Polar FIS pf04 pros & cons

reason you purchased a Polar Fis unit


  • Total voters
    19
  • Poll closed .

pipesta

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Location
Chicago, IL
TDI
'14 JSW TDi 6MT
Finally got the car back after having the pano roof replaced. Here's my last 2 regens which have been like clockwork. Kerma stage 2 tuned...




 

crashtested

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Location
Nelson, BC
TDI
2016 Q5 TDI Technik, 2014 GSW CL 6MT (RIP), 2004 Jetta GLS 5MT (sold), 2010 GSW HL 6MT (buy back)
I think my Polar is whacked or my car is broken (no codes). I have seen the weirdest regen cycles and the DPF Km has gone all the way to 700km even though it has run through several rengens and brought !Soot m gr. down to 0.5. A lot of my travel is on the highway and I never seen any Soot m gr. increase even when running quick trips around town. This has been happening for the last 3k km or so.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
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2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Installed my polarFIS yesterday with the 0.3.0 beta firmware. I have the same 32* reading for my oil temp. I feel like it just isn't supported by our cars, hopefully I’m wrong.
So far nobody has got oil temp. readings. Thats too bad there is alot you can do with oil and water temp. delta readings

Finally got the car back after having the pano roof replaced. Here's my last 2 regens which have been like clockwork. Kerma stage 2 tuned...




2 regens, both @ 459 miles! What is your !soot @ around 200 miles? When did you tune? My normal mixed driving @ 200 miles below. My mixed driving soot @ only 5.0+- m gr, and !soot @ 24 m gr.


I dont understand two things about MY Kerma tune.
The first is MY active always @ 200 miles or less (other than the last one rare mostly freeway run @ 285 miles).


The second is I often hear Kerma stage 1, stage 1.5, stage 2. When directly asking Kerma about what tune stage I had I can almost see them go cross eyed, like I was talking Greek?? Was told we just do one. Am I missing something?

I think my Polar is whacked or my car is broken (no codes). I have seen the weirdest regen cycles and the DPF Km has gone all the way to 700km even though it has run through several rengens and brought !Soot m gr. down to 0.5. A lot of my travel is on the highway and I never seen any Soot m gr. increase even when running quick trips around town. This has been happening for the last 3k km or so.
My soot seems to be lessening as I run the miles up too. The last (passive regen) freeway run burnt back any around town soot during the freeway run back to zero and held it at that until active regen. I cant help but wonder if the tune is somehow "relearning" and running better thru time/miles... like older obdII?
 
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Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
So far nobody has got oil temp. readings. Thats too bad there is alot you can do with oil and water temp. delta readings
my 2015 Passat reads oil temps.

I will be driving from So Cal to Vegas tomorrow (Monday) around noon pacific time. What kind of readings are you curious about I can keep an eye on them and report back
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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Mar 3, 2014
Location
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TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
my 2015 Passat reads oil temps.

I will be driving from So Cal to Vegas tomorrow (Monday) around noon pacific time. What kind of readings are you curious about I can keep an eye on them and report back
Id be curious about the coolant to oil temperature deltas. That's the temperature difference between the two, preferably no more than 10*. Its a big thing used in the powerstroke community to read the condition of the oil and EGR cooler. Id be curious what oil temps the tdi does when and the deltas?
 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
@JELLOWSUBMARINE Here's your information.

I took these pics with the cruise control set at 75mph for continuity.

These first two pics are while climbing the Cajon Pass coming out of Rancho Cucamonga. The Cajon pass is a 13 mile climb at a maximum 6% grade.



You can see the oil temp got up to 237*F and coolant temp was just switching from 203*F to 204*F. That's why the last digit looks screwy. And the second pic is to show the load on the turbo @ 18 psi being produced.

Later, I took 2 pics on perfectly flat level ground, again with the cruise set at 75.




This time, oil temp was 210*F and the coolant temp was 192*F. And the load on the turbo was much lower @ 4.4 psi of boost.

There were times later in the trip where oil temp dropped to about 205*F as I was coasting down the backside of a mountain or as high as 240*F when I was doing 85 mph while climbing the next pass.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Thanks for the effort. Does do the JSW or Passat have any extra engine oil cooling such as water to oil or an external air to oil cooler? What were the ambient temps.? That oil is pretty hot, I believe 240* is boiling point territory? The Ford powerstroke guys get pretty excited at that oil temp., I wonder if a big v8 takes high temps differently? They cringe at any temp. deltas more than 10* or 225*ish oil

It seems strange the JSW wouldn't have oil temp reading ability, at least that's what has been confirmed so far. What is the last temp p.i.d. on your display?

Do you read soot m gr (actual soot output). For me I've found (!)soot m gr (VW assumed soot) only useful in telling me when to expect an upcoming active regen. The (!)soot seems to be the only one of the multiple triggers that actually activates the regen.
 
