[Warning Light] DPF level low

[tmawer]

Hi everyone. I'm a new poster and appreciate your time and knowledge.

My 2012 Berlingo multispace is showing the DPF level low warning and warning filter might block. I can't get it to a garage until next week and my question is, can I use redex dpf cleaner in the fuel until then to get me by, or is that a foolish thing to do? Sorry if this has been asked before but I'm just trying to find my way around the forums at the moment.
Thanks.

[Sol]

Hi and welcome.

While the Redex DPF cleaner won't hurt, it won't turn off this message. You must have hit around the 100k mile mark, as the vehicle you have, has no way of measuring the DPF additive level in the pouch under the car, it estimates it based on mileage and fill-ups. So essentially this message is automated and has no real bearing on the actual level of oil ash in the DPF, or the true level of fluid in the pouch system.

I would do as you suggest, and then book it in to get the pouch replaced or refilled (they can be split and need replaced too) then the garage needs to have the software to reset the additive counter, which not everyone can do, this function needs Citroen Diagbox software and interface, or something high-end like Snap-On or Autel MK808 etc. A wee local mechanic will usually not have these and doing otherwise will not clear the fault.

Once everything is topped up, recoded and reset, then a regeneration can commence.

Eventually the DPF will also signal that it is end-of-life at this mileage, usually needing cleaned out, or replaced (cleaned out is fine) but still needs coded to tell the ECU it has been replaced, even if it was only cleaned. Same software requirement.

[tmawer]

Hi and welcome.

While the Redex DPF cleaner won't hurt, it won't turn off this message. You must have hit around the 100k mile mark, as the vehicle you have, has no way of measuring the DPF additive level in the pouch under the car, it estimates it based on mileage and fill-ups. So essentially this message is automated and has no real bearing on the actual level of oil ash in the DPF, or the true level of fluid in the pouch system.

I would do as you suggest, and then book it in to get the pouch replaced or refilled (they can be split and need replaced too) then the garage needs to have the software to reset the additive counter, which not everyone can do, this function needs Citroen Diagbox software and interface, or something high-end like Snap-On or Autel MK808 etc. A wee local mechanic will usually not have these and doing otherwise will not clear the fault.

Once everything is topped up, recoded and reset, then a regeneration can commence.

Eventually the DPF will also signal that it is end-of-life at this mileage, usually needing cleaned out, or replaced (cleaned out is fine) but still needs coded to tell the ECU it has been replaced, even if it was only cleaned. Same software requirement.

Thank you very much for your reply, and really interesting that it's essentially an automated message. It is booked in for next Tuesday so I will add the Redex and get the job done then. I seem to have been lucky enough to get to 104,000 miles before needing this. Hopefully it's not that low anyway!

[Sol]

Ah the likelihood is that the fluid will be low or gone. It should only last 100k on paper from a full pouch.

See what the garage find, the pouch is mounted in a cover under the car alongside it's pump, just ahead of the rear wheel on the drivers side. The pouches often split before they're used up. The same colour of neck fitting has to be used as that denotes the fluid type. It changed over the years and they aren't compatible.