Diesel Particle Filter break down

Hi all, thought i'd share my recent experience with my 4 mouth old D40 and Nissan so called customer service.

Bought a new D40 TD auto in Feb. Ran it in as per instructions, got the first service done and with 3500K on the clock hooked up the camper trailer and went on a trip up to the Pilbara.

We offloaded the trailer at a little town past Karratha and went on a day trip. On the way back a little light came on on the the dash. I immediately pulled over and got out the manual to see what it was. The light was the Diesel Particle Filter (DPF) warning light. The manual said to keep driving the car above 80kph and the filter will clean itself out (this was a concern considering i was doing 110kph at the time). Ok, no worries. So off we went again about 30 - 40 kms down the road the revs and torque dropped with out warning only allowing me to do 80kph.

After another stop and read of the manual I discovered the car computer had put the car into 'limp' mode because there was an issue with the 'DPF'. The manual said the car could still be driven and as i was only about 70km from the park we limped home.

I rang Nissan who arranged for the car to be towed to Karratha which is 59 kms South of where we were staying. Again, no worries. As long as it gets fixed.

6 days later i get a call from the repairer saying the car was ready to be picked up. He went on to say that all he need to do was a 'forced burn' on the filter to clear it out and it was fixed (plus oil and filter change). All up 1.5 hrs and the cost is $336.50. I asked him about warranty and he said he had been in touch with Nissan Warranty and they said it was a 'service' issue and not covered.

I immediately rang Nissan (don't)Care to be told the same thing and it was not covered. I explained to them that the car was 4 months old and had only done 6000kms and they said it didn't mater and i was responsible for the cost because it was a service issue and 'probably due to tainted fuel in the north. Naturally, i blew my top i told them i was disappointed.

No where have i been able to find when the DPF gets serviced. I told Nissan Car that i drove the car as per the manuals instructions and it still died so the car didn't do as it was supposed to so there was an issue. This fell on deaf ears and all i got was a NO!

Has anyone else faced any issues with this DPF thingy? Apparently, it is only on auto's. And does anyone have any advice about where i go next with this issue. I'm not prepared to let it go.

FYI, once i got the car back we traveled another 3500kms with and trouble of any sort.

heard of a fair few on the UK site but thats mostly due to putting around town all the time.

i would check what oil they used. if its non-dpf friendly it will simply block up again permantly.

otherwise its proberly a case of crap fuel causeing excess soot which the DPF couldn't regen.

tweak'e said:

heard of a fair few on the UK site but thats mostly due to putting around town all the time.

i would check what oil they used. if its non-dpf friendly it will simply block up again permantly.

otherwise its proberly a case of crap fuel causeing excess soot which the DPF couldn't regen.

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They used the Nissan spec oil costing $120+

I would accept the crap fuel cause if i wasn't the second vehicle that had ever had a DPF problem in the Pilbara. Considering there are 100's of the 09 (2008) D40's on mine sites in the Pilbara region i find it hard to believe that it was just bad luck that it happened to me.

Nissan weren't able to definitively give me a cause and that i have an issue with. What's to say this isn't going to happen every 600kms i do????

tweak'e said:

heard of a fair few on the UK site but thats mostly due to putting around town all the time.

i would check what oil they used. if its non-dpf friendly it will simply block up again permantly.

otherwise its proberly a case of crap fuel causeing excess soot which the DPF couldn't regen.

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Thats a bit of a worry for me cos the vast majority of my K's are around town, are there any fuel treatments I should bung in now and then that might help? last thing I want is the bugger going into "limp" mode when I eventually drag myself out the town

justdrinkbeer said:

Thats a bit of a worry for me cos the vast majority of my K's are around town, are there any fuel treatments I should bung in now and then that might help? last thing I want is the bugger going into "limp" mode when I eventually drag myself out the town

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Unsure about fuel additives. Must research it myself. The mechanic said it generally happens with a lot of idling or driving short distances at low revs and speeds. I explained to him that i had just driven from the south of western australia completing about 1750 kms towing a 1.2t trailer at speeds of between 80 - 100kph and a rpm between 1700 - 3100.

He didn't have an answer nor did the Nissan rep.

Doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence either.

Merchant

I don't have any answers for you I am sorry. However, like you I do have an 09 (2008) D40 which I too purchased in Feb this year.

