𝐎𝐡𝐡𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐨𝐨! 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧! 𝐖𝐓𝐅? 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐 𝐉𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐃𝐈

[Gags730]

Hey everyone thanks for reading... I need a little help here.
I have a 2012 Jetta TDI and out of nowhere a light came on I didn't even know this car had.
It is for a Diesel Particulate Filter and it looks like a muffler to be honest.

I heard this comes on if the car did not go thru a 'regeneration" ???

For the last few months the wife has been driving the car but she is literally only driving under 10 miles and in town under 35mph when you can even hit that. She literally drives 10 to 15 mins and that is all. I cant remember the last time she went out on a highway and took a long fast drive in the car... Could this be a cause of that light? ....that the unit never finishes this regen mode???

The other question I have is how do I even know when this "regeneration" is happening or what to expect? The only strange thing that ever happens with this car is the fans will run for a few mins after she drives it. She always warms the car up for a good 10 to 15 mins too.

 

[hskrdu]

Sorry for your situation. Here's some starters / helpers:

I have a 2012 Jetta TDI and out of nowhere a light came on I didn't even know this car had.

The owners manual, either hard copy or available online, will review all the warning lights in your cluster.

It is for a Diesel Particulate Filter and it looks like a muffler to be honest.

If you need more info on your DPF, a search will reveal lots of good information on how it works.

I heard this comes on if the car did not go thru a 'regeneration" ???

The DPF light does not typically illuminate just because your car didn't complete a regen, but indicates a more serious problem, often that the DPF requires a regen because of too many previous incomplete attempts, or the DPF is nearing a threshold of measurement for being "clogged", or a few other causes (depending on year, etc.). The DPF light may also have different behaviors- temporary illumination, solid, flashing, etc.

For the last few months the wife has been driving the car but she is literally only driving under 10 miles and in town under 35mph when you can even hit that. She literally drives 10 to 15 mins and that is all. I cant remember the last time she went out on a highway and took a long fast drive in the car... Could this be a cause of that light? ....that the unit never finishes this regen mode???

This type of driving style is most likely to cause DPF clogging becuase the car neither has sustained conditions for passive regens (which don't accomplish much anyway), or for active regens, which are required to clean out the DPF. I have found the DPF also accumulates soot at a higher rate when driving under the conditions you describe, which can compound the problem. If she (or you) isn't taking the car on the highway at set intervals to initiate an active regen, the DPF will clog and illuminate the DPF indicator.

The other question I have is how do I even know when this "regeneration" is happening or what to expect? The only strange thing that ever happens with this car is the fans will run for a few mins after she drives it. She always warms the car up for a good 10 to 15 mins too.

First, most TDIs will see almost no benefit from "warming up," and (IMO) cars with a DPF should especially avoid this, based only on my watching the VAG DPF android app. The fastest way to get the cabin warm for the Northeast winter is to drive the car. If she needs seat heat, consider some aftermarket heaters.

Second, your car will require some action on your part to monitor either regen status or DPF activity. Lots of threads on this, but here are a few:

DPF regen monitoring

Hi, I've an Golf TDi 2015. I'm using vag dpf pro on android to monitor the dpf. Have few question about it. I notice the regen never occur before 100% of soot loading. Why? Noticed too, when a regen occur, it drop about to 23% before the regen stop. Why again? Why don't burn to 0? Last one...

forums.tdiclub.com

Found a nice app to monitor DPF.

Hi folks, Just would like to share my find of really nice app for monitoring DPF.Its called VAG DPF.There are two versions.One is free and other one monitor.Not sure if its available for IOS. Here is the screenshot

forums.tdiclub.com

How to tell Regen is going?

