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Nurb608
1st August 2012, 06:37 PM
Mel, please tell me you are getting this in???

New Astra BiTurbo – Most powerful Diesel Astra Ever
2012-08-01

Astra line-up now with new 195 hp 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI, 400 Nm torque
Top speed of up to 226 km/h, fuel consumption as low as 4.9 l/100 km
Available as five-door, GTC coupé and Sports Tourer station wagon
Sporty, sharpened design underscores dynamic performance
Sophisticated sequential BiTurbo technology with twin intercooler system
Rüsselsheim. The Opel Astra line-up is being enhanced with a new diesel spearhead of power: the four-cylinder 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI engine with 143 kW/195 hp and 400 Nm maximum torque. It is available in three body styles: the five-door hatchback, the GTC coupé and the Sports Tourer station wagon. No other brand offers this broad choice of high performance diesel models in the compact segment. The five-door Astra BiTurbo CDTI achieves a top speed of 226 km/h, making it the fastest Astra diesel ever (Sports Tourer 222 km/h, GTC 223 km/h). While providing powerful performance and driving fun, the BiTurbo engine is also highly efficient. In combination with fuel saving Start/Stop technology which is standard across all Astra BiTurbo models, the GTC only uses 4.9l/100 km (Sports Tourer and five-door 5.1 l/100km) Emissions for the GTC are 129 g/km (134 g/m for the hatchback and station wagon).

Launched early 2012 in the Opel flagship Insignia, the 195 hp powerhouse engine introduces sophisticated sequential BiTurbo technology to the Astra family which comes with a twin-intercooler system. The new Astra high performance diesel variants can be ordered starting in the fall and are scheduled to be available at dealerships by the end of this year.

Smooth acceleration without turbo lag

Depending on the load range in the Astra BiTurbo four-cylinder diesel engine, two turbochargers of different sizes work either separately or together. The smaller turbocharger accelerates especially quickly at low engine speeds. This means the accelerator pedal responds well and the undesired “turbo lag” effect is prevented. Starting at 1,250 rpm, the driver can already draw on 320 Nm – this is 80 percent of the maximum torque of 400 Nm which is available between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm.

In the mid-range of rpm, both turbochargers operate together, with the larger turbocharger pre-compressing the intake air, before it is fully compressed in the smaller one. A bypass valve is controlled continuously to pass on part of the exhaust gases to the larger turbo. As a result, the driver still enjoys smooth acceleration. At higher rpm (from around 3,000 rpm) all the gases flow directly to the larger turbocharger, maintaining the fluid power delivery at higher speeds.

The main focus in the development of the 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI engine was to ensure a rapid build-up of charge air pressure in the low rpm range, while giving the accelerator responsiveness in the mid rpm range. The engine air is ideally adjusted according to the rpm range and the needs of the two turbochargers of different size. At low rpms an additional cooler that is exclusively linked to the small turbocharger ensures that the small volume of air passes in a direct path to the combustion chamber. In the mid rpm range, the bigger and more powerful turbocharger becomes increasingly involved. Its larger stream of air is cooled by a bigger cooler.

As the layout of the Astra engine compartment is different to the Insignia, engineers went for a clever packaging solution by splitting the intercooler module internally into the smaller and larger cooler. This differs from the Insignia BiTurbo engine where the coolers are in separate locations. Both coolers in Astra BiTurbo engine are air-cooled.

Sporty and sharp design inside and out underscores high performance

The new BiTurbo high performance diesel variants of the five-door, Sports Tourer and GTC have been given an even a sharper and more aggressive exterior appearance varying from body style to body style and adapted to each specific model. The front fascias of the BiTurbo Astra body versions (GTC, Sports Tourer and five-door) underscore the cars’ high performance and more aggressive nature. The upper grille has a similar shape as the one used on the Astra GTC, however the front bar is always in body color and the five-door hatchback and Sports Tourer BiTurbo models feature the new wing-shaped bar across the grille. The lower air intake area has also been given a sporty design treatment: the area where the central grille merges into the outer grille has been sculpted in a shark-fin like shape, making the car appear more aggressive. The entire side window surround of the five-door and Sports Tourer models is in chrome., while in the case of the GTC Biturbo the lower window insert is black. In all variants, there are two exhaust tail pipes at the rear as well as a pronounced rear bumper shape that is specifically adapted to the model. These features give the car an added muscular stance.

Inside the cabin of the Astra BiTurbo variants, JetBlack colored fabrics or leather are combined with Magic Red in the edge of the seats. Magic red stitching and seams in the seats, door inserts and the gear shifter boot add to the sporty atmosphere of the interior. A new flat bottom leather steering wheel and special floor mats with red surrounds are other sporty components of the Astra BiTurbo cabin.

BiTurbo versions benefit from broad Astra technology offer

The now most powerful diesel, the Opel Astra BiTurbo, also benefits from many of the safety and comfort increasing premium features available in the new Astra line-up. They include the second generation Opel Eye front camera with the enhanced traffic sign assistant (TSA II), lane departure warning (LDW), following distance indication (FDI) and forward collision alert (FCA). A rear view camera is available in the Sports Tourer and five-door BiTurbo models.

The new systems complement the already existing broad Astra offer of innovative technologies, some of which are unique in the compact segment, while others are rarely found among competitors. One of these is the latest generation intelligent adaptive forward lighting (AFL+) with bi-xenon headlamps and a host of sophisticated lighting functions, including high beam assist, dynamic curve light, cornering light, and variable light distribution that automatically adjusts according to prevailing conditions, including even the weather.

FlexRide for top driving dynamics – GTC with HiPerStruts

The drive dynamics of the BiTurbo variant of the Astra were further improved by modifying bushings, reducing trim height with stiffer springs and including a new rear axle with higher roll rate.

On top of the already dynamic driving characteristics of the Astra, customers can opt for Opel’s intelligent mechatronic FlexRide system which adjusts automatically to the prevailing driving conditions and offers three modes: Standard, the comfort-oriented “Tour” mode and the more active “Sport” mode. The FlexRide system was especially adapted for the BiTurbo to guarantee good ride performance together with the higher level of vehicle responsiveness.

Like all Astra GTC and OPC models, the Astra GTC BiTurbo variant features HiPerStruts (High Performance Struts) as standard on the front wheel suspensions for an even sportier ride and handling. The HiPerStruts improve grip, increase cornering power and significantly reduce torque steer allowing drivers to get the most out of the performance capabilities.
For extra comfort, ergonomic front seats are offered across all Astra models including the BiTurbo versions. The AGR certified seats (Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V) are easy on the backs of the driver and front passenger.
Another optional feature that adds an extra premium note to the cabin of the GTC models including the BiTurbo and OPC variants is the Panoramic windscreen. The exclusive windscreen patented by Opel reaches all the way to the middle of the car roof, giving the driver and all passengers an extraordinary visual, space and driving experience.

http://media.gm.com/content/media/intl/en/opel/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/intl/en/2012/opel/08_01_new_astra_biturbo.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

mickos
1st August 2012, 07:01 PM
Sounds alright, some good safety features and decent technology front camera, lane warning, collission alert, bi-xenon and curve lighing.
Huge panoramic windscreen, hiperstruts, driving modes and decent interior.

With a very economical twin snailed diesel- should be popular!

Nurb608
1st August 2012, 07:15 PM
Sounds alright, some good safety features and decent technology front camera, lane warning, collission alert, bi-xenon and curve lighing.
Huge panoramic windscreen, hiperstruts, driving modes and decent interior.

With a very economical twin snailed diesel- should be popular!

