*QUICK UPDATE* - We have it booked into Mercedes next week for them to plug in diagnostics, run tests, and check live data and the history to hopefully confirm where the issues lie. I will of course do a follow-up video when I have further news to tell you. So far I want to say a massive thank you to all those that have commented and offered helpful advice. So great to have such a supportive community behind us. Best wishes Greg & Lou.

Definitely doing a dpf regen, when you fit the new dpf you have to calibrate it to tell the ecu it’s a new one otherwise the ecu thinks it has to regenerate regularly to keep an old dpf clean!! Has your van been to Mercedes for the software update to reduce emissions? If so, this can also contribute to the symptoms you have. You need to plug the van into a star diagnostic and force a static regeneration, then reset the learned values of the dpf, you will also need to change your oil and filter after this due to the regeneration process. If you’re ever up near Doncaster I can help you out with it

Wow, just read all the support comments, the joys of owning a sprinter, good luck Greg.

I hope you'll be able to get it sorted and that it won't be too expensive.

I hope you get it sorted and you manage to get to Camp Quirky. See you there!

Good luck with this. When you get it sorted please do an update. 👍

Wish I could help. You have been so helpful to so many I hope you get excellent results.

I've had an issue of an injector recalibrating but never that regular but a new injector definitely solved the problem

Good luck, hope you get some help.

Hi Greg, it would be nice to see a followup Video to this so we can all see if our thoughts are right. Great Videos as always, keep up the stirling work..

Hope you get to the bottom of it Greg, probably something simple. Your one of the most helpful blokes out there, and always there for others.

DPF Regen I’d say yeah, Rag it down the motorway 😎👍🏻 I’ll send your video to my garage who’s a diesel specialist, see what he says.

I hope you get it sorted Greg, I had an issue years back with an old transit, it would randomly shudder and fill the street with white smoke, turned out to be a couple of loose camshaft bolts that weren’t tightened after a belt change, I wouldn’t know where to start with your problem although I know my dpf on a vw polo diesel was a pain after short journeys

The dpf will regenerate when under certain driving conditions, however the regen can be interrupted if certain parameters are not met for a long enough period of time. Get your ecu read by a garage with good computer and if no issues carry out a forced regeneration. This should sort it. East Sussex if you need help 👍🏻

Hi Greg, well that sounds definitely like your van is doing a dpf regeneration. I had the same issues and eventually it blocked up and had to be cleaned thoroughly through. Eventually it will block and the regeneration will happen more and more often. Get them to check the EGR valve and the o2 sensors as this can be the main causes of the blockages happening that's aside from just age wear and tear.

It's doing a regen on the dpf most do it at around 350mile intervals depending on the soot content will do it more often with cheaper diesel put a dpf cleaner in the fuel everytime you fill up

First look at the DPF pressure sensor, had similar problems and that fixed it……

Good luck mate

hi Greg a common crafte/merc issue is the o2 sensor. but does not always come up on a diagnostic machine. get the o2 sensor checked only need a multimeter to check this out.

Diagnostics check mate, the intervals of mileage is good indicator of that i think. Best bring her to specialist.. Hope its simple fix for yah. ✌️🇬🇧

Hi, sorry to hear about your problem, I have driven many vitos and sprinters over the years and the only time I’ve seen them smoke like that, was down to the EGR valve, But that came with loss of power, also if it’s the Dpf, while burning off you get quite a burning smell off it

Regen on our lorries smoke massively, do get a light on dash though 👍

Hi Greg, when you had the DPF changed, I believe they should have re programmed the ecu to tell it the dpf filter is new. That's all I know.

The simplest idea I have is, why are you seeing smoke, you may simply have a hole in you dpf from a bad install and thats messing with its regen process. The second idea I have is an intercooler leak, sometimes called boost leak. You'll create more soot in the DPF system because your air to fuel mixture is off, that will kick the dpf on a bunch. Have a partner hold the gas pedal down halfway for a minute in park, hover your hand in front of boost hoses after your turbo under the hood and check for any leaks. However, exhaust should only be coming out of the tailpipe, no where else.

