"Depollution System Faulty" Error Code

What your Service Centers normally don't tell you!

I never send my cars to any workshop when "Depollution System Faulty" pops up. I'm sharing what u oughta know... the reasons why, what parts to replace and how much u have to pay for.

Frm oneDIY (formerly known as uncleDIY) experience... there are at least one out of three main culprits for the error code. Each symptom is unique...

1. The engine runs normally or a little "not-so-smooth" (not jerky) at idling speeds and can be driven slowly but jerky when the accelerator pedal is pressed harder.

Reason: Faulty/dirty spark plug. Cost of part replacement is less than or around RM50 for a platinum or iridium spark plug.

2*. The engine runs uneven and jerky/erratic at idling and can only be driven at extremely slow speeds or not at all.

Reason: Faulty ignition coil. Cost of part replacement is around RM200 for individual ignition coil pack. Some cars come with integrated coil pack (4-in-1) costs around RM500.

3.The error code displayed but there is no noticeable effect on the engine and the car can be driven normally.

Reason: Faulty Oxygen Sensor. Cost of part including labour can be more than RM1k. I bought @US$132.98 frm eBay 2 yrs ago.

*Note: "ol' school" type of engine, using a single ignition coil together with a distributor may not applied this symptom.

Knocking 308 engine? The remedy could be very simple...

Lately my308 has developed knocking or pinging sound during hard acceleration at speeds around 50km/hr. The problem persists even after using RON97 fuel! So far, for almost five years there was no such knocking even running on RON95 fuel.

I used eTuners Lionheart software for diagnostic (free download HERE). It tells there is "super knocking" but short of showing up the cause. (what more I can expect frm a FREE stuff, anyway?

When the car was sent to local autArised service centers/garages for advice - they either suggest to do top overhaul to remove carbon built-up or to the extent of  replacing the timing chain solely based on fault code P1385.

Alternatively, after googling around finally I got an advice to check whether knock sensor is faulty and I was guided to a site How to Check a Knock Sensor for Continuity . 

Surprisingly... the advice was right (no autA punyier). After replacing the knock sensor at RM350 (USD100+) the problem is solved like magic... 

... and now not only I can save from  unnecessary sky-high repair expenses but I can still enjoy lower-cost RON95 fuel. So far so good. Sprinting away from traffic lights is still a fun like before... :)

How to Install ELM327 and OBD2 Software

Got problem with your ELM327 interface but feel shy to ask? ... take a peep HERE - whatever mode of connection (USB, bluetooth, etc..). Nobody is watching ya.

Fault Codes

Now...
So far so good after a few days and hundred of km's driving - since VVT mechanicals replacement.

No more fault code detected.


Before...
Every time after long-distance driving there were fault codes detected. Mostly "pending" faults - sometimes there were "permanent" faults as well.


Those faults had to be reset. So far seven times already done before being rectified.

Technical Resources OBD Error Codes

If you have OBD tools that can read error codes but give no description, Permoveo-Euro Specialists has got Auto Diagnostic Technical Resources for you to refer. Just select vehicle manufacturer from the pull down menu and enter OBD error Code in the dialog box provided then click on "Lookup Error Code".

e.g: Fault Code P1385

you'll get this...

http://www.permoveo.ltd.uk/TechnicalResources.aspx

Super Knocking!

I've been observing "Super Knocking" is a common problem associated with EP6-DT* engines. At the beginning it is not easy to detect by normal "feel" [or with "buttDyno"] because most of the time the ECU would regulate the combustion parameters accordingly to make the engine run as usual after it had sensed "knocking". Not withstanding, once happened, there is a high probability for a series of unfortunate events to happen which lead to a catastrophe.

The remedy could cost a fortune!


It is essential for you to have OBD2 diagnostic tools ready all the time - as the "first aid" kit and lets you know what's happening in your car engine. The diagnostic tool normally comes as a stand alone device [OBD2 Scanner] or a set of ELM327 dongle and diagnostic software [for laptop] can be bought on-line cheaply nowadays. Some diagnostic software can even be downloaded for free!


The Causes of Engine Knock
Simple answer to engine knock is "Abnormal Combustion", but no one really knows exactly the reasons behind "super knocking". Based on what had happened to myPeugeot308 looks like the mechanics at an authorised SC is doing trial-and-error* method to solve it.

