Lexus Is Diesel Particulate Filter Dpf Problem / Solution

Matus · July 23, 2015

I wouldn't remove it.

I don't know how it is in the UK, but in Europe the removal of DPF is a big topic now - because it is illegal and many people are solving this problem with removal.

The car inspection companies (like TUV in Germany) all over Europe are forced to buy new measurement devices, to detect missing DPF.

In Austria and Germany the police is sometimes measuring on the street. If they find out, you get a big fine and they remove you the number plates.

Try to solve it first. Let clean the Differential pressure measuring unit hoses - the unit is located to the left in the back of the engine compartment, over the DPF - with two black rubber hoses going to it. Then get new ECU software from Lexus - they've updated the code to reduce the smoke (they've updated it 2-3 years ago, so check if you have it already installed or not)

If your only problem is the smoke, do those two things - the smoke will be decreased (it will not disappear!), but this is still better then removing it and later have troubles - IMHO.

MurrayHC · July 25, 2015

Hi all. I a a first time Lexus owner (220d) and first time poster. I purchased my Lexus from the Coventry dealership on a 57 plate with 64,000 miles on the clock. It has come with the Lexus approved 12 month warranty.

The other day when returning to Birmingham from Luton I got the Check VSC message and engine management light come on whilst on the m'way. It stayed on for a day and then went off again for 2 days, then popped back on for a day and then went off again. At no point did the car go into limp mode...thank Buddha!

I took it back to the dealership this morning as I only bought it from them 2 months ago and they informed me after connecting it to their computer that it was a carbon build up and that they will have to wait until Monday to see if the warranty they supplied will cover the repairs which they said can run upwards of £1,700 to £2,000 if the filters etc need to be replaced. I am not as up to speed on all this as many of you seem to be, but £2,000 in repairs for a vehicle I paid £7,600 for just 2 months ago sounds pretty disputable to me.

Anyway, in case any of you have the Lexus extended warranty as I do, I will post an update to let you know if it is covered. If not, I am going to be back....begging for help and advice! :)

normski2 · July 25, 2015

You shouldn't be thinking about help or advice at this stage.

Your first call is back to the Lexus dealership to complain about a car supplied that is not fit for purpose or of merchantable quality. You cannot have coked the engine up in 2 months of ownership. Therefore the problem must have been present when you purchased the car...it just was not at a point where a sensor has triggered.

MurrayHC · July 25, 2015

You are 100% correct Normski. I just hope it does not come down to that argument. I never knew about all the regeneration of this that and the other, I just figured that since my mileage was predominantly motorway and I always use only the best BP fuel, that I would be ok given that this is a premium motor! Seems I have a lot to learn!

Ryanis220d · July 25, 2015

I have now fell into the famous 95% threshold dpf problem. Car is going in for a terraclean rival firm dpf clean with a friend who is giving it an extra go on the machine. It will then be traded in for something else. 1 month ownership of an is220d has taught me toyota where on heroin when designing this engine and modern diesels are complete and utter scrap and not cost effective. I will however not give up on the Lexus brand and will own another (petrol) in the future.

normski2 · July 25, 2015

I have now fell into the famous 95% threshold dpf problem. Car is going in for a terraclean rival firm dpf clean with a friend who is giving it an extra go on the machine. It will then be traded in for something else. 1 month ownership of an is220d has taught me toyota where on heroin when designing this engine and modern diesels are complete and utter scrap and not cost effective. I will however not give up on the Lexus brand and will own another (petrol) in the future.

Gutting to hear. Get the 250 auto...that's my honest opinion...they are tremendous.

Unless you are flushed enough for the 300h

MurrayHC · July 28, 2015

Just an update to my situation. Collected my car from Lexus Coventry today. They did the full repair and replacement of the exhaust gas return valve (I think that's what it was) and replaced all filters with new etc... £1,500 work, all taken care of with my extended warranty. No cost to me at all. They even washed and vacuumed her and blackened my wheels to the point they look like Satans soul. All credit where it is due, my car drives better than when I test drove her and the service from Lexus Coventry was fantastic! My advice...if you have a second hand Lexus, go purchase a warranty....you may not need it, but if you face a bill like I was, you will be grateful you had it! Thanks all!

normski2 · July 29, 2015

Just an update to my situation. Collected my car from Lexus Coventry today. They did the full repair and replacement of the exhaust gas return valve (I think that's what it was) and replaced all filters with new etc... £1,500 work, all taken care of with my extended warranty. No cost to me at all. They even washed and vacuumed her and blackened my wheels to the point they look like Satans soul. All credit where it is due, my car drives better than when I test drove her and the service from Lexus Coventry was fantastic! My advice...if you have a second hand Lexus, go purchase a warranty....you may not need it, but if you face a bill like I was, you will be grateful you had it! Thanks all!

