Morris Minor Owners Club

So in early Jan this year, my 'Modern', a 2010 Ford Kuga Diesel 2WD began to play up, with a Intermittent Engine Light and Fault Codes that indicated the DPF wasn't doing it's regeneration cycle. But at no time was it going into 'Limp Mode'.
The car uses a '5th injector' to spray extra diesel into the exhaust to clean out the DPF, rather than the AdBlue system option.

With Lockdown, the car wasn't being used from one week to another so it was low on the priority job list.
Aafter doing things like checking every fuse listed as something to do with the engine or fuel systems, I eventually (late June) bit the bullet and changed the Injector, which is a pig to get to and unable to remove after nearly 10 yrs without wrecking it, even after removing bits of the exhaust and support brackets for access.

Situation improved a little, but still not right (the fault codes changed), so I tried a few more things, like testing the little fuel pump that supplies the 5th Injector and finally decided to check every fuse, irrespective of designated purpose.
The Kuga has about 80 fuses split between 2 fuse boxes, one of them tucked away under the passenger glove box. I eventually found a 10A fuse ruptured, listed as being for the AWD Control Unit. Anyone paying attention at the beginning of this, will have noted I said the car is 2WD!! So why was there in a fuse in that position?

Having changed that fuse, I've now driven some 250 miles without any lights or codes occurring
Since it had ruptured, there must have been a reason for it, so I'm assuming it must be linked to the 5th Injector and NOT just the absent AWD system.

While I was doing all this work, including taking the DPF off for access, I noticed the exhaust hanger 'bar' on the DPF was about to fail, being around 80-90% rusted away.
Not wishing to buy a very expensive DPF just because of that, in a moment of Lockdown extravagance I brought a small Arc Welder, under £100 including a box of rods from Screwfix. (Less than the cost of a DPF)
I have never welded in my life, so after about 1/4 of a rod for practice, this weekend I welded a replacement bar (made from a very strong steel tent peg) onto the DPF.
It's not pretty by any means, but for a 1st weld it'll certainly do the job of extending the life of the DPF by several years..
Luckily, Basil doesn't need any welding at the moment....but come the day...

I keep wondering about buying myself a welder, but don't want to tempt fate. At the moment any odd welding jobs I need can be done where I work.

My modern has not been very far since I started working from home in March, I go back to work in the office from tomorrow, so went to fill it up yesterday.
The last time I topped it up was 3 months ago on the 14th May, and it was still nearly half full, I must have saved hundreds on fuel, maybe I should spend it on a welder ?

Phil

It looks like your tent peg was galvanised. If it was, you should be careful to grind the galv off before welding as the fumes produced are toxic.

mobylette wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 4:32 pm It looks like your tent peg was galvanised. If it was, you should be careful to grind the galv off before welding as the fumes produced are toxic.

yep.
It was and I did, all surfaces clean and shiny. I also did it in the open air for good measure and there was a gentle breeze.
All welding fumes are now classed as dangerous.
It all changed as of Feb last year.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/ ... g-fume.htm

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The DPF on my 2010 Tiguan was coming up as faulty. I had it flushed through under pressure. They inject a cleaner, then neutralise it. Then run the car for a while. It did the job, no more limp home mode.
What is concerning is that the clouds of smoke coming out of the exhaust, after the treatment, were horrendous. It’s as if all the stuff that the filter collected over the years was ejected in one fell swoop. Makes you wonder...