I have nothing nice to say about this damn DPF. When I installed the 3" exhaust the guys at D&T who fitted it just bagged it and suggested that apart from stealing some valuable horsepower the DPF has been known to cause numerous problems and start grass fires during summer!

Its illegal to remove I know, but once the warranty has ended I'd be tempted to remove it completely. Removal is difficult due to all the sensors but not impossible.

Regardless, like the rest of us, I am sorry to hear about your dramas with Nissan. Next time unbolt the bloody thing yourself (good luck with that) and throw some kero in it followed by a match! Would be cheaper than 300 odd dollars!

Bosshog

Bosshog said:

Merchant

I don't have any answers for you I am sorry. However, like you I do have an 09 (2008) D40 which I too purchased in Feb this year.

I have nothing nice to say about this damn DPF. When I installed the 3" exhaust the guys at D&T who fitted it just bagged it and suggested that apart from stealing some valuable horsepower the DPF has been known to cause numerous problems and start grass fires during summer!

Its illegal to remove I know, but once the warranty has ended I'd be tempted to remove it completely. Removal is difficult due to all the sensors but not impossible.

Regardless, like the rest of us, I am sorry to hear about your dramas with Nissan. Next time unbolt the bloody thing yourself (good luck with that) and throw some kero in it followed by a match! Would be cheaper than 300 odd dollars!

Bosshog

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Boss

I like your style.

I feel the same way. Once the warranty is up it's coming out. The sensors shouldn't be too much of an issue. Just find a friend with a computer to plug into the bloody thing and turn them off.

I'm led to believe that the DPF is one of the major causes of bad fuel economy. One thing i didn't mention was that once i picked the car up from the repairer the thing went like a rocket. It was like a different car. So you're right in saying that it impacts on the HP.

I was also told that there is no need to have a DPF in Australia. The car complies with our emission control standards with out it but Nissan had to fit it to comply with Euro standards and left it as standard.

I haven't given up on Nissan. I have faith!!

i think AU runs the same standards as euro. will hve to double check.

one think you could try is blocking or limiting the egr. got to be carefull they don't overboost or throw error codes. but if you can reduce egr it should reduce the amount of soot the engine makes which should reduce the clogging problem.

Replacement DPF Pipe

Merchant

Here's your solution... a replacement dump pipe for the DPF.

D40 NAVARA DPF FILTER REPLACEMENT PIPE - eBay Engine Modifications, Performance Parts, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 29-Jun-09 20:53:09 AEST)

Bosshog

Bosshog said:

Merchant

Here's your solution... a replacement dump pipe for the DPF.

D40 NAVARA DPF FILTER REPLACEMENT PIPE - eBay Engine Modifications, Performance Parts, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 29-Jun-09 20:53:09 AEST)

Bosshog

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Boss

Thanks for that. However, i am hesitant at making any modifications while the vehicle is still under warranty. But it's well worth thinking about.

I am in the same boat. Should I still have the ute in 3 years then I'll be getting this pipe fitted. I have saved the photos for future reference.

Bosshog said:

I am in the same boat. Should I still have the ute in 3 years then I'll be getting this pipe fitted. I have saved the photos for future reference.

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Good call. I'll do the same with the pictures.

My vehicle is on a lease and it'll probably be changed over in 3.5 years time. Unsure if it's all worth it???

Would love to know if the vehicle the pipe was fitted to produced more 'smoke' once the DPF was removed.

Hey guys,

Do the manual TD D40's suffer the same problem or is it just the auto's? I got my D40 new in feb this year also, but its a manual and so far no real issues...

My biggest problem was the air con run off pipe was not put back through the firewall and my passenger side footwell was soaking wet, quick fix at the dealer though.

If your in Brisbane then i recommend dealing with Wynnum Manly Nissan - Dillan (the manager) is a top bloke and has been nothing but helpful. I didnt get my D40 from them, but they have been doing all my servicing as they are easy to deal with.

Fuel wise Dillan actually recommended the new BP Diesel Ultimate to me as its Euro spec diesel - much cleaner and less crap in it for the new CRD engines. Cos diesel is known to have so much dirt and crap in it, one little bit of dirt could cause a large whole if it gets blown through the injectors at 30,000psi....which causes u to loose all ur power in an instant and is not apparently covered under warranty (dirty fuel is your problem, not Nissan's). The new diesel ultimate is much cleaner and reduces the risk of this...think Caltex have diesel vortex in some states also now, similar thing.