Better specs than the current GTC ;)

glider
1st August 2012, 07:18 PM
I would seriously consider one, was looking at a GTD but was put off by the lead-in times

sooty
1st August 2012, 07:18 PM
Would go alright once it's tuned :P 28 pound should do it

Nurb608
1st August 2012, 07:26 PM
Would go alright once it's tuned :P 28 pound should do it

Considering how quick yours was against the VXR, i'd deffinately consider it.

dutchy
1st August 2012, 07:30 PM
Price ?

rjastra
2nd August 2012, 01:01 PM
If you look at the prices in UK
GTC 1.6T is 22K
GTC 2.0DT is 23K
GTC 2.0 Bi-DT is 24K

Here the diesel is a $3000 option over the 1.6T. Therefore the bi-turbo diesel could be $5000-6000 more than the 1.6T based on UK figures.

JohnBu
2nd August 2012, 01:30 PM
If you look at the prices in UK
GTC 1.6T is 22K
GTC 2.0DT is 23K
GTC 2.0 Bi-DT is 24K

Here the diesel is a $3000 option over the 1.6T. Therefore the bi-turbo diesel could be $5000-6000 more than the 1.6T based on UK figures.

2,000 GBP is $3,000, but even if it was $5,000-$6,000 it still isn't too bad, considering you'll most likely get bigger wheels and brakes, plus the bi-xenons stated above.

Seems like good value over the Golf GTD, which doesn't have HiPerStruts

Hoss
3rd August 2012, 01:23 PM
Interesting.......

Wraith
3rd August 2012, 04:43 PM
Good One :thumbs:

That oiler powerplant is almost on par with the excellent BMW 2.0ltr twin turbo diesel which outputs 150kw / 400nm.

As I mentioned in my Merc thread, the new breed of modern oilers are finally worth taking seriously, especially if it's for a daily driver as they provide equal to or better or only slightly less performance depending on the car type than the petrol equivalent, but also blow the petrols out of the water with economy as they've always done anyway...but now you also have power and performance :)

I'd say to anyone serious about a new Astra and expecting high km's usage this is the variant to go for...

JohnBu
3rd August 2012, 04:54 PM
I am concerned with the maintenance cost of the new high tech diesel engines once they reach beyond 100,000km... injector issues seems common.

Wraith
3rd August 2012, 05:07 PM
I am concerned with the maintenance cost of the new high tech diesel engines once they reach beyond 100,000km... injector issues seems common.

That could be the case John, but seems to be specific to certain models, not accross the board...

The new range of MB 'blue efficiency' diesels suffered from an injector problem early on (2008-2009 production batch) but they were all recalled and replaced/fixed at MB's expense, they now use a different brand injector and have had no probs since then ie. late 2009...

Hopefully Opel will get it right with their oiler, they should afterall be using pretty much the same parts suppliers for those components as other manufacturers use these days...

In terms of general longivity the oilers will outlive petrols by a substantial margin, MB's are notorious for clocking up over 1,000,000km before needing to be rebuilt :)

As said if high or especially extremely high km's usage are to be expected and long term ownership, the oiler is the pick.

Also if people wanted to they too can be enhanced powerwise just as easily as petrol turbos with similar gains, ie. 15-25%...

poita
3rd August 2012, 05:08 PM
I believe it's called trade in John :lol:

JohnBu
3rd August 2012, 05:59 PM
I believe it's called trade in John :lol:

We're not all made of money like you Peter!!

I had to drive my SRiT for 155k lol

The old low tech diesels ran forever, high tech ones Are still unproven


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

poita
3rd August 2012, 06:01 PM
Made of money hahahahahaahaha

Hahahaahhahaahah
Hahahahahahah

glider
3rd August 2012, 06:02 PM
We're not all made of money like you Peter!!

I had to drive my SRiT for 155k lol

The old low tech diesels ran forever, high tech ones Are still unproven


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

That what I'm concerned with, the emissions crap is a big problem.

Wraith
6th August 2012, 12:59 PM
We're not all made of money like you Peter!!

I had to drive my SRiT for 155k lol

The old low tech diesels ran forever, high tech ones Are still unproven


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk


That what I'm concerned with, the emissions crap is a big problem.

