Recently Got a DPF Check Engine on my 2013 GLK250 - 130,000km..

Error Details attached on my scanner.
Is it time to replace the DPF or even DPF Delete is a better option?
Please advise
Thank you

 

I have a new friend it appears. Here's my history. Bought 2015 GLK 250 with 61K on the clock. I have records from original owner. DPF was replaced at 37K under warranty. I just rolled over 80K and got the same code as you about 500 miles ago. I had my local technician force a regeneration and run diagnostics. Everything was fine for a few days and now the light is back on. This is my daughter's car and I haven't had an opportunity to read the new code but I suspect it's the same.

I had done extensive research before he forced the regeneration and had hopes it would be good to go for awhile. I now believe I either have to have it cleaned or replaced. Cleaning can be done for about $500 plus removal and replacement. A new DPF is around $13-1500 plus a core deposit.

What shall we do my friend?

 

Gents, I'm pretty certain in both cases your DPFs are technically and physically fine; it's likely a sensor issue, as there are a myriad of them in the exhaust system. Folks have replaced the DPF pressure sensors, some have replace temp sensors, others have replaced NOx sensors (and some have done all 3), with varying degrees of success.

As I advised before, it would be a good idea to run some DPF cleaning fuel additives before parting with sizable cash for new parts. I don't think a DPF cleaning like the big rigs get is necessary, since the problem(s) are always coming to light due to sensors being unhappy. Dealership tend to throw parts at cars in hopes of fixing the problem, and the Bluetec exhaust issues are not the clearest when it comes to diagnostics. I'm sure many folks have had their DPF replaced prematurely (on MBs dime even) when it was a sensor or some other part that failed.

My personal choice would be to spend $675 and get a software tune that solves the problem permanently, instead of constantly chasing my tail with various sensors.

 

Tell me more about the software tune. What am I gaining and or risking. My technician felt that the sensors were working correctly but I'm not sure if he was positive. I'm all ears and eager to learn.

Thanks!

 

The sensor(s) work correctly, until one or more doesn't. Then it throws codes that send you down the rabbit hole. A proper software tune retrains your ECU to use different values for many settings, including EGR duty cycles, fuel injection pressures, turbo boost pressure, DPF pressure thresholds before running a regen, timing advance and probably other settings. In short, it transforms your OM651 into what it should have been like from the factory.

I should preface this by saying: I've mostly owned turbodiesels in my time and all but one has been tuned. I've never had an issue related to the software and I've used different companies over the years. As long as they're reputable (not fly-by-night eBay deals) you'll be fine. As always, you are (or become) your own warranty when you tinker with things.

The risks: factory warranty if you still have any. Then there is always the risk of something breaking with higher power and torque output, but chances are if you haven't had a driveline related issue to date, the software will not overtax your mechanicals. If you have a healthy engine, the software will just make it run better. If you have issues here and there, the tune may highlight those faults. In short, I've done it and haven't looked back. No CELs, no DPF issues, plenty of power and slightly better fuel economy. What's not to like?

 

All that sounds encouraging for sure. I'm not looking for any performance upgrades but just want the emissions system to work effectively. The drivetrain is solid otherwise and fuel mileage is excellent. By the way this is my daughter's car and the warranty has expired as I'm at 80K. What vendor do you recommend if I choose to investigate further?

Thanks again!

 

Here is my 5 finding so far

Called Local Diesel Mechanics ( GTA - Ontario Canada). Few of them offer DPF delete for $1000 and it includes Tuning. Not sure what is the downside to that.
Hope it helps

 

I would recommend OETuning, they are on this forum as well and they run specials often (especially for MBWorld forum members). The software can be flashed to your car in your own garage,and you can always switch back to stock if desired. They have several options available, so I would ask them which one is the best for your scenario. I have their Stage 1, which runs beautifully in our otherwise stock GLK (See here). They are quick to answer emails and I wouldn't hesitate to use their services in the future.

The best part is that you don't have to hack off any hardware; the software does what you need it to do. I don't recommend the full delete option as some have done, simply because this is unnecessary and because you don't get money back for those parts. Instead, you're losing valuable parts that can be resold.

 

I went to the site you linked in the message. I don't see any other information other than horsepower and torque modifications. As I said previously I'm only looking for an emissions improvement and am totally happy with the performance of the engine. Can you speak on that or should I just ask them for details. I also would like to know what other functionality I get with this hard/software? What happens when I go to my private technician and he connects with Mercedes software? Are their any concerns there?

 

I would definitely ask the crew there about the emissions details. They can provide much more info than what’s on the site. Nothing abnormal happens with the new software, you can still use scan tool to check ECU values as before. The best way I can describe it is that, along with small increases in power and efficiency, the emissions system will be basically told to relax and not be so uptight.

It results in a much cleaner burn, thus a much cleaner exhaust product without any EGR or big sooty particles. Your DPF should breathe easier and the finicky sensors will be happy.

 

Sounds great..... (unless you are in California....).

I also had our 2013 DPF replaced under warranty. They had to order the part from Germany; took a week and a half. I got a loaner with unlimited miles, and were had planned on a 1000 mile roadtrip when this happened. Thanks to MB for a free car and 1,000 miles.

That said, does anyone know what the regen cycle or other 'conditions' are that will make the engine do the regen? I have to assume that a combination of my wife mainly doing stop and go driving didn't give it a chance to regen, which lead to the warranty replacement. I don't want that to happen again, so would love to know when, how, and how long a regen takes place (and whether I can find out when it has happened)? If the regen works based on pressure buildup, it seems odd that we'd get the 'below threashhold" warning. I would think that it would have gone through a regen (or two). If we get that error message anyway, then the regen process isn't very good.

Also, anyone know if the regen process in this engine is done via injecting fuel into the exhaust pipe, or injecting more fuel into the cylinders after the power stroke?

Thanks,

Gordon

 

It's likely the DPF wasn't the problem. Like I said in another post, dealerships are notorious for throwing parts at cars, especially a warranty claim. Most likely there were discrepancies between values across two or more sensors and the CEL comes on, along with a not-too-specific code (at least as far as where the offending part is). Many VW TDI went through the same issue of replacing DPFs and for the same reason: wonky sensors that were never happy. It's true in some cases the DPF actually was damaged, as in cracked, and the owner could see the evidence of that: sooty tailpipes or even rear bumpers.

Active regens typically happen around 600-700 miles on the default software, based on ash load in the DPF being above a certain specified value. You can monitor this if you have a decent OBD2 scan tool; I certainly do on my X3d, which usually calls for a regen around 22g of ash load in the DPF. During an active regen, extra fuel is injected during the exhaust phase to heat up the DPF to over 1200*F and burn off the accumulated ash. Soot and ash are normal byproducts of diesel combustion which includes lots of recirculated exhaust gases. If you only drive your commonrail diesel around town and never really get it up to temp on the open road, those active regens end up being interrupted when you shut the car off. Do this enough times and the result is that the DPF can't get through the cleaning cycle, which may damage it. There are passive regens that take place, but these are mostly undetectable unless you're always monitoring with a scan tool.

And note that the AdBlue liquid is not used for DPF regens. It's only used to further scrub the exhaust past the DPF, to strip the NOx molecules down to more harmless particles. But if the AdBlue system doesn't work properly, it will still show up as a CEL with emissions error codes. I've experienced a failed AdBlue heater tank, which prevents the entire system from running any kind of regen, and eventually the sensors tell the ECU to put the engine into "limp home" or reduced power mode. This has people thinking the DPF is clogged when in fact it's just the sensors being overly protective of the DPF (which, by the way, is one of the main priorities MB had to develop the 229.51 and 229.52 spec oils that they mandate for the Bluetecs. It's a low ash oil designed to protect the DPF first, then the engine.)

A software tune will make the engine run better, cleaner, more efficient and thereby making less exhaust soot/ash. The DPF will stay cleaner longer, the regens will likely be less often (I'm noticing them around 900 miles now instead of every 600-700), it should need less AdBlue refills and you'll be left wondering why didn't MB make the car like this to begin with.

 

More great information. I've messaged the tuner and am awaiting a reply today. I'm also researching cleaning the DPF. Being my daughter's car makes the decision complex to some degree. She drove nearly 20K without any issues with emissions. It's a tough decision at the moment.

 

I completely understand. These are personal decisions and I'm aware some judge them as illegal modifications that will tear a hole in the ozone and kill us all. I disagree but that's a topic for another day. We put on 100k+ miles of trouble-free motoring, including cross-country trips to 6 of the national parks over a 2-week period, all without a hiccup. But when the intank AdBlue heater went, I started having all kinds of issues. I didn't feel like paying $2k+ for the dealer to fix it, just to have it fail in another 2-3 years, so I opted to delete it instead. No problems since and it literally runs better than it ever had before.

 

Just to be clear I agree with the tuning concept 100%. I only disagree with the people that roll coal so to speak. I just want a reliable clean running engine. That'll satisfy all needs. My problem is not knowing the ash load in the DPF. Ideally I would clean the DPF and then tune it. Do you agree or disagree? By the way the car runs great presently and averages slightly over 30 mpg highway.

 

Rolling coal is for, ahem, rednecks. And it's a sign of bad tuning. That much smoke is just fuel wasted and high turbine temps that'll kill a turbo pretty soon, not to mention clog up your own exhaust.

The ash load can be displayed with the proper scan tool. For my X3d I use the BimmerLink app, which I can use to check and force regens whenever I want. I think Carly for MB may be able to display DPF info, but I can't say for certain. My BlueDriver app tells me the DPF ash load on the Merc but I don't keep it plugged in 24/7. It does a great job though for checking things; you just can't force regens with it. I think certain iCarSoft models can, and if your mechanic recently made it regen you should be more than fine. We're talking 20 grams of soot being the limit before a regen. That's a tiny amount. I wouldn't bother removing the DPF to clean it before tuning.

With a good tune, you'll have a reliable and efficient engine. As I've said before, run a few cans of that LiquiMoly DPF cleaner/protector. It honestly works wonders. Once you're tuned you won't have to look back. I average about 33 mpgs on roadtrips at a constant 77-80 mph set cruise. For a heavy 4x4 you can't beat that.

 

Thanks again for all your advice. I have spoken with OE Tunes and they said they could create a tune specific for my needs. If all I want is emissions tolerances relaxed then that is what they would provide. They seemed like solid people and I appreciate the reference. I'm planning a cleaning from a company that promised 95% efficiency afterward. I'll then log some miles on it and plan a tune install in the upcoming months. I believe with this approach we can achieve the desired results. I'll update as I have more to announce.

Thanks!

 

I'd be very interested in this; I'm not interested in deleting DPF or AdBlue, but certainly would be interested in it running better/more efficient/cleaner.

BTW, my P203D code went away. I had reset it serveral times and had it come right back. I've been in a very hot desert for the past four days (lows around 80, highs 100-110F, and I've put about 600 miles of highway driving on it. No idea why high heat would cause the code to go away, but no complaints. I'm now headed back, and hope it doesn't come back.

 

High heat (and therefore high air temps into engine and hotter exhaust temps) helps to clean the DPF during regens. It's the extremely high heat output that burns off accumulated ash/soot and blows it clear out of the DPF. That's also why a good and fast highway blast is good for the DPF and why a heavy right foot now and then is actually good for the engine overall.

Now that the CEL is off, I would use the LiquiMoly DPF protector fuel additive that gives your DPF an even better cleaning during regens (which use increased fuel injected post-combustion) and adds a layer of protection on the tiny passages throughout the DPF to keep ash/soot from sticking to it as much.

It's really worth the $10/can.

 

Hey guys I removed my DPF today to have it cleaned. I'll update pictures and findings as I know more. I have contacted OE Tuning to inquire regarding a refinement in the programming for the regeneration cycles. Their response was not encouraging at all. I don't need more power. All I want is better programming for the regeneration system. More details forthcoming.

 

I'd be curious how much ash/soot you're able to remove. Maybe there's a way you could weigh it out?

By the looks of it, I'd say manual cleaning is overkill. But the pics of the process are appreciated, for those that want to undertake this possibly themselves. I would also clean the sensor(s) that plug into the DPF.

There is a DPF cleaning kit that LiquiMoly makes, including a spray wand and concentrate solution. It can be done by the DIYer at home.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

The company doing the work promises to provide all that information to me including pictures. I'll make sure to share the information as I receive it. I'm now considering purchasing a scan tool that will allow me to force a regeneration cycle. I really believe several cycles may have done the job. What was disappointing was my mechanic did a manual regen and everything was in spec afterward. 150 miles later the light was back on with the same code. I'm anxious to know more.

 

Hey guys here's a couple short videos of the cleaning process.

 

Here's the final results. The attached pictures show results before and after. Hand written values are from a MB scanner and the other information is from another scanner. Both indicated a massive improvement. Time will tell.

 

A good result, but I maintain it wasn’t necessary. Good on you for doing it anyway, and for posting results.

Why not necessary? The ash mass limit before a DPF is “clogged” is around 150g, give or take. Yours had 13g, now down to under a gram. More than 90% unclogged basically.

Also the pressure difference went from 9hPa to 5-6hPa, which amounts to hundredths of a PSI, or almost immeasurable.

Again, I commend you for doing it and posting the results, but your DPF would’ve been fine for many tens of thousands of miles. The errors were (and may yet be) the result of unhappy sensors, not a flow or clogging issue.