AUDI A3 Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)
(Error Code 2458 Fixed)
In today’s world, everything is constantly changing and evolving. Every day something new has been invented or upgraded. Something that will tell us how to be better humans. To eat better, to feel better, to look after our world better.
But no one can stay on top of it all, all the time. The news gives you snippets, but it’s a limited view. So we, therefore, become reliant on big companies evolving their technology to keep up with the changes without us having to think about it.
And the Diesel Particulate Filter is one of those things.
It is there to protect us and the environment. But unless you work in the automotive industry you may never have heard of it, or know how crucial it is to your Audi’s performance.
This was the case with Mr Bailey when he brought his Audi A3 to us with a warning light on the dashboard and a drop in performance. Mr Bailey advised that the A3 had been running fine previously, maybe with a slight reduction in power but nothing that caused him concern. Until a couple of days later, the warning light appeared, and the engine power had dropped again.
Listening to the client, our specialist Audi technician had an idea of what was going on. But here at RepAyr My Car, we never leave anything to guesswork. We completed our 15 step evaluation process to pinpoint the problem and give the client a first-time fix, saving him time and money.
Accessing the serial data gave our technicians the error code:
- 2458 Diesel Particulate Filter
We had our starting point using the error code as a signpost and all the other information we had gathered from the visual inspection.
REPLACING AN AUDI A3 Diesel Particulate Filter
The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is a filter that was made standard within the diesel engine in 2009 and manages your vehicle’s emissions. The government sets emissions levels, and these change according to their environmental agenda. Therefore, vehicle companies constantly have to come up with new ways to reduce emissions whilst still giving clients performance.
The DPF is there to trap soot and ash from the exhaust system, making your car cleaner and a bit more environmentally friendly. The DPF has a clever feature that it will perform DPF regeneration, which is when the filter will self-clean itself, prolonging the life of your DPF.
Regeneration comes in two forms, passive and active. Passive happens as the car is driven at high speed, and therefore the temperature within the exhaust system burns off the soot build up on the filter. And by high speed, we mean around 60-70mph for extended periods. So unless you are a daily motorway user, passive won’t often kick in for your Audi.
Active regeneration is when sensors within the system recognise that the filter has a build-up of approximately 45%, and it will then cause the exhaust system to heat up to burn off the soot.
Clever.
But what happens when the data feed from the sensors goes wrong? Or, when the DPF system doesn’t work correctly?
Not only will you lose the performance of your Audi, you also run the risk of a failed MOT because of the emission standards. A real headache.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDI
Using our evaluation process and the help of the error code, we knew we needed to check the DPF and all the associated sensors. Our expert Audi technicians checked over the vehicle service history to know the entire history of what had and hadn’t been completed on the A3. Luckily, Mr Bailey had been meticulous with servicing his Audi, and he had a full-service history along with all associated paperwork.
With nothing out of place on the service history, we went straight to the filter to check for obvious problems. The filter wasn’t blocked or damaged, so we checked the heat up process within the exhaust system, which drives the regeneration process.
The temperature sensor within the exhaust system wasn’t working, so it wasn’t triggering either of the regeneration processes — a problem which our team have experienced before and therefore we knew where to start.
Our Audi technician replaced the exhaust temperature sensor and the oil and oil filter, making sure the system was as clean as possible. Now, using our on-site testing equipment, we confirmed that the heat up process was working again.
We re-ran serial data and sensor tests, confirming that the Audi A3 was back in fighting condition. With the car returned to the client within 24 hours, Mr Bailey was a happy man.
Here at RepAyr My Car, we can check your DPF to make sure you are on top of your vehicle emissions and you don’t end up with any nasty surprises at your next MOT.
If you are unsure if your DPF has been changed or are just noticing a lack of power from your Audi, let us care for your car – as it deserves.
Contact us today on 01292 739894, and one of our team will be happy to help.
Call Now 01292 739894Save on Audi Servicing