Good that its sorted.

The EGR is something you will need to keep a monitor on. It will likely coke up again reasonably quick if you are only doing short journeys. There are some good videos on Youtube, and on this site too, all about how to clean the EGR yourself. Its not that tricky...once you've done it a few times you will do it in 40 mins.

When i had a 220d i used to check it every 8000 miles or so. There is a piston inside..check also that the spring is making it seat properly each time you clean it. If its not seated properly it can upset the mixture and make it run quite rough.

You might want to look at additives from the likes of powerenhancer.co.uk. I used Archoil AR7200 at 5ml per 50 litres at each fill up. You can also buy top grade Diesel , but I found it cheaper to go the AR route at the time as premium diesel was a lot more per litre.

I also put through a can of BG244 every 8000 miles to clean out carbon deposits. Wynns do a DPF treatment flush too. I expect a few other 220d owners will offer their views too.

Its worth reading up on all this as you don't want to be facing big bills....or just keep renewing that warranty with Lexus. Mine had a new engine after the head went ...it was covered by Lexus....but the bill I saw was nearly £5000.

Best of luck with it all.

CGorner · July 29, 2015

I'm worried about this happening to mine to be honest.

I think I may be ok as I do 30k+ miles a year and mostly motorway and I put my foot down once every so often to clear through.

Also on every service I clean the EGR out myself it's easy enough to do, and I run it on Shell V Power all the time

Stuwegie · August 1, 2015

Hi everyone. Ive been reading this thread with interest and feel i may be suffering the same problem.

Ive just joined the Lexus club and hope the info I've read here will point me in the right direction to getting my new car running the way it should.

Its a 2008 IS220d and has just turned 40'000 miles. I only bought it on Tuesday and while driving home yesterday, up popped the warning light combination displayed at the start of this thread.

The car went into limp mode almost immediately ( i didn't know such a thing existed as I'm a motorcycle rider )

I had a quick look last night at the forums and came across the DPF issue and filter clearing method of driving above 2000rpm so i managed to get her on the A1 for a 45minute drive and spent most of that between 2500 and 3000rpm and she seemed to run ok when i got back into town. I then drove to work this morning and found it went into limp mode again after 10 minutes however i noticed before then that performance up to 2000 rpm was pathetic compared to before the run and performance above 2000rpm was much more responsive than before the run. The car came with a 3 month warranty but i won't be able to get it to a garage till Monday and the warranty booklet is pretty sketchy on wether it will cover a problem like this. I will give the EGR a clear out in the morning and maybe fill her up and use some additive too but i was wondering if anyone knows of somewhere in the Edinburgh/Central Belt area that i can have the DPF looked at other than a Lexus Dealer? Im already regretting my switch to four wheels but I'm glad there are Jedi's like Normski around to help.

MurrayHC · August 1, 2015

If the management lights all came on practically straight after you bought it, I would be straight back to the dealer because as Normski rightly said to me about my situation, the vehicle clearly had an issue before you purchased it. By the sounds of how quick the light came on after you bought it, it sounds like it was traded in quickly after it came on with the last owner so he could dump an expensive problem. I would definetly take it straight back to the dealer and say it was sold in an unsuitable condition. Sorry for your situation mate!

Stuwegie · August 1, 2015

Thats at the back of my mind but its a little more complicated as i actually traded in two cars for it outright and i don't really want either of them back in my life lol. I won't really know for sure until i get it looked at properly but if it is genuinely a DPF issue then id rather get that sorted and keep the car maintained as is should be. Im a glass half full person :)

Looking back at the MOT history its only been doing 4000 miles a year for the past 4 years so I'm guessing its just not being run the way a diesel engine needs.

I'll post tomorrow how i get on with the EGR and again once i get the code read, i have a friend with a garage so i know he will look after me if he can with parts and labour and most importantly will be honest (to the extent of what he knows of course)

Stuwegie · August 2, 2015

Back again. So I had a bit of a closer look at the EGR and popped off to Halfords and bought a can of EGR cleaning spray. There was a fair amount of crap in there but I managed to clear out most of it once I had removed it and I also added a bottle of DPF cleaning additive To a full tank of shell VPower diesel.

When I started up it stalled immediately which had me worried but I started it up again and after a bit of spluttering it seemed to run fine. I could only drive it for about 20 mins in town today but it certainly seemed to be running ok, still seemed a little weak at low revs though but maybe that's just what diesels are like I've no frame of reference lol. As I had to disconnect the Battery to get the EGR out, the warning lights are now clear so I'll take it out for a good drive tomorrow.

Do you guys put any faith in these additives you can buy to clear out various components? Also I've been reading about the jet wash method of cleaning. The DPF, is this a good/bad idea?

normski2 · August 3, 2015

In the first instance you ought to go back to the dealer you bought it from. You are legally entitled to expect a vehicle that is fit for purpose...sounds like this one needs a looksee.

"Looking back at the MOT history its only been doing 4000 miles a year for the past 4 years so I'm guessing its just not being run the way a diesel engine needs"

Your assumption is quite right. This is potentially why the thing is starting to show signs of becoming coked up. It was probably doing short journeys and not getting hot enough from a decent blast. It is likely your DPF will be approaching soot capacity...that'll be another Check VSC warning light and limp mode unless you can get a regeneration started. Your friendly chap may be able to assist you with this if he can plug in his laptop.

I can only speak from my own experience, I'm no expert, I just learnt a few things by experience and investigation. I found the use of additives to be a benefit. The fuel must have been burnt 'cleaner' as each time I checked the EGR there was just a light coating inside. Prior to that it would be somewhat clogged. There are DPF additives as well....they may well help your needs.

Think twice if you are advised to get the DPF removed....it is likely to turn into a very costly MOT failure. Talk is of the MOT getting more stringent for diesel vehicles.

I don't know much about the jet wash method but have heard of folks having good results from having it done.

If you want to do a bit of reading there is a fair bit of useful stuff here.

http://www.powerenhancer.co.uk/

http://www.oilem.com/fuel-catalysts-archoil-ar6200-2/

There are other products from other manufacturers. I just have links to these saved in a folder. Bardhal is another maker of these products...Northants way I believe.

Best of luck with it all.

Stuwegie · August 11, 2015

Its been a week now since i cleaned out the EGR, i also had plenty of time to take the car out on a few long drives in the hope of burning off anything in the DPF and some time this week i should be able to get it plugged in to see if we can see what the levels are like in the filter. Im happy that the car is running smoothly now, power is good and lights have stayed off so fingers crossed everything is good! I have made the dealer aware of the problems I've had so far though and i do have a few months warranty on it.

I also saw an ad on the Lexus site for 2 years warranty for the price of one. Is this a good deal at £500?

Do you have the Caspian Blue pearlescent paint job on yours Normski?

normski2 · August 11, 2015

Blimey...if you can get 2yrs warranty for £500 you'd best snap it up quick. Better £500 than £4500 if the head pops.

No, mine is Arctic Pearl (pearlescent white).

Stuwegie · August 11, 2015

i'll probably head out to the Lexus Dealer tomorrow then to talk about the warranty. Mine is a pearlescent white too but the handbook has the colour listed as caspian blue. I'll ask at the dealer and see if they know, theres a coupe of small paint chips to take care of so i want to make sure i get the right stuff!

Tanks for all your help and advice so far!

IS200D · August 11, 2015

Its been a week now since i cleaned out the EGR, i also had plenty of time to take the car out on a few long drives in the hope of burning off anything in the DPF and some time this week i should be able to get it plugged in to see if we can see what the levels are like in the filter. Im happy that the car is running smoothly now, power is good and lights have stayed off so fingers crossed everything is good! I have made the dealer aware of the problems I've had so far though and i do have a few months warranty on it.

I also saw an ad on the Lexus site for 2 years warranty for the price of one. Is this a good deal at £500?

Do you have the Caspian Blue pearlescent paint job on yours Normski?