Episode 1 - Sept 3rd, 2011
Happened on my way back from Kelantan via Gerik. Just after Ipoh the car lost power. Set the car on autoCruise at 90kph for 20km. Power back again. Very powerful!. A week later the car was sent to an authorised SC to rectify the problem . A HPFP was replaced [foc]

Episode 2 - Nov 6th, 2011
Drove to Kelantan via KLipis. Happened again at the beginning of the trip but restored after Gombak Toll Plaza. Got all the power needed for Karak Highway

Episode 3 - Nov 8th, 2011
Loss power while driving from Kelantan towards Kuantan. It happened just after passing Jertih. Drove the car all the way to Kuantan at reduced power. Top speed on newly opened ECE2 was less than 180kph. Normally I did above 200kph there. The next day continued driving along coastal roads to JB. In JB the car was diagnosed for "mis-communication" between gearbox and the ECU hence fuel regulation fault detected - rich mixture at low load and lean mixture at high load.

Read more on the 1500-km misadventure HERE.

Episode 4 -Dec 12, 2011
Infamous "Intermittent power loss" happened again. This time more often than before. Sent the car to an authorised SC again. The mechanic suggested for top overhaul to change ignition and valve timing mechanisms including timing chain... sounded very scary. Spare parts not available. Got to wait. Drove the car back home. No more power loss after resetting the ECU but a couple of time the engine jerky briefly. Total count for ECU resetting done to date is FIVE...


Episode 5 - Feb 14th 2012
Spare Parts arrived. Sent the car again to get the work done.

*Note: I've heard they even offer engine replacement. Not in Malaya of course. Read HERE- but there are cases here in Malaya where cylinder heads had got to be replaced as a result of the "super knocking".

Better get it done during the warranty period. The time bomb is ticking. Yours could be next.

NORMAL KNOCKING FAQ
If you notice a metallic rattling noise coming out of your car engine and/or a sudden loss of power when the accelerator pedal is pressed down aggressively that means the engine is suffering from a condition known as "engine knock".

What you have to do is immediately back off the throttle and drive the car at low rpm to allow the ECU investigate and respond accordingly. There is a knock sensor that detects this as it happens and the ECU backs off the fuelling causing the engine to run lean and reduce/avoid knock. The knock sensor however, may not save an engine from the effects of a "super" knock.

What exactly is engine knock and how dangerous is it?
Engine knock is a condition where the fuel in the engine ignites prematurely and can cause serious damage to the engine. When the engine ignites prematurely where the piston has not arrived at its TDC position there is a tendency of forcing the crank to run in the opposite direction which puts a lot of stress on the crank and pistons hence causing damage in a long run.

What makes the fuel ignites prematurely?
When there is an excessively high pressure inside the combustion chamber the fuel can ignite prematurely before the spark timing. For instance, too much turbo boost setting (by remapping and chip tuning) will also increase the risk of compression based pre-ignition. Another cause of premature fuel ignition include hot spots inside the engine. The infamous carbon deposit around intake manifold in direct-injection engine will make it glowing red hot and igniting the fuel as it enters the combustion chamber.

How to avoid engine knock and pinging?
1. Back to old school-book advice... the octane rating of fuel describes the fuels resistance to engine knock. In a lot of cases simply switching to a higher octane fuel may solve the engine knocking problem. A lot of modern cars run on high compression ratios and require high octane fuel be used. If you want to save money on fuel and use RON95 back off the throttle and drive with low rpm speeds. 

2. Top-overhaul and de-carbon... there are also a number of effective engine cleaning methods that do not require top-overhaul such as by spraying "certain chemical" into the intake to clean and remove the carbon/tar-like deposits.

Intermittent Power Loss - Your Turn Could be Next!

If you have a Peugeot powered by EP6-DT* engine, sooner or later there is a chance for you to experience "Intermittent Power Loss" as a result of any of the following combination of faults associated with but not limited to "Super Knocks", "Fuel Regulation Problem", "Rich Fuel Mixture", "Lean Fuel Mixture at full Load", etc...

Don't worry if you haven't come across it yet, please be patient your turn could be next, sooner or later.

Many ppl suspect (or accuse) there might be an issue with the RON # and quality of local fuel, but that could be incorrect and baseless. Biasalah tu..:)

When your turn comes, try to reset/update the ECU (you need an OBD2 diagnostic gadget. If you already have a laptop, all you need is a diagnostic software and a USB interface dongle for under RM100 from eBay, if you are willing to spend more you can buy a stand alone dedicated OBD2 gadget from less than RM500)

Note: Your old laptop running on Windows XP could be more suitable than the one running on Vista and Windows 7. Don't throw away the old laptop!

