Volkswagen Tanyue and other models of particle traps (GPF) are frequently blocked, how to return the car?

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Fuel consumption soars, acceleration is weak, gear shifts are slow, start-stop failures... As soon as these symptoms appeared, the owners of Volkswagen Tanyue and Tiguan L knew that GPF was blocked again.

GPF, the abbreviation of the English Gassoline Particulate Filter, literally translates to the particulate filter of gasoline engines, generally known as the particle trap.

The new version of the three guarantees for automobiles, which began to be implemented this year, has specially added content about "pollution control devices", which refer to particle traps (GPF) and three-way catalysts (TWCs). The reason for adding this content, the relevant department of the State Administration of Market Supervision said: This is "forcing enterprises to improve the quality of pollution control devices." ”

▲The new version of the three guarantees for automobiles has added a new "pollution control device"

GPF has a problem, can you change or return the car according to the three-pack regulations of the car?

▍ Why is there a GPF?

The problem of frequent GPF blockages first appeared on the FAW-Volkswagen Tanyue 330 model, triggering a large number of complaints from car owners; subsequently, Volkswagen models such as the SAIC Volkswagen Tiguan L also exposed the same problem.

▲ The frequent blockage of the Tanyue particle trap has attracted widespread media attention

GPF is a kind of filtration device installed in the engine exhaust system to filter carbon particles in the exhaust gas and meet the National VI emission standards.

Gasoline engines rise from the national five to the national six, there are two technical routes. One is "pre-treatment", that is, by increasing the injection pressure, improving the injector and other means to reduce the generation of particulate matter from the optimization level; the second is "post-treatment", which intercepts particulate matter by installing GPF in the exhaust line.

▲GPF is a filter device added to the exhaust pipe of a car

Installing a GPF is actually a low-cost "stopgap measure" that can meet the new emission requirements without changing the body of the old engine.

In an interview with China Automotive News, Professor Yao Chunde of Tianjin University said:

"Due to the short transition period for China V to China VI, some foreign-funded enterprises cannot meet the emission requirements for a while, and have to choose to install particle traps on the basis of Euro V. emission standard models to meet the National VI standard." However, due to insufficient preparation and immature replacement technology, the problem of GPF blockage has erupted in a large area. ”

▍Why is GPF blocked?

GPF is a honeycomb-like ceramic structure in which the exhaust air flow from the engine is obsolete, and the carbon particles in it are filtered down and attached to the inside of the GPF.

Carbon particles accumulate inside GPF to a certain extent, which will produce a certain degree of blockage, at which point the "regeneration process" is initiated. In simple terms, by increasing the exhaust temperature and the oxygen content in the exhaust gas, the carbon particles are "burned" off, so that the inside of the GPF can be restored to smoothness.

If the GPF system is designed reasonably, the GPF "active regeneration" can be completed in the normal use of the car; but if the design is defective, it will lead to GPF can not be effectively regenerated in time, and the carbon particles inside will accumulate more and more, and finally lead to poor engine exhaust, causing power drops, fuel consumption soaring and other issues, and serious blockages may also damage GPF.

The reason why volkswagen Tanyue, Tiguan L and other models have caused large-scale complaints is because GPF cannot successfully complete "active regeneration" in the normal use of the car, and the internal carbon particles accumulate too much and there is a serious blockage. In this case, it is only possible to "passive regeneration" by running a special driving method such as running high speed, and if the blockage is so serious that it exceeds the regeneration limit, it is necessary to go to the 4S shop for "workshop regeneration".

▲ GPF blockage spawned a new occupation of "running high speed on behalf of" (picture from a second-hand platform)

The so-called "workshop regeneration" is to "burn" the carbon particles inside the GPF by increasing the engine speed in situ, delaying ignition and other means to maintain the high temperature of the exhaust system for a long time.

The problem of frequent blockages after Volkswagen's installation of GPF is a wake-up call for this technological route. One is that the normal use of the car is limited (urban road conditions are easy to cause GPF congestion), the second is to increase the burden on users (fuel consumption soars after GPF blockage, users are forced to run high speed), and the third is to waste a lot of fuel for GPF "regeneration", and upgrading National VI loses its significance.

