Aug 1, 2019
If you drive a diesel car, then it’s essential that you know all about your DPF and it’s importance to your car. A lot of people don’t realise that their car is fitted with one of these, and then get a big shock when they find out how much it is to repair one.
This blog post is all you need to know about your DPF, how to clean it yourself and how much it can cost.
Compared to petrol engines, diesel ones burn fuel differently, which results in soot being created as a byproduct of the combustion process. This substance is quite harmful to the environment; this is why in 2009 a legislation was introduced to help reduce the CO₂ emissions from cars. Since then, every diesel-powered car must be fitted with a DPF…
DPF stands for diesel particulate filter, and it’s responsible for capturing the harmful soot and reduces the output of emissions. However, a DPF has a limited capacity and therefore needs to be cleaned out regularly or burned off, otherwise, the DPF can’t do it’s job effectively.
If your DPF is blocked or there is something wrong with it, then an orange light will appear on your dashboard with a similar symbol, as below;
This symbol does vary from car to car, so if you’re unsure, check your handbook.
There are two different ways in which you can clean, also known as regenerate your DPF; passive and active.
Passive regeneration usually takes place when the engine is running at high speeds for a long period of time. For example, on a motorway or a dual carriageway. It’s recommended that you drive for around 30 minutes at high speeds over 40mph, to allow time for your exhaust temperature to increase and burn away the soot in your filter.
If you are unable to do this, then the system within your car will take action to ensure your filter doesn’t become blocked. This is the active regeneration.
When your filter has reached the limit of around 45-50%, temperatures will rise to over 600℃ to burn off any soot from your DPF. However, sometimes this doesn't always work because the journey you take is too short for the full regeneration process to take place. If this happens, then your warning light may come on. Take your car out for less than 30 minutes and drive faster than 40mph, and the warning light should disappear.
Do not remove your DPF yourself as it is illegal to do so. If you need to check your DPF go to your local garage.
If you are unsure if your car is in the middle of an active regeneration process, look out for these signs;
If you have tried both passive and active regeneration processes, but your DPF light is still on? Or worse, it has turned red and now more DPF lights have come on, then you will need to get your DPF checked ASAP.
Most garages can do what is known as a forced regeneration to clean out your blocked DPF; which, according to our research, the average cost for this in the UK is £117.50
If this fails then you might need to get your DPF replaced which can cost up from £500 - £2000.
At MyCarNeedsA.com, we ensure that you find the best deal for you, from your local garages. Get a quote from us today!
