Passive regeneration
So it is advised that drivers regularly give their diesel vehicle a good 30 to 50 minute run at sustained speed on a motorway or A-road to help clear the filter.
To make sure that the regeneration takes place, most manufacturers suggest that every few hundred miles, the car is driven for a period of more than 15 minutes at a consistent speed of more than 40mph. Doing this should kick-start regeneration and clear the filter.
If your car has an automatic transmission, shift your gears in a manual mode by moving the gear shift gently. No need to use the speed limiter, it is with no seeming value added. Ride like this for a minimum of 30 minutes. This will initiate a regeneration cycle, and your DPF will be cleaned.
Never attempt to remove a DPF and to start forced regeneration. This should only be done by a qualified mechanic, as it's easy to accidentally damage your vehicle.
There are several ways to clean your DPF filter, you can either clear it yourself by burning the soot away or have it cleaned professionally by a garage. If the blockage persists, you will likely need to replace your DPF filter, which can be costly.
On average, it takes between thirty and sixty minutes to complete a forced regeneration. The substantial heat required for the regen renders the engine and aftertreatment system untouchable until it has time to cool down.
The DPF will not regenerate if:
The engine management light is on for any fault; There is a faulty EGR valve; There is less than 20 litres of fuel in the fuel tank, if the fuel light is on or the engine management light is illuminated.
How long does a parked DPF regen take? It takes approximately 20-60+ minutes. It will continue to regen until the soot level has reached 'low' or '0%. ' Some trucks will let you monitor your soot level gauge on the dashboard.
Regeneration, or regen, of the DPF filter, is the process that burns the soot accumulation that is inside the DPF filter. If you can no longer start a regen then you will eventually get stuck in a derate which will then lead to an engine shut down.
Driving with a low fuel tank. Regeneration will not take place with less than a 1⁄4 of a tank of fuel.
Technically yes, but we would not recommend it. If you ignore the DPF light and continue driving, the build-up of soot will soon reach a point whereby your car has to enter 'limp-home' mode in order to prevent any damage to the engine.
For on-highway vehicles, the DPF should be pulled off for its first cleaning after 150,000 to 200,000 miles, and then every 100,000 miles after that for preventive maintenance cleaning, Anderson notes.
Blocked DPFs wreak havoc with the delicate balance of your engine by preventing the normal venting of gases, which causes a variety of engine issues, as described above. In addition to reduced power and fuel efficiency, a blocked filter may eventually cause a dangerous mechanical malfunction and break your engine.
One final consideration, it takes time for a DPF to block, sometimes years. Once blocked though, turbo failure can occur very quickly.
Once the physical filter removal has been completed the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) is reprogrammed (Remapped) and any DPF related structures removed from the vehicles software. This will prevent the vehicle from sensing the missing filter and will prevent future DPF regeneration and DPF related warning lights.
The vehicle can still be driven, however it is advised that the customer should visit a dealer where they can perform a stationary service regeneration using a service tool.” That's pretty typical.
A DPF can last up to around 100,000 miles if maintained properly. After the car has exceeded that mileage, you could be looking at paying a large amount of money for a replacement – so always properly check MoT and service records when buying a used car.
DPF regeneration is the process of burning off accumulated soot from the DPF to prevent it from clogging and reducing the engine's performance. When the soot builds up, the DPF's backpressure increases, which can lead to a loss of power and fuel efficiency.
The vehicle needs to run at operating temperature during the regeneration, so highway driving is best. Just drive as you normally would. During active regeneration, the exhaust outlet temperature is extremely high. So watch your location if regeneration is about to begin.