ML350 Bluetec problems with DPF, Adblue, and EGR

[JetstreamJay]

Greetings, everybody,

I am a newbie here, and my 2014 ML350 Bluetec has been giving me nothing but trouble. A fault code 111500, which reads "Soot content in the diesel particulare filter is implausible," came up in December, apparently prompted by the differential pressure and exhaust back pressure sensors, and that was the first warning light to come on. Switched out both sensors without success. The gasoline usage was skyrocketing (23 litres per hundred) and the DPF wasn't regenerating, so I had to install a new one. So far, this has been the solution to all problems; fuel consumption has even out, and the CEL has disappeared.


Another CEL appeared just 300 miles later, and the dreaded Adblue Remaining Starts 10 warning followed shortly thereafter. You can skip the "500 km remaining" and "16 starts remaining" Adblue messages and go right to the 10 starts. I filled up the Adblue because I felt it was low, but that didn't fix the CEL. Beyond that, I saw that the car's exhaust began to emit a heavy grayish-white smoke and had an odour that was completely foreign to me—neither diesel fuel nor ammonia, as far as I could tell. Once the problem codes (16CE00, 16CF00) were cleared, everything settled down for around 200km before CEL popped up again.

The official dealer suggested updating the ECU software because the Adblue system wasn't talking to it correctly. That fixed the Adblue-related codes, but now I'm having trouble with 14CF00, which means 'The positive control deviation during exhaust gas recirculation control is too high,' and 178200, because of the SCR catalytic converter's efficiency. Since the DPF problems began in December, the 14CF00 code has intermittently prompted the CEL; the dealer says I must now clean the EGR valve, pipes, etc. This is great with me, and I will have it done. My biggest concern is pinpointing the source of the smoke; is it related to the EGR problem, the Adblue problem, or the just installed DPF? Both possibilities are being considered because the smoke didn't begin until after the Adblue tank was filled, and it was also soon after the DPF was replaced. The smoke appears out of nowhere on highways and in cities, stays for two to five minutes, and then goes away. The dealer claims, "It's just DPF regeneration," but I don't buy it because the DPF is brand new and I've never had problems like this before the Adblue problems began.

I could really need some advice.

[Lemmand]

Did you manage to resolve this? In that case, what was the verdict?

[EchoTrail]

I seriously doubt you will receive a response from him because he hasn't returned since May.

[TraumaLaugh]

Oh, I see. Buying my 1983 W123 200 is the way to go. You won't find any electronics, adblu, DPF, warning lights, wind-up windows, LEZ costs, road tax, or MOT required (though I'm sure someone on this forum will renew mine tomorrow), and the annual insurance premium is £89 dollars.
Unfortunately, I have to sell it because the sitting position is too much for my old knees.

[Lemmand]

Though it begs the question, the industry is unfortunately moving in the opposite direction of faster speeds, even though less electricity is better.

[TraumaLaugh]

The windows, steering, headlights, and gear shift are all powered by electricity. My brain lights up my arm, which cradles the window winder, and I spin it in a circular motion whenever I want the windows rolled down. The window lowers as if by some enchantment. I do the same thing when I want to park in reverse: my brain tells my arms to do it. I park the car while one of them shifts into reverse and the other controls the wheel. When I sense that it's getting dark, my brain instructs my right arm to extend forward and flip the switch for the headlights to the "on" position. I can shift gears by just signalling with my head, which then instructs my left arm to move the gear stick. Because (a) I am intelligent and (b) I am a competent driver, I am able to achieve all these amazing things. People who haven't mastered the art of driving are the ones who should not be driving these computer-laden modern vehicles. The mechanics at the garage, alas, lack brains. Instead than employing their limited cognitive abilities to determine the source of the problem, they blindly follow the instructions on their computer. The end result is that the consumer pays a hefty sum for services that were superfluous.