DPF | Active regeneration | Warranty

Chris_headley

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
CA
TDI
Jetta SE
Hello! I've been having some problems with my DPF clogging and recently it got bad enough that I had to take it into the dealership. I wanted to let you guys know about my experience and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Car details
2015 Jetta TDI SE
Automatic
Had 2nd modification done @ ~40k miles
Current Milage ~57k

Issue: Recently I moved to a new job where my commute is roughly 6 miles round trip. Within a couple months my DPF light came on. I had no idea what this was, but I found in the manual I just needed to drive for 20 minutes in 4th gear with my RPM between 2k-3k and it would clear it out and the light would turn off. That weekend I took a long trip up California and sure enough the light turned off.

A couple weeks later the DPF light turns on again. I was going to make that same trip in a couple weeks so I ignored it thinking it would go off when I made the trip.

Then about 1 week later I was driving home from work and my turbo stopped working, I heard a beep, looked down at my dashboard and the check engine light was on and the glow plug light was flashing.

At this point I thought this issue was completely separate from the DPF and I looked into it further. After doing some searching on the internet I found that if the filter clogs too much the car could be put into a safe mode which essentially stops the turbo from working and the acceleration slows dramatically.

So at this point I schedule an appointment to have VW look at my car. Since this issue was related to the exhaust after treatment system I thought for sure it would be covered under warranty.

I live about 100 miles from the nearest VW dealer and on my way to the dealership my oil light came on even though I had just gotten an oil change by the dealer 2k miles before this point in time.

So I get to the dealership and they explain to me that they are going to have to do an active regeneration. They said once my car went into the "safe mode" the car stops doing regeneration so even though I drove 100+ miles at 50+ MPH in 4th gear, there was no regeneration taking place, meaning the soot was not burning from the filter.

The mechanic also said, if the filter is cleared after we do regeneration and the lights go off I will be charged for the service even though the parts are covered under warranty. He said active regenerations are NOT covered under warranty.
This did not sit well with me because the warranty states:

“In our continuing efforts to assure proper performance of Volkswagen vehicles, your dealer will diagnose and replace the emissions-related components listed in this section, if necessary, at no cost to you as long as the vehicle remains within the time and mileage limits of this warranty extension.”

So after I got home from the dealership I called VW customer care to ask if active regeneration was covered under warranty. The VW lady said it was and if it is not to give them a call back. So the next day I get to the dealership to pick up my car. The mechanic said nothing was wrong with the glow plug lights (which is weird because that light was flashing) and all they had to do was clear the DPF. He also said he reset my oil change light because I had just gotten an oil change.

Next he told me it would be a $165 dollar charge for the service, which honestly was a lot less than what I thought it would cost, but VW told me the service was covered so I told the dealership that. They got the manager and said I can guarantee you it is not covered, here’s my card, have them give me a call, we will print you out a receipt if they want to reimburse you. So I paid and left and then called VW customer care. I did not talk to the same lady but I did talk to someone to let them know that active regeneration is not covered and to notify them they were giving out contradicting information.

Next, I drive home and within 40 miles my oil light goes on again.. which probably means the dealership didn’t even check the oil, he just reset the light. I’m not sure if the oil light going on was caused by the DPF filter before it was cleaned but I will look into this issue further.

Once I got home a received a call from the original VW customer care lady I talked to and she asked me to send in my receipt and a report of everything they did. So I did, and then the next day I received a call from her saying she was going to reimburse me the $165 I paid for the service. I think she reimbursed me because she felt bad that she gave me contradicting information, because the dealership was adamant about the active regeneration not being covered.

Anyway I was hoping it any of you still reading this went through an experience like mine. please let me know in a reply below.
 
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Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
Your experience is typical of someone "short tripping" their car. Which is driving so short a distance the car doesn't get a chance ever to do a regeneration of the dpf. I have told many here that if you are doing this you need to take an active part in ensuring these regens take place when needed. That means having additional gauges to tell when the dpf is filled and needs to regen and then driving so that it can. If you do this you will not have the issue you are speaking of. Your dealings with VW are semi typical for someone who isn't totally up to speed on this. VW really doesn't disclose this as they should. Just driving like you said whenever will seldom do. You also need to know when to do it and this isn't possible without additional gauges. A BT OBDII dongle and an app such as Torque or VAGDPF will let you see what you need to know about when the dpf is full and needs a regen. The best way to not have to deal with the knuckleheads at VW is to monitor this yourself and let it regen when needed. Then you should have no issues like this.

