[JRL]

I'm probably going to get roasted for this but the only way to cure this once and for all is to remove the DPF and all software related to it. That is what I have reluctantly had to do.

Three years of trying to get the reason for high oil levels, limp mode, missing/stuttering at low speeds and general crap running have forced me to this point.

My own very experienced mechanic couldn't find a problem. His diagnostics showed nothing related to the DPF.
VIDA gave no fault codes related to the DPF.
A DPF specialist could find no problems.
Volvo hadn't got a clue and suggested it was a faulty injector. I got the very strong impression that they have washed their hands of this issue. There was also no software updates available.
No soot filter full messages or any other messages at all even when in limp mode. It only showed the filter full message once, shortly after I bought the car and having read up on DPF's beforehand I took the car for a run until the message cleared.

I changed the DPF temperature sensor just to see if it would make a difference. It didn't. Faced with changing both pressure sensors and then going down the road of changing parts out at random if that didn't work I took the decision that a 2008 car simply was not worth the expense of trying to fix properly and went with the DPF/software removal route.

My car has been transformed. It is actually a pleasure to drive now.

I was very happy when I bought the car that it had a DPF. Proud of the fact that I was driving an extremely clean diesel. But the three times a year oil changes, the blowing of a hole through the sump (at the end of a 300 mile high speed drive) because of the high oil pressure and the constant fear of blowing the engine because of a runaway led me to this point not to mention the sheer cost of trying to find the problem.

Funnily enough when I left the car off to have the software removed there was another D5 Volvo sitting there about to have the same work done. One of the smaller newer models, not sure which one. It was in permanent limp mode and the owner had gone through the same experience as me. Trying to get it fixed and then resigning himself to the fact that it couldn't be fixed.

Volvo know there is a problem with these cars, not just a physical problem with the DPF and the related parts but with the software as well. My local Volvo dealer was simply not interested mainly I assume because they themselves don't know what the problem is as their diagnostics told them nothing.

When the DPF itself was removed it was incredibly clean. Not surprising as all it ever did was regenerate!