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2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Michael B

Good afternoon folks.

I've owned this car for a year and a bit. Bought privately, so no comeback. It has shown the fully blocked symbol several times since it was purchased and I have had the following done.

1. Forced regeneration by Honda main dealer. Error cleared for a few months.

2. Cleaned by chemical spray and a 'Hydrogen clean' performed by a local independent. Error cleared for a few weeks.

3. DPF removed, washed in a 'state of the art DPF cleaning machine the new DCS-20' Error not cleared, still in limp mode. A large non dealer garage.

4. DPF filter and sensor replaced with new by my local Honda Main Dealer. £3000 spent with them, STILL IN LIMP MODE! (Also they broke a glow plug while trying to do a compression test and left it broken.)

In all cases no one has found an error code. Honda did say one of the injectors was 'imbalanced'. I can only guess they meant partially blocked.

I have since removed the pipe that the soot sensor uses and it seems unblocked. I can put a wire inside it all the way to the DPF and it comes out almost clean. I squirted a load of EGR cleaner down it to make sure anyway. Terminals and wiring on the sensor look OK. What's left? If I can't get this light off and out of limp mode it won't pass it's next MOT so will become scrap. Otherwise this is a great car, clean, undamaged, economical. Can anyone advise what else I can look at?

Thanks.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - elekie&a/c doctor
I can’t believe you have spent all that money on a no fix . There must be some fault codes logged if the system is in limp mode . On some cars it’s important that the glow plugs work to facilitate dpf regen . You state one is broken ,not a good sign .
2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - S40 Man

I don't know the specifics of the Honda, but I used to have a Volvo S40 diesel. That kept having a dpf fault but in every case it was the dpf pressure sensor that was faulty rather than dpf filter itself.

This car measured the pressure either side of the dpf. If it was too high by implication the filter is blocked. If the sensor isn't functioning properly the car will think ah sensor blocked when this isn't actually true. You will get diagnostic codes to this effect too.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Railroad.

Are you sure you're not barking up the wrong tree, and that it actually is in limp mode rather than something causing a performance issue? Limp mode itself isn't a fault. It's a protection against engine damage which could occur if something isn't right. Could it be a fault with the turbo waste gate causing overboost which is triggering limp mode? Or is the engine starved of air?

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Bolt

Are you sure you're not barking up the wrong tree, and that it actually is in limp mode rather than something causing a performance issue? Limp mode itself isn't a fault. It's a protection against engine damage which could occur if something isn't right. Could it be a fault with the turbo waste gate causing overboost which is triggering limp mode? Or is the engine starved of air?

I don`t think the 2.2 has a turbo, the 1.6 from 2015 was the first turbo used on the diesel, but it has been known from what im told the sensor pipes get blocked, and it wasnt mentioned if they were replaced with the sensor, which apparently they are the first thing to block so a Honda tech told me

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - skidpan

I don`t think the 2.2 has a turbo,

The 2.2 diesel used in the CRV, Civic, Accord etc all had turbo's, to tell you the truth I cannot think of a decent sized diesel with any performance that did not have a turbo fitted.

Drove a Civic with this engine and you could hear the turbo whistling a bit.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Bolt

I don`t think the 2.2 has a turbo,

The 2.2 diesel used in the CRV, Civic, Accord etc all had turbo's, to tell you the truth I cannot think of a decent sized diesel with any performance that did not have a turbo fitted.

Drove a Civic with this engine and you could hear the turbo whistling a bit.

I have no idea why I thought that, but did own one for 2 years and it went really well but never heard the turbo at anytime, imo a good car as is the CRV but had been told the pipes to sensor get blocked and cause these problems apart from sensor failure..

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - SLO76
Definitely has a turbo. I can’t offer any help with the fault but it’s more evidence that buying an older DPF equipped diesel is a false economy, even a Honda. I’d get shot of it.
2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Rerepo

Can you not look at live data coming off the sensors etc rather than just fault codes.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Railroad.

Can you not look at live data coming off the sensors etc rather than just fault codes.

The most sensible way to do it. But very sadly way beyond the capability of many garage technicians and DIY mechanics who instead take the presence or absence of fault codes as the ultimate measure of whether or not a fault actually exists.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Michael B

ITS FIXED!

I blew out the pipe between the DPF and the sensor with air and the error just went away. So much money wasted. As for the glow plug its getting repaired by a specialist and the bill will go back to Honda via a solicitor.

Thanks for all your input, I've learnt a lot.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - Railroad.

Glad you've fixed it. Glow plugs breaking during removal is not at all uncommon on modern diesel engines. There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how and why it happens, and how to use specialist tools to extract them. Don't be too surprised if the dealer refuses to meet the cost of this.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - focussed

If you can get to the glow plugs when the engine is idling, a good way to free them off is to let the engine get hot at idle and unscrew the plugs a little, then retighten gently while the engine is running, repeat a few times per plug to free the carbon from around the plug. Get an assistant to rev the motor a little while you are doing this, the combustion pressure shock and hot engine help a lot to free them off.

Never-Seez on the new plugs when replacing them will ensure they will come out next time.

2013 Honda CRV, 2.2 iDTEC, manual. 93k.. - New DPF fitted by Honda but still in limp mode. - madf

If you can get to the glow plugs when the engine is idling, a good way to free them off is to let the engine get hot at idle and unscrew the plugs a little, then retighten gently while the engine is running, repeat a few times per plug to free the carbon from around the plug. Get an assistant to rev the motor a little while you are doing this, the combustion pressure shock and hot engine help a lot to free them off.

Never-Seez on the new plugs when replacing them will ensure they will come out next time.

Thanks for the tip. I will recall it if I am in need of it.