VW Atlas DPF Issues: Black Smoke and Power Loss

I dealt with a very similar issue on my VW Tiguan diesel from 2019. Since I do basic maintenance myself but leave major repairs to professionals, I understood the symptoms but needed expert help for this one. Had the exact same problems, engine light on, black smoke, and poor acceleration. The exhaust system was showing high back pressure readings and the DPF cleaning through forced regeneration didn't solve the problem. After diagnostic tests, the workshop confirmed the DPF was completely clogged and damaged beyond repair. The total repair cost came to 1550€, which included: New DPF unit, Installation labor, System diagnostics, Resetting engine management system The repair took about 6 hours. After replacement, the engine performance returned to normal and the exhaust system worked properly again. Important to know: they recommended changing the engine oil and filter right after the DPF replacement to prevent contamination. What year is your Atlas? Also, what's your current mileage? This info would help determine if your symptoms match what I experienced. Have you checked if there are any technical service bulletins for your specific model year regarding DPF issues? Before going to the workshop, you might want to check your service history, sometimes these issues are related to missed regeneration cycles or using incorrect oil grade.

Thanks for sharing your experience. My Atlas is a 2018 model with 13858km, and I had the last service about 2 months ago. Based on the sensor fault codes I got checked, the DPF cleaning might actually solve my issue without needing a full replacement. The workshop suggested starting with a diagnostic session and forced regeneration cycle before jumping to more expensive repairs. The vehicle inspection showed the backpressure readings are high but not critical yet. I am hoping a professional DPF cleaning service might be enough since my mileage is relatively low for a complete system failure. Will update once I get the cleaning done and see if it resolves the engine light and performance issues.

Thanks for the update on your Atlas situation. That mileage is indeed quite low for a complete DPF failure, which matches my experience before going for the full replacement on my Tiguan. A blocked diesel filter can often be recovered through proper regeneration cycles at this stage, especially since your vehicle inspection showed sub-critical pressure readings. The sensor fault warnings you mentioned are also typical for partial DPF blockage rather than complete failure. When my engine light first appeared, I tried the regeneration route before discovering my more severe damage. The cleaning service costs around 200€ and often resolves similar symptoms when caught early. Since your backpressure readings arent critical yet, theres a good chance this will work. Important tip from my experience: after the cleaning, try to include more highway driving in your routine. Short trips can prevent proper regeneration cycles, leading to faster DPF clogging. Also, using high-quality diesel fuel helps reduce particle buildup. Let us know how the cleaning works out. If the engine performance improves and the smoke clears up, youve likely caught it at the right time.

My Atlas update: Had the DPF cleaning done yesterday, 190€ for the service. Really relieved to report the engine light is now off and performance has improved significantly. No more black smoke during acceleration and the exhaust system seems to be functioning normally again. The technician confirmed my diesel filter was partially clogged but caught early enough that a full regeneration cycle cleared most of the blockage. They also adjusted some parameters in the engine management system to optimize future regeneration cycles. Following the advice about longer drives, I took an extended highway trip today to help maintain the system. The engine pulls strong again and fuel consumption is back to normal. The workshop suggested monitoring the exhaust backpressure readings for the next few weeks to ensure the cleaning fully resolved the issue. Definitely a much better outcome than needing a complete DPF replacement. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice, saved me quite a bit of money by addressing this before it became a bigger problem.