Re: reliability funny you should mention that and me posting last week about longevity on MB oilers as there was an article posted on the MB World forum over the weekend on that very topic and so it's 'definitely not' the case to worry with MB oilers but I can't speak for all other brands...a bit of research should reveal if there's any probs with other Euro brand manufactured oilers...on average though diesels do outlast petrols so that's something to consider.

All I can vouch for however is a friend of mine who's always had oilers but they've always been Peugoet's, can't recall him ever having any probs reliabilty wise...

Not sure what probs there are with emissions but new gen oilers run pretty clean, well at least I can speak for the MB ones again, never had a single puff off of black smoke come out of mine yet this new gen of blue efficiency power plants are pretty high tech and well sorted on all the emissions side of it, I suppose you'll have to research what the new Opels are all about...the AH oilers do blow alot of smoke and have heard of some with premature engine oil leaks...

If your interested about that Merc oiler doing 1000,000km with only moderate repairs performed during that cycle here's the link :)

http://mbworld.org/features/e-class/man_drives_2003_e270_over_1_million_kilometers.php

glider
6th August 2012, 01:43 PM
Re: reliability funny you should mention that and me posting last week about longevity on MB oilers as there was an article posted on the MB World forum over the weekend on that very topic and so it's 'definitely not' the case to worry with MB oilers but I can't speak for all other brands...a bit of research should reveal if there's any probs with other Euro brand manufactured oilers...on average though diesels do outlast petrols so that's something to consider.

All I can vouch for however is a friend of mine who's always had oilers but they've always been Peugoet's, can't recall him ever having any probs reliabilty wise...

Not sure what probs there are with emissions but new gen oilers run pretty clean, well at least I can speak for the MB ones again, never had a single puff off of black smoke come out of mine yet this new gen of blue efficiency power plants are pretty high tech and well sorted on all the emissions side of it, I suppose you'll have to research what the new Opels are all about...the AH oilers do blow alot of smoke and have heard of some with premature engine oil leaks...

If your interested about that Merc oiler doing 1000,000km with only moderate repairs performed during that cycle here's the link :)

http://mbworld.org/features/e-class/man_drives_2003_e270_over_1_million_kilometers.php

Thats all well and good but Opel is not using a MB motor.

The problem with new gen oilers, is the EGR and longevity of the common rail. Speaking from personal experience here and using the mitsubishi 2.5 common rail diesel as an example, blocked up inlet manifolds are an extremely common problem, due to oil mist recirculation (PCV recirculation from the head back into intake) combined with EGR recirculation leads to carbon buildup. Alot of these motors are having inlet manifolds replaced under warranty once they get up to around 80,000KMs. After 25,000KMs I took my intake off and inspected the EGR inlet on the manifold and found a lump about an inch round already. This can be partially alleviated by fitting a catch can to stop the oil mist recirculating, but without breaking laws you can't disable the EGR. And anyone that tells you a common rail will never blow smoke is full of shit. Mine has always blown a bit under heavy load and now with the DTUK box, it's alot easier to blow a bit of soot ;). As for the common rail, they run pressures upwards of 25,000PSI, you really have to wonder how long that sort of pressure can be contained... I honestly believe that you would be hard pressed to get a modern diesel to 300,000KM without issues, where an older style diesel would have no problems hitting a million.

Wraith
7th August 2012, 01:02 PM
Thats all well and good but Opel is not using a MB motor.

