that London alone would have several times more diesel cars than whole Australia. So, since they have much more diesel cars, there would be more faults to report.

nor is it an issue isolated to the Volkswagen Group.

I agree

[Kiels3927]

Thanks, folks, I'll hold of the LiquiMoly for the moment.

[Adam777]

there's got to be some differences somewhere along the line because i see X5's, Mercedes ML's, Audi's, VW's etc over here and they all smoke like hell when under acceleration, some even have sooty rear bumpers that is a very very rare sight over there, i had an A3 S line 170 TDi and on a night in the dark with someone behind you you could give it full boot and not a hint of anything, if i shoe my navara or transporter here with someone behind me it's like the bat mobile!

[Diesel_vert]

there's got to be some differences somewhere along the line because i see X5's, Mercedes ML's, Audi's, VW's etc over here and they all smoke like hell when under acceleration, some even have sooty rear bumpers that is a very very rare sight over there, i had an A3 S line 170 TDi and on a night in the dark with someone behind you you could give it full boot and not a hint of anything, if i shoe my navara or transporter here with someone behind me it's like the bat mobile!

No DPF.

As mentioned previously, Euro 5 (the watered down version) only kicked in 5 months ago - and that only applies for newly released models.

The full Euro 5 emissions standard doesn't apply here until 2016, so it'll be a while before a significant number vehicles in the Australian fleet are fitted with a DPF.

[Altered Sprinter]

Fuel in Australia is contentious, to say the least.

Early Euro 3 engines without the DPF had one issue injection failure, mostly because many folk were not aware of two fuel types being available,that is 10ppm and 15 ppm,the later is still available at high flow pumps for the older American trucks such as Kenworth,and Sterling.

Additives such as Redline of which are not an alcohol based additive work well if continuously, used throughout the operating life of the vehicle.

Redline has two additives one for Winter grade fuels and the other for Summer grade fuels,, the third option from Redline was called a wetter something meant for Alpine fuels to negate water entering into the fuel filter and wax build up due to modified Diesels fuels such as bio-diesel.

Euro 5 fuels Liqui Moly has a professional DPF re-generator of which many dealerships use, but don't tell the customers, at least not with Benz.
VW dealerships state the manual and that's it.

Euro 5 EECV Fuels 2011 onwards for Euro six is not available in Australasia,and therefore as noted in your factory build sheet states as much.

Straight Diesel fuel from Shell and Caltex, and whats left of the BP outlets is less than 10pp/m in Summer it's closer to 7 pp/m Winter in Australia there lies a problem with Mountain grade Diesel Alpine grade Diesel and the non modified Diesel without a thinner, refereed to as Kerosene, that is nothing more than a paint-stripper originally developed from Mobil Exxon called either Solvo 100 or Solvo 150

The above will cause many issues with diesel engines if not kept in check, with outside non factory additives to assist in maintaining your engines.

LIQUI MOLLY is EU certificated and approved for use in both Mercedes and VW engines Daimler AG acknowledges this providing the correct oils are used,in fact many of the preferred and certified oils used prior to 2011 were DE-certificated under license as no longer being capable of holding hi-soot sulphate molecules in suspension for long -term-service intervals.

Bio fuels are a major problem? more so with stale diesel ,life span three weeks before biocides develop in the fuel tank,fuel filters can gel up in Winter at high alpine regions, highlands, or desert territory plains, with engine temps on cold starts till engine reaches full operating temperatures.

EGR failures are duel to excess soot contamination build up as a result of UN-burnt fuels. turbo actuator valves will seize up and require maintenance,turbo intakes need to be kept clean including the filer box,especially at the base of the filter vacuum regularly if in a suspect area where gritty dust is prevalent, if used correctly both turbos will benefit and thus reduce a DPF forced regeneration as an end result.

EGR cleaners are available in two types off the shelf ad for professionals, the latter requires above mechanical experience to operate the additive cleaners Wynn's and Liqui Moly are equal.

Diesel additives liquid purge add to the tank and direct to the rail, again the latter is for the pros as restarting a Crd, Cdi engine is difficult once the additive has been used,as there are no 12 v high-lift priming pumps past the fuel filter if air has entered the lines leading to the injectors.

Liqui-Moly has many additives, which one, depends on your best practice for maintaining a diesel engine.
Cetane ratings 51 Cn many additive have up to 3 to 5 added cetane increases ideally according to Wynn's 55 Cn is required with an added biocide eliminator or if just adding Fuel injector cleaners to fuel to keep the fuel pattern spray even just use Liqui Moly Part number 2786 300 ml per sixty liters for maximum performance every 200 klm.
Richard

[Sunny43.5]

Sounds to me like it would be easier to leave the van at home , surely the car manufacturers who rely on fuel to run our cars and the fuel companies who need our cars to make their profits should be all on the same page ?? . If this is the future of motoring I think may need to pass on the experience of modern technology , so many issues with different diesels and petrol these days , why can't manufacturers meet in the middle make all engines regardless run on ONE level RON fuel that would save the poor motorist from being shafted at the pump by huge variations in the fuel prices for each level same for diesel . I thought we were supposed to be now in the smart era this sort of thing should not be happening .

[Diesel_vert]

IMO, the standard of petrol and diesel that leaves Australian fuel terminals is much ado about nothing.

The formation & build-up of deposits are a fact of life. Its causes are many & varied and is a problem as old as the automobile itself.

Fuel additives play an important role in the delivery of useable fuels onto the market, but they're no panacea for all such related problems.

The use of any product and the value it provides need only be justified by the end user. Thus, my advice to consumers is to scrutinise one's justification objectively and dispassionately to avoid disappointment.

Of course, cases of fuel contamination through external sources or the mishandling of fuel are not unheard of (in any country), but that is a separate and different issue not related to fuel standards.

Sounds to me like it would be easier to leave the van at home

On balance, that would be the greater loss.

Fill 'er up, don't misfuel, drive more, worry less.

[jfoldbar]

i find it funny that some people swear by bp, or shell, or caltex and wouldnt put another brand in it.
however according to 1] people that work at petrol stations,2] the service station association of australia(yes there is one i called them to ask how servos differ), and 3] the actual servos themselves, diesel does not differ from servo to servo. they all get the same diesel from one supplier and so the only way diesel can be better or worse than another place is the age and condition of the tanks in the ground.

[Transporter]

i find it funny that some people swear by bp, or shell, or caltex and wouldnt put another brand in it.
however according to 1] people that work at petrol stations,2] the service station association of australia(yes there is one i called them to ask how servos differ), and 3] the actual servos themselves, diesel does not differ from servo to servo. they all get the same diesel from one supplier and so the only way diesel can be better or worse than another place is the age and condition of the tanks in the ground.

What else would you expect that they tell you?