Merchant, keep us all updated with how u go with Nissan hey...best of luck with it!

Cheers,

only auto's have the DPF...for now.

the decent grade diesel is highly recommended. if your go bush a fair bit then a 2nd fuel filter would be recommended.

todd262 said:

Hey guys,

Do the manual TD D40's suffer the same problem or is it just the auto's? I got my D40 new in feb this year also, but its a manual and so far no real issues...

My biggest problem was the air con run off pipe was not put back through the firewall and my passenger side footwell was soaking wet, quick fix at the dealer though.

If your in Brisbane then i recommend dealing with Wynnum Manly Nissan - Dillan (the manager) is a top bloke and has been nothing but helpful. I didnt get my D40 from them, but they have been doing all my servicing as they are easy to deal with.

Fuel wise Dillan actually recommended the new BP Diesel Ultimate to me as its Euro spec diesel - much cleaner and less crap in it for the new CRD engines. Cos diesel is known to have so much dirt and crap in it, one little bit of dirt could cause a large whole if it gets blown through the injectors at 30,000psi....which causes u to loose all ur power in an instant and is not apparently covered under warranty (dirty fuel is your problem, not Nissan's). The new diesel ultimate is much cleaner and reduces the risk of this...think Caltex have diesel vortex in some states also now, similar thing.

Merchant, keep us all updated with how u go with Nissan hey...best of luck with it!

Cheers,

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Todd

I'm led to believe the manuals don't have a DPF. Only the auto's.

As for the diesel, i was using what ever i could get my hands on up in the north of WA. If the problem i had was caused by tainted fuel then so be it. I'll cop it sweet. But there is no evidence to such that. The facts are 1) the car broke down 2) it was caused by the DPF 3) Nissan have been unable to give me a cause on why a 4 month old vehicle with 6000K on the clock broke down and 4) they have no idea why but still won't cover it.

The only comfort i have is that after i picked the vehicle up from the repairer i drove another 2500K on corrugated gravel without one drama and still filling up with Pilbara fuel. Couldn't fault the car.

Plus the car had more power and grunt.

tweak'e said:

only auto's have the DPF...for now.

the decent grade diesel is highly recommended. if your go bush a fair bit then a 2nd fuel filter would be recommended.

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I'm just about to move up North so a second filter may be the go. I'll speak to the 'experts' at Nissan and see what they have to say.

Merchant,
Some people to contact are "Office of fair Trading" and ACCC. They tell me they are keeping a tally on related complaints (for what reason, who knows, sounds a bit like fuel watch). but record your complaint with both for the record.
Any fault with the engine management system such as faulty sensors, earth or EGR faults could have caused your problem. as Nissan didn't do a test on the fuel then they cannot confirm that it definitely was the fuel.
Nissan have sprooked the fuel quality issue before but I suggest Nissan shouldn't be marketing this vehicle in Australia if they are so touchy and our marketed fuel doesn't meet the required standard for the vehicle.
If the problem didn't reoccur on the same fuel then it is unlikely to be the fuel and I would challenge Nissan.
The AUTO's don't return the quoted fuel figures and Nissan know they have a problem but refuse to take responsibility. Private tests confirm much better performance without the DPF but Nissan confirm they will void your warranty.
Ensure you are using an ACEA C3 standard oil to assist the DPF operation.
Nissan originally imported these vehicles without the correct oil to service them, I know as I had to wait for the correct oil.
Good Luck in dealing with Nissan HQ
Rd's

Nissan reponse

Finally received a response from Nissan but it wasn't the response i wanted. They again have fobbed me off claiming Nissan Warranty Australia have advised there is nothing they can do for me. No explanations, no advice, no nothing. Just, we can't help you.

I'm sure you'll agree that a 2 month old vehicle shouldn't break down so i will try another letter to see how i go. If that fails then i'll be naming the Nissan people that have no idea about customer service, and this includes the national customer service manager. I'll also be posted every response i get and then will contact the ACCC.

This mey get them moving about i'm not about to hold me breath.

this is interesting. Berrima Diesel Service - Tuning

markfit said:

this is interesting. Berrima Diesel Service - Tuning

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Excellent article. Driving a 3.0L D22 I had no ideas what all the fuss was about. Now I can only sympathise for those with the auto D40,s. It sounds like a problem just waiting to happen. Good luck, guys.