The problem with new gen oilers, is the EGR and longevity of the common rail. Speaking from personal experience here and using the mitsubishi 2.5 common rail diesel as an example, blocked up inlet manifolds are an extremely common problem, due to oil mist recirculation (PCV recirculation from the head back into intake) combined with EGR recirculation leads to carbon buildup. Alot of these motors are having inlet manifolds replaced under warranty once they get up to around 80,000KMs. After 25,000KMs I took my intake off and inspected the EGR inlet on the manifold and found a lump about an inch round already. This can be partially alleviated by fitting a catch can to stop the oil mist recirculating, but without breaking laws you can't disable the EGR. And anyone that tells you a common rail will never blow smoke is full of shit. Mine has always blown a bit under heavy load and now with the DTUK box, it's alot easier to blow a bit of soot ;). As for the common rail, they run pressures upwards of 25,000PSI, you really have to wonder how long that sort of pressure can be contained... I honestly believe that you would be hard pressed to get a modern diesel to 300,000KM without issues, where an older style diesel would have no problems hitting a million.

That's fair enough, I'm happy I've got a Merc oiler then :D

I'll have to re check my zorst after a planting of the right foot but as said and I've checked mine and confirmed from a mate running behind me on a spirited run up the mountains, there was no sign of any smoke...if it does start to happen I'll have to get it looked at.

I don't plan on powering mine up either, it's more than enough as it is and more than satisfying as a daily driver, I mean it's quicker and faster than alot of petrol turbo cars out there so hopefully that'll keep me out of unforseen probs with mine, also check the link I posted above on that and many other 'newer' MB oilers who are going well over the 300,000km mark, at the end of the day it's more re-assuring but even with my high usage (25-35k km per annum) I don't think I'll get anywhere near that even afetr 20 years LOL :D

Getting back to the AJ oiler, all things considered I still think it's a serious contender for anyone who wants a new AJ Astra to be used as a daily driver with high usage :)

Purplehaze
8th August 2012, 10:19 AM
Surely all this new tech to both petrol & diesel engines can't last forever?? Most will come down to servicing & general looking after the car.
But what about in 5-10 years time?? When electronics fail. Sensors give up??? Repair costs to fix these cars.
I can just see it now. With stop/start technology. We all know that battery's can die all of a sudden. So your driving home from work on a cold wet late Arvo.
Heater fan on, lights on, wipers going, seat heater on. Heavy heavy traffic. You have only traveled 2-3 klms in half an hour.
Car has started 8-10 times & then.
Your battery dies!! Then what??
Alot of very unhappy ppl behind you.
All this new tech in cars is good.
But in the real driving world. How long will they last ?????

Feelinlucky75
8th August 2012, 10:33 AM
would i be wrong in thinking there would be a way to turn the stop/start option off?

JohnBu
8th August 2012, 11:10 AM
would i be wrong in thinking there would be a way to turn the stop/start option off?

Yes you can


High output turbocharged engines are mature these days, high output diesels are still an unknown.

Even the Japanese can't make reliable high output diesels last high kms.... if the Japanese can't do it, what chance does the Euros have?! lol

Wraith
8th August 2012, 11:57 AM
Surely all this new tech to both petrol & diesel engines can't last forever?? Most will come down to servicing & general looking after the car.
But what about in 5-10 years time?? When electronics fail. Sensors give up??? Repair costs to fix these cars.
I can just see it now. With stop/start technology. We all know that battery's can die all of a sudden. So your driving home from work on a cold wet late Arvo.
Heater fan on, lights on, wipers going, seat heater on. Heavy heavy traffic. You have only traveled 2-3 klms in half an hour.
Car has started 8-10 times & then.
Your battery dies!! Then what??
Alot of very unhappy ppl behind you.
All this new tech in cars is good.
But in the real driving world. How long will they last ?????


would i be wrong in thinking there would be a way to turn the stop/start option off?


Yes you can


High output turbocharged engines are mature these days, high output diesels are still an unknown.

Even the Japanese can't make reliable high output diesels last high kms.... if the Japanese can't do it, what chance does the Euros have?! lol

Correct about the stop/start, you can turn it on and off...

The MB stop/start system has had thousands of hours of research and development testing and has so far proven to have no issues, the starter motor is 13 times stronger than those without stop/start, the battery is different and in some models there are 2 batteries not one, my neighbours Merc is 17 years old and has had the beattery changed only once in that whole time !

The service intervals on MB's are 12 months / 25,000km and fixed A/B pricing not forever increasing like other brands, so it's actually a very cost effective vehicle to run, ie. the oilers...

Alot of the comments being made by you guys are totally speculative, I can't answer for everything as it'll be an ongoing thing here...

If your serious about getting one of these new oilers then do the research instead of writing up speculation and see if it's worth it for your own personal cases - that's what I did with my Merc for months (from May to Oct last year) before making a decision to buy it...

If you keep going on with that kind of jargon above, then you'll never end up buying anything ;)

Another thing to keep in mind is alot of the cars that you guys already own are either worse or no better than any of the new ones we're discussing on the related issue topics here in this thread LOL, so get on with it and update if that's what you really want - you won't be going backwards that's for sure, the only real thing you should be considering (bar the appropriate research) is what you can or want to spend ! :D

guy 27
8th August 2012, 12:35 PM
Wraith, you seem to be talking up the merc diesels a bit in here. yes they are good but they do have plenty of issues which happen out of warranty period which cost an arm and a leg to fix.
if you want to talk about these issues i'm happy to do it via pm so to keep this topic on what its meant to be. the astra biturbo diesel.

Wraith
8th August 2012, 12:50 PM
Wraith, you seem to be talking up the merc diesels a bit in here. yes they are good but they do have plenty of issues which happen out of warranty period which cost an arm and a leg to fix.
if you want to talk about these issues i'm happy to do it via pm so to keep this topic on what its meant to be. the astra biturbo diesel.

I'm trying to push 'do the research thing' more than anything else with last post above ...that'll stop alot of the eroneous comments...

In this case you'll find that alot of the new 'Euro brand' oilers have alot in common, so it'll relate to other brands on the topic here not just the MB's.

Any car can end up costing an arm and a leg if certain things go pear shaped not just an MB compared to an Opel...

Just trying to be helpful :)

glider
8th August 2012, 03:15 PM
I'm trying to push 'do the research thing' more than anything else with last post above ...that'll stop alot of the eroneous comments...

In this case you'll find that alot of the new 'Euro brand' oilers have alot in common, so it'll relate to other brands on the topic here not just the MB's.

Any car can end up costing an arm and a leg if certain things go pear shaped not just an MB compared to an Opel...

Just trying to be helpful :)



Another thing to keep in mind is alot of the cars that you guys already own are either worse or no better than any of the new ones we're discussing on the related issue topics here in this thread LOL, so get on with it and update if that's what you really want - you won't be going backwards that's for sure, the only real thing you should be considering (bar the appropriate research) is what you can or want to spend ! :D

I hope you're not trying to imply that my point is invalid because I dont have a 'Euro Diesel'... but anyway, my triton is april 2011 ;) and the engine has been around 3-4 years in current form. Most issues have been ironed out by now so a new engine like these needs a good few years real world experience to get all the issues sorted out. I daresay this GTC bi-turbo will have a few... Will that stop me buying one... maybe, maybe not ;)

gmonkey
8th August 2012, 09:40 PM
John i'd stay jap have the best history with diesels, hilux/landcruiser and patrol diesel is still the best on the market in my opinion (yes thats not really the same purpose as a MB or opel, its actually a lot more strain) i've seen toyota turbo diesels tick over 500k kms I can't see MB ever doing that or the owner ever getting it that far anyway :P

Anyway back on topic, Melanie GET THIS ENGINE ON OUR IMPORTS!! All 3 shapes please, but mainly 5dr and a GTD model :) and then get it in insignia wagons too ;)

JohnBu
8th August 2012, 10:12 PM
I don't disagree Brenton, but they are low output diesels, not the 70+kw per litre of the newer diesels.

Mazda who have pretty powerful 2L diesels haven't done too well real reliability wise with the diesels.



Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

gmonkey
8th August 2012, 10:18 PM
the diesel in the cruiser 200 series has been already known to be still reliable over 200k kms and rough driving. and thats a very high output engine

Vectracious
8th August 2012, 10:29 PM
200 series Twin Turbo
43kW/L
145Nm/L

Astra Biturbo
71kW/L
200Nm/L

I don't think the 1VD-FTV in the Cruiser can be classed in the same category as the Bi-turbo in the Astra.

And why are we comparing a 4.5L V8 to the 4pot in the Astra? - this thread has gone stupidly off topic.

rjastra
8th August 2012, 11:18 PM
The big issue with modern turbo diesels are the DPF (particle filters). Issues with them across makes. Constant around town driving will not get the filter hot enough/long enough to do a controlled burn purge. At best you need to take it for a long run on a freeway, worse you need to take it to a dealer for a purge, even worse its blocked and needs replacing ($2-4000)

Stop/Start systems don't operate when there is a large electrical load. They also disable when they sense the battery voltage etc is not sufficient.
You can ask Mazda 3 SP20 Skyactiv owners about that. Some require new specialty batteries because the stop/start wouldn't operate at all.

The new Mazda CX5 Diesels are having issues with DPF purges AND rising engine oil levels (i assume fuel in the oil). If it gets too bad you need to take your CX5 to a dealer to have the excess oil removed OR an unscheduled oil change.

glider
9th August 2012, 07:00 PM
The big issue with modern turbo diesels are the DPF (particle filters). Issues with them across makes. Constant around town driving will not get the filter hot enough/long enough to do a controlled burn purge. At best you need to take it for a long run on a freeway, worse you need to take it to a dealer for a purge, even worse its blocked and needs replacing ($2-4000)

Stop/Start systems don't operate when there is a large electrical load. They also disable when they sense the battery voltage etc is not sufficient.
You can ask Mazda 3 SP20 Skyactiv owners about that. Some require new specialty batteries because the stop/start wouldn't operate at all.

The new Mazda CX5 Diesels are having issues with DPF purges AND rising engine oil levels (i assume fuel in the oil). If it gets too bad you need to take your CX5 to a dealer to have the excess oil removed OR an unscheduled oil change.

As RJ said this is another major issue with the modern diesels, as most will have a DPF or EGR (on some occasions both), however they seem to be moving away from the EGR for good reason. In a few trucks I've driven, the DPF builds up particulate matter and does a 'dump and burn' once full. The matter builds up quicker in low speed/stop-start traffic compared to highway/spirited driving. While its doing the purge, you have to keep driving for ~20mins and cannot turn the vehicle off. If you do it requires manual activation of the burn off and the truck cannot be moved for 20 mins while it raises the temps inside the DPF to 650 degrees and burns all the captured matter away (Had to do this at the end of the day once, pissed me off as I just wanted to go the fk home). If you let it sit on full and dont do a manual purge they will go into limp mode and must be taken to a dealer. These filters also have a finite life which tends to be ~100,000KM. You can see how this would be an issue for city cars which as RJ mentioned might be driven enough distance to perform these purges. The best solution at the moment seems to be SCR, where an additive is used to reduce emissions (known as Ad-Blue).

DWS 92
9th August 2012, 07:43 PM
Have had to carry out quite a few emergency DPF regenerations on the 3.0TDI Q5 and Q7 at work, and a few times on individuals cars because they simply don't drive the car on the motorway frequently enough. It's a flawed system, all the soot that gets captured is expelled during regeneration anyway..

glider
9th August 2012, 07:46 PM
It's a flawed system, all the soot that gets captured is expelled during regeneration anyway..

At the burn off temperature (~650 degrees I think) the NOx and soot (unburnt crap) levels emitted are much lower compared to regular emissions, which makes the greenies happy :(

Wraith
13th August 2012, 01:09 PM
Who knows where we're going to end up with the reliabilty issues and worries on these...I'm not going there anymore on that one LOL :)

As for reviews though some of the latest Aussie ones are giving the thumbs up to the oiler as the pick of the bunch of the cooking variants for the new AJ Astra :)