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Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
Thanks for the effort. Does do the JSW or Passat have any extra engine oil cooling such as water to oil or an external air to oil cooler? What were the ambient temps.? That oil is pretty hot, I believe 240* is boiling point territory? The Ford powerstroke guys get pretty excited at that oil temp., I wonder if a big v8 takes high temps differently? They cringe at any temp. deltas more than 10* or 225*ish oil
Yeah, well, they’re Ford guys. Sooooooo....

(calm down people, my last name is Ford. I’m allowed to talk sh*t)

On a serious note though, according to an article I found on Hotrod.com:

Hotrod.com said:
A quality conventional motor oil will tolerate oil sump temperatures of up to 250 degrees, but starts breaking down over 275 degrees. The traditional approach is to try to hold oil temperatures between 230 and 260 degrees. A full-synthetic oil will withstand sump temperatures in excess of 300 degrees, and for hard-core professional racing, some oval-track race teams are experimenting with ultra-thin, specially formulated, race-only synthetics operating at 350 degrees or even higher.
It seems strange the JSW wouldn't have oil temp reading ability, at least that's what has been confirmed so far.
Is this the case on all JSW’s? I ask because my 2013 and 2014 Passat’s were not able to read oil temp, but my 2015 is.

What is the last temp p.i.d. on your display?
I’m guess you are talking about the bottom reading in the first and third pics? I believe that is the fluid temperature reading coming out of the DSG clutch pack. It does fluctuate a little bit in stop and go driving and when I accelerate from a stop.

Do you read soot m gr (actual soot output). For me I've found (!)soot m gr (VW assumed soot) only useful in telling me when to expect an upcoming active regen. The (!)soot seems to be the only one of the multiple triggers that actually activates the regen.
No, you can see in the 2nd and 4th pics, parameter 4 is !soot. I prefer that reading as it counts up and once it hits 23.5, I know a regen will be starting soon. If I watch the regular soot reading, it can start to drop on a long freeway drive and it is not consistent at all for tracking regen.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Yeah, well, they’re Ford guys. Sooooooo....

(calm down people, my last name is Ford. I’m allowed to talk ****)
That's funny, they didn't screen me out either?? I've owned more Fords than VW s... Ooops. ..

Is this the case on all JSW’s? I ask because my 2013 and 2014 Passat’s were not able to read oil temp, but my 2015 is.
Mk6, I would ass u me that's the case


No, you can see in the 2nd and 4th pics, parameter 4 is !soot. I prefer that reading as it counts up and once it hits 23.5, I know a regen will be starting soon. If I watch the regular soot reading, it can start to drop on a long freeway drive and it is not consistent at all for tracking regen.
That's an interesting use. Id been using the 0.0 to 7.0 then back to 0,0, because I watch how long the regen last. Ill be checking into compulsive disorder school tomorrow.

 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
That's an interesting use. Id been using the 0.0 to 7.0 then back to 0,0, because I watch how long the regen last. Ill be checking into compulsive disorder school tomorrow.
When monitoring the !soot reading, (on my car anyways) when the reading hits 23.5mg, it will start preparing to initiate the regen. If you have exhaust temps on the same screen like I do, you can see the exhaust temperatures start to ramp up. And the regen will be complete by the time it hits 5.6mg.

Where as, when I watch the regular soot reading, it will climb to about 13mg before it starts the regen and I've seen it bottom out at -15mg. I dont know how its possible to have a negative weight reading, But I've got photographic proof
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Thats whats weird. my !soot regens when hitting 24 like everyone so far reports and the !soot seems to always be the trigger out of the 4 or 5 set triggers. BUT instead of 400ish miles and around 13 mg like you, mine triggers @ 5.0+- soot mg, and 200 miles (except once on freeway shown above @ 300). On that trip the !soot actually rolled backwards occasionally, which Ive heard doesnt happen.?
 

Wilkins

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2005
Location
British Columbia
TDI
05 Jetta Wagon 5sp, 10 Sportwagen 6MT
I think my Polar is whacked or my car is broken (no codes). I have seen the weirdest regen cycles and the DPF Km has gone all the way to 700km even though it has run through several rengens and brought !Soot m gr. down to 0.5. A lot of my travel is on the highway and I never seen any Soot m gr. increase even when running quick trips around town. This has been happening for the last 3k km or so.
Do you think this might be related to ambient temperature? I've noted similar behavior and it seems to me it only occurs when the ambient is below some number which might be 5 or 10 C. I ran 730+ km without an active regen a few weeks ago, on the highway with ambient below 0 C. I'm pretty sure one of the Soot mgr's ranged between 0 and 5 the entire time, I barely took the car out of 6th for 500 km, cruising 90ish, roads a bit sketchy at times.
CARB has a temperature limit below which they don't test and I have long suspected that the engine behavior is different when the ambient temperature is different than the range in which testing occurs. If you have watched Felix Domke's VERY interesting presentations on the subject you might remember he noticed a number of smoking guns in several manufacturers emissions software related to off test cycle operation. I'm not sure they were all 'fixed'.
 

crashtested

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Location
Nelson, BC
TDI
2016 Q5 TDI Technik, 2014 GSW CL 6MT (RIP), 2004 Jetta GLS 5MT (sold), 2010 GSW HL 6MT (buy back)
Dealer bricked my BT, Telephone and MF Steering wheel modules trying to code a new RCD510. So I pulled the Polar and got everything back on track with my VCDS. I took the opportunity to update the latest FW, plugged it back in and now I have a reading for soot & !soot again. Have to take it out on the road to see what happens.

Still no reading for Oil Temp boooooooooo

Do you think this might be related to ambient temperature? I've noted similar behavior and it seems to me it only occurs when the ambient is below some number which might be 5 or 10 C. I ran 730+ km without an active regen a few weeks ago, on the highway with ambient below 0 C. I'm pretty sure one of the Soot mgr's ranged between 0 and 5 the entire time, I barely took the car out of 6th for 500 km, cruising 90ish, roads a bit sketchy at times.
CARB has a temperature limit below which they don't test and I have long suspected that the engine behavior is different when the ambient temperature is different than the range in which testing occurs. If you have watched Felix Domke's VERY interesting presentations on the subject you might remember he noticed a number of smoking guns in several manufacturers emissions software related to off test cycle operation. I'm not sure they were all 'fixed'.
 

pipesta

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Location
Chicago, IL
TDI
'14 JSW TDi 6MT
So far nobody has got oil temp. readings. Thats too bad there is alot you can do with oil and water temp. delta readings



2 regens, both @ 459 miles! What is your !soot @ around 200 miles? When did you tune? My normal mixed driving @ 200 miles below. My mixed driving soot @ only 5.0+- m gr, and !soot @ 24 m gr.


I dont understand two things about MY Kerma tune.
The first is MY active always @ 200 miles or less (other than the last one rare mostly freeway run @ 285 miles).


The second is I often hear Kerma stage 1, stage 1.5, stage 2. When directly asking Kerma about what tune stage I had I can almost see them go cross eyed, like I was talking Greek?? Was told we just do one. Am I missing something?



My soot seems to be lessening as I run the miles up too. The last (passive regen) freeway run burnt back any around town soot during the freeway run back to zero and held it at that until active regen. I cant help but wonder if the tune is somehow "relearning" and running better thru time/miles... like older obdII?
Snapped this for you today. Here's my !soot just under 200mi. My last regen was triggered at 459 miles again even though my !soot was way below the 25 m gr. I drive mostly highway as well. Not sure the difference between our 2 cars, though yours seems to regen more than it should for a tuned car.

 

Speedmaster_102

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2020
Location
Southwestern Ontario, Canada
TDI
2014 Golf Sportwagen TDI
I will likely be ordering the Polar FIS over the holiday break for my KESSEY JSW mainly bc I want to know when the regen will happen. I interrupted the last 2 regens and Im not too pleased about it.

Just wondering if you guys unplug your Polar FIS before you take it to the dealer?
 

pipesta

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Location
Chicago, IL
TDI
'14 JSW TDi 6MT
I will likely be ordering the Polar FIS over the holiday break for my KESSEY JSW mainly bc I want to know when the regen will happen. I interrupted the last 2 regens and Im not too pleased about it.

Just wondering if you guys unplug your Polar FIS before you take it to the dealer?
You won't regret the purchase. Mine was at the dealer for the dreaded pano roof leak and they didn't say boo about it. I don't think it would be an issue. Seems like a decent amount of work to pull out when you have to head to the dealer for service.
 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
I will likely be ordering the Polar FIS over the holiday break for my KESSEY JSW mainly bc I want to know when the regen will happen. I interrupted the last 2 regens and Im not too pleased about it.

Just wondering if you guys unplug your Polar FIS before you take it to the dealer?
I have already referred 3 other TDI owners to the PolarFIS module and all of them love it. I am sure you will too.

As far as your question, I do not. I will either switch screens (to the regular data screen) or switch it off using the autopolar function. Because the dealer scan tool will not be able to connect with the computers if the autopolar is active and on the screen. I have verified this with my VCDS.
 

wegnerR-VW

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2019
Location
Bristol, Quebec
TDI
2013 Golf Sportwagen
I installed a Polar FIS in my 2013 VW Golf TDI Sportwagen in January and am having fun watching the different parameters. I have not gone through a regen yet since the install so looking forward to when that actually happens. As already noted in previous threads the Oil Temp reading does not seem to function on the MKVI. I also seem to have no reading on the Intake temperature which stays at 13.5° C at all times. Just wondering if anyone else is monitoring Intake temperature.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
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Location
yes
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2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Snapped this for you today. Here's my !soot just under 200mi. My last regen was triggered at 459 miles again even though my !soot was way below the 25 m gr.
though yours seems to regen more than it should for a tuned car.


You won't regret the purchase. Mine was at the dealer for the dreaded pano roof leak and they didn't say boo about it. I don't think it would be an issue. Seems like a decent amount of work to pull out when you have to head to the dealer for service.
Where was your !soot level at? My miles between regens have been going up. I've only read off 4 or 5 items that when hit that will trigger the active regen, I have to think the computer factors in a relearn process of sorts also.

No need to pull, you just turn off at the menu page. Real ez and concealed. As far as issues with warrentee my dealer says it just reads, not modifies so no issue. Although you will want to turn off pre visit because it will interfere with VCDS.

Just wondering if you guys unplug your Polar FIS before you take it to the dealer?
Unplug no. Turn off Yes. Just go in the menu and turn off.

. Seems like a decent amount of work to pull out when you have to head to the dealer for service.
Even if you wanted to hide its addition its very concealed with no other trace when turned off. I've had mine off temparily due to a biannual smog check (only so it wouldn't conflict OBD readings when they plug in). It passed with flying colors. Plus a Karma non delete BTW. . ;)

. As already noted in previous threads the Oil Temp reading does not seem to function on the MKVI. I also seem to have no reading on the Intake temperature which stays at 13.5° C at all times. Just wondering if anyone else is monitoring Intake temperature.
I don't think the mkVI. supports oil temp readings. Polar supposedly focused on fixing this with the last update. No bueno. I do have intake temps tho
 
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JD_2012GolfTDI

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2019
Location
CA
TDI
2012 Golf Kerma tuned
I also seem to have no reading on the Intake temperature which stays at 13.5° C at all times. Just wondering if anyone else is monitoring Intake temperature.
For Intake Temp. try switching it from reading Engine to Diagnostic. Screens>Visualizations>Advanced>View Options>Diagnostic instead of Engine.
 
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JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Are you mixing the !soot with the soot reading? I'm referring to your past post (#91). The 2 !soot pictures showing @ 23.7 right before regen. That seems to be everyone's active regen trigger. Although the miles between regens of each individual car (seem to me) may be "learned"(?) pre "fix" miles?

I know the dealer can read the permanent soot build up in the DPF somehow. Anyone shed any light on polar ability?


. My last regen was triggered at 459 miles again even though my !soot was way below the 25 m gr.
. Here's my last 2 regens which have been like clockwork. Kerma stage 2 tuned...


 
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Reddixiecup

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
Location
palm beach
TDI
2013 JSW TDI (uncut)
Got the polar FIS last fall, installed and LOVED IT. I no longer commute to work and have to watch my regens carefully as a result. This helped take the guessing game out

display started dropping out within about six weeks. I’ve pulled it and updated the firmware four times since then and every single time, I have more errors, fault codes and “symptoms” (horn/locking constantly, radio working intermittently) pulling it this morning to send it back for repair and hopefully when it’s out the issues will resolve. It’s a great product but I’m hearing more than a few have issues and have to be sent to Spain to be repaired, which is a pain. Just a heads up to others.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Got the polar FIS last fall, installed and LOVED IT. I no longer commute to work and have to watch my regens carefully as a result. This helped take the guessing game out

display started dropping out within about six weeks. I’ve pulled it and updated the firmware four times since then and every single time, I have more errors, fault codes and “symptoms” (horn/locking constantly, radio working intermittently) pulling it this morning to send it back for repair and hopefully when it’s out the issues will resolve. It’s a great product but I’m hearing more than a few have issues and have to be sent to Spain to be repaired, which is a pain. Just a heads up to others.
How did it react after updates? Any idea what triggered any of your issues? I am presently not able to reactivate the Polar after shutting it off to have the bi annual smog check. I also added a new Kenwood with Maestro idatalink that also ties into the OBD11. I'm guessing that is an issue? I hold the o.k. button down for 20 seconds and it comes up to the pictured page below but when trying to add new p.i.d.'s it locks on the next picture.




 

Reddixiecup

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
Location
palm beach
TDI
2013 JSW TDI (uncut)
It seemed to falter more over time after I would reinstall the firmware and update it to factory settings . Like I could get it updated and set up with parameters and it works great but like a month or say 500 or so miles later, the display would not stay “up” i would navigate to the menu and it would switch back the the MFI and I’d change it back to the phone display with the polar parameters and in 8-10 seconds it would go back to the MFI. Eventually it stopped showing up all together. And as it started failing my stereo and door locks started going crazy. I can just assume there’s a fault in the hardware somewhere. I’ve seen other people with similar issues

I’m honestly hoping Kerma will just take it back
 
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