Getting dealt a choker
I wonder if you can explain this. We have a FIAT Multipla 1.9 JTD Eleganza, 58 Reg, 15,000 miles on the clock. Last Thursday while my wife was driving, the EOBD Injection Warning Light came on amber and didn't go out. My wife phoned our dealer, Desira of Southgate, and they said she should bring the car in, which she did.
On Friday they called to say it was a DPF problem that they'd sort out on Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday). They started to talk about costs but my wife forcefully pointed out the age of the car and the warranty. Nonetheless, I spent an anxious weekend worrying about the possible price of a DPF replacement - having found references on FIAT web forums to it costing anything up to £2,500.
Yesterday, we were told that they had "fixed it" - and that it should cost £150, but would we mind paying a token £30. We agreed and my wife collected the car today. The invoice states: “Investigate into EOBD injector warning light on. c/o dpf filter regeneration and software update and vehicle all ok.” They charged as promised £25 plus VAT. Any idea what this all means? Have I got away with a warning to look after the DPF better?
On Friday they called to say it was a DPF problem that they'd sort out on Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday). They started to talk about costs but my wife forcefully pointed out the age of the car and the warranty. Nonetheless, I spent an anxious weekend worrying about the possible price of a DPF replacement - having found references on FIAT web forums to it costing anything up to £2,500.
Yesterday, we were told that they had "fixed it" - and that it should cost £150, but would we mind paying a token £30. We agreed and my wife collected the car today. The invoice states: “Investigate into EOBD injector warning light on. c/o dpf filter regeneration and software update and vehicle all ok.” They charged as promised £25 plus VAT. Any idea what this all means? Have I got away with a warning to look after the DPF better?
Asked on 29 August 2011 by BG, via email
Answered by
Honest John
What has happened is that they have managed to regenerate the DPF and they have reprogrammed the software to help it to regenerate itself. You may find the car uses a bit more fuel. But if the car is used for repeated short runs from cold the problem will happen again. What a DPF does is gather all the black smuts of unburned hydrocarbons that would otherwise be emitted when starting a diesel engine from cold. It then combusts them later in the car's journey. But it needs to get extremely hot to do that and if there is no 'later' in the car's journey it cannot. So avoid more than two short runs from cold in a row. Try to balance short runs with longer runs. And if the light comes on again, take the car for an extended run of 50 miles or so, trying to keep the engine speed above 2,000rpm.
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