Posted 25 October 2021

Does my friends BMW have a DPF? If not what may be causing the issues detailed below please?

Hi there, I am asking for a friend as to whether they have a Dpf fitted as they struggle to go past 40mph in their automatic car. It is a:

Manufacturer BMW
Model 520D Se Auto
Model Detail 520D Step Auto
Body Style Saloon
Fuel Type Diesel
Engine Size 1995 cc
Euro Status 4
ULEZ Compliant Check ULEZ status
BHP 161 BHP
Vehicle Age 15 years 7 months
Registered Date 01 March 2006
V5C Issue Date 18 May 2021
12 Months Tax Cost £275

We are just wondering if it has a DPF if it’s that causing the issue or the actual automatic gear box. She’s had the throttle body, fuel filter and oil sensor changed a few weeks ago and was fine for a little while but playing up again. Does struggle to go into Park mode so we are thinking it is more to do with the gearbox.

Would be great if anyone could confirm.

Thanks
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  1. groenleader's avatar
    Diag tool, save everyone the hassle! You wont get answer here that is definitive.

    If it was the autobox the you would probably suffer from a non change and this issue is shown by high count on the tach and also by what you can hear!

    If the torque converter is out of fluid then a gear change wont happen, and could be why it wont go in to P.

    Check the fluid; dip stick; top it up.

    But if you have been driving it that low, its time to top it up and sell the car (edited)
  2. deleted1390786's avatar
    So was there an EML on before you did the work detailed above? Was the fault there, stopped when you did the work, then started again?
    Could be so many things, get it to someone with a decent diagnostic kit and get it read properly. Don't buy a cheap code reader, especially if you think the box might be faulty.
  3. Romes's avatar
    I’m not sure whether your car has a DPF, as 2006 is right around the time when they made them mandatory. Either way I think getting the car plugged into a diagnostic reader should be a priority. Even if there are no persistent lights on the dash, there’s still a good chance there may be some stored codes and you can go from there
  4. sm9690's avatar
    Maybe buy an OBD reader to see if there's any fault codes showing? My friends old 2011 merc once had a turbo/ecu issue so it kept going into limp mode
  5. aLV426's avatar
    DPFs became mandatory in 2009 - however they did get fitted to BMW before it became mandatory. If it passed the MOT then it has a DPF otherwise it would fail the emissions test...
  6. Willy_Wonka's avatar
    Fuel tank contamination?
  7. EndlessWaves's avatar
    After three wrong diagnoses I'd be finding a different garage. It's possible it's just an elusive problem, but at that point it's more likely the mechanic is just not doing a good job.
  8. deleted124280's avatar
    As Groenleader says, getting the codes read would help - using a reader that can talk to the gearbox.

    But in the meantime -
    I think it does have a dpf
    Is it changing gear?
    What happens with the revs?
    Has the egr been cleaned and air filter replaced?

    tbh this age of bmw has so many things that could go wrong....
    swirl flaps, vortex breather, coolant system, etc.

    If dpf is blocked then make sure nothing stops the temps getting up - glow plugs must be good (not cheap crap), glow plug controller is a common failure, thermostat.
  9. HotUkDale's avatar
    Author
    Thank you for all your comments, it is much appreciated.

    I will let her know about all these options
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