After just having my DPF replaced, luckily under warranty (74K miles) I am now paranoid that this will happen again, maybe even sooner than the first one... My commute to work is about 30 miles one way, then I drive to lunch about 3 miles round trip, then back home after work another 30 miles...

forums.tdiclub.com

Polar FIS+

curious to hear if this is worth buying yet... I'm sure if you made an appearance at kermatdi in avon they would be happy to demo.

forums.tdiclub.com

Third, the cooling fans are coming on because an active regen of the DPF was in progress while the car was being driven (raising the temps to quite high levels), and when the engine was turned off, the regen was interrupted, requiring the fans to remain on due to the heat.

Lastly, everything I've said above is fairly common knowledge here, revealed through either a quick search or visiting the right forums. Your experience is also not uncommon where short trips are involved. You may want to remove the *** from your title, since it neither matches the tone of TDIClub or your situation.

 

[Gags730]

hskrdu

Thank you very much for your reply and help as it is greatly appreciated. Since yesterday all I have been doing is trying to read up on this. The last Diesel I had was many, many years ago and I used it only for a commute. I bought it for $200 bucks it was a POS but it never let me down. I always remembered that little Diesel, it really was reliable, cosmetically the previous owner destroyed it but as long as it ran I didn't care.

The wifey and I just want to make sure we keep the car in tip-top shape and get things sorted right away. It is strange when you see a light come on that you have never seen before. To be honest, it seems, or mainly I believe we are the cause of this... at least for now. I have to get it scanned and see what's going on but I would say our driving patterns suck for this car. Parts of this are easily fixable we just need more highway miles on this car. The C19 changed even our driving habits.

Warning I'm gonna ramble I haven't vented to a VW owner yet hahaha!

So far with a VW, there are a few things I do not like! I really do not like CAN Bus. I installed a lot of electronics in my cars and did not know about CAN Bus and the Radio initially. Good thing I looked into the wiring and what's what before I just went out and bought a Radio as I have steering wheel controls. The Wife also wanted better headlights and wanted the brighter bulb inside the car for the one I guess you call it reading light and I discovered you can not do that either unless they are ok with CanBus ... I believe they must have a certain resistance or something? I dunno its a guess because it monitors like everything .....
The first week we got the car the 7 Inch screen died on the Radio.
I gotta say the wiring is a little strange if you want to add things to this car. Probably cause you can't find info.

So Next Question ...... What is the issue with VW and not having a freaking fuse diagram? You need to tap a fuse or god forbid change one and you can't get the correct diagram for this car? You have to hunt it down on the internet. What's with that crap VW? I have a 2012 TDI Premium model with that Fender crap and that POS Subwoofer in the deck that rattles. (fixed that) And for some reason, I still don't have the correct Fuse locations! and wiring it like none match my car and they probably do not!! Try something like finding out how the factory amp is wired! Good Luck!!
I got so pissed off and afraid to pop a fuse or screw something up in the Factory Fuse box I went hardcaore ! I pulled 8 AWG from the battery , fused it and bought a small Fuse Box (six separate fuses) and I wired in a power relay for the fuse box. The relay is switched ON from the Accessory/keyed Voltage which feeds power from the 8AWG to the New Fuse Box ... the Best thing I did so far! (continued at the very bottom about what I wired in)

The other thing was I forgot to do was don't unplug the little airbag light that is below the radio before you disconnect the battery! It happened when I did the Radio and pulled that panel not think I just unplugged it and Now I have an Airbag Warning light on in the dash just from that... That is some BS ... This is the stuff that is insane to me it's was just a light...and that caused a dash warning..Come on! I actually bought a cheap scanner that will reset VW .... Hopefully, they say it does and the reviews do too... will find out.

Ohh yeah if the window wash goes Empty and you have a wife like mine that thinks rainwater must fill it because she never has! ...
and you push the switch to the wash the window it blows the fuse! That's a new one...