It the registration take it in to a garage let them do a regen when you do a computer plug in for regen it adds fuel to get the temperature up so take it in

I have same problem. Fuel injector cleaner is all I know. It works for me if not used it happens.

It’s definitely a DPF regeneration Greg, the tick over will be ever so slightly raised at idle too when this happens and you may sense a small difference in the exhaust tone. If you’re getting five hundred mile intervals inbetween regenerations that is a good indicator. Six hundred is the maximum permissible distance before a passive regen on your van. A system with high ash and soot levels might do it every three hundred miles. You can search the differences between regeneration actions: passive, active, forced. The key thing on 906 Sprinters is that the motor must be over 2,400RPM to actually be doing anything during a regen - that variable is a key parameter in the coding. If you wanted to have a play a lot of the scan tools now can do a manual passive or active regeneration but there’s not a lot of point - the van already does it for you. The forced regen is more aggressive, not all tools do it and it notably degrades the oil. Don’t do it parked over tarmac either, due to the heat. Another plus with a decent scan tool is to be able to read the ash and soot levels, and see what really gets the exhaust properly hot to blow it all out (a long fourth gear climb gets it well over 400 degrees Celsius). A good bi-directional tool can do the teach too. Are you sure the new DPF had the teach in and did it have a new oxygen sensor too…? Get a short test diagnostic done and see what codes you have.

Greg most of our vans do it when we get down to Dover port or train after driving 4hrs and sat waiting for the ferry or train. We normally get 250k before we have to change dpf because it's full. When it's doing a regen it's the smell of the exhaust fumes that gives it away it when regenning.

Went throught this hassle with mine a ended up cutting the too off mine and drilling 4 holes throught the honey comb then tig welded it back to gether then did regen. But you fitted new dpf so just a regen now a just boot it in 5th on motor way and put it in 3rd going down hills not had a issue since

White smoke usually for burning coolant, so please check oil cooler or head gaskets...

Start with having the values reset! You will need to go to dealer for this and explain to them the DPF was replaced.

Well Greg, whatever it turns out to be, I hope you will let us all know how you cured it. Sure it will help others when they should have the same or similar problem. Better times are coming Greg, there are so many knowledgable comments here. I hope, actually, i'm sure, one of them fits your problem.

Definitely regen I have a lorry that used to doz the same the reason your seeing smoke is because your exhaust temp is not hot enough to burn off the crud efficiently next time it dose it try towing something heavy and keep in a lower gear than normal and at higher RPM to get the exhaust system to its regen temp and do this on a motorway to keep it consistent, the smoke will stop one the exhaust system is at full temp do this for as long as possible to allow it to complete its cycle once you think it has completed around 30 to 40 mins resume normal driving for a further 15 minutes or until your journey is complete then stop and allow it to idle for 5 minutes before turning the engine off this allows the system to cool slowly and allow the cycle to complete properly I believe this is the reason for the regular regen due to it not completely finishing as I had the same issue once I took on a really long run and did the above this solve my issue

check the pressure pipe lines are clear and not perished up to the pressure sensor. Your ecu will perform a regen at 500 miles if no regen is logged. Some scan tools will actually show % dpf full and see if its changing after a drive.

It will be a regen, but with having a new exhaust etc I would check the tolerances to how close it is and making sure it's not burning anything. Or check before the 500 mile point to see if you have a small oil leak onto the area that would reach a higher temp during a regen and effectively burning the oil off.

Put a bottle of engine clean run it one gear below normal for 50 miles push the engine hard (50 mph in a 70 lol) i had this the same as you Lots of Martin King

Mine one did exactly the same thing after having an aftermarket cat and dpf fitted. The only thing that fixed this was having a remap.

