Drove home from work tonight, about half an hour’s drive on rural roads. Got close to home and there was a sort of ‘hot’ smell. Not rubber, but something similar.

Got home and was getting stuff out and there was an awful lot of clicking and whatnot coming from underneath – stuff contracting, I guess, but I’ve never heard it like that before. Lifted the bonnet and there was again a bit of a whiff, and the fan was still working overtime.

Any ideas? NB I am not in any way mechanically-minded, so simple terms, please!

I’ll go for binding brakes.

Age of the van?

Could be cleaning it’s own dpf out?

Transporter? Clearly the flux capacitor has cat aids.

Hth

DPF regen.

First time mine did it, I got out and the heat from the DPF was like standing in front of an electric fire.

Just waved my hand past the exhaust and it was very hot so used the cruise control to put the van in a fast idle until it finished.

An hour or so later I realised all the hairs on the back of my wrist were frazzled and then fell off 😆

It’s an 09. I hadn’t thought about the DPF. I take it there isn’t a light or anything to tell you that’s what’s going on?

I’ve got a 5-hour round trip tomorrow and it’s made me think I should take the car instead :-/

Dpf regen. Takes 15mins in a t5. You would have also noticed a slightly delayed throttle response. Best to keep driving until it’s done.

5hr round trip is the perfect opportunity for a regen. If it failed to complete the one the one today due to you ending your journey mid way through, tomorrows run is exactly the correct thing to do as it gives it plenty of opportunity to complete one.

You probably won’t notice it doing one whilst driving. If you keep doing short journeys or inadvertently interrupting it by parking up, it will eventually start giving you warnings on the instrument cluster.

The only time I got errors on mine was when I kept doing short runs in town, after about five failed regens it starts getting grumpy.

Right, best use the van tomorrow then!

Thanks all.

5 failed regens your oil must have been mostly diesel after that !

Do you need to run at higher revs (i.e. 5th not 6th at 60mph) to help with the burning?

Never noticed my 09 T5 doing a regen. Although I don’t tend to do short journeys, but most driving is a sedate affair. Happy to sit behind the lorries.

No. Just normal driving because it’s an active regen. Having said that you will want to be on the open road as it will be horrible in town whilst regening – stinky for passers-by and juddery on the clutch from standstill. It’s just 15mins every 200miles or so (for me anyway), so when you feel it starting, just drive a bit longer.

Dear oh dear….

12 posts in and no Veedub hate!!! STW losing it’s touch.

I didn’t think 09’s had DPF, mine doesn’t…

I was under the impression 1.9td engines weren’t fitted with DPFs. Mine’s never done a regen at least (2008 1.9)

So STW have just sent the OP off on a long journey with a fault on his wagon?

What could possibly go wrong?

My 2.5 07 has a dpf. I don’t know about the 1.9 though.

Don’t think the 1.9s did. The 2.0 did, well mine did anyway. Assuming it’s the same engine of course, 2.0PD.

Never gave me any bother except the first time it did it, which was not long after I got it, about 100 miles in, and I thought it was going to set on fire.

I didn’t think 09’s had DPF, mine doesn’t…

My vRS does. First of the 2.0 common rails, but the 2.0 PD before it did too.

just 15mins every 200miles

that *feels* like quite frequently? 15 minutes every 3-5 hours driving?

I do a lot of short local runs with the odd longer run, so I suspect I am likely to get more regens than someone who does all long runs. Anyway I try, within reason, to let it run and finish it’s cycle and not carry on excessively with failed cycles. It would be interesting to see how frequent everyone else regens are too.

Vito here, no ‘stinky t5’ on our drive! Do have two other VWs though : )

So STW have just sent the OP off on a long journey with a fault on his wagon?

What could possibly go wrong?

IANAM

My comments are my own opinion and should not be taken as professional advice and do not reflect those of Singletrackworld.com.

Breakdown cover is recommended, as is a fire extinguisher.

I have never owned a VW, only proper vans that drive like a tractor and can you can stand up in.

Etc etc good luck OP!

Got any coolant in it?