And then I have a problem with the driver windows I need to fix, it's cheap... When you press Up it goes down only sometimes!
Lastly What is the Deal with getting a Freaking Key... I actually have A Blank Key and an Original Uncoded FOB with an ID48 chip... A Factory Blank. Who the hell cuts and codes these with 2012 Do I need the dealer because the Car will literally sniff the chip or something??? I hate **** like that with Keys... It's just a Key... Imagine if you had to call like the Governor or Mayor to get a House Key... Cmon

Now, What else Do I need to know about this car???
Please tell me... I know I have to get DSG service and I am due for an oil change soon we just hit 40K on the car

What else does a new TDI Owner need to know especially with Diesel... ???
I need to know before my wife breaks the stuff so please help me!!
.
HEY, THANKS AGAIN hskrdu!




-------------
Continued about wiring and stuff added
I added a Fuse Box and it has to power 3 cameras, amp remote lead, 2 LCD headrest (not in yet), and a rearview mirror Touch screen that is also a DVR. I highly suggest one that is great! I ran my own fuses without worrying about what the hell is in that box. I don't think anyone knows the wiring or fuse locations and can find documentation on it. So after the radio install, I threw in a 1600 Watt Amp (RMS) and 2x 10' subwoofers. Also had to pull 0 Guage and then for grounds I installed those threaded metal rivets (You drill a hole, clean it ... pop in rivet w special tool and add a threaded bolt-like M6 or M8 for all the grounds so they are hidden under seats and stuff. Easy and clean

 

[TurboABA]

I hear a lot of barking about VWs..... most if not everything you're barking about are well known "facts" about these, so it sounds like you got your wife the wrong car for "her use and vehicular knowledge". Spend some time reading and educating yourself. There's lots to know about VWs and TDIs if you want to own one of these and get long life out of it.

Regarding silly things like keys.... this isn't your grandpa's farm tractor you're driving.... everything within the last decade (actually even longer than that) has lots and lots of electronics, aids, and deterrents built into it, so just getting a key blank cut won't work. There's everything from RFID chips to component protection built into various systems, and you will have a very bad day if you mess with these systems without the proper knowledge.

If you want something you can just "hot wire" I suggest reverting back to the 80s VWs..... I used to activate my fuel pump on my '81 Jetta with a jumper wire in order to drive off..... I'm quite certain that you could easily get a new key cut for that one at any locksmith

 

[Bob S.]

"If you want something you can just "hot wire" I suggest reverting back to the 80s VWs..... I used to activate my fuel pump on my '81 Jetta with a jumper wire in order to drive off..... I'm quite certain that you could easily get a new key cut for that one at any locksmith"

Well written response. I was thinking of suggesting a 60's ford Falcon to maybe an early 70s Ford Pinto.

 

[Gags730]

Im not barking at all, I was trying to reach out with all my issues and resolve them. *** is "barking" anyway I never heard that term used that way. I heard barking orders. Whatever...That is kind of the idea of the Forum is it not? You go to a car forum under a section to post a question right? Now you like what, Question quality control too? I made it clear I have not owned a VW in many years. You make VW TDIs sound like they are a dime a dozen and this is common knowledge for any person with a license in the US to have the foreseen knowledge of the facts to know *** is going to go wrong with the car before they even get one. Nor do people spend weeks searching every issue on the internet that ever happened with their model car It looks like you have experience with VW, I can see that from your post count and the cars you have listed you have a VW.
I came here to gain more knowledge and posted to get confirmation so I may resolve the issues I have. That is pretty simple, right? Do you think a Farm tractor guy like me can figure it out? Like I don't know even know what an alarm is or how they work. Ohh **** why is the car beeping... Really? It's amazing how you take someone who is reserved and friendly and see that as a weakness. You took my kindness for blindness. Unbelievable. I find **** like this really strange because in real life nobody ever talks to me like that. Ever. Maybe people in Jersey where I live just don't think of acting like that, just turning into a douche and wanting to pick on someone. People gave that up in middle school because that gets dangerous real fast.
I know am I older than you, that part is obvious and what I think you did was mistake me for someone who knows nothing about anything and you figured you would hurl a few nasty comments in there while you were at it. You don't think you could be a man and either answer the questions or just move on? You want to even throw my wife in there, nobody gave you permission to talk about her, the only people who get to do that are her parents and me. You shouldn't ever even joke a man's wife, what you should do is apologize for that part, the rest I am a man and I don't give a ****.
In the future, if you want to answer a question somebody asked just answer the question. Why are you a part of this forum if you are not serious about helping people? I know you are too old for that silly let me be the cool guy crap already. Jesus... You don't like the question ya think it's below "Known Facts" level or whatever compass you use then move on.
No help is no help and I'm sure if I was a moderator and seeing you piss off newer or inexperienced members you deem lesser than yourself won't fly too long. If someone asks a question about why the tire is only flat on the bottom you should try to do the right thing if you answer.