Hi Creg, candle man here, hope you and Lou are all good. Mine does the same but only when parked for a long time. If you are around London I could lend you my diagnostic tool to see what is wrong. I couldn't tell you exactly how to fix it but I can point you towards the right direction to better "understand" your van. You need to be able to check the regen log stored in the ECU, it should store at what mileage each regen happened, for this you will need a proper diagnostic tool if not the dealer ( Xentry/star) There is a way to have the dealer software in your own computer, I could talk about it more in private. Having the dealer tool is a game changer, been able to undertake many work alone, if you are adventurous you can learn to remap :) Ohh and another thing without a tool to make sure it is definitely a regen check the temperature at the catalyst it should be north of 600 celiciius if you have a heat gun. Good luck

Hi Greg, I had problem with the dpf periodically filling up on my 2010 313. I was able to force a regen with an Icarsoft sprinter tool, you can see if it's working as the temp will hit 400C odd as more diesel is chucked in to cause a burn in the dpf to clear it. Anyway the problem in the end was a failing throttle valve which didn't throw any codes until it fully failed. The fact yours is smoking could be because of this, i.e. diesel getting chucked in but not enough air with it. Takes a couple of hours to remove and check the gears / electronics in the throttle valve (not the egr valve). Cheers

had a DPF problem on our last van (transit custom) after some research took it to a local garage that runs a DPF doctor franchise. expecting a huge bill and loads of parts. after completing the diagnostics it turned out to be caused by a non OEM thermostat not allowing the engine to reach regeneration temperature cost was diagnostic fee plus fitting oem thermostat. so be wary if the garage start throwing lots of new parts which will only last a few hundred miles find someone with specific skills and training and they may save you a small fortune.

hi Greg had the same problem with my sprinter van MWB2010 reg ,took to someone who I trusted with hand held computer he said one of the pistons was out of alignment and don’t spend to much money on it,I really enjoyed that van but it had to go ,now no van I’m lost,hopefully you will get this sorted

I can say my Transit Diesel does a regen about every 1500 miles. Sounds like your ECM needs a refresh or an upgrade flash.

Needs driving on a motorway flat out in 4th until it does a regen. The cluster will tell you a regen is complete. Had to do it on mine. The regularity is the clue.

💜...hello Lou

Dear Greg, seams there are a lot of comments related DPF regeneration . I´d like to support this many time mentioned idea, just to bit more explain why is smoking, even you´ve replaced DPF. Basicaly DPF need high temperature aprox. 600°C to burn out ash. To achieve such high temperature in DPF, the ECU manage to add extra injection of diesel which isn´t combusted, just is sprayed into exhaust sytem to get into Catalyst to start up catalytic process which generate such high temperature. Easy to say Cat ignites to burning ash in the DPF. If you can see smoke, the catalytic process didn´t started....My opinion is, the Catalysator doesn´t work proparly (partialy stucked, or damaged by another reason). Find somebody with Delphi or VCDS dagnostic system to check temperature value on Turbo, then compare with temperature value on sensor between Cat and DPF. I wish Good luck to fix it.

That's the dpf doing a regen try to keep driving while it's doing it so it does a full regen withou stopping then you shouldn't get blockages as quick

DPF clean needed. If the van only used on the occasion they are renowned for scooting up . They are a pain as are the EGR filter. Just had one of those fitted on my vdub at 20000 mls

chuck some injector cleaner in the fuel tank then run the engine hard for about 10 to 20 miles (4th gear instead of 6th at motorway speeds).

Please post up a solution video if and when you find one. I am of no help whatsoever. But I know my loved one here in the states is waiting on a settlement check from Mercedes for faulty parts after a recall/settlement.

Hope you get it sorted Greg. Mine is in for a new engine. Gasket or block and a few grand out of pocket. Ouch 🤑

Yep needs calibrated, or a new sensor, there is 2 of them

Should have Calibrated ECU after install of new one, also may need software update, don't let them fob you off. After the Emissions scandal of several manufacturers, they had to readjust the ECU's, maybe your one needed it too?

Hi Greg, sorry to hear that you have a problem with your van. I am not a professional mechanic but I have a Sprinter with 646 engine (I believe the same as yours except mine is 150hp version). It is definitely a particle filter regeneration but what cause it is more interesting. If you are doing more cold starts and short distances it could be a regular regen but if not - you should try to take out the EGR valve and clean it. It is easy to be done - I think there is a small copper gasket that needs replacement when installing it back. Try changing and the gas station you are filling the tank. I noticed that on my van regeneration is done when the engine is cold and idling - in the manual is written that you do not need to rev the engine while is regenerating. I saw comments of people writing you to rev the engine at low gear to clean the DPF - I would not do this because if there is a exhause restriction, the revving will increase the back pressure and this could damage the engine. You could invest in a bugget OBD reader to check the diff pressure of the sensors and monitor it. I hope you will found the reason and fix it. Cheers!

The dpf differential sensors are prone going faulty on these 906 sprinters had it on a couple

Check the fuel filter looks like it does not get enough fuel during the regeneration process. A car smokes white when it has to much air during the burning process. Could also be a bad programmed ECU, but I would exclude this first.

Hi Greg the first thing to do is get a Mercedes diagnostic tool on it. Unfortunately it may be nothing to do with the dpf directly for example if an o2 sensor (lambada) goes down that gives the dpf false signals. Its litrelly a process by elimination id start with diagnostics then change the pressure sensor and if both of them fail I would suspect the dpf you have fitted has a different carbon range to the standard factory one and you will need the van remapping to tally the dpf up. Hope this helps and good luck mate

The differential pressure might be caused by a leak in the DPF, causing a pressure drop over the sensors, then when regen is initiated the smoke could be escaping from the leak.

Hi Greg ,no,not smoking all the time just first five minutes after starting,and never added any oil in between services, it ran like a dream,but that white smoke really bothered me.keep safe,Mike,,,Darling just had a email from that Famous van blogger Greg Virgoe

Sounds like you'll need to hook up to a Merc analyser kit to reprogramme the DPF regen schedule. Was that not done when your new DP was fitted?

Hi Greg have you managed to sort the issue ? Still looking forward to yourb budget van build maybe a Mercedes 508 retro would be awesome build

Suggest putting it on a computer & letting that regen your engine. Letting it take over, the computer will run the engine to about 3 - 4000 revs until its clear. We had a lot of problems with this & our son is a mechanic & did that for our vauxhall engine.

I would have a look at the fuel injection quantities to see if ones slightly blocked. You could then try running some cleaner through the fuel system.

Happens with an aftermarket DPF, the inferior metals used inside an aftermarket DPF are not precious metals found in the OEM DPF. This is why the OEM DPF is much more expensive compared to aftermarket.

Okay so 500 is a normal and standard interval for a routine dpf regen but 40 miles of smoke isnt. So I’d be looking at the pressure sensor or the 5th injector for issues. Sounds to me like its not getting hot enough to do an effective regen

Hi, wow your going to get some messages on this one. I have a garage in Weston-super-Mare. I'm not sure where you are. The thing is DPF issues are not to be started at the DPF. The dpf being blocked or an issue with a vehicle not doing a full regeneration on its own are not the cause of the DPF. That's a symptom. The van needs plugging in and full diagnostics are needed to find the cause of the problem. There is a check list of about 8-12 things your ecu needs to check off before the vehicle will do a regeneration itself. Without listing them all here, but it could be glow plug related on your van as one example. You will always be guessing unless you get it plugged in. As a guy called Mike here said. You need to tell the van its had a new DPF. However if you haven't solved the cause of the issue it will just continue to be a problem. You absolutely need to get it plugged in.

