P242F: Diesel particulate filter – ash accumulation (bank 1)

What does it mean?

System

Powertrain (engine and transmission)

Subsystem

Emissions (EGR, catalyst, particulate filter, vapours)

Type of code

Generic code: means the same on every make.

How urgent?

Have it checked soon. You can usually still drive, but avoid long trips and heavy loads.

Possible causes

• Particulate filter clogged by lots of short trips
• Differential pressure sensor or its hoses
• Regeneration interrupted by another fault
• Filter full of ash at the end of its life

Tip: don’t just clear the code. Clearing a code doesn’t fix the cause. It often comes back, and the stored data that helps us find the cause is then gone.