Hi,

I'm trying to help out a friend with his 3.0 A4. It's on high miles, approx 170k. He started getting dpf warnings and then got full limp mode with flashing coil light. He took the car to a local garage who removed the filter and had it sent off to a company that cleans them. They then got it back and remounted it. However the engine light and coil light are still on, and the car is in limp mode. If the codes are cleared then the lights go out, but the engine remains in limp mode. Trying to rev the engine results in very slow rpm gains until around 3k rpm, and the engine and coil lights come back on again. So it seems that clearing the codes leaves the car in limp mode, and the errors come straight back again.

The code being produced is:

Diesel Particulate Filter (Bank 1)
P242F - 001 - Restricted/Clogged - MIL ON

However as far as I can see the pressure across the dpf is normal, mostly sub 100mbar. The value for carbon mass calc is low, but carbon mass actual is high. I suspect that the car still thinks that the dpf is clogged and is restricting the engine to prevent fires etc. The following screenshot was at about 2k rpm I think.



In the long adaptation section there is an option to adapt to a dpf replacement, however when it is selected the save button greys out. As far as I know there is a code that must be entered into the security access section above. There is nothing in any of the booklets that looks like it would be relevant.

My questions are, does it look like I'm on the right track, and does anyone know where I might be able to find this code?

The garage that got the dpf cleaned have no idea what to do wit the car now and are trying to convince my friend to write the car off and replace it, and for the time being he's stuck paying for a rental car with costs mounting. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!