Not a Transit but the same Ford 2.2tdci

[lightning]

l am coming back on here hoping someone can help.

l've had a Transit Connect for 8 years in the past so used to be active on here. Now l have a 2014 Defender with the Ford "Puma" 2.2tdci as fitted in the Transit.

lt has developed a fault that nobody seems to be able to solve. Basically it runs fine but keeps doing unnecessary DPF regenerations
Maybe every 30 miles but it tries more often (the exhaust gas temperature rises over 300degC)
lf you take it on a longer run it will do a regeneration at the end.
For instance we went to Wales and it started a regeneration as we arrived at the hotel, having just done 80 miles at
65-70mph

I have monitored the vehicle with my GAP tool.
The soot level barely rises above 1. The issue is the "inferred soot level" which jumps from zero (after a regeneration) to over 80% within ten miles.

I've spent hours monitoring various sensors and everything seems to be in order, the EGR is working okay, the MAF and MAP readings look okay, it's had the injector washers done, the glow plugs tested okay.
Mileage is only 58,000

Because of the constant regenerations it keeps diluting the engine oil. l've changed the oil 10 times since Christmas. l've now stopped using the vehicle.

lt's been into a local Land Rover specialist and they reset various things but the fault came back within 7 miles when a full DPF regeneration occurred.

When a regeneration is triggered it does actually do it, that is the EGT rises over 600degC but it's doing it every 30 miles.
lt's being triggered l assume by the rapid rise in "inferred soot level" to 90% (actual soot level rarely even gets to 1)

l was hoping someone on here knows about these tdci Ford Puma engines and may be able to shed some light on what's happening. Or may have had a similar fault and found the cause.

[lightning]

As can be seen there's a massive discrepancy between the actual soot level and the "inferred soot level" (which is what it thinks the soot level should be)

[metalworker0]

Well there are a few differences by the looks of things

The 2.2 doesn't regenerate by way of injectors firing on the exhaust stroke, as you seem to have

and soot level is not monitored by infra red detectors, its done with pressure sensors

i can tell you a few things that will make more soot in the DPF

EGR not working right
Boost leak
Turbo buggered, so leaking oil.
Engine worn
Running rich due to boost leak or EGR fault
Running rich because 1 or more of the injectors not right.
Maf sensor fault

pic never came up i see you mean inferred - that's what the program thinks/ decided guessed it is .. not actual


all the best.mark

[metalworker0]

i don't really know the figure for the difference between each side of the dpf .. and what difference is needed to start regeneration, so had to look it up .

google AI says this

AI Overview
A Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) typically triggers active regeneration when differential pressure exceeds 300 to 450 hPa (approx. 300 to 450 mbar or 4.3 to 6.5 psi) at higher engine loads or high RPMs.

your 1.3 kpa is
0.188549 psi
13 mbar
13 hpa

so it hasn't even reached the typical pressures needed to trigger regeneration

other things that can make it abandon regeneration are

engine temperature too low .. faulty thermostat
the regeneration temperature did not reach the proper temperature - usually caused by blocked vaporiser .. that you say it hasn't got

others will add their knowledge

your scanner could be inaccurate or not suitable .. we use Forscan here .. will it work with a land rover .. i don't know

bank 2 showing zero .. so its guessing

and in open loop ////.......which i think its in when in the warm up cycle on cold engine or extreme acceleration

all the best.mark

[lightning]

Thanks for the replies

Yes it's the "inferred soot level" that rapidly rises. lt can go from zero to 90% in ten miles. The actual soot level may only be 0.7 but it will start trying to do a regeneration based on the "inferred soot level"

The differential pressure (across the DPF) reads okay. l'll download another picture and see if it's visible on here.
lt shows the soot level at 0.7% but the "inferred soot level" has gone up to over 70% within ten miles of a regeneration.

[metalworker0]

i don't know how the vehicles power control module (ECU) behaves when bank sensor info is not correct, which it seams to be .. MAYBE - without info it makes decisions that its going to regenerate all the time , and never completes its cycle

i say replace the sensor, just a hunch , but don't blame me if it Doesn't fix the problem.

think it may look like this .. you'll have to check the part number .. i don't have access to them

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/318660926890?

bank 2 i think is maybe a red hearing .. these diagnostic scanners are populated with pids for every situation 4 cylinder , 6 cylinder .. two sets of exhausts .. v6, v8 .. so have pids for all of them.
or
i notice the actual sensor has 2 pipes of entry into it .. so the pressures are measure through pipes either side of the dpf, so bank 1 and 2 combined in 1 sensor ? . well i don't know!

OPEN LOOP

sorry , we are not specialist in land rover .. so its either guess or AI for the info

if a pro mechanic had this problem .. they have a diagnostic program call "ALLDATA" on their PC ..

it has the diagnostic trees on it, visual flowcharts that map out a sequence of logical, yes/no questions to reach a specific conclusion or solve a problem, also the circuit diagrams that they can highlight specific circuits in a different colour.. elimination processes .. that thousands of garages have contributed to, with problems and the solutions, makes life easy for them, but not for us .
They have that , we don't, all we have is google AI, which with complex problems you have may be the only help you get .

Anyway -- open loop AI - answer

Land Rover Defender 2.2 TDCi (Puma diesel) runs in open-loop mode when the engine management system relies purely on pre-programmed fuel maps rather than feedback from exhaust or oxygen sensors.
Operating Conditions for Open-Loop

Engine Startup & Warm-Up: When the engine is cold and coolant temperatures have not reached normal operating range.
Heavy Acceleration & High Load: When wide-open throttle (WOT) or heavy fueling demands require richer or hard-coded calibration values rather than stoichiometric adjustments.
Deceleration / Fuel Cut-Off: During engine braking or sudden drops in load when injection behavior changes
Idle (Under Specific Conditions): Extended periods of idling or low idle speeds before thermal equilibrium is met.
Active DPF Regeneration: When the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) alters injection timing and fuelling strategies independently to increase exhaust gas temperatures and burn off soot in the particulate filter.
Sensor Faults or Limp Mode: If key sensory inputs (like the MAF, MAP, or coolant temperature sensor) drop offline or present out-of-range data, defaulting the ECU to safe baseline tables

So as you can see .. if the computer does not have the input .. it makes things up and goes open loop

FIRST CHECK THE TWO PIPES FROM THE PRESSURE SENSOR LEADING TO THE EXHAUST FOR DAMAGE .. AND SEE THAT THEIR ENTRY POINT HOLES INTO THE EXHAUST ARE CLEAR if all is well .replace that sensor .. is the only answer i can give you . IT may have multiple problems and EGT sensor faults as well as engine thermostat ..
You must read all these pids , engine temp , EGT /exhaust gas temperature , the pressures at DPF , KNOW what they should be ,, and base diagnostic conclusion on that .

oh and the re-gen temperature is; not hot enough ..

all the best.mark

[lightning]

Thank you for the detailed reply. The vehicle has gone back into the specialist today, and they've effectively said the same thing, they're going to replace the differential pressure sensor.

Let's see what happens!

[metalworker0]

Yeah, hope they sort it for you

all the best.mark

[lightning]

Still no progress. Apparently the differential pressure sensor tested okay. The specialist was sure it was a software issue so they fitted a brand new ECU.

But the fault is exactly the same. DPF regeneration completed successfully today after motorway run, "inferred soot mass" and soot level down to zero but inferred soot mass back up to 90% within 10 miles, vehicle starts trying to regenerate again. Actual soot level never got past 0.7

[metalworker0]

DPF could be cracked .. so crack behaving differently all the time as the core moves about

i hate telling people to do things when they have to pay for it

Get a boroscope into the DPF via one of the sensor holes , and have a look.

preferably from both ends .


Note: there have been fake aftermarket DPF's and catalysts made with a huge space in the middle and one inch of DPF core material or catalyst core material at each end to give the illusion of a well made one. i think a little tapping with a screw driver could detect the hollow space or Digital infrared video when running.

all the best.mark

[metalworker0]

And there are a load of things that could even block a new DPF

Hole or gap in boost pipe
EGR not working properly and sticking or actuator has stripped gears in gearbox
Turbo worn out and leaking oil or actuator has stripped gears in gearbox
Turbo actuator vanes sticking
Engine bore and ring wear
Maf sensor

and your guessing ecu .. is still guessing with its inferred soot level.. so i assume only does this this when one or more of its sensor inputs is missing .

and what else have i heard about .. Defender positioning of DPF is wrong and its cooled too much by air stream under car

all the best.mark

[lightning]

l've monitored all the sensor readings and everything seems fine. MAF, MAP, differential pressure etc. This morning l reset the DPF parameters and within four miles the "inferred soot level" went from zero to 85%. Another three miles and it started trying to do a regeneration.
Probably doing about 25mph at this screenshot.

Here's the readings after maybe six miles (from the reset)

[metalworker0]

So, it's doing a re-gen during the time of the screen shot, if so .. temperature is wrong .. too low!

Note - DPFs can be re-set to trick the computer (PCM) think its a new DPF.. if that has happened .. and your DPF is well past its best ..then the computer (PCM power train control module) is being mislead and tricked by this .. if this was to happen several times .. where tech or you told the PCM that had a new DPF was installed .. then the result will be what i think you are seeing

And it may be that your DPF has gone past its best a long time ago do you know its history?

Our go-to guru on a DPF's

Is O'Rileys Autos .. on youtube .. there is nothing he does not know about Dpfs

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW9GHi ... -myRo-mMJw

He warns frequently about NOT re-setting the DPF .;. to "as new" when its not new

if this has happened and several times .. then.. well just watch at least 5 videos of O'Rileys on forced DPF re-gens.. to get the idea on what's what.

He frequently warns against after market replacement DPFs, frequent forced regens and re-sets,. tells you what happens to DPF's when they are no longer any use .. the whole shebang .. the lot .

Watch the videos and see if it makes any impression on you .. or tells you what's going on ..

all the best mark

[lightning]

Personally l think you are right and the DPF has had it. The Land Rover garage told me off for resetting the DPF and they've confiscated my GAP tool.

However l will say that the fault was present before l reset it, and afterwards it was the same. The Land Rover garage disagree with me and say it won't be the DPF and that if the DPF was faulty the differential pressure would not be normal, which it is.

l think the only way forward is for me to buy a replacement DPF and get them to fit it. The vehicle has done 58,000 miles but all these regeneration won't have done the DPF any good anyway.

[metalworker0]

i'm not going say buy one , because if it does not fix it .. then...


Since you may be buying new anyway , then you have nothing to loose by doing the following.

i say take it off... seal one end , stand it against a wall , and pour in DPF cleaner .. let it stand over night .. next day and flush out with garden hose.

Some people have used oven cleaner .. from pound land .. "Oven Pride" .. you may have to buy 3 or 4 of them as its a 500ml a bottle of liquid, plus a plastic bag that you will not use
Don't know if it does harm, if it has a combined catalyst type of DPF.

if you work out some way of warming the oven cleaner .. like stand the bottles in a bucket of hot water .. then the cleaning action will be greater.

NOTE: any aluminium will be dissolved or severely damaged by Oven Pride

all the best.mark