Injector Cleaner

[Bravheart]

150+k mile volvo diesel still going strong but it now seems like every 18 monts or so (Poss. 8-10k miles) the dpf filter blocked light comes on and car goes into limp mode. Dpf filters not blocked but the variable pressure sensor gets carboned up and fails. Two possible cures from amateur mechanics have been mentioned. First one is replacement injectors as the origionals are not giving good enough combustion of the fuel now (plausible). Or secondly try some injector cleaner. Trouble is it'll be at least a year before we know if either is working. Anyone had similar experiences and what worked best? TIA M.

 

[BrokenBiker]

get some diesel purge through it from liqui moly

did wonders on my hyundai terracan that was known for failing injectors, also helped on my jag that had similar sounding DPF warnings to your volvo.

basically just pull the lines from the fuel filter, put the feed for the engine into the diesel purge, run the return into a jar from what i remember. there are youtube videos. it impressed me so much on the terracan that i put it through every diesel ive owned since pretty much as soon as i buy them

 

[zzr1200]

I won't guarantee anything, but I used to put 500ml of mineral 2 stroke oil in every full tank of diesel in my Discovery TDi5, never had a problem and seemed to run better/smoother after I started using the extra oil.

 

[BrokenBiker]

I won't guarantee anything, but I used to put 500ml of mineral 2 stroke oil in every full tank of diesel in my Discovery TDi5, never had a problem and seemed to run better/smoother after I started using the extra oil.

i know a few that do this. when i had a td5, against all advice, i used to run mine on anyhting i could get my hands on...was running a small recovery company at the time and doing a fair bit of roadside servicing so all the waste oil got strained a few times, left to sit for a week for any metals to separate out then mixed 50/50 with derv and thrown in. smoked a bit, but seemed to run better than it did just on straight diesel

 

[dobbslc]

My Surf runs smoother when I have a few litres of veg oil in it but I haven't used any since the prices went mental and I then had a bad batch the caused a few problems.

 

[Trevorleach]

Nothing will last, you might get short term benefit but thats it, ie pre mot sort of thing.

Dpf differential pressure sensors block up for fun on the smaller cummins engines, clean and go is the repair, no one every changes injectors unless there is an actual fuel fault.

 

[Bravheart]

Nothing will last, you might get short term benefit but thats it, ie pre mot sort of thing.

Dpf differential pressure sensors block up for fun on the smaller cummins engines, clean and go is the repair, no one every changes injectors unless there is an actual fuel fault.

How would you clean the pressure sensor please?
Soaked the last one in brake cleaner once or twice got some carbon grit out but still not good enough to get a sensible reading and keep the lights out.
Would an occasional manual forced regen with an odb reader help?

Ordered some diesel purge to try.

 

[knighty]

I've heard good things about water injection... but it's a bit of a faf setting it up

I know a guy who used his windscreen washer, took the pipe off the jets and put a new jet poking into the air intake (after the filter)

he had good results... but it's hard to quantify

 

[Trevorleach]

How would you clean the pressure sensor please?
Soaked the last one in brake cleaner once or twice got some carbon grit out but still not good enough to get a sensible reading and keep the lights out.
Would an occasional manual forced regen with an odb reader help?

Ordered some diesel purge to try.

It is mainly the drilled galleries and silicone flex pipes that block up on the trucks, I have just sprayed brake cleaner on th sensor itself, though I suspect it does more for me than the sensor!

I am a bit of an animal so would be trying oven cleaner if the sensor needed a clean.

 

[m_c]

The differential pressure sensor shouldn't really be getting sooted up.
Provided the pipes are clean and undamaged, I'd be looking for a fault elsewhere.
Unless it's a exhaust pressure sensor (I've go no idea what options Volvo use!), in which case I'd be checking the pipe to it was clear, as on various vehicles, they have a habit of blocking, at which point they can damage sensors.

@Trevorleach are you aware those problematic DAF DPF pressure sensors have been reworked with bigger diameter hoses?

 

[Bravheart]

The differential pressure sensor shouldn't really be getting sooted up.
Provided the pipes are clean and undamaged, I'd be looking for a fault elsewhere.
Unless it's a exhaust pressure sensor (I've go no idea what options Volvo use!), in which case I'd be checking the pipe to it was clear, as on various vehicles, they have a habit of blocking, at which point they can damage sensors.

@Trevorleach are you aware those problematic DAF DPF pressure sensors have been reworked with bigger diameter hoses?

Thanks we have flooded the pipes to the dpf with brake cleaner to try and ensure they are not partly blocked so hence the second amateur fault cure being new injectors. The thinking behind it was that the injectors may be worn resulting in too much unburnt fuel leaving carbon deposits in the filter and tubes eventually chocking the sensor.

 

[Trevorleach]

The differential pressure sensor shouldn't really be getting sooted up.
Provided the pipes are clean and undamaged, I'd be looking for a fault elsewhere.
Unless it's a exhaust pressure sensor (I've go no idea what options Volvo use!), in which case I'd be checking the pipe to it was clear, as on various vehicles, they have a habit of blocking, at which point they can damage sensors.

@Trevorleach are you aware those problematic DAF DPF pressure sensors have been reworked with bigger diameter hoses?

Newest Daf we now have is a 2018 530, bloody thing is a money pit, something like 20k in parts alone last 12 mths

 

[Keithmac]

I've heard good things about water injection... but it's a bit of a faf setting it up

I know a guy who used his windscreen washer, took the pipe off the jets and put a new jet poking into the air intake (after the filter)

he had good results... but it's hard to quantify

I ran direct port water injection on two cars (for knock control) and it did a very good job of cleaning as a side benefit.

 

[m_c]

Newest Daf we now have is a 2018 530, bloody thing is a money pit, something like 20k in parts alone last 12 mths

I only had to deal with LFs and the very occasional CF, but the diagnostics on them was horrendous.
EGR flow fault was the biggest pain I've ever had to deal with, as the official procedure was work your way down the list of possibilities, but I've seen some very big parts bills.

 

[Trevorleach]

I only had to deal with LFs and the very occasional CF, but the diagnostics on them was horrendous.
EGR flow fault was the biggest pain I've ever had to deal with, as the official procedure was work your way down the list of possibilities, but I've seen some very big parts bills.

Header tank 495 on special!
Front brake chambers retail 1057 each on special at 595 each.
Egr cooler 2.3k, egr cooler seals 110 each.
Head gasket 465.
Yet some rarer things are cheap, pushrods 25 quid each, had to buy two as the ball end literally fell off, Was scratching my head trying to work out why there was 1/2 inch of valve clearance.
All prices plus vat.