Give it an Italian tune greg🤣

Very frustrating for you mate you done all the right things I did have a similar issue with my Mercedes car and it was the EGR valve but like some of the others say it could be the ECU. Bit of a bummer to get to bottom of. Plus nothing worse than a guesser of a mechanic too, had plenty of them over the years. I wish you luck and if you get to the bottom of it would you do a video to let us know for future reference mate. Thanks

Greg it looks to me like its trying to do a regen (by the colour of the smoke ) but A, it should not do it at idle, only when you are running at motorway/fast roads speeds which you said. So something is not correct and B, if the ECU was getting data to conclude that the DPF was restricted it should throw an engine management light. Which you do not mention. Don't you just love modern diesels Best of luck

hi greg mark is driving and listening to your vlog it could be the DPF that’s partially clogged up and it fully clearing out it could do with being plugged in to a diagnostic machine to give you the answer hope you get it sorted xxxxx

Greg....a bit off topic here, I have a Fiat Ducato Campervan with some paint problems. Its a steel body very similar to your Sprinter. Considering painting the roof with rubber paint. Easy to maintain, and out of sight. Coat with black rubber paint then finish with white. Any negatives? Sweating? Unnecessary? Ordinary rustproof paint better maybe? What about body wax? Plan to spray inside box section chassis and door cavities. Any experience/advice for using these techniques?

Hi Greg not sure if this is relevant or not but Ive had the same problem with my van and Im in the middle of sorting it at the moment... mine was injector seals and turbo I think... still a garage... BUT when I was doing the rounds on here I came across a video about a very similar problem on a Transit where the guy had someone do a defog / dpf clean on his van... in the process they had reset the ecu and had the wrong old software updated onto his ecu as part of the clean... so every time it did a regen it burnt diesel IE white smoke and he could not work out what he problem was. On a Transit there is a feed that goes to the cat that drops a wee bit of fuel into it to start the regen to burn off the soot... this had malfunctioned due to the update. To work out the problem what he did was detached this feed while it was smoking - all smoke stopped thats how he discovered the problem... not saying thats your issue but worth a check hey... good luck my man

You may have to reset the ecu to tell it a new dpf is fitted my guess

I have no Ida what it is Greg but is there any significance in the mileage, multiples of 500 from new or replacement of filter etc.

DPF regen clean. Drive at 70mph on a motorway in 4th with the lightest throttle possible for 10-15miles. Your right through about the van knowing it has pressure. But maybe it does go on mileage and driving style 🤷🏻‍♂️

Could be down to the injectors injecting too much fuel on a DPF regen causing the smoke you’d see

Sounds like a regen DPF

Hi Greg i highly recommend a Dpf regeneration done at a local garage or a carbon clean. You mention about having a new dpf fitted to your sprinter was this a genuine OEM part or aftermarket. Can also go down the route of having the dpf filter mapped out via the ecu 😊

When you change the DPF did you tell the ECU that the filter is new? It can be programmed to do a regeneration at a certain mileage

Id bet ECU. Someone needs to plug it into an engine diagnostic, (programmed for Mercedes not a generic) and reset something somewhere! No good asking what it might be they'll just say bring it in because if they knew they wouldnt tell you!

Just an aside here, but did yours go in for the re-map recall last year, something to do with emissions and involved half an hour at the dealer? I've not been far in it since but it did seem ok.

Possible heater plug in dpf not igniting, raw fuel going through.

I read something similar on fb, and he suggested changing the plugs. Did you get it sorted n what was it?

Hi Greg, I've just told my mechanic about your problem and he thinks you could have a problem with your injectors. He says if you do have to replace them, go for proper Mercedes parts. Hope this helps.

Have you asked the guys who did the new exhaust work?

Is there any way of checking for fault codes to see if there’s anything needs resetting. Certainly looks like a computer input issue. Try and negotiate a price for having a diagnostic check only at a dealership, I think it’s probably your best bet.

Did they, who fitted the new DPF tell the ECU the new DPF filter was fitted.

DPF's do regen on a mileage basis, usually 350 - 500 miles. I was working for VW until a couple of weeks ago and saw this regular on spurious aftermarket DPF's. If its not OEM then you have two choices, either replace with a genuine one or if it isn't causing problems live with it. I am assuming the new DPF has been correctly coded to the ECU by a Mercedes dealer. Chris

Are you in the UK at the moment ? Know anyone with a OBD reader you can ask ? If you was in my area I have an OBD reader, people can only have a guess at whats wrong without actually seeing the issue first hand and checking for any fault code issues to rule out a sensor issue

No idea of this will help, but I have a VW Crafter 2010 model which was having some random smoking issues, and one of my forums suggested it could of been the MAF or MAP sensor at the top of the DPF?? Apparently when they go bad they cause random over fuelling usually when going down a hill.

