DPF issue

[Immy0111]

Hello Everyone

Newbie here. So, first and foremost explain things to me in layman's terms .

I do understand my cars but it is negligible next to all of your expertise.

Right, my w212 e220 2014 has gracefully done 229k. She still pulls like a train, I've always used premium fuel, timely serviced and journeys are consist of both motorway and local.

The DPF now regens every 150 miles. Along with low growls like E55 it has now started smoking while regening. Smoke comes from under the driver side, so the off side. It has strong odour and clear smoke not blue.

The engine has an oil leak somewhere but it is so tiny that i never have to top it up between the services but the radiator needs filling up every 5 to 600 miles.

So, these are the scenarios. Your help and guidance will be appreciated. ✌

 

[mioba]

A merc indy!

 

[Jim2]

Hello Everyone

Newbie here. So, first and foremost explain things to me in layman's terms .

I do understand my cars but it is negligible next to all of your expertise.

Right, my w212 e220 2014 has gracefully done 229k. She still pulls like a train, I've always used premium fuel, timely serviced and journeys are consist of both motorway and local.

The DPF now regens every 150 miles. Along with low growls like E55 it has now started smoking while regening. Smoke comes from under the driver side, so the off side. It has strong odour and clear smoke not blue.

The engine has an oil leak somewhere but it is so tiny that i never have to top it up between the services but the radiator needs filling up every 5 to 600 miles.

So, these are the scenarios. Your help and guidance will be appreciated. ✌

Welcome Immy0111,
I've the same car as you, 2014 W212, 220 CDI, with slightly less mileage 222562. Bought it last August, so 11 mths ago approx. and have driven it 6'000 Klms since. I do all the servicing on it myself, and the previous owner had it serviced in a MB main dealership. So far, so good, no problems. Its now due a transmission flush and fluid change and I plan on doing it this week. I have an iCarsoft CR Pro, and for anyone who is anyway mechanically minded and interested in whats happening under the bonnet of his car, I'd strongly recommend getting an OBD scanner like the iCarsoft.
Now as to your problems, the off side is where the DPF is located, so I'd be concerned by that. ALL smoke should be out the taillpipes. Is it possible that the pipe ( or the DPF itself) has a hole in it? This would definitely explain your smoking issue. This would worry me TBH. Its a job for the lift, and see whats causing it. BTW, how do you monitor the DPF Regen frequency? Just by the way its smoking? Or some other method??
I had exactly the same coolant leaking problem in mine....it was the heated fuel filter housing. Its a well known fault in them, and they should have rectified it a long time ago...it was in my first MB too, an 2010 E class 200 cdi. The factory fitted filter on the OM651 engines had two retaining bolts holding the housing unit to the engine block, where it was linked to the cooling systrm, and hot water from the engine circulated around the fuel filter, heating the fuel itself. Problem was the seal used to go, and water would leak. It was very difficult to see this leak, as it happened primarily when the car was being driven, and the water was either evaporated or just blown away with the movement of the car. The replacement housing has 3 retaining bolts, and so far, it seems to have cured that particular problem. The oil leak is a different problem, and when its on the lift, for the DPF inspection, the undertrays can be removed the engine examined for the oil leak. OIl being what it is, ( black and oily ) should leave plenty of staining around where its leaking.
Good Luck with it, and keep us in the picture on what haooens, OK? Thanks

 

[Kev555]

Looks like you need an Indie like Mioba stated Immy unless your handy with the diagnostics and spanners, You could have injector issues possibly, split boost pipe or exhaust leak as Jim stated when its regening the DPF every 150 miles with mixed driving. Yes you do hear a different note of the exhaust when doing a regen depending on which vehicle and exhaust system with the OM651 engine. Follow Jims advice on the coolant leak

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

As above I’d get your local garage to get the car into the air on a lift and remove the undercovers for an inspection otherwise it’s guesswork as to the problem. As Jim2 there is a known coolant loss issue on that engine and a superseded part available.
At the next MoT in November I’m minded to ask my local garage to drop the undercovers and do a visual inspection regarding leaks especially from the oil cooler. It’s a modern problem unfortunately much of underside of a vehicle is encapsulated it’s so difficult to inspect nowadays without dropping covers

