The Impact of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Cleaning on Engine Performance
The diesel particulate filter, commonly known as DPF, which began to be actively installed in 2011 with the introduction of Euro-5 standards, is not only the youngest among all automotive barrier devices. It also has a number of differences: firstly, it captures harