Particulate trap bank 1 - Efficiency below threshold

[Carl0s]

Hi all,

So as a part of my daily routine of checking my 12v battery status on OBD11 - today I noticed that there's and error code on engine. I was bit surprised since there has been nothing wrong with the vehicle, and went to check it. I were greeted with following error:

P200200 - Particulate trap bank 1 - Efficiency bellow threshold
Status: Static
Priority: 2
Malfunction frequency counter: 3
Unlearning counter: 255
Mileage: 188140km (current ODO was 188144, so it was very recent)
Engine speed: 1314/min
Normed load value: 46,3%


And I'm bit confused. By quick googling this could point towards DPF starting to get blocked. So I checked the DPF status: Soothe mass was 9grams and the last regeneration was done quite recently (like 4hours in driving time). I then proceeded to try and to service regeneration, but it was "unavailable" in OBD11. Any ideas what could be the issue and what should be my next move?

Since its winter, and there is shitload of snow in Finland atm, and I have the regression model that currently lacks a pair of drive shafts in the rear, I'm currently in the middle of the process of selling my wife the idea of changing the vehicle to one that has been equipped with the missing drive shafts in the rear, so not so fancy on dropping ~3000€ on new DPF or just throwing it to Audi Center for diagnostics (which usually just comes back as "seems fine, don't know, btw - here's 1500€ bill)

[TexasDfwS4]

What causes a blocked DPF? Typical causes of a blocked DPF can include too many short journeys where the regeneration processes have not initiated. In most cases the blockage is a symptom of another problem such as faulty DPF sensor, incorrect engine oil or a failing turbo.May 15, 2018

It is much more normal for DPFs take 10k miles to become blocked. However, this only happens if the owner NEVER takes their car for a run. Once a week, once a fortnight, or even once a month, a 30–60 minute run at a constant 3–4k RPM will ensure it doesn't get blocked.

[M1k3ee]

Did you install different software / an ECU tune on the car? Because your mileage is relatively low for DPF issues. If your DPF is in good condition, you can have it professionally cleaned instead of buying a new one. I am sure that there must be a firm that offers this service in Finland. Another option would be to remove the DPF and code out the error codes + DPF regeneration; although this is not allowed for on-road use in most countries.

[Carl0s]

While googling around I found this informative video from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdGLALRM5SI - It appears to be quite common issue on the TDI's and its actually caused by the EGR cooler, not DPF. Need to keep eye on it if it starts to come back regularly, then I guess I must clean the egr cooler or replace it all together.