Read up on these apps and how to use them and your troubles will fade away. If you don't you will be going through this same thing over and over again.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
I think she reimbursed me because she felt bad that she gave me contradicting information, because the dealership was adamant about the active regeneration not being covered.
VW covered the cost of the service because the dealer shouldn't have charged you. Check your emissions warranty paperwork. It might say something similar to this:

[FONT=&quot]Parts Covered Under Extended Warranty[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The emissions system warranty shall cover the following parts or systems: [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The entire exhaust after treatment system, including the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst, the Diesel Particulate Filter, the Selective Catalytic Reduction converter, the dosing injector and other Diesel Exhaust Fluid system components, the exhaust flap, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and all sensors and actuators. The entire fuel system, including fuel pumps, high pressure fuel rail, fuel injectors, vibration damper, pressure control valve and all sensors and actuators. The EGR system, including EGR valves, EGR cooler, EGR filter, EGR temperature sensor, all related hoses and pipes, and all sensors and actuators.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The turbocharger, including the turbocharger damper.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system, including SCR DEF quality sensor, and any malfunctions detected by the OBD systems other than those related to the transmission. Additionally, the engine long block warranty shall cover the engine sub-assembly that consists of the assembled block, crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft, and valve train.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The extended emissions warranty includes parts, labor, and applicable taxes. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The extended emissions warranty shall not void or supersede any existing warranty.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Conflicts concerning the warranty are to be resolved in favor of the consumer.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
 

ebain21

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
Location
St. Paul, MN
TDI
2012 Golf TDI 6M
At this point there are a bunch of threads related to this, please search and read up on your issue before starting a new thread.

I had a similar issue, but no glow plug light and no dpf light, just the check engine light. Also no limp mode. Dealer charged me the CPO deductible ($50) for performing an active regen and sent me on my way. When I questioned them, they said that the service procedure didn't direct them to replace any parts since they claimed they fixed it and no codes returned, Because no parts were replaced, it was not covered under warranty. I still think this is BS since the emissions warranty clearly covers any emissions equipment and any check engine lights.

300 miles later, the same code was thrown and I noticed the tail pipe was sooty. This time they correctly diagnosed that the DPF and EGR filter needed to be replaced. This was all covered under the extended emissions warranty. When I asked, they reimbursed me for the $50.

It's unfortunate that you live 100 miles from the dealer because it sounds like you'll be back. Check to see if your tailpipe is sooty, a sure sign of DPF failure. And maybe see if you can find a new dealer. Also, what oil light was on? You should learn to check your oil level if you don't know how.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
The oil light (from my limited reading on the Mk6), is sometimes associated with DPF failures where short-tripping was followed by multiple interrupted regen cycles. The cycle leads to oil dilution, which apparently impacts the oil level, or sets off the oil warning. Someone more familiar with it can add better info.

The mech was probably correct about nothing being wrong with the glow plugs- the flashing glow plug light does not indicate a glow plug fault, and the owners manual will probably list is as "engine malfunction" or something similar.

I've heard that CPO deductible issue other places, and I'm sure it's a way for dealers to make some cash. The paperwork is very clear on there being no charge for emissions related items, etc. That's how the dealers maintain their nickname, I guess.
 

Uberhare

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Location
Ontario, Canada
TDI
Too many.
Dealer quoted me $149 just to scan the car today before they would even consider anything under warranty. First they tried to tell me the warranty was expired on the car and I specifically had to quote the emissions recall warranty. Spoke with the service manager who straightened it out. Car is going in for an exhaust flap when it comes in. They are trying anything they can to make a buck on these cars.
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
It is common for any dealer to quote the scan charge upfront as they have no idea yet what is wrong with your car or if it will be covered. Usually dropped afterwards when they find out what the issue is and that it is covered. Lots of people like to take their car in and get it scanned and diagnosed for free and then not get the work done. This is a way they can stop that and doing work for free. They aren't just trying to make a dishonest buck off every customer. No matter what brand or dealer this is usually the case now days. As a consumer it is up to you to know exactly what the warranty terms are and stand up for them if they aren't following the rules.
 