Best Wishes. I mean that I really do hope the best for you... Please stay safe and God Bless

 

[TurboABA]

I never said all that.... just sayin

 

[shaark92]

At risk of getting pooped ...

I'd find a good offline mechanic who is familiar with the TDI ... and loose the DPF if you're not in an emission's county. There is NOTHING wrong with these cars, just that some entity didn't want little diesels in the US market and bought the EPA. checkout the EPA's own NOX limits. from the diesel-electric locomotive to a 3/4 ton truck ... just about 1:1 reduction based upon GVW ... then, with a GVW less than a 3/4 ton pickup, the "allowable" NOX drops like a lead balloon. Hmm.

If your wife is only driving 10 miles and remaining below 35 mph ... I'll echo TurboABA ... she probably has the wrong car. I have over 250K miles on my 06. i'm the only owner. Original brake pads remain on the car. It is a highway machine. As I was told by sages here ... the engine needs to be boosted regularly. (>3K rpm in a strong acceleration) tooting around town is insufficient. it'll start burning oil and the turbocharger's VCT operation will foul without regular use.

It's not a street racer ... but it's not an EV either. get the engine to normal operating temp (10 miles is probably insufficient from a cold start) and then drive it like you stole it every now and again. As my paw paw used to say "blow the soot out of it" LOL.

good luck.

 

[TurboABA]

OMG.... you talked about his wife..... brace yourself !
(you know he's from Jersey and probably older than you too.... hopefully he figures out how to use quotes in a reply so you don't get a headache like I did trying to read a convo which I'm apparently having with myself based on post #6, where I make a bunch of statements and then snap on myself.... I must be bipolar or something)

Happy Hump Day!

 

[Gags730]

I hooked up a scanner and pulled only a P1A58 code.
again its a 2012 Jetta TDI 2.0L w/ emission update done in May 2019 is what I found on the VW site.


Error Code Info
P1A58/006744 - NOx catalytic converter: Regeneration required

The reason for this code is most likely due to the wife’s driving habits as her job is 2 minutes away and driving has decreased greatly since the pandemic. Very short trips with never enough time for a regen to happen. This behavior will change.

The Question is with this error code…..
Will Regen happen with this code… from everything I could find nothing says that it would inhibit a regen from happening but I really do not know. Not sure if the code means a regen needs to happen asap so basically drive the damn car so the regen can happen!

So the issue is this do I Clear the error code and then go for a drive so Regeneration Happens?… Or just leave error code so that regeneration happens?
Need to know so I can take her car and go for a long drive on the highway in Sports mode so a regen happens….

Extra Info
I also bought the Scanner specific for VW because I had to clear that Airbag Light. Happened when I disconnected the little light on the panel in front of the shifter below the AC and Heat control knobs. It Cleared the Airbag light so that is not an issue anymore. Scanner is pretty good I guess as it seems with the TDI hard to get a decent one and ya end up with VAGCOM. Picked up a TYhinkScan cost me $100

This Scanner also has 5 ‘Maintenance’ modes that will reset Oil,Brake,SAS,ETS & DPF.
I don't believe that forces a DPF but clears its so I don't think I should mess with that at all it seems I would use that if I had the DPF cleaned or serviced.