A DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) is a device fitted to the exhaust system of all modern diesel vehicles to reduce emissions and meet European emission standards.
It does this by trapping soot (dirt) from the exhaust gasses while letting the gasses flow through the system.
 
As with any type of filter a Particulate Filter needs to be cleaned regularly to function properly. With DPF’s this is done by a process known as Regeneration which involves a combination of a catalyst function in the vehicle system and burning the soot to gas at a very high temperature leaving behind an ash-like residue within the DPF. This is an automatic process taking place in the normal use of your vehicle, you may have noticed this in the form of a blast of white smoke form the exhaust on occasions.
 
If regeneration doesn’t function properly it leads to a build-up of soot affecting performance and fuel economy of your vehicle. If left unattended it will result in a blocked DPF which can ultimately cause expensive damage to other engine components.
All this is aggravated by our poor diesel fuel quality in South Africa.
 
A blocked or damaged DPF can be extremely costly to repair and will often cause your vehicle to go into a “limp” (loss of power) mode and reduce the performance substantially.
For regeneration to take place it requires the vehicle to be driven regularly at high speed maintaining 2500 RPM for approx. 15-30mins at least once a month. Please do not do this is your DPF warning light is already on. If the DPF is blocked beyond the capacity for regeneration or blocked due to Ash residue, you will do more harm to your engine
Even if the regeneration functions properly, the ash residue will build up in the DPF over time. For this reason a DPF is classified as a “serviceable item” by most vehicle manufacturers and is therefore not covered under warranty. 
 
DPF systems therefore need to be maintained properly and on a regular basis.
A blocked DPF can either be repaired or replaced when the blockage is so extreme that repairing is not possible.
Some customers opt to have these filters removed entirely. In this case, the ECU (Wat is dit?) of the vehicle will need to be updated with new software to allow the vehicle to run efficiently. The engine needs to be optimized in order to minimize harmful gasses exiting the rear of your vehicle. The cost of this process will be considerably less than a replacement DPF.
 
DPF work is complex and should only be carried out by experienced professionals with the correct specialist equipment. All work on a DPF has to be completed with the appropriate recalibration or reset on the vehicle ECU. It is not possible to simply delete the DPF electronically or just remove the DPF unit without work on the ECU.
 
At LPM, you can trust our well experienced and fully qualified technicians to keep you on the road. All our technicians are fully trained and experienced in all aspects of DPF’s.
 
LPM will be able to make a proper diagnosis and recommended repair to keep you safely on the road.

For more information about our DPF services, contact us today.

    

 

 

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