Last edited:

Chris_headley

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
CA
TDI
Jetta SE
VW covered the cost of the service because the dealer shouldn't have charged you.
The dealership manager was certain that the active regeneration is not covered. They said the key word in the warranty is "replace" and because they do not replace anything with an active regen it is not covered under warranty
 

Chris_headley

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
CA
TDI
Jetta SE
The oil light (from my limited reading on the Mk6), is sometimes associated with DPF failures where short-tripping was followed by multiple interrupted regen cycles. The cycle leads to oil dilution, which apparently impacts the oil level, or sets off the oil warning. Someone more familiar with it can add better info.
This makes a lot of sense, I always hear my car trying to finish a regen when I turn it off. Since it is diluting the oil, do you think I should go get an oil change or top it off if the oil is low?
 

Chris_headley

New member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
CA
TDI
Jetta SE
Your experience is typical of someone "short tripping" their car.

The best way to not have to deal with the knuckleheads at VW is to monitor this yourself and let it regen when needed. Then you should have no issues like this.
This is very helpful, I'll look into getting some extra monitoring equipment!
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
The dealership manager was certain that the active regeneration is not covered. They said the key word in the warranty is "replace" and because they do not replace anything with an active regen it is not covered under warranty
I understand their argument, I'm just offering that their argument is weak when compared to the written warranty. Your warranty quote above includes "diagnose and replace..." Does that mean (for TDI emissions-related visits) the dealer gets to charge owners every time they diagnose but don't replace? As said, it's fine for dealers to quote a diagnostic fee prior to service, but once the cause of a service-related visit is associated with anything covered in the warranty, there is no fee for parts, labor, or taxes.

If your dealer's service department rarely deals with TDIs or is currently lacking a TDI tech, and if we wanted to be charitable, we could suggest that they are confused about the warranty and what's covered. I'd suggest that the warranty, as it covers active regens, is clear, and that dealers servicing TDIs will know that replacement of parts is not the critical criteria for whether fees are charged:

[FONT=&quot]"The emissions system warranty shall cover the following parts or systems: [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system, including SCR DEF quality sensor, and any malfunctions detected by the OBD systems other than those related to the transmission.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The extended emissions warranty includes parts, labor, and applicable taxes. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Conflicts concerning the warranty are to be resolved in favor of the consumer."[/FONT]
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
This makes a lot of sense, I always hear my car trying to finish a regen when I turn it off. Since it is diluting the oil, do you think I should go get an oil change or top it off if the oil is low?

Again, I'm not a Mk6 expert, so please do some more reading. From memory, oil dilution often raises the oil level, so topping off may not be an option. For my own cars I'm reluctant to change oil early (by US/CAN OCI standards), since it's a waste of resources and unnecessary. Your situation might warrant a change, but you'd not be addressing the problem. If your car is not finishing regens, or you hear the fans running at the end of every trip, then either the sensors are bad or you need a new DPF, etc. Fix this, change the oil, monitor the system, drive on.

As for monitoring the DPF, I bought a $35 android phone and use the VAG DPF app to keep an eye on things.
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
If your car is not finishing regens, or you hear the fans running at the end of every trip, then either the sensors are bad or you need a new DPF, etc. Fix this, change the oil, monitor the system, drive on.

As for monitoring the DPF, I bought a $35 android phone and use the VAG DPF app to keep an eye on things.
His car is not finishing regions due to short tripping. there's nothing wrong with the car more than likely other than the fact he's not driving it enough to let the regions happen. Monitoring and letting these happen will satisfy the computer that everything is okay. I would attempt to try monitoring and letting them complete before I have anything trouble shot for something else being wrong.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
His car is not finishing regions due to short tripping. there's nothing wrong with the car more than likely other than the fact he's not driving it enough to let the regions happen. Monitoring and letting these happen will satisfy the computer that everything is okay. I would attempt to try monitoring and letting them complete before I have anything trouble shot for something else being wrong.
Yes, I understand he's short-tripping, we discussed it. He also was unable to initiate an active regen under the correct conditions. VW then initiated a forced regen because he had reached soot load over the threshold.