▍ Is GPF blocking a quality problem?

According to paragraph 4 of Article 24 of the Provisions on the Three Guarantees of Automobiles, during the validity period of the three guarantees, "the cumulative repair time due to quality problems exceeds 30 days, or the cumulative repair time due to the same quality problems exceeds 4 times", consumers can choose to change or return the car.

▲ According to the provisions of the three guarantees of the car, the same quality problem can be repaired more than 4 times after the request to return the car

The question is: Is GPF plugging a quality problem? Does "shop floor regeneration" count as a repair act?

In the three-guarantee regulations on automobiles, the definition of "quality problems" is as follows:

Quality problems refer to the quality of household automobile products that do not conform to laws, regulations, mandatory national standards, and standards expressly adopted by enterprises or explicit quality conditions, or there are other circumstances that affect normal use.

▲The interpretation of the quality problem of the car in the three guarantees regulations

If due to serious GPF blockages, the vehicle has problems such as weak acceleration, sharp increase in fuel consumption, abnormal shifting, and start-stop failure, it should be a quality problem that "affects normal use".

Regarding automobile repair, the national standard "Automobile Maintenance Terminology" is defined as follows:

Operations carried out to restore the technical condition (or working capacity) and life of the vehicle.

The repair behavior is for the car failure, the above national standard, the definition of the car failure is:

The phenomenon of partial or complete incapacity of the automobile.

There is also a definition of "local failure" as follows:

The car is partially incapacitated, that is, the failure of the use performance is reduced.

▲ In the national standard "Auto Maintenance Terminology", there is a clear definition of "repair"

If the problem of car acceleration failure caused by serious GPF blockage should be classified as a "failure that reduces the performance of use", and the "workshop regeneration" taken for this failure is aimed at "restoring the working capacity of the car", which should be a repair behavior;

If the "passive regeneration" such as "running high speed" is carried out by the maintenance personnel of the 4S shop, it should also be a repair behavior.

Special attention should be paid here not to confuse "repair" with "maintenance". Repair is to restore the normal performance of the car, while maintenance is to maintain the normal performance of the car, the difference between the two is: whether the performance of the car is abnormal.

▍What should the owner do?

The validity period of the three packs for family cars is "not less than 2 years or the mileage traveled is 50,000 kilometers, whichever comes first". During this period, consumers should take care to retain evidence of GPF failure and repair.

According to the provisions of the three guarantees of the car, every time the vehicle is sent for repair, the 4S shop should establish a corresponding repair record, including the repair time, mileage, consumer quality problem statement, inspection results, repair items, etc., but also have the repairer and consumer signature or seal and other information, and provide a copy to the consumer.

When the GPF of the car is seriously blocked, resulting in abnormal driving status of the car, GPF fault warning light on, etc., it is necessary to go to the 4S shop in time for maintenance treatment and require the 4S shop to issue a repair record.

▲Consumers have the right to request the 4S shop to issue a repair record

In practice, some brands of 4S stores will refuse to issue maintenance records on the grounds of "DPF blockage is not a failure", trying to evade the responsibility of the three guarantees, in this case, you can call 12315 to complain, request the market supervision department to order the 4S store to correct; you can also use mobile phones and other equipment to record related conversations, maintenance processes, etc. as evidence.

▲When the GPF is blocked and sent for repair, attention should be paid to retaining relevant photos, audio recordings, videos and other evidence

During the validity period of the three guarantees, if the cumulative repair due to GPF problems exceeds 4 times, you can claim to change or return the car according to the three guarantees of the car. When encountering problems in the process of negotiation with manufacturers, you can complain to the market supervision department or the consumer association and ask for help. (According to Lao Fu's understanding, cars bought after January 1 this year are subject to the new three guarantees regulations, and the cars bought before apply the old three guarantees, and the same quality problems in the old three packages can be repaired more than 5 times before returning and replacing)