Here is the issue:
I have a mostly continuous CEL that VW diagnoses as an "internal crack on t he particle filter". The flow is not blocked, there is no increased polluti on (per VW anyway) and the car starts, idles and runs properly with no decr ease in mileage. There are no signs of physical damage, no bad fuel issues, no overheating, the car has received all services per 'the book' using onl y VW-approved fluids and OEM parts, done either by the dealer or by VW-cert ified independent mechanics.
2010 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagon, purchased new in the US, April of 2010, 120,0 00 miles, the problem showing up at 111,000 miles.VW tells me ~$5,000 to fix it. Which seems insane on the face of it for som ething that is part of the pollution control system and should be a more-or
-less lifetime part.
So, is this common? Is there a cure short of big-bucks replacement? Is there a way to reprogram the OBD system to ignore this particular input? Any other suggestions?
Note that in Pennsylvania, Diesels are exempt from emissions tests. However , this vehicle will pass (by actual test) standards from other states. So I have no guilty conscience asking these questions. I just feel that this is supposed to be an economical vehicle with enhanced longevity - and a $5,00
0 penalty seems outrageous. VW stated that the warranty on this part expire d at 80,000 miles, and would not tell me what a typical life actually was, nor whether this failure was unusual or not.Thanks in advance!
Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA