Driving with P0401 CEL Code

earlyd

Active member
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Location
Austin, TX
TDI
2009 JSW TDI
I have a 2009 JSW TDI with 120,000 miles and I've had the P0401 CEL code come and go. I also have soot in the tailpipe. Drives fine and no noticeable drop in MPG or performance.

I plan to use the buyback, so hope to be out of the car in a couple of months.

My concern is whether driving with the EGR issues will damage the engine before I have time to return the car to VW (date uncertain, but sounds like buybacks might start in November).

SO, is continuing to drive the car harming the engine enough to be concerned about getting another 5,000 miles out of the car?

Thanks
 

kcunniff

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Location
Southwest Florida
TDI
2005 Golf GLS BEW (5spd)
At 120K, I think you are at the extended emissions warranty limit (if not exceeded) on the EGR/DPF. You may want to check with VWoA, and it might be worth your while to obtain a written diagnostic from a dealer should you experience some catastrophic failure. Since your DPF is cracked, it is not able to eliminate the soot well, and if you build up too much, you will experience drivability issues. Do you have 5,000 miles before it happens? I cannot say because it depends on the background load in your DPF now, which at 120K could be getting toward the high side anyway. Others will chime in hopefully with a better opinion.
 

meerschm

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Location
Fairfax county VA
TDI
2009 Jetta wagon DSG 08/08 205k buyback 1/8/18; replaced with 2017 Golf Wagon 4mo 1.8l CXBB
I think you probably are fine

if the only issue is a little soot, and the P0401 code once in a while, you should have no problems going 5000 miles.

of course, keeping an eye on it for other issues is a good idea



the federal emissions warranty which covers the DPF is 80,000 miles. VW put up coverage to 120k for a few items, including HPFP and the exhaust flap, (and I think the DSG) but not the DPF or EGR filter.

there is no reason a DPF will not be good for well over 200,000 miles, unless it develops some crackage, and then the problem is the EGR clogging up, and some soot escaping the tailpipe.

all the soot which is captured will be processed by regeneration process just as when the car was new. the small amount of soot that gets by will, of course, not be converted.
 

earlyd

Active member
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Location
Austin, TX
TDI
2009 JSW TDI
I do not think it is a lot of soot, at least compared to what I've seen in pictures posted here. I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks for the thoughts on this. I just want to make it to the buy-back.
 

CNGVW

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Location
Bob Mann Auto, 111 High St, Pembroke MA 02359
TDI
Many TDI Jettas and a Beetle Race car run 2010 jetta tdi cup car build roadrace
The P0401 as meerschm says is just way to tell you you have cracked DPF you can drive it to the cows come home with a cracked DPF. If you where to keep the car and needed to go though a emission test then you would need to replace the DPF and front CAT 2009 are welded to gather. I make up a EGF test filter that shuts off the P0401 for those that are going to keep the car.
 

andykurz

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Location
Lansdowne, PA (Phila)
TDI
shopping
Hi, I just wanted to see how this worked out for you. Are you still driving the car or did you turn it in?

My CEL just came on and I got this code. I was hoping to keep the car up until the end of the buyback period (hey, I like it after all!) but may have to accelerate my timeline!
 

n1das

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Nashua, NH, USA
TDI
2014 BMW 535xd ///M-Sport, 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d, former 3x TDI owner
I have a 2009 JSW TDI with 120,000 miles and I've had the P0401 CEL code come and go. I also have soot in the tailpipe. Drives fine and no noticeable drop in MPG or performance.
I plan to use the buyback, so hope to be out of the car in a couple of months.
My concern is whether driving with the EGR issues will damage the engine before I have time to return the car to VW (date uncertain, but sounds like buybacks might start in November).
SO, is continuing to drive the car harming the engine enough to be concerned about getting another 5,000 miles out of the car?
Thanks
If you don't have to get it fixed in order to keep the car road legal in your state, you can simply keep driving it. No harm to the engine at all.

The P0401 code is for "EGR malfunction - insufficient flow". Your CR TDI has 2 EGR paths, a high pressure (HP) and a low pressure (LP) path. The low pressure EGR path takes exhaust after the DPF and routes it through a simple filter and to the intake ahead of the intercooler. A cracked DPF is the cause of this and allows some soot to get past the DPF and is why you see some soot in the tailpipe. The cracked DPF causes the LP EGR filter (called a TUBE in the parts database) to get clogged up with soot and restricts LP EGR flow. It won't do any harm to the engine but you'll have an intermittent or persistent P0401 code. Just drive on!

Good luck and Welcome to TDIclub. :cool:
 
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andykurz

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Location
Lansdowne, PA (Phila)
TDI
shopping
Thank you! I'm going to keep going until as close to the end of the buyback period as possible!

46.4MPG on a highway work trip yesterday about 250 miles. That's way above my normal average but man, it's nice. My mixed average is still ~39
 
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