Strange, post an update when you get it sorted

You need to clean your DPF that all

Where does the smoke come from? When the smoke comes, and you switch off does the exhaust sound like it is schrinking (ticking sound) this would mean the exhaust is heated based on the extra fuel heating the exhaust. Is there a leak in one of the pots?

Hi John. Do you use Redex additive in your diesel fuel? I have been doing this for some years now in my LR Discovery3. If used each time you fill up, it keeps the EGR, turbo and injectors clean and reduces the build up of carbon and other matter. My Disco had to have an EGR and Turbo replaced under warranty due to their total failures (break down on the A303!!). Since then I have used Redex diesel additive regularly and 17 years later I have had no further issues with EGR, Turbo and the dreaded white smoke. Give it a try...only 4 quid a bottle!! Cheers chap. Mel.

I initially thought sticking EGR valve, (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) but changed my mind when you said it still runs fine and it happens only on 500 miles. Then my thoughts changed to DPF regen. But why would it smoke for 50 miles? I agree with you, that it probably is not a mechanical fault. I would still guess it is in some way connected to the DPF regen, but not sure what. I think Martin King's suggestion is worth a try.

Greg have you had a compression test it could be one of your cylinders is loosing compression and the steam is mixing with the fuel burning off, and you will not be loosing any oil or water .you will get a build up and when there is enough it comes out of your exorcist and it’s taking that mileage for it to build up . But I will ask a friend who as his own garage and MOT testing station and him and the guys who work for him work on all makes of cars and vans and he is converting a sprinter . I may be wrong as I’m used to working on much bigger engines when I was in the armed forces but they are pretty much the same only much bigger . He should know or put you in the right steps to check different things without buying parts . Big garages just change parts to rule things out until they think they have sorted the problem which can work out very pricey

I'm a commercial mechanic and have to deal with after treatment systems almost daily. It looks to me that you're vehicle is regenerating in the correct time period, however it seems that something is failing within that system and the regen is not being fully carried out. (The output of a good regen should be nothing more than CO2 and H2O, particulate matter should not make it out) The regen process can be slightly complicated due to the amount of sensors that can be involved, and any one of these messing around or going into a default reading can make the after treatment system unhappy. Was the new DPF genuine? If not, was it a high quality remanufactured unit? Only asking as there alot of cowboy companies out there than claim to fully remanufacture old DPF units, but do nothing more than bake it in a 600°c+ oven. My first step would be get it plugged in. Even if you have no fault codes, anyone with a decent EOBD setup will be able to monitor the readings from various sensors during a forced (stationary) regen. This will give alot more insight into what's going on electronically.

Mate I'd have to say you need to see your Mercedes Dealer/Mechanic as this isn't normal and the issue is clearly linked to the regeneration mode and isn't something you can guess the resolution. Good luck.

Did you tell the ECU that you installed a new DPF? If not, I say that's you're problem. Well, first place I would look. Also check EGR. Could be a fault with EGR when van goes into regen....

I run a low ash oil and use Shell v power fuel, (2017 Mercedes sprinter owner and mechanic,) The best thing you can do is find a long climb on a dual carrigeway, a prolonged period of high revs and low wheel speed will clean out the dpf. The Mercedes engines hate short trips and cheap quality fuel will kill the EGR system too unless you look after it.I had a 2007 Vito and never had any issues by paying the premium, unlike a lot of my friends with vw t5s using cheaper options. hth

My good friend had this issue after having his DPF filter replaced. His issue was that the ECU mapping somehow got screwed up when the new filter was installed. Once the ECU was properly remapped, the problem completely went away, and he noticed easier starts, more responsiveness, and more power. Truth is, any number of issues could cause this problem. I agree with the comments suggesting getting it diagnosed at the dealership. Best bet on getting this issue resolved ✌