'11 Golf TDI P0401 Code...How long can I drive it?

So as this whole VW scandal is going on, my VW decided to throw the P0401 "EGR Insufficient Flow" code at 140k miles (the approx. life of the DPF anyway). The tailpipe is also sooty. This usually means the DPF is cracked and the EGR is clogging.

How long can I drive like this? I don't want to do anything before I find out what VW is going to do. I've read everything from new exhaust systems, to new engines (from and inside source - friend of friend type thing), to new cars at this point, but nothing confirmed. I don't want to do any damage to the engine by driving with the problem, and don't want to spend any money yet if VW is going to compensate somehow.

Thanks!

Damn that sucks man, no idea on driving it but I am in the same boat waiting to hear something from VW. '12 Jetta TDI owner here.

Just clean all of that emissions crap out and go with a straight pipe. It's not like it's making your car pollute less.

I also have a 120 mile round trip daily. The Miata track rat will be in winter storage soon and just brutal to drive on the street. I don't want to drive it daily any time soon. It also doesn't have any heat. I didn't know I'd have such a long commute when I bought the car but moved in with the fiance and glad I did though. I've also put a bunch of maintenance money into it with timing belt job and new suspension and brakes all around. I'm hoping to drive the car a long time. If VW does buy backs, I'm going to be finding a parts car and swapping suspensions and brakes.

In reply to Tom Suddard:

I may or may not have been in the shopping stages when all of this went down. I don't want to buy anything until VW decides what is going on. If they fix the emissions system on their dime, I'll let them, get the recall box checked, see what happens to MPGs and HP, and go from there.

We'll get an idea tomorrow what VW plans.

But be careful taking the stuff out- if it looks like you tampered with it, you may risk VW not fixing your car. Just want to point that out.

Test car time!

Yeah, not touching anything until I know what VW is doing.

However still no answer to my question. Is it OK to drive or am I risking damaging anything? Thanks!

These folks: http://www.dpfregeneration.com/ will allegedly clean your DPF for ~$400 if you ship it to them. I know there are others.

I've got a buddy who works as a service logistics advisor (not sure of actual title) basically, he handles the logistics of getting trucks that need repair/service to a service center for a very large OTR trucking company. He once told me they have DPFs cleaned many times before ever bothering to replace them. I know a giant Cat or International diesel is kind of apples to oranges with a VW CR TDI, but the principles are the same.

However, if I was going to the trouble of removing my DPF for cleaning, I wouldn't be paying some cleaning service, I'd be putting that money toward a DPF delete pipe and tune.

In reply to CGLockRacer:

Not being an oil burner myself, I am not familiar with failure modes. If you think the DPF is cracked, it's only a matter of time until is just breaks apart.

alfadriver wrote: In reply to CGLockRacer: Not being an oil burner myself, I am not familiar with failure modes. If you think the DPF is cracked, it's only a matter of time until is just breaks apart.

Only problem is when the DPF cracks to loads up with ash and soot and can't/won't go into regen to burn off that ash/soot. Eventually it plugs up "solid" and the motor quits running. Once that happens, only a new DPF will fix it along with proper cleaning of all the EGR and maybe intake system of all the soot. BTDT on the Dodge Cummins when they first came out.

There was a thread over on tdiclub I was reading about the soot load before a TDi needed cleaning or replacement and the general consensus was about 1 L of soot which equated to about a million miles based on previous known soot data.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

For OTR and even the single guy with the 3/4-1ton pickup, cleaning is much more economical solutions as its about $400 per cleaning vs $2500 plus for a new DPF. In the VW, DPF delete and tune is about even money in parts vs a new DPF, roughly $900. Although the delete and tune will get you another 10% increase in MPG's.....

Is this a trick question?

As with any warning light or trouble code, you can drive it until it blows up.

In the old days it was common to block off the EGR port.

Not sure how that affects modern diesels.

CGLockRacer wrote: In reply to Tom Suddard: I may or may not have been in the shopping stages when all of this went down. I don't want to buy anything until VW decides what is going on. If they fix the emissions system on their dime, I'll let them, get the recall box checked, see what happens to MPGs and HP, and go from there.

If it does drop torque and mpgs noticeably like reports indicate, there are very likely aftermarket performance solutions available.

So based on the hearing yesterday, your solution looks to be about 12 months out. If not a little longer.

You may want to consider fixing it in some way before then.

What am I risking if I don't fix? EDIT: Before the recall that is?

I'm not sure what happens if the catalyst/filter breaks apart. I do know that they sometimes work their way backwards...

But if it does break apart, and then plug up- well, you'll be stranded when that happens.

Assuming that's actually what is happening. Again, I don't know that much about diesel systems.