Insignia BiTurbo Issues!

[onebig.onesmall]

Hello,

First off, im Peter (new on here)

Earlier this year i purchased a 2014 Insignia Elite BiTurbo, its very high spec... Bose, leather, LCD dash, nav, electric seats, flex ride, reversing camera, front and rear sensors, auto lights and wipers, leather etc...

The reason for this post is I have recently had some work done to the car, the DPF, CAT and EGR have been removed/mapped out.

It made a respectable 243hp, which i was not too fussed about, what i was fussed about was having the DPF removed (my previous car smashed some of the lifters due to the back pressures)

It went to a very well respected tuning company, with a vast array of cars mapped and happy customers, im not here to belittle the company, i just want a solution to something that is driving me crazy!

Since the DPF has been removed and the remap has been done, the car will pop up in the LCD display with "cleaning exhaust filter continue driving" this message blocks all information that the screen normally displays, all i am left with is my speed. This message is displayed regardless of miles driven or ignition cycles.

This becomes very frustrating and annoying, as i cant see basic things that it normally displays, it also has the most annoying dinging sound which has been driving me up the wall every few minutes.

The car has now been back to the original company four times and the issue has not been resolved, the message reappears after a few days. They say that it is coded properly, "all sensors are mapped out" they say it is something to do with the LCD screen? they also say the car is not actually doing a re-gen even though the screen says otherwise. When the message is displayed the car has a rough idle, i personally believe it is trying to do a re-gen but is not able to carry this out due to the settings they have applied and the fact there is no DPF. The requirements for a re-gen they have set are for the DPF to be at 3000 degrees and the engine speed to be over 6000RPM (which is impossible)

This has been going on for almost two months and my oil level has been creeping up and up and the other day it was past the maximum (sorted this straight away)

The option that they have now suggested is to visit the main dealer at my expense and have the ECU updated. After visiting the main dealer to ask if they have any software updates for my car, they said no and that all available updates have been applied, the car has full service history through a main dealer prior to my ownership.

This leads me to believe there is an issue with the remap, either something is not coded correctly or some values have been overlooked.

What i believe is happening (im no expert) is that something is causing the car to think the DPF needs to regenerate, tries to do a re-gen but is unable to meet the parameters set in the ECU for this to be carried out.

I have been in talks with several company's about this issue, two company's i approached said that the issue will be in the coding somewhere, but they needed a clean file if i was to visit them.

Some data logging i have carried out has shown the following at normal operating temps;
DPF bank 1 inlet temp 150 degrees
DPF bank 1 outlet temp 450 degrees
DPF bank 2 no readings
DPF bank 1 inlet pressure no reading
DPF bank 1 outlet pressure no reading
DPF bank 1 delta (differential pressure) fluctuate between -325kPa to +325kPa continuously
EGT sensor bank 1 sensor 1 no reading
EGT sensor bank 1 sensor 2 constant reading of 700 degrees with no fluctuation

So from these results, i can see that the DPF is showing that it can go from having 42psi of positive pressure to negative pressure in a split second, this could cause the ECU to believe that there is excessive pressure buildup inside the DPF.

Has anyone on here with an Insignia with the LCD display screen had their DPF removed?

Sorry to ramble on!

Thanks
Peter

[Nicksri]

Personally i think the mapper has missed some files, a company i use often have to fix bad maps, did they physically remove your egr ? This causes issues with these engines the valve should be in situ and not blanked off but mapped out, not sure you could take your car to get updates as you’ve removed your dpf so it would not run correctly, is your rising oil level due to diesel in your oil from failed regens? Im sure some other members will be along shortly. Which company is it? Some companies dont write their own files which may cause your issue or not?

[onebig.onesmall]

Personally i think the mapper has missed some files, a company i use often have to fix bad maps, did they physically remove your egr ? This causes issues with these engines the valve should be in situ and not blanked off but mapped out, not sure you could take your car to get updates as you’ve removed your dpf so it would not run correctly, is your rising oil level due to diesel in your oil from failed regens? Im sure some other members will be along shortly. Which company is it? Some companies dont write their own files which may cause your issue or not?

The egr has been mapped out and blanked off... as for the company, I do not wish to name them at this point. I believe they can sort it, it’s just a case of sorting out the issues, it’s fine apart from this DPF issue.

The oil does kind of smell of diesel, but then again that’s hard to tell next to used engine oil, the car had a full service three days prior to having the work done. The oil was right in the middle of the dipstick, yesterday the oil level was past the maximum.

My local Arnold Clark garage said if I wanted the update putting on for a second time I would have to purchase a blank ECU. That doesn’t ring true to me, but the critical thing I got from my visit was my car is up to date on software. Something the tuner suggested I needed to have done.

The map is a altered version of the original, bespoke to my car, the car has dyno print outs before and after said work was carried out.

Thanks for your response!

[PeteH]

It concerns me that some think removing the dpf is an upgrade. The point of the dpf is to clean up the exhaust emissions, (and yes, as a previous owner of a 2.0CDTi, I am aware that regens can be a pain in the bum). Diesels (especially those that have been allowed to stray from the original specification, either by owners' mods or by lack of maintenance) can be extremely polluting - just tailgate a 20 year old Transit for a couple of miles - and the purpose of current emission controls is to try to reduce the particulates that have been clogging up the atmosphere over the last century or so. Dpfs aren't perfect, but removing one is ILLEGAL, and will be detected at the next mot.

Sorry to sound like a miserable old fart. I'll probably be dead in 25 years, but my kids and grandkids will need cleaner air to breathe, and I'm pretty sure they would rather dpfs were compulsory in preference to the convenience of not having to do regens.

Rant over, back on yer heads

[Nicksri]

Firstly id remove the blanking plate and put the egr back in and plug it in. Yes i know its mapped out but for reasons i do not understand the blank causes issues. Is it a solid blank or does it have a hole in it. If the mapper knew what they were doing this wouldnt have happened, the software updates etc sound like an expensive non fix to me. Some remapping softwares cant access all the files needed for the alterations. Also with the dpf removed id have expected larger gains as thats similar to what the guys have with the dpf still in place. If you pm the company i wont name and shame just want to see what software they use.

[Nicksri]

What did you do to rectify the excess oil? Keep an eye on that, you dont want any engine damage.

[onebig.onesmall]

It concerns me that some think removing the dpf is an upgrade. The point of the dpf is to clean up the exhaust emissions, (and yes, as a previous owner of a 2.0CDTi, I am aware that regens can be a pain in the bum). Diesels (especially those that have been allowed to stray from the original specification, either by owners' mods or by lack of maintenance) can be extremely polluting - just tailgate a 20 year old Transit for a couple of miles - and the purpose of current emission controls is to try to reduce the particulates that have been clogging up the atmosphere over the last century or so. Dpfs aren't perfect, but removing one is ILLEGAL, and will be detected at the next mot.

Sorry to sound like a miserable old fart. I'll probably be dead in 25 years, but my kids and grandkids will need cleaner air to breathe, and I'm pretty sure they would rather dpfs were compulsory in preference to the convenience of not having to do regens.

Rant over, back on yer heads

A DPF isn’t the best of solutions in the first place... it prevents our city’s from some of the nox, some of these are then released when the regeneration process happens most likely on the motorway.

I know about the legalities, I wouldn’t say it’s an upgrade, more like preventative maintenance.

Cars that now use ammonia to treat the fumes after the DPF are a better alternative in regards to emissions.

[onebig.onesmall]

Firstly id remove the blanking plate and put the egr back in and plug it in. Yes i know its mapped out but for reasons i do not understand the blank causes issues. Is it a solid blank or does it have a hole in it. If the mapper knew what they were doing this wouldnt have happened, the software updates etc sound like an expensive non fix to me. Some remapping softwares cant access all the files needed for the alterations. Also with the dpf removed id have expected larger gains as thats similar to what the guys have with the dpf still in place. If you pm the company i wont name and shame just want to see what software they use.

It’s a solid blank, I can remove it, what issues does the blank cause? The EGR is still plugged in and in situ.

To rectify the oil as a temporary measure, somewhere in the region of two litres was drained out and then topped up with fresh oil. I know this is not the best of solutions, I don’t use the car all that much, only at weekends. I hope the original mappers will eventually reply to my numerous emails and get this sorted once again.

[onebig.onesmall]

Quick update, car was back at the tuning company yesterday.

The map has now been altered, the differential pressure sensor now continuously reads negative pressure, fingers crossed this solves the problem.

Thanks for everyone's replies.

[MattG]

Curious to what you will do at next MOT. It will fail having the DPF removed.

[ade555]

Curious to what you will do at next MOT. It will fail having the DPF removed.

I'm sure the OP have it covered , feel sorry for the next owner in future unless is a friend of a friend

[onebig.onesmall]

I'm sure the OP have it covered , feel sorry for the next owner in future unless is a friend of a friend

Doubt the car will pass on to another owner, if that was to happen they would be informed.

It’s quite humbling that the majority on here are objective to the DPF being removed.

I’m used to people on the Audi forums taking the removal of the DPF approach.

The DPF had 73% ash content. That was my reason for the removal. In hindsight all of the hassle I have had I wish I replaced it.

On some of the ECU forums I trawl through, Insignia DPF removal is a pretty common thing. I’m guessing there’s probably a few on here with it done but not speaking up.

The DPF check on an MOT is not extensive, if it fails it will be put back in.

Thanks
Peter

[lizzard-t]

The differential pressure sensor should always read a negative pressure if you go down the delete route, so hopefully they have solved it .
I won't bang on about the DPF being removed .but Peter H says it poetically.
But has it been physically removed? Or cored out ? .if cored out then yes an MOT tester will see it as fitted , if removed then who knows ? .but if it were to fail then putting it back , and then the car would have to be put back to basic map fir the DPF to function properly
Another is the insurance side of the argument, as it has now been modified, and the implications of that could be in the event of a claim, then it renders your insurance Null and void
But thease are all my personal points of view ( freedom of speech)
One thing I would do is get the oil and filter changed toot sweet !
Due to the fact that the oil level has risen due to diesel being pumped into the cylinder bores , so now the oil has been vastly degraded, and is not protecting the engine is it should.!

[PeteH]

Well, if it's poetry you want, how's this:

An Insignia owner called Lee
Tried to squeeze out every last bhp
So he fiddled about,
Took his dpf out
Now it's faster, but no MoT

[lizzard-t]

I'm right behind you Peter with this DPF debate.
So I do apologize if my comment above came out wrong in any way.
But yet again you put it as plain as it can be .