Do you have a link for that offer please Stuart, as the only 2 year offer I could find was £795 for the is220/200d :(

NG1208 · August 14, 2015

Hi, absolutey gutted to to see vsc+engine+traction control came on whilst driving from Glasgow to Liverpool. I got the recovery to take the car to a garage and got the EGR cleaned. The lights are stil on and Car goes into limp mode. My car does 500 miles every week. Any more feedback for both, Lexus Liverpool an dCar Surgeon? How do Car sugeon do the DPF refresh? I have 58 plate is220d an Lexus Liverpool have said that the warranty doesn't apply to cars from 2007 onwards. I have 85K on the clock, mostly motorways

Shahpor · August 15, 2015

Hi, absolutey gutted to to see vsc+engine+traction control came on whilst driving from Glasgow to Liverpool. I got the recovery to take the car to a garage and got the EGR cleaned. The lights are stil on and Car goes into limp mode. My car does 500 miles every week. Any more feedback for both, Lexus Liverpool an dCar Surgeon? How do Car sugeon do the DPF refresh? I have 58 plate is220d an Lexus Liverpool have said that the warranty doesn't apply to cars from 2007 onwards. I have 85K on the clock, mostly motorways

I am confused. Lexus told you that the warranty doesn't apply to 2007 onward cars? Could you perhaps elaborate?

Also, my extended warranty cost me £795 for two years last month, so not sure where £500 came from?

NG1208 · August 15, 2015

I have read here about warranty on these kind of issues is upto 100000 miles and 5/7 years? Lexus said it's 3 years or/and 60000 miles. If the car has been serviced always at Lexus then it could only be on a goodwill gesture. Car Surgeon has asked for 309 and 65 for sending over the mobile repair. But this is only for P2002 ie dpf regeneration. I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing at the mo

Stuwegie · August 18, 2015

Its been a week now since i cleaned out the EGR, i also had plenty of time to take the car out on a few long drives in the hope of burning off anything in the DPF and some time this week i should be able to get it plugged in to see if we can see what the levels are like in the filter. Im happy that the car is running smoothly now, power is good and lights have stayed off so fingers crossed everything is good! I have made the dealer aware of the problems I've had so far though and i do have a few months warranty on it.

I also saw an ad on the Lexus site for 2 years warranty for the price of one. Is this a good deal at £500?

Do you have the Caspian Blue pearlescent paint job on yours Normski?

Do you have a link for that offer please Stuart, as the only 2 year offer I could find was £795 for the is220/200d :(

The offer is available on the official Scottish Lexus site so it may not be available in other parts of the UK

http://www.lexusscotland.co.uk/servicing/warranty.php?gclid=Cj0KEQjwr8uuBRCcg6-s-4TrmIsBEiQAN1TdETWyaPL4vwwZiOawrX0XX3r5I82FIf1IEJBezenybssaAo_V8P8HAQ

Stuwegie · August 18, 2015

I've not looked into the offer in all honesty so it may be that its different prices for different models?

Did you get yours sorted Navin? When i cleared out the EGR myself i had to disconnect the Battery to remove it which cleared the lights, have you tried this? If they don't clear i would guess it is the DPF. Im not the best with cars to be honest but a quick search found numerous garages nearby who can deal with DPF cleaning.

Matus · August 25, 2015

Hi, absolutey gutted to to see vsc+engine+traction control came on whilst driving from Glasgow to Liverpool. I got the recovery to take the car to a garage and got the EGR cleaned. The lights are stil on and Car goes into limp mode. My car does 500 miles every week. Any more feedback for both, Lexus Liverpool an dCar Surgeon? How do Car sugeon do the DPF refresh? I have 58 plate is220d an Lexus Liverpool have said that the warranty doesn't apply to cars from 2007 onwards. I have 85K on the clock, mostly motorways

Yes it can be the DPF blockage, but it can be also something else. You drive a lot on motorways, and you have only 85k - it should not be the DPF.

First you have to discover, what is the problem - you can diagnose it with any cheap OBD II reader. Once you have the error code, you will know what it is, and you can start fixing it.

rayaans · August 25, 2015

I should mention that my wife's Merc had the DPF issue too.

When they say its completely blocked - its basically a load of bull - ie they're trying to get you to fork out a lot of money.

Merc tried it on me for £995, I said no and went to an independent who stuck some sort of additive in the fuel. The Mercedes manual strictly says - "don't use any additive". Now I know why - it makes the car do a forced regen - tonnes of smoke coming out the exhaust etc etc. Loads of heat too.

After it was done, the mechanic just reset the light and it hasnt come back.

Now, if you're DPF is clogged with Ash which can't be burnt off, thats a different story!