Not a day goes by without an email or tweet about DPFs. These troublesome filters are quickly becoming renowned for their wallet emptying powers and are attracting a lot of media coverage in the process.
The last poor soul to contact me asked about using a DPF cleaning fuel additive. This type of product is very new to the market, targeting those suffering with DPF issues.
What is a DPF cleaning additive?
DPF cleaning additives are a chemical solution added to the fuel tank which claims to aid the cleaning of a DPF filter.
The additive contains a “Fuel Borne Catalyst” which in most cases is cerium oxide. This catalyst does not help increase the temperature of the DPF during a cleaning cycle however it does work to decrease the temperature at which the soot blocking the DPF will “burn off”.
Do DPF cleaning additives work?
Update ! (2016) We’ve been speaking to some industry experts on this matter and we’d like to offer an updated view.
DPF cleaning fluids may assist with the DPF cleaning process especially if the process is struggling to reach high enough temperatures to burn off the soot blockage. This is often the case with early (2011 to early 2014) Euro 5 diesel vehicles which commonly experience DPF issues. In many cases these early cars have the DPF filters located too far away from the engine and therefore the heat required for a DPF “burn” can be difficult to reach during normal driving conditions.
Therefore an additive may be a cheap and viable solution to a blocked DPF but this by not means guaranteed, especially if the DPF is clogged with Ash rather than soot.
DPF Cleaners At Amazon
DPF Cleaning Services
Our Googling of DPF cleaners has unearthed some companies offering a DPF cleaning services. This type of filter off service is used widely in commercial application such as HGVs and construction vehicles.
This process requires the DPF filter to be removed from the vehicle, it is subjected to a process which removes the soot and ash particles which are blocking the filter. This process utilises large amounts of heat, pressure and specific chemicals to remove the blockage from the filter. This can only be performed with specialist equipment.
Costs for this serve seem to vary but in most cases it is much cheaper than a replacement filter and not illegal like DPF removal (more on that below).
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DPF Filter Removal
If all else fails then do be very careful how you proceed. Removing the DPF from your exhaust system has become rather a hot topic with transport regulators across the globe, if you have the DPF filter removed you encounter issues passing your MOT or vehicle inspection.
For those in the UK please be aware that your car will fail it’s MOT without a DPF and with more stringent MOT testing for DPF particulates you might be caught out by opting for one of other DPF “gutting and remap” services now being offered. Please see the following page to see how DPF removal will effect your MOT.
Our Advice
Our advice still stands that in the first instance of seeing the DPF light you should ring a main dealer or consult your handbook. The process to kick off a DPF regeneration should be simple enough but simply taking your car out for a “thrash” but often is’t the way to resolve this issue.
However, If you’re presented with the harsh reality of a either a forced DPF regeneration or costly filter replacement we do suggest that it’s worth running some DPF cleaning additive through your fuel system. This combined with the conditions to perform a DPF clean may be enough to clean the soot from a blocked filter and extinguish your warning light.
Below is a couple of links to amazon products you might want to consider.
DPF Cleaners At Amazon
Lets hear from you!
Have you had a bad experience with a DPF? Did a DPF cleaning additive work for you? If so we’d like to hear from you – please leave details of your experience in the comments below.
If you found the above information useful then please take a look at our DPF Diesel Particulate filter freqently asked questions page
For more information on DPFs you might also like to check out the following pages
- The Diesel particulate filter (DPF) FAQ
- The Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve EGR FAQ
- Our top five tips on keeping your DPF clean
- Diesel remap & tuning boxes will my diesel particulate filter DPF cope?
- DPF Cleaning specialists reveal top 10 vehicles with DPF issues
- Which cars have the most DPF problems?
- Skoda Octavia iii 2013 Diesel Particulate Filter DPF – Owner’s Manual – Regeneration FAQ
- Hypermiling Top Tips: Top 5 causes of blocked / Failed DPF diesel particulate filters
JLM and the rest that have introduced similar products do have a place.
They are not dissimilar to Eloys fluid and merely reduce temperatures required for a Regen.
Also to be considered is the Cat fitted before the dpf in many diesels this will soot up aswell.
I have used Cataclean in petrol vehicles with borderline Mot emissions to good effect.
It can also work in dpf equipped diesels but they also do a specific Cataclean Soot product.
I would only use it prior to a long run personally.
As the soot released will end up in the dpf i suspect.
Many people have no issues with their Dpf.
So i suspect another running issue such as egr or injector issues are a likely cause.
Basically anything that would cause a non dpf diesel to produce smoke will cause a dpf equipped diesel to need more regens.
Reading the comments here and the main article above, a lot of the statements made are in my experience, are incorrect regarding DPF cleaning additives.
It is 100% true however that nothing you add to your fuel tank will unblock a blocked DPF.
Tank additives can aid the vehicle in carrying out its normal regeneration/cleaning cycle normally by lowering the DPF temperature required by the ECU to start the procedure, or by raising the DPF temperature prematurely so regen/self cleaning is started in a shorter distance than usual, thus helping to combat the short journey syndrome, the car never gets up to temperature causing carbon and soot to build up in intake and egr systems and eventually the DPF becomes the victim, it isn’t faulty, something else has caused it to block, driving style, incorrect oil, faulty injector, turbo, EGR valve, etc etc.
So back to additives, there has been a trade only DPF cleaning solution on the market for over 10 years (it was also the first on the market, nearly 2 years before other companies ‘attempts’ at it).
It will clean a totally blocked DPF back to as new in less than 2 hours. It has to be done by a garage, it’s carried out in place, on the vehicle, it is a water based cleaner injected into the DPF, temp/pressure sensor pre DPF is removed, and chemical is injected through that hole. Non flammable, metal free, totally patented and created by genius German chemistry,l
All soot is removed and to correct comments, it also completely removes all ash also…
This is the only DPF cleaner that works,safely,
(trust me I’ve cleaned over 500 DPFs successfully, the company as a whole in the 1000s, and trained many dealer techs in the procedure who in turn 10s of 100s.
if the car won’t start it’s so blocked,, it will still clean it, and it’s the only cleaner approved by any car manufacturer in the UK as a technical bulletin fix. Currenty 6 major manufacturers , including Vauxhall, clean with this product UNDER WARRANTY, they rarely replace DPFs unless drivers ignore warning lights and keep driving, destroying DPFs beyond cleaning,
Id strongly advise not sending DPFs away for cleaning or using any of these JML or Powermaxx aftermarket flushing fluids as they contain harsh solvents and in some cases I’ve seen acid based chemicals used…..the DPF is internally made of ceramic,which has a protective coating to withstand cracking under the intense heat it needs to work at, solvents and acids remove that coating, the approved cleaner, which I’ll post the website link below, Ihas been developed, and tested , and proven to leave the DPF coating intact and the DPF in as new condition.
What’s it called please?
Jonathan you wrote a lot but failed to mention the name of thedpf cleaner that works. So what is it??????
Your full of sh1t. No chemical on the market will clean a DPF worth a flip. There is only 1 proven process. Specialty Kiln and blaster/extractor machines. Period.
I’ve taken my dpf out put dpf cleaner in it for 2 days power hosed it out sorted when the cleaner was in the dpf I m put a potato at the ends and moved the chemical around the filter hope this helps
What is the name of the product you are talking about
Hi, I did some research and found that using a specialised DPF Cleaning firm is actually cheaper than DPF removal. I was quoted £400 for a 6 stage clean, including removal and refitting after the clean compared with £550.00 for Dpf removal and remapping.
hi
ihad this problem with my van and was told be the mail dealer to take a drive on the moterway at 70 mph in 4-5 gear 2500 rpm for 80-90 miles round trip ,it did work .
my van is only used around town driving which is not good for the dpf .
P.S, don’t have your DPF removed!
It’s only a matter of months before VOSA will create an effective, foolproof way of confirming if your vehicles DPF is actually still in place and working as per manufacturer fitting, it’s a visual check for MOT currently which depending on which “garage” modified your poor car mostly can’t be seen visually… I’ve seen a few with a big square flap welded up after massacring the contents though, MOT failure, requires new system , another software map back to as it was then retested, also heard rumours of backdating and charging drivers extra road tax….cos DPF fitted vehicles obviously pay less road tax due to llower emission output
Hi Jonathan,
can you please advise name of the company and/or name of the product you taking about?
Thank you
Spent £200 in less than 8 months regenerating DPF on a Skoda Octavia 1.6 diesel.
VERY Anoyed with Car Deal Warwhouse, edinburgh not asking the right questions or providing information on dpfs BEFORE letting me part with £8.5K
Yes I have a diesel mechanic that says it can be done it’s costly and a pain in the butt.
Rather than introducing a fluid haphazardly into a DPF, the question to ask is WHY the DPF blocked up in the first place. EVEN IF YOU REPLACE IT -without determining the cause, then it WILL happen again.
See our website and follow it to a garage in your area which can perform a DPF clean using a procedure which also cleans out the air intake pipes, the egr and all associated swirl flaps etc which are causing the soot in the first place. We know of cars treated which not actually required a regeneration for the next 40000 miles or so.
The issue with any DPF chemical cleaner is that they only remove SOOT at best and NOT ASH. Any cleaning of carbon deposits from within the engine will naturally end up in the DPF. For a DPF service to be effective it needs to remove SOOT & ASH.
That is correct. Even after numerous successful regeneration cycles, the back end of the dpf will have a build up of ash/fine sand like substrate blocking it.
yes the magic machine now exists that will clean DPF’s in situ
briefly it usies heat and chemical in a very controlled manner to firstly loosen any carbon and then heat to convert that carbon to ash, to be burn’t off,
all this is acheived without any interference to the ecu
regards
Tony
YES of course DPF cleaners work perfectly, those of us doing short runs would be buying petrol engines by now if we had to fork out for on the ramp dpf cleaning when the engine goes into limp mode.
Every other tank full, in goes the bottle full..unless you are on the motorway fairly constant,.
So which dpf addictive would you recommend
I have a Skoda Fabia this care is used solely for motorway runs if I need to nip local to the shops I use my wife’s i10 petrol. I know everyone can’t do that however modern diesel is for high milage Car sales people are not selling with your best interests in mind. If I was doing less than 20 miles to work I would have chosen 1.2 Tsi petrol version.
Lots of funny and incorrect comments here. I hope this is more useful. I worked in DPF design……
The DPF catches soot (carbon) and about every 2000-5000 miles the engine management system will try to remove this by burning it. This can only happen if the car is driven (different manufacturers have slightly different strategies) on a fastish road above about 40-50mph for about 20 mins. If you don’t do this then at some point the car becomes desperate for a regen and may try and get some carbon burnt at less than ideal conditions. If this does not happen then at some point there is too much carbon and it could damage the substrate if a regen was started.
So, drive your car once in a while down a dual carriage way for 20-30 mins. If the warning light comes on (Orange) then definately do this asap or the next step is an expensive garage fix.
After many many miles (100k) the ash resulting from the burnt carbon may require physical, off the car cleaning.
The cat is not a filter and so won’t block like a DPF. Additives are snake oil. I bet most DPF specialist just take the car out for a good old thrash down the motorway and charge you £s to do so.
Ash comes from burning oil which is not removed by the piston rings, as the unburnt fuel used in regeneration washes down causing piston rings to stick.
Also ash is then formed when burning tge soot present in the filter.
Preventing the issues first is the best option, and BG Products also help there, as previously stated, the DPF REGENERATOR will clean the engine intake area, the combustion chamber, the exhaust track including turbo, restore EGR function (if the issue is caused by soot build up but not electrical faults and will also chemically clean the DPF without the need for removal!
Happy motoring!
You Work in design Carl???? Every 2000-5000 miles?????? Really? I have a kia ceed and the dpf goes off around every 300 km, I can see exactly when it goes off cause my car gets sluggish and won’t accelerate properly and I can see on my fuel consumption that as soon as it starts regen it takes more gas and if I release the pedal completely it wil always stay at a minimum 0.8L to 100 km whereas if it is not regenerating it will go all the way down to 0.0 and sometimes it takes between 15-20 min to complete and other times I have driven it up to half an hour burning gas, wasting my time and it doesn’t switch off, so I just give up after that. So if you worked in DPF design how come what you are stating has no relation to what I see working in my car????
Richard, you’re so full of SCHEISSE. DPF regen does NOT require any particular speed to process, DPF regen will happen no matter what speed you drive at, it’s just that revving up will simply help it to reach burning conditions faster, but if you can’t revv up enough, it will simply burn off more fuel to meet the required temperature.
I’m seriously getting tired of reading this myth, it leads a lot of people to think they necessarily HAVE to drive fast for it to happen, which is nothing but a stupid lie !
And like Sam said, “every 2000-5000 miles” ? Lol. I can’t fathom that level of ignorance. You say you worked on DPF design… you sure you weren’t the janitor in there ?
Didn’t he mean that the car us unlikely to start the regen process unless it sees that you are doing a steady speed, likely to be 40mph+? I agree that the 2000 miles comment was miles off – my Smart, driven around town, would regen two or three times per week, so that’s just a couple of hundred miles (or less).
Spot on mate I own an Isuzu DMAX and it performers a REGEN every 500km no matter what speed I travel.
It will do it sitting in the driveway.
The speed thing is simply a matter of air flow on the extra heated exhaust system
I drive a 2008 Lexus IS220d which I now realise is a car prone to DPF problems. The biggest issue I had was the car going in to limp mode and becoming basically undrivable. After reading many forums and handing it into 2 local garages and a ‘specialist’, I realised nobody wanted to touch it with a barge pole. My options seemed to be a Lexus repair at £2500 or sort it myself. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I removed and cleaned the ERG valve, then added a DPF additive to the tank with the intention of just thrashing it until the additive hopefully cleared the DPF. After about 100 miles over several days, the fault cleared. I’m now driving fine with no issues. I intend to add the additive every 2nd refill of fuel. There is no way this stuff is snake oil, although before I had success, I did have my doubts.
I have the same car. No issues yet. I was just wandering which brand of cleaner you use as I would like to use the same to prevent problems in the future.
Ok, find the whole everyone’s chemical engineer expert thing all very amusing and entertaining! I know nothing about EGR / DPF cleaners directly, but I am about to use Archoil cleaner(after enough reading/browsing), and find out. I drive a MB R350Bluetec which I love space and comfort and the most unpopular MB ever launched in North America (I’m in Vancouver, Canada) hence horrible resale; was $85 new, we paid $17k for 6 years later for 2012 with 100k kms. Anyway, we have crappy diesel here so have to use additive. I spent more time than I would ever admit to researching, and Stanadyne is bloody brilliant, fantastic, and definitely not snake oil. It is really apparent, immediately actually, compared to the 2 tankful’s in-between. Smoother, and better ltr/100kms. But most significant is this: Covid and moving house, I neglected to use Stanadyne for about 6months. Having had the EGR replaced 18months ago wasn’t too concerned, until check engine light 3 weeks ago. EGR malfunction, (EGR replaced August 2020) all very odd, a few long trips light went out, then back on, 3x, bought more Stanadyne and light went out in a day (MB run two 8 minute tests from cold before clearing problem) and so far has stayed out. It is going in for EGR removal and inspection/cleaning Friday anyway, & will scope the pipe & DPF but my guess will be ok now. So to answer the question, in my opinion, additives long-term prevention (every 3 fill ups or $50 a year) do work to prevent build up and Stanadyne is the winner in my book. Will see what the cleaner does doing a 2500m road trip to Disney & Palm Springs next week. Lastly, if one more mechanic says how badly cars are made today & mechanic or diy friendly etc etc perhaps they should design the next generation engines, ensuring they produce maximum output, minimum emissions, and maximise internal space, all the while ensuring unbeatable safety in a human caused crash & of course simple to repair…. Sorry soap box, but dives me mad hearing mechanics banging on about how badly cars are designed, especially as they charge by the hour anyway!
My Freelander 2 came up with “DPF FULL”, I read the handbook, which said to drive for 20 minutes 45 – 60 MPH. Drove like that for 120 miles, 2 hours, nothing happened.
Visited your website and after understanding how the regeneration works, drove at 60 MPH in 4th , keeping as near as possible to 3000 RPM, with all lights and air conditioning on, after 10 minutes warning cleared, all OK.
G.
Do anyone have a suggestion on what dpf addictive to use to maintain.
The DPF is made up of hundreds of small tubes. About the diameter of a coffee straw. Imagine 500 coffee straws all banded together with a rubber band. That’s what the inside of a DPF looks like. Exhaust is forced through these small tubes then exits the tail pipe. The way the DPF works is it catches the soot and ash as it travels down the tubes. Eventually all the tubes clog and your DPF needs regeneration or cleaned. Think of it like the arteries in your body as they begin to fill with plaque!!! They become blocked and need cleared.
Once a regen is needed, all you are doing is adding excessive heat to burn away the soot. Generally a manuf will instruct you to gear down rpm up and drive it this way for x # of miles. This excessive rpm hopefully generates enough heat to clear the clog. Regens only work a certain number of times before DPF needs mechanically cleaned or replaced.
Only a government could create this level of misery for our engines. Imagine if this were a human produce. You would be given the flu, which inhibits your ability to breathe, and a heart condition, preventing oxygen from reaching your heart and muscles. And then every time you exhale, it’s through a small straw. Try running a marathon like that… That’s what has happened to our automobiles with DPFs.
Btw, no chemical added to your fuel tank can clean a DPF. All these additives are doing is introducing alcohols into your engine which burn at a slightly higher temp than gasoline or diesel would. Alcohols are generally corrosive to your motor, eating a way at seals and many metallic components.
The new diesels who will comply with Euro 6 emissions will still have the D.P.F.Filter.
Modern diesels are not compatible with lots of town driving,no matter what the manufacturer wants you to believe.It is the beginning of the end of diesel cars and for the sake of our children about time.Our towns air quality is a mess and the Car Manufactures have promoted diesel technologie which had its day.
I have a new xtrail 1.6 diesel, ntec+. New in nov14, was delivered to me from dealer via motorway links and within 3 weeks the gone many light was on, mile 400 miles.This was the dpf blocked and a regen was done. I am at 4k now and the dealer says it needs replaced as a regen didn’t work. I am not doing short slow journeys. Nissan say driving style habit and they are not helping. Cost is £1300 plus 10 hrs labour. Can anyone help?
I have a total crap Dacia Sanders worst car I have ever had .dpf blocked after 3000 miles needed a new filter cost me 1000£ Davis bastards told me they would pay ,had no intention of paying i formed out the money ! New filter just as bad ,will never buy a dacia product again ,awful people todeal with .
I hate dacia cars ! They are a dreadful company to deal with !
it’s about time all the car manufacturers got together and told them cretins in Brussels they are costing us diesel drivers a fortune for dpf’s and egr’s to comply with their crazy ideas..They don’t work and if they think their idea of fresh air being emitted from an exhaust is feasible then they are barmier than we think.They are trying to stop us driving diesels so we spend more on petrol..Let’s leave the EU ASAP..
Hi,
On my last Subaru Outback (manual) I had to have a dpf regen 5 times before 50 mls.
With my current outback (cvt auto) I’ve had no dpf regen. Highest soot accumulation on dpf was 40% at last service.
Only difference between the two cars is I have used Archoil ar 6200 fuel modification concentrate with every tank of diesel plus the Archoil ar 6500 dpf cleaner every 5-10mls
It is my experience that these additives work.
I’ve no connection to Archoil or their stockists
Hi,
On my last Subaru Outback (manual) I had to have a dpf regen 5 times before 50k mls.
With my current outback (cvt auto) I’ve had no dpf regen. Highest soot accumulation on dpf was 40% at last service.
Only difference between the two cars is I have used Archoil ar 6200 fuel modification concentrate with every tank of diesel plus the Archoil ar 6500 dpf cleaner every 5-10kmls
It is my experience that these additives work.
I’ve no connection to Archoil or their stockists
Hi i have a c5 grandpiccasso lost sll power just had it put on the computer th guy said its the dpf whats the best solution get it taken out and remapped if i get it cleaned will it need remapping
Hi i have a c4 grandpiccasso lost all power just had it put on the computer th guy said its the dpf whats the best solution get it taken out and remapped if i get it cleaned will it need remapping
So what was the conclusion regarding the best cleaner ?
Lot’s of interesting comments here, some helpful, some not so good.
Are additives ‘snake oil? The vast majority are not, but as in most markets there are always people looking to extract your hard earned cash with false promises. All oils and fuels contain additive packages, some better than others? You pay for what you get is the simple answer here.
Additives from reputable companies will normally do exactly what they say on the tin. They can’t fix mechanical faults, but can solve problems caused by deposits and contamination helping restore performance and efficiency. There are also products to help a tired engine through their final months and even extend their life, or products to get you out of trouble such as stopping leaks. No miracles, just honest technology that works. ‘Worth a try’ is something we often hear from converted sceptics.
How do DPF Cleaner FBC’s (Fuel Bourne Catalysts) work. Simple (well not really), but the technology used by Wynn’s uses cerium oxide which acts as a catalyst. It does not increase the temperature inside the DPF, nor does it increase the temperature of the particles, but it does lower the temperature at which soot particles burn off. Soot particles normally combust about 750Oc, but with the addition of the cerium they will combust at a much lower temperature of about 400Oc. This means the filter will passively regenerate much more easily and at a lower temperature during normal driving. What is best practice if the light comes on? Most people contact us when the light is already on – Make sure you have at least 1/3 a tank of fuel, add a DPF Cleaner to the fuel tank, then follow the vehicle manufacturers drive cycle in the handbook. 15 minutes in 3rd at 2000 rpm or whatever they recommend.
Drivers who experience regular DPF problems due to their driving style should consider using a DPF Cleaner every couple of months or so depending on the frequency of their problem.
Does Wynn’s DPF Cleaner remove ash – No, ash cannot be burnt.
DPF Filters have a life of about 100,000 km when they will become saturated with ash. At this point they will need manually cleaning or replacing.
What causes the filter to clog up:
1) Short journeys – The engine is not so efficient during warm up, and does not get hot enough to burn off deposits
2) Use of incorrect engine oil – always ensure you use the correct low SAPS oil specified for the engine at oil change and when topping up
3) Deposits in the fuel system, air intake, EGR valve, injectors, etc. Modern diesel fuel systems are highly engineered, but are susceptible to deposits which may effect the efficiency of combustion. Inefficient combustion = more hydrocarbons, and therefore more soot in the exhaust and filter.
So do additives and in particular DPF cleaning additives work? Yes absolutely, but they can’t perform miracles.
Yes, I do work in the additive industry for Wynn’s, a global additives company established in 1939 – Must be doing something right?
My Subaru Legacy DPF light came up on a long high speed trip after I had topped tank and added excessive amount of injector cleaner. Tried the high speed low gear thrash, and the light then started flashing. Kept driving until I got home ~600kms.
Contacted dealer and various other quacks. Remedies suggested varied from “removal and clean, takes a day, cost $800” to complete replacement of DPF $7,000.
Talking to a tractor specialist he produced a Wynn’s (professional only) DPF cleaner, cost $22. Though I’m a cynic when it comes to “bottled remedies” I figured at the price, what was there to lose.
Suffice to say it worked. When the condition returned when I used ‘cheap fuel” another bottle remedied it. Since then all good – 260,000 on the clock and no hassles. It worked for me
I have a Citroen C4 Picasso 57 plate and I used Wynns off the vehicle DPF cleaner. Soaked the filter for two days in the solution and then blew the filter dry with compressed air. During this process, a red coloured fluid was drained from the filter along with the cleaning fluid. The filter was then put back in the vehicle but did not clear the fault. The engine management light is still on and the electronic read out device tells me that the DPF is still at 54%. This would indicate to me that Wynns is not as “clever” as you think it is.
Hi Dave
54% DPF loading seems a little low to trigger an EML. The additive is used only to help the soot burning process – a DPF fills with ASH which can not be removed without specialist equipment (unless you gut it).
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Cheers Karl
Hello sorry to trouble could help me please.
I was wondering what could happen If you used to much Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaner
for instance a whole bottle of cleaner which is meant for a full tank of diesel however used
with less than half a tank of diesel.
kind regards and best wishes
Paula
Hi Paula
I’ve done some digging and there really isn’t any information I can find regarding the effects of a high concentration dose. I would first fill up your tank to try to thin the mixture down a bit.
Might also be worth giving the DPF cleaning manufacturer a call / email to see what they say.
If you do get a response then please let us know but personally I don’t think you’ll cause any damage.
Cheers Karl
The name of the cleaner that you spray directly into the dpf via the temp sensor is called K2 professional dpf cleaner
I have a 2010 reg Mazda 3 1.6 diesel (same engine as Focus) with DPF issues.. Had a forced re-gen done twice in the past 14 months. Engine light on & diognostics telling me the module that injects the Eloys fluid into the DPF is not working. About £600 to fix.. So I want to use this additive stuff or at least give it a try. Which is best ??? Can anyone help here. Regards Justin.
Hi Justin
Not sure that the additive will fix the module that controls the Eloys injection – however if you wanted to give it a try I would suggest the Wynns. It gets some good reviews on Amazon. Link above in the page.
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers
Karl
after being stitched up by volvo for 2 forced regens i went to my local garage and they sai buy a vci and software and do it yourself,this cost me the same as a single dealer regen and every repeat costs me nothing,god bless back street garages 🙂
Hi Jerry,
Do you have a link or elaboration on what a VCI is and what software we can u to manually regenerate?
can anyone help please Kia Carens smokes had it out for a blast smoke stops leave for a bit to cool smoke comes back repeated this a couple of times but the smoke keeps coming back any ideas on how to solve problem ???? CHEERS
my dpf light came on my skoda fabia 1.2 tdi the engine was racing and the rev counter was over 10 rpm so I put some STP,s DPF cleaner in my tank took it for a 20 min run and light went out I,ve also started using Vpower diesel its 10p more a litre but my car runs a lot better now and no more engine racing I would defo recommend the shell Vpower over cheap and nasty supermarket fuel its cheaper but false economy….plus I get a lot more miles to the gallon so avoid supermarket fuels
Own a 2014 Kia Sorento. Had the DPF warning light on for about a week. Last Saturday I gave the car a thrashing along the A40 for approx. 45 minutes, wasting time and fuel – light still on. Today was building up for an altercation with the main dealer when I decided to drive to Halfords and try a bottle of Wynn’s Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaner. Poured the stuff in the tank and filled up with fuel. Driving back after about 20 minutes I stopped the car, started again and hey-presto no flashing warning light. Not a controlled experiment and would not be surprised to see the light back on within a few days, but at the moment it is a pleasure drive and not see that flashing warning light. Best £10 I ever spent – I hope?
Does anyone know about the effects of a Terraclean, as I’ve heard great reviews from friends that have had it done. I would like to know if anyone knows more about this system and if it could cause any long term damage to the engine?
All I know is that it cleans the whole engine of carbon, grease and cleans the DPF with chemicals, but would like to know if there is a down side of this. Many thanks
Glyn
I have a 3 year old Honda Civic 2.2 diesel. I had never heard of a dpf before a warning light came on on the dashboard 40 miles into a 50 mile journey and the vehicle went straight into limp mode. Via my insurance I had the vehicle taken to a Honda garage. Regeneration failed to complete it cycle and Honda say that a replacement will cost in excess of £3,600.
Honda customer relations said that as the vehicle was outside the 3 year/90,000 warranty they would not compromise on the costs.
If I had known about dpf’s and their costs I would probably not have purchased a diesel. Needless to say I will be ending my association with Honda cars having driven them since 2003
Same as dacia shit ,never buy another car from this company
i have a diseal bmw 202 no stupid dpf great car i will buy a petral car next can not tollerate all this stupid crap dpf wasting money and time.
I have been doing forced regens on my 2007 Skoda Octavia 170 Vrs quite frequently over the past 2 years since not doing anywhere near the mileage that I used to do having been made redundant and changing jobs. Walking to work and only running out at weekends now. Previously doing 100’s of miles each week.
My Dpf filter warning light comes off and I blast off down the dual carriageway for 20 mins at 3000 rpm …..that has worked until this week when dpf , glow plug and engine management lights all came on and went into limp mode.
I work for a well known car parts suppliers so checked out replacement dpf’s . Ranging in cost from £90 – £390. Took car to Skoda dealer who did diagnostics and confirmed dpf was over 90% blocked and unable to carry out regen due to fire risk.
They quoted somewhere around £1400 plus refit charge at £288 all plus vat.
I was unsure of which way to go so went online and found a company that will do a 48 hour turn around service for collection , ultra sonic clean and return delivery for £225 plus vat. If dpf requires further extra heat process then another £75 . Still cheaper than both of my two options.
I have a friendly mechanic who is happy and confident in removal and refitting for around £100 so that is the route I am taking.
I was advised by cleaning company that alternative and non OED parts will be inferior and not made from silicone carbide resulting in the necessary heat levels needed for regen not being achieved.
I am hopeful that this cleaning is the best option and comfortable in knowing that my original dpf is a genuine part and will fit properly.
I will try and run more frequently in recommended driving mode with the addition of some Wynnes dpf cleaner which I can get at 50% discount.
Hope this waffle is of some interest.
I have owned a 2.0 Jtdm Alfa 159 for 3 1/2 years now and have done approx 30k miles with it. After a few months the car went into ‘regen’ with the exhaust rattling and shaking as if it was falling to pieces, then did it again a few weeks later. I then did a bit of forum research and decided to try the Wynns DPF cleaner, after a good run (about 20 miles ) and a higher revs blast there was some dark smoke then some lighter coloured grey smoke blown out and after that I’ve not had another ‘regen’ incident.
I have been adding this additive roughly every 1500 to 2000 miles for more than 3 years now and can’t praise the product highly enough and feel that I have proved that it ‘works’. Recommended.
I also found it strange that no info or advice was given by the dealer regarding these issues when I purchased the car especially since they knew that I did a low mileage ( 7-8000 per year) . These issues should be more widely shared with the public by the motor trade at time of purchase instead of ignoring them or simply not giving a s—.
hi karl.my vw golf mk6 1.6 tdi 2010 has done 65000 miles and is showing egr problems glowplug lights/loss of power /more regen .it has a fsh i spoke to vw uk about good
will jesture to fix it but no luck .i then spoke to the dealer whom i bought the car off they want the car in and charge £95 to do a check on it .i asked have they ever repaired a car with this problem foc but they refused to answer it what can i do please.
Hi Guys, Lots and lots of stories of DPF issues. After 4 or 5 years and 3 diesel cars later I swear by using additives but I really have started to feel that the cleaning of these EGR values , Injectors and the DPF should be introduced into a regular manufacturer’s servicing schedule at say every 50,000 miles or so, You have to remember that carbon deposits start to clog these features in a diesel engine. But hey Im sure they would just prefer for you to feel that your car is broken and that you buy a new one. So all these features need to helped to stay clean from a young age. Regards to regen’s of the DPF I had a Chevrolet (GM) and that car used to singal it about to go into regen by the fan staying on for about 5 mins after switching off the engine. I then new i had to drive for around 20 mins (almost immediatley to be on the safe side) at Motorway speeds in order for everything to get hot enough to do its work and burn the soot off. Sometimes I used to drop a gear to raise the revs but on that the Car the OBC would signal that something must be wrong and an error code would spring up and that in itself would send the car into limp mode and service light came on (pulling off motorway switching off the enegine for 10 mins and starting againing tending to sort that one). So eventually I learned just to drive at normal motorway speeds and the light would go out after around 15 or 20 mins. So Every car has its carectoristists. Anyway back to additives I mainly use ‘Millers Diesel Power Eco max’ is an Injector cleaner and Cetane booster and really does run the engine quiter and with more accelaration power , hence you dont need to rev so hard hence saving fuel. I really do notice the differance when I have not added it. Its around £12 a bottle and is enough for 10 tank falls (£1.20 a full tank or .60p for half) For those of us who appriciate the differance between Super diesel and normal diesel this is basically does the same and is a lot cheaper than the 10p to 15p a litre premium those fuels attract. I use it every time i fill up and find i have a lot less automatic regens probably one every 6 months , altough I do regularly drive at 60- 70 mph speeds at least one a week which obviously is when the filfer has a chance to do its job and why people in live in Cities have a problem with it not burning off.
I had a DPF problem on my LR2 . It turned out to be the wrong oil used by the garage .
A low sap oil must be used and obviously the correct grade .
Regen’s do occur at lows revs with extra fuel being burnt to achieve the required temp BUT the car must be able to finished the regen before you shut down the engine .
I have a ond year old Subaru XV. THE DPF light has been on three times at under 3k miles, about 5k and then 9.5k . Long MW runs worked in one occasion to clear the dpf, but dea.erchanged engine oil on other two. Mostly country lanes and town driving. Bit desparate, and wonder if driving to get non super market fuel would help, or should i stick an additive in every 5k miles, some other web sites seem to recommend some work, any advice appreciated
Hi Tim
Non super market fuel will not help. My advice is to pop some additive in every few tankfuls just to help it along. It maybe that the DPF is actually getting near the end of its life and is full of ASH. That would explain why the DPF is having trouble regenerating.
The Wynns one has been highly recommended to us
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008VQMLXE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hypermiler-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B008VQMLXE&linkId=c992f001e0f78e8ee626893d843b22da
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers Karl
I bought a used Citroen C4 1.6 liter HDi car some 3 years ago.
One year after I got the car, I got my first indications that the DPF was on its way out. I looked for many ways to have it cleaned, properly regenerated, replaced, or even removed. My solution was a lot simpler and came to me from a random unauthorized shop.
They removed the DPF, baptized it in some solution, then poured some detergent in on the exhaust end, backwashed the filter with high pressure hot water, and left it in a small over to dry out. I paid then 70 euro for the process.
2 years down the road, that DPF is as good as new, and I have been thinking of taking it for another wash even if there is no problem with it. That 70 euro is nothing compared to 250 for professional cleaning, or 1100 for a new DPF, or even 250 for DPF removal.
Just my 2 cents.
/dev/
You know people come in here for help and end up more confused because of people making false claims and even lying about working in the profession. GROW UP!! DPF’S clog up naturally. NO ADDITIVES CLEAN ASH DEPOSITS. Manually flushing is a good option if they have not been ruined. Wyn’s and Redex will keep the soot down especially if you do short runs all the time. ALWAYS use the correct oil and DON’T mix synthetic and natural oils EVER!There is NO miracle cure for ash deposits, a manual flush once every two years should suffice. If you are a short journey driver plan a regular drive to the next town to do your shopping get on the motorway rev to 3000 in fourth for 5 mins. The like of redex and Wyn’s are often on offer at superstores so stock up when you can and use the additive as prescribed but don’t fuel up until until you have allowed 3/4 of a tank otherwise you weaken the additive strength by topping up. Don’t listen to sit at home car experts to profess to design DPF lol Carl’s advice was good though. Safe Driving guys and gals.
Hi All. Daughter in Law is having problems with her Ford C-Max 2ltr diesel 2008. Diagnostic points to dpf issues. Searched the web sites for solutions found Archoil 6400 added recommended amount in half a tank. Car ran well for the next week. Didn’t add in next fuel top up car played up. Added recommended amount at third top up car was good. Just bought another bottle to try again. Yes you may notice car is fueled weekly only to half tank. Car is driven on the motorway maybe once every 6 weeks. Wondering now if problem could be egr system. However problem started after a service at local garage my thoughts turned to the use of the correct engine oil? She says the garage assured it was the correct oil??
BMW X5d> DPF warning light came on showing DPF needed service. However, a further diagnostic indicated the glow plug (GP) module had failed. After the GP was replaced ($ 135 part and $ 225 labor) the DPF now showed it was nominal operating condition.
BMW 2.0d X3 – had the lights come up, took off the DPF and blew out all the ash with the airline, and a LOT came out! Blew both ways, then v hot washing up powder soak and slosh through, also brought out a lot of the soot, then stuffed it in the bbq at max and left that for a couple of hours.
Cleaned the sensor just in front of the DFP too.
After that – all good.
Plus – removed the swirl flaps and cleaned out the EGR and intake manifold which was pretty clogged with black gunk.
MPG went back up +4/5 mpg and felt way better.
My 2012 1.4 tdci fiesta emissions were twice over manufacturer limit following lots of urban driving. Followed manual advice and ran it on motorway in 4th (2500-2800rpm = 65mph) for 60 miles. After that instantaneous mpg was much better and throttle only needs a light touch. Emissions were corrected as well. Now appreciate that 2nd gear up to 30 (3000rpm) is the best way forward.
Have previously used Wynne’s dpf cleaner additive to good effect. But it feels nicer to save the tenner and use the gears more wisely. On that subject, I find cruising at 2600-2800 the most economic mpg as you are just above the max torque in the powercurve to handle slopes without changing gear.
My 2008 Skoda Octavia VRS CR with 172k miles had the three lights on – glow plug, engine and dpf – and went into limp mode. Dealer replaced temp sensor but didn’t help. They tried to force a regen but said the soot level was 47% and it needed to be < 45% to do it. Told me to do a number of 30 min runs at 3000 revs. Did that and took it back to be told soot level had went up. “Offered” to replace the Dpf for £1900. Took it to DPF Centre in Hendon, North London and left it for the day. They charged £220 for a dpf clean and the car is running great now. I was really impressed with them. It’s all about the ash and getting that cleared out. Another dpf cleaning company quoted £660 to do the same job.
I was put off buying a diesel car for most of the last 10 years as your average mechanic (inc. many main-dealer ones) didn’t have much of a clue about EGR/DPF issues. Their solutions invariably revolved around expensive component replacement or it being ‘time to trade your car in’. Many mechanics, and I, understand how these systems work now as they’ve been around for a good few years, and earlier this year I traded in my (4 month old) petrol MX5 for a diesel Dacia Duster (circumstances dictated the need for a 4 seater).
It’s my second Dacia and will be dealer serviced whilst under warranty. Thereafter I’ll self-service it using the correct Renault/Dacia fluids. I’ve no qualms about removing the EGR every 50k or so to clean it, and hope to be able to get towards 100k or so before I need to pull the dpf for an overnight bath in Wynns DPF cleaner and a gentle up-stream power wash, before replacing it.
Once I understood how these emissions controls worked, it’s not that hard to see how problems are encountered and how straightforward (& cheap) the fixes can be. I’m loving the torquey diesel drive again and have no qualms about running this car up to at least 150k+ miles.
Nice to hear most of you are cleaning not removing Dpf,s.clean air does not harm lungs. 10,000 people die in London every year and Ella was a typical example. We need clearer advice to the pulic about use of correct fuel, oil and additives and the manufacturers warranty should cover blocked filters etc. I.e. To pass EU standards emissions tests car type must show ability to meet emission levels for 100,000km or 5 years. There is no enforcement of removal of emission equipment or illegal remapping in UK. UK gov is guity of aiding and abetting the damage to lungs that cause the death of thousands of people.
pain in the ass dpf filter i purchased a 2010 peugeot 308 1.6 cost me 250.00 to get it cleaned yes it did clean it i was using the motor way once a week so it was ok for a while then light kept coming on then went off i got rid of it
A c110 scanner can be used to clear a BMW dpf warning without visiting main dealer or a cleaner service. Cost is around £35 & by repeatably removing fault codes whilst driving at 2500-3000rpm a regeneration can be forced/triggered. When a regeneration is happening exhaust temp goes up to 600 degrees plus & when you get home back pressure can be checked make sure it has fully cleared.
Best £35 I have ever spent.
I have a 2011 Ssangyong Korando.
1)Engine light came on July ’18 – DPF burn at garage (A) didn’t work – Wurth cleaner used and successful. Glowplug also replaced at this time.
2)December 2018 diesel in oil – about 4cm above full level on dipstick. Towed to garage (B) – updated at Sangyong dealership garage (C) because car had not had 2014 update. Didn’t fix fuel in oil.
3)Another trip to garage(B) injectors replaced.
4)Another towed to garage (B) on advice of AA cos 1mm over full level in oil. Swirl valve replaced.
I don’t personally think fuel in oil fixed – but I could be wrong but still know oil over full because I measured when it came back after 4 injectors and level on full mark. Oil being tested now for fuel content.
Question: Would fuel in oil be linked to DPF?
Before latest and current trip to garage (B) engine light came on then off then space of couple kms came on then off again (but didn’t flicker – handbook says flicker when needs regen. but could be needs regen?) Currently speedo 1000kms from 4 injectors replaced.
I have a Zafira cdti ecoflex. No one, and i mean no one told me about DPF. I had a Lucida before this, and had no filter, so this DPF on Zafira was a surprise to me. I do only local drive, so i now find out that Diesel cars are no good for me. Zafira service light kept coming on last week, so deleted it with pedal and ignition. Little did i know, it was the car telling me it wanted to go for a long drive at constant higher speed. BANG&*%$£, from below the engine, and then extreme hissing noise. Car wouldn’t drive fast. Took it straight to garage. The said that, dpf was clogged, so the pressure pipe (coming from dpf) decided to blow. Had this replaced and a forced regen. Reading showed it was 70% blocked. Took the car 70mph for 150 miles (conveniently going to seaside anyway) and seemed ok, however, EML light came on. Back to garage who reset it. I then added Carlube DPF cleaner to my half tank. A huge amount of black smoke came out. Next day, the service light came on. I left it and took it for a drive for 40mph for 20 minutes. Arrived at my destination, and switched the engine off. Turned it back on, and lights were off. I then consulted the Zafira manuall, it states drive 25mph for 15 minutes to allow dpf regeneration. I should have followed manufacturers recommendation, its best solution. Why didn’t anyone tell me about DPF regeneration ? I am now ready with bottles of Carlube DPF cleaner, and willing to take the car for a dual carriageway drive for half hour to avoid garage costs and headaches. My next vehicle will be one of those big red vehicles (yes, a public bus). Follow manufacturers advice for best solution. I guess, my dpf is still mainly blocked, and possibly struggling with its flow, but car drives beautiful, with low revs and no more headaches. My advice will also be, if the warning light comes on (service, glow plug or EML), take it immediately for a constant drive on a nice stretch of road, and watch for the lights to go off. If it doesn’t, make sure you have breakdown recovery (lol). Happy driving !!
I find an Italian tune up works for the VW T5 whenever it goes into limp mode with the DPF light on.
My son recently has had problems with the dpf filter in his vauxhall insignia sri .
Despite vauxhall telling him it’s this sensor and that sensor at a cost ov over £500 pounds the problem did not go away,
My search ov the internet revealed a company called terra clean who put a cleaning agent directly into the dpf filter and the guy encouraged me to stay and watch the process ,which takes about an hour, I did just that and was impressed by it all .
My sons car is now running better than it has for a gd while now and at a cost ov £230 is definitely cheaper than replacing the dpf , so all you guys out there having these issues look up this firm they operate throughout the uk and Ireland and the product origination was in Canada. Terra clean !!!
Our 3.0 Bmw X3 Diesel E83 recently started giving problems and the cause was the dreaded Dpf. I tried three different makes of additive in the fuel tank but to no avail. I also attempted a manual regen. but again to no avail. I therefore had several choices.
1. Get in touch with the main agent and throw well over a thousand pounds at them.
2. Have the Dpf removed and a remap but I believe that the penalty for so doing is the registered keeper being put in an iron coffin with spikes on the inside.
3. Replace with a cheaper after market Dpf which could be problematic.
4. Send the Dpf to one of the professional Dpf cleaners, I was quoted between £120 and £240 but I had to remove the Dpf.
5. As I had to go to the trouble of removing the Dpf why not try cleaning it myself and this is what I decided to do. I figured that if I was not successful I could still take it to a specialist cleaner.
I bought five litres of Wynns off car Dpf Cleaner for £30 and after plugging one end of the Dpf I poured in the cleaning solution. This took quite a time because the Dpf was quite badly blocked but eventually I managed to fill it up with around four litres of cleaner.
I left this to soak for around eighteen hours and then unplugged the Dpf and drained the contents into a bucket. It was black but not as much soot came out as I expected. I then spent the next two hours flushing the Dpf through with a garden hose. I would alternate between flushing and back flushing and this resulted in the removal of a lot of black soot. Near the end I could tell that I was getting somewhere because the water was running through the filter much faster than when I started. I think that volume / flow of water was key and using a jet wash or pressure hose would not have achieved the same result. Although warm water may have helped I used the garden hose on a very cold day. Before refitting I put the Dpf in the airing cupboard overnight to dry out. Bolted the Dpf to the car and let it tick over for fifteen mins. before going for drive. Result, problem solved.
I have a Nissan Qashqai 2013 model and I have lots of problems with my dpf. I have had a forced regeneration done on my car 3 times in the last year. The last one being 2 months ago and 2 days ago the engine management light was back on. I was advised at my last visit to take my car for a good run every 2 weeks. I have been doing that religiously and still my car is obviously not naturally regenerating. I am going back to the garage tomorrow to seek advice. If I had known that this is what was going to happen I would never have bought the car. I will never buy a diesel again. I would like to say however that the advice and write ups offered here I have found very helpful in my research for a solution.
What a lot of opinions!
It’s no wonder we are all so confused. My 2013 Transit handbook says nothing of any real use about the DPF or regen process. I wouldn’t surprised if most other vehicle handbooks were the same, i.e. bloody useless! There is no indication on my dash that a regen is taking place & I have never noticed it running any differently that might indicate a regen. It doesn’t smoke so the soot, is going somewhere (DPF) but the exhaust fumes do smell different from my old pre-DPF van.
Reading on some US truck websites it seems that a solution for those big motors is the introduction of a coolant pre-heater (diesel heater) that heats the coolant to about 165 deg. BEFORE starting the engine. This apparently much reduces cold start (90% burnt oil) ash production, gives the DPF a much longer life & reduces regen’s. It would seem that similar devices could be introduced to larger diesel vans, but maybe unlikely to happen if diesels are dropped.
I regularly use Redex diesel fuel additive/ cleaner. When I got the (used) van 3 years ago, not trusting it’s DPF history, I put some Archoil AR6400D MAX, DPF cleaner in and drove 250 motorway miles at a good lick & hoped to get off to a good start with it. Have done the same again this week. Touch wood, no warning lights have come on my dash yet but at 100k miles I guess it could happen anytime soon.
Trouble is as a tradesperson I need a largish van & really there is no choice, big petrol vans are very few & far between, so it’s diesel or nothing & if you do a big percentage of local work, with short trips & / or idling, a DPF equipped one is a rotten idea.
I guess between tiny turbocharged petrol engines that blow up and DPF-equipped diesel engines, we’re all pretty much fracked.
I suppose we don’t have to use DPF cleaning additives coz they cause many problems.
If we just think about removing soot inside of the DPF, it may perform well, but there’re many side effects like breaking the filters and bad emissions and so on. but these effects should be difficult to notice by car drivers.
I only recommend the physical cleaning or replace it when faced the sign.
Last year, I neglected my DPF maintenance, and it led to a costly repair. After a stressful experience, I’ve learned the importance of proper DPF care. Using a trusted cleaning additive and sticking to regular highway drives has made a world of difference in fuel efficiency and peace of mind. Your article reaffirms these crucial practices. Thanks for spreading awareness!