If the problems persist send the car to any authorised SC for through diagnosis and probably your Lion needs the following operation:

1. engine block disassembly
2. cleaning of the valves if there is excessive black soot in there
3. replacement of the engine cover with integrated valve heads
4. replacement of the Teflon layer between valve heads and valves
5. replacement the chain/tensioner*
6. etc... the list could be endless!

I was told by "somebody" this procedure was a suggestion from Peugeot France Technical Centre and was completely covered under warranty, since it was obviously a production fault. (*They even recommend timing chain/tensioner replacement as well, although it is not strictly necessary)

Question to ponder....

Did Peugeot discover something fishy with timing chain design/manufacturing? If so why not just recall all the effected cars? En. Nasarudin, be proactive la bro...

I hope this helps everybody with this issue, I know it could be frustrating .

PCMSCAN

PCMSCAN is just another OBD-II scanner and diagnostic tool for viewing, charting, logging and playback of diagnostic data in real time via the vehicle's OBD-II diagnostic data port. It also allows viewing of vehicle Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC's), Freeze Frame data, and other vehicle information.

Unfortunately for myPeugeot 308T, PCMSCAN supports only 17 out of 110 available PIDs.

Nothing much to play around. Nonetheless it is still useful for monitoring and logging some of the the critical data, besides displaying "trouble codes" and able to reset 'em, if exist.
BTW, I'm using 'plug and play' ELM327 USB for the interface.

OBD2 Datalogger

For less than RM400 this tiny OBD2 "black box" (35mm x 48mm x 25mm) can record/monitor simultaneously four out of 23 available parameters - e.g engine load, temperature, battery voltage, speed...etc

The stand alone OBD2 Datalogger can log car speed once every second and other data every 5, 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds intervals as well for up to 300 hours of normal driving. When it’s full, it writes over the oldest data.

It has mini USB port and comes with a cable for connection to a PC and software. The software summarizes each trip with data on time, speed and distance.

One of interesting features is that after a trip, the application will not only show a summary of the drive but can display a line graph of speed and indicate where there was hard acceleration and braking. These are indications that someone has been driving in a potentially unsafe manner, such as with jack-rabbit starts and stops. Unfortunately it can’t show if the seat belts were not used.

The data-logger also watches the car’s operations and shows error codes if exist when it is connected to a pc. In the event of an accident it can grab the data for the last 20 seconds of the car’s operation, letting you prove your speed and whether you slammed on the brakes or otherwise.

Some of the Parameters Available for recording

Vehicle Speed	Range: 0 to 255 km/h Resolution: 1 km/h
Trip Distance Traveled	Range: 0 to 16,000 km Resolution: 0.1 km
Acceleration / Deceleration Threshold	Range: 0 to 3 G (0 to 30 m/sec2) Resolution: 0.03 G (0.3 m/sec2)
Engine Speed	Range: 0 to 16,384 rpm Resolution: 1 rpm
Throttle Position	Range: 0 to 100% Resolution: 0.1%
Coolant Temperature	Range: -40C to 215C Resolution: 1.0C
Engine Load	Range: 0 to 100% Resolution: 0.1%
Air Flow Rate	Range: 0 to 655.35 gm/sec Resolution: 0.01 gm/sec
Intake Air Temperature	Range: -40C to 215C Resolution: 1.0C
Intake Manifold Pressure	Range: 0 to 255 kPaA Resolution: 1 kPaA
Fuel Pressure	Range: 0 to 110 psi Resolution: 0.5 psi
O2 Sensor Voltage (up to 8 Monitored)	Range: 0 to 1.275 Volts Resolution: 0.005 Volts
Ignition Timing Advance	Range: -64° to 63.5° Resolution: 0.5°
Short Term Fuel Trim (Up to 2 Monitored)	Range: -100% to 99.22% Resolution: 0.8%
Long Term Fuel Trim (Up to 2 Monitored)	Range: -100% to 99.22% Resolution: 0.8%
Battery Voltage	Range: 6 to 16 Volts DC Resolution: 0.01 Volts DC

EXAMPLEs

Coolant temperature


Air intake temperature


Speeds


RPM