 

[Jim2]

As above I’d get your local garage to get the car into the air on a lift and remove the undercovers for an inspection otherwise it’s guesswork as to the problem. As Jim2 there is a known coolant loss issue on that engine and a superseded part available.
At the next MoT in November I’m minded to ask my local garage to drop the undercovers and do a visual inspection regarding leaks especially from the oil cooler. It’s a modern problem unfortunately much of underside of a vehicle is encapsulated it’s so difficult to inspect nowadays without dropping covers

Yes Malcolm, and with the undertrays, when there is a leak, and it can be seen on the drive way, but no way to tell where it originated unless the tray are removed.An engine oil leak can show very far from the engine iself. They can be a pain at times.

 

[Immy0111]

Welcome Immy0111,
I've the same car as you, 2014 W212, 220 CDI, with slightly less mileage 222562. Bought it last August, so 11 mths ago approx. and have driven it 6'000 Klms since. I do all the servicing on it myself, and the previous owner had it serviced in a MB main dealership. So far, so good, no problems. Its now due a transmission flush and fluid change and I plan on doing it this week. I have an iCarsoft CR Pro, and for anyone who is anyway mechanically minded and interested in whats happening under the bonnet of his car, I'd strongly recommend getting an OBD scanner like the iCarsoft.
Now as to your problems, the off side is where the DPF is located, so I'd be concerned by that. ALL smoke should be out the taillpipes. Is it possible that the pipe ( or the DPF itself) has a hole in it? This would definitely explain your smoking issue. This would worry me TBH. Its a job for the lift, and see whats causing it. BTW, how do you monitor the DPF Regen frequency? Just by the way its smoking? Or some other method??
I had exactly the same coolant leaking problem in mine....it was the heated fuel filter housing. Its a well known fault in them, and they should have rectified it a long time ago...it was in my first MB too, an 2010 E class 200 cdi. The factory fitted filter on the OM651 engines had two retaining bolts holding the housing unit to the engine block, where it was linked to the cooling systrm, and hot water from the engine circulated around the fuel filter, heating the fuel itself. Problem was the seal used to go, and water would leak. It was very difficult to see this leak, as it happened primarily when the car was being driven, and the water was either evaporated or just blown away with the movement of the car. The replacement housing has 3 retaining bolts, and so far, it seems to have cured that particular problem. The oil leak is a different problem, and when its on the lift, for the DPF inspection, the undertrays can be removed the engine examined for the oil leak. OIl being what it is, ( black and oily ) should leave plenty of staining around where its leaking.
Good Luck with it, and keep us in the picture on what haooens, OK? Thanks

Hi Jim

Thanks for your much eloquent reply.

My undertray was taken off by a local indi and there was visible oil leak mark. In terms of DPF the specialist didn't find any leak but he reckoned a forced regen would do the trick. He checked DPF health with a system called Star. It marked my dpf as healthy. Somewhere around 46% full.

It didn't make much of a difference. He also said the engine needs to be jetwashed in order to find the leak. He thinks it's not a big leak but would require some time to find it.

Fuel filter housing has been changed too, it did give me a heart attack once lol.

Let's see how this pans out.

 

[Jim2]

Hi Jim

Thanks for your much eloquent reply.

My undertray was taken off by a local indi and there was visible oil leak mark. In terms of DPF the specialist didn't find any leak but he reckoned a forced regen would do the trick. He checked DPF health with a system called Star. It marked my dpf as healthy. Somewhere around 46% full.

It didn't make much of a difference. He also said the engine needs to be jetwashed in order to find the leak. He thinks it's not a big leak but would require some time to find it.

Fuel filter housing has been changed too, it did give me a heart attack once lol.

Let's see how this pans out.

If the DPF was checked out on Star, thats about as good as it gets. While on the star, did it show any stored faults that would account for the smoking? Injector faults etc? Jet washing the engine, I'm not so sure about, and the last jet washing that I ever did was on a mK 1 Ford Cortina, which only had a set of ignition points distributor cap and leads, so nothing a good dry out would not cure. Personally, I would not jet wash mine, but thats just me, and there's plenty of detailers around who clean and detail engine bays, so its been done.