So I get to the dealership and they explain to me that they are going to have to do an active regeneration. They said once my car went into the "safe mode" the car stops doing regeneration so even though I drove 100+ miles at 50+ MPH in 4th gear, there was no regeneration taking place, meaning the soot was not burning from the filter.
IF his car, post forced-regen, is trying to do a regen as described ("I always hear my car trying to finish a regen when I turn it off"), then the problem is likely as I suggested. Why? If the forced regen had worked correctly, it would be another 200-300 miles before his DPF hit 24g soot (or the correct threshold for a MK6), and a regen would have been triggered. His description is that a regen is being initiated prior to that, post forced-regn, and consistently. Unless his description of regen activity is referring to the "old" situation, there is a problem other than driving style that inhibits regens. In talking to the VW techs when my DPF was replaced (no short trips involved, regen constantly requested by the ECM, fans on and regen in process multiple times during slow speed driving, etc., they found that a faulty sensor installed at PIIb allowed the DPF to go over the max soot threshold (requiring a forced regen) and that (in their experience) replacement of the sensors was a solution only part of the time. In my case, a brand new DPF and sensors ($1,400 covered under warranty) was the only thing that ended the repeated ECM requests to initiate a regen.
 

xiaolu

Member
Joined
May 4, 2012
Location
Vaughan, Ontario
TDI
2012 JETTA TDI w/Manual Shift
I have same issue recently/now, and here is my experience:


* My car is 2012 JETTA TDI with manual transmission
* I am in Toronto Canada Area


1. About a month ago, I had the DPF light on. Took the car to VW dealer near home, but was told I need to do regeneration (drive at around 2k-3k RPM for some distance on highway). I did this, the light would turn off, but then next time I start the engine and drive, the light is back on immediately. Took the car back to the same VW dealer, and was told it needs a manual/forced regeneration which a technician at the dealer can do but the cost will NOT be covered/honoured by VW, and got a quote of $400 Canadian for this regeneration. Took the car to another VW deal which did this regeneration for free, and the light is OFF. ALL good.


2. Then just a week ago while I was driving on highway at around 140KM/H, ALL OF A SUDDEN, two lights turned on at the very same time: check engine light and the glow plug light flashing, and at the same time speed dropped to around 110KM/H by itself!, and speed would NOT go up regardless how much more I press "gas" pedal. And speed would gradually drop itself to 100, 90KM/H,... And then a few minutes later I could "gas" up to 110KM/H but no higher speed possible. This just repeats forever! (speed up to 110, then drop to 100, 90, later up to 110,..., then drop to 100, 90,..... REPEAT)



Took the car to same VW dealer (which did DPF regeneration for me for free), and was told the turbine (diesel turbocharger) had a problem, and needs to be replaced/fixed.


And then the following parts were ordered for me, and the car is RIGHT NOW at the dealer being fixed (needs two days work). Parts and labour ALL for free (under warranty):


Part Number Description

03L-253-056-XEXMANTURBO
03L-253-039-BGASKET
03L-145-117-CGASKET
03L-131-547-CGASKET
N-905-927-05BOLT
03L-131-547-DGASKET
N-908-946-01NUT
03L-145-771OIL PIPE
N-909-788-01SEAL RING
WHT-000-494BANJO BOLT
N-907-156-01WASHER
N-908-946-01NUT
03L-145-757-QGASKET
1K0-253-115-TGASKET
1K0-253-725CLIP
03G-131-547-HGASKET
1K0-253-115-AEGASKET
 
Last edited:

Dieselove

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Location
Dallas tx
TDI
2015 VW Passat
Hello! I've been having some problems with my DPF clogging and recently it got bad enough that I had to take it into the dealership. I wanted to let you guys know about my experience and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Car details
2015 Jetta TDI SE
Automatic
Had 2nd modification done @ ~40k miles
Current Milage ~57k

Issue: Recently I moved to a new job where my commute is roughly 6 miles round trip. Within a couple months my DPF light came on. I had no idea what this was, but I found in the manual I just needed to drive for 20 minutes in 4th gear with my RPM between 2k-3k and it would clear it out and the light would turn off. That weekend I took a long trip up California and sure enough the light turned off.

A couple weeks later the DPF light turns on again. I was going to make that same trip in a couple weeks so I ignored it thinking it would go off when I made the trip.

Then about 1 week later I was driving home from work and my turbo stopped working, I heard a beep, looked down at my dashboard and the check engine light was on and the glow plug light was flashing.

At this point I thought this issue was completely separate from the DPF and I looked into it further. After doing some searching on the internet I found that if the filter clogs too much the car could be put into a safe mode which essentially stops the turbo from working and the acceleration slows dramatically.

So at this point I schedule an appointment to have VW look at my car. Since this issue was related to the exhaust after treatment system I thought for sure it would be covered under warranty.

I live about 100 miles from the nearest VW dealer and on my way to the dealership my oil light came on even though I had just gotten an oil change by the dealer 2k miles before this point in time.

So I get to the dealership and they explain to me that they are going to have to do an active regeneration. They said once my car went into the "safe mode" the car stops doing regeneration so even though I drove 100+ miles at 50+ MPH in 4th gear, there was no regeneration taking place, meaning the soot was not burning from the filter.

The mechanic also said, if the filter is cleared after we do regeneration and the lights go off I will be charged for the service even though the parts are covered under warranty. He said active regenerations are NOT covered under warranty.
This did not sit well with me because the warranty states:

“In our continuing efforts to assure proper performance of Volkswagen vehicles, your dealer will diagnose and replace the emissions-related components listed in this section, if necessary, at no cost to you as long as the vehicle remains within the time and mileage limits of this warranty extension.”

So after I got home from the dealership I called VW customer care to ask if active regeneration was covered under warranty. The VW lady said it was and if it is not to give them a call back. So the next day I get to the dealership to pick up my car. The mechanic said nothing was wrong with the glow plug lights (which is weird because that light was flashing) and all they had to do was clear the DPF. He also said he reset my oil change light because I had just gotten an oil change.

Next he told me it would be a $165 dollar charge for the service, which honestly was a lot less than what I thought it would cost, but VW told me the service was covered so I told the dealership that. They got the manager and said I can guarantee you it is not covered, here’s my card, have them give me a call, we will print you out a receipt if they want to reimburse you. So I paid and left and then called VW customer care. I did not talk to the same lady but I did talk to someone to let them know that active regeneration is not covered and to notify them they were giving out contradicting information.

Next, I drive home and within 40 miles my oil light goes on again.. which probably means the dealership didn’t even check the oil, he just reset the light. I’m not sure if the oil light going on was caused by the DPF filter before it was cleaned but I will look into this issue further.

Once I got home a received a call from the original VW customer care lady I talked to and she asked me to send in my receipt and a report of everything they did. So I did, and then the next day I received a call from her saying she was going to reimburse me the $165 I paid for the service. I think she reimbursed me because she felt bad that she gave me contradicting information, because the dealership was adamant about the active regeneration not being covered.

Anyway I was hoping it any of you still reading this went through an experience like mine. please let me know in a reply below.
So glad im seeing this thread..I am currently going through the same story as yours. I have been driving this car for 2 weeks now using dpf cleaner thinking it will fix the problem. It has not yet. I will now call the VW store and see if they can Regen like you stated.
How does your car drive now? Is everything back to normal?
I see some white soot on my exhaust which is kinda worrying me wish I had seen this post 2 weeks ago. Hope it is still not too late. Any more advice you could give from your experience because I'm going through exact the same thing. Mine is a 2015 Passat at 281k
 

TurboABA

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 24, 2010
Location
Kitchener, ON
TDI
RIP-2010 Jetta 6spd 2014 Touareg Execline
Based on your milage and year, I can only assume that you are out of your warranty @Dieselove
Run your vin here to verify!

If this is the case, I would strongly advise that you either buy a VCDS or find someone in your area who can help you by scanning your vehicle to get more details about your situation. Without more details, if you roll into a dealer, you'll be a few hundos in diagnostic fees before they tell you that you need a few K worth of replacement parts.

With the proper diagnostic tool, you can look up many things and it will save you coin even if you don't do your own wrenching.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
So glad im seeing this thread..I am currently going through the same story as yours. I have been driving this car for 2 weeks now using dpf cleaner thinking it will fix the problem. It has not yet. I will now call the VW store and see if they can Regen like you stated.
How does your car drive now? Is everything back to normal?
I see some white soot on my exhaust which is kinda worrying me wish I had seen this post 2 weeks ago. Hope it is still not too late. Any more advice you could give from your experience because I'm going through exact the same thing. Mine is a 2015 Passat at 281k
If you are at 281,000 miles, just be aware that the VW warranty covering emissions work will have expired (unless you have paid for some other warranty). At that amount of miles, outside of the typical sensors and other issues, the DPF itself might be reaching the end of its life- do you have VCDS or can you use the VAG DPF app to check on it? The DPF soot mass must be within thresholds to initiate a forced regen, otherwise it won't work, and once the DPF hits a capacity for oil ash residue, it's beyond its service life. Otherwise you can do a forced regen yourself, if typical required driving conditions for an active regen aren't triggering one. I have no experience with DPF cleaner, but I highly doubt there is much impact- especially in your situation.
I'll be in Ft Worth this weekend and can bring my Mk7 VCDS cable if you need help. I also have a cheap android phone with VAG DPF, etc.
 
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