Ford C-MAX - DPF (or not) Woes 1.6 TDCI Ford C-Max

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Tue 24 Feb 2015 19:35
Ford C-MAX - DPF (or not) Woes 1.6 TDCI Ford C-Max - m4sher

Hi.

Wonder if someone can help, i know there are loads of threads on here about DPF issues , but alas my one is a strange one.

Car is a 55 Plate Diesel C-Max, last year we my wife was using the car for work, which was very short journeys, the Engine Systems light came on, and a Blocked DPF was diagnosed, this was rectified by a mechanic plugging a computer on the car and revving it for a number of minutes, anycase a few weeks went by and i started using the car to give it a run out and doing 60 mile round trips on the motorway, and it blocked again. This time couldnt be cleared by the computer, so we bought a patent part DPF with fitting costing £300.

Now about 5-6 months has passed, and i have been using the car for work, with my wife using it maybe twice a week, and the engine light has come on, we have got it diagnosed again and it has come up with a blocked DPF again, we have done at the most 4000 miles since the DPF was replaced, and more than likely 3800 of them miles has been motorway miles. Would a DPF block up so soon after say only 6 months? it seems really strange to me. They have tried plugging the computer in again and revving it again for 10 mins, but still not cleared the fauit.

Car has done 88k , surely i dont need another DPF ? But it appears that what the computer is saying.

Thanks

Mark

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 24 Feb 2015 19:45
Ford C-MAX - DPF (or not) Woes 1.6 TDCI Ford C-Max - craig-pd130

I thought that 1.6TDCis of this generation needed Eolys fluid to help the DPF regenerate - maybe another poster can shed some light on this.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 24 Feb 2015 20:05
Ford C-MAX - DPF (or not) Woes 1.6 TDCI Ford C-Max - skidpan

We had a 55 plate 1.6 TDCi C-Max but it did not have a DPF. 110PS cars made from August/September 2005 onwards were fitted with DPF's in readyness for the change to Euro 4 on January 01 2006. Our car was made in July 2005, was Euro 3 and did not have a DPF.

The 90PS TDCi cars never had a DPF as far as I know.

When we swapped the C-Max we thought seriously about buying another, it was so good. But when I investigated I discovered the DPF required Eolys and Fords schedule was a top up every 37500 miles (about £300) and a replacement DPF every 75,000 miles (about £1000). We quickly walked away, made it a very expensive car to run. Many have said (probably quite correctly) that such frequent maintenance is not necessary providing you don't keep adding 10 litres at a time but there were other cars available without such drawbacks.

Having said that I would suspect that at your cars age it has probably run out of Eolys and if it has the DPF will have been damaged beyond repair. Suggest you find a diesel specialist that knows these Ford engines.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 25 Feb 2015 08:55
Ford C-MAX - DPF (or not) Woes 1.6 TDCI Ford C-Max - m4sher

Many thanks for your post, from what i remember when the DPF was replaced last year, i dont think the mechanic replaced any EOLYS fluid, do you know if that would of been a essential step when the DPF was replaced? He has his own machine that clips on the steering wheel that i would of thought could reset the ECU although i have never had a message on the dash to say the EOLYS needed topping up.

Thinking it may be easier to buy another DPF and flog the car on now and cut me losses :(

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 25 Feb 2015 09:17
Ford C-MAX - DPF (or not) Woes 1.6 TDCI Ford C-Max - skidpan

i dont think the mechanic replaced any EOLYS fluid, do you know if that would of been a essential step when the DPF was replaced

Essential if empty, sensible with a new DPF. If its never been toppped up it could well be empty. Without it the DPF will not be able to regenerate, become blocked and need replacing.

i have never had a message on the dash to say the EOLYS needed topping up.

I asked Ford this when we looked, could not see the point in topping up until it was required. Was told no warning light which is why it was a service requirement every 37,500 miles.

Thinking it may be easier to buy another DPF and flog the car on now and cut me losses :(

Get the car repaired by someone who knows what thy are doing and it should be fine. You appear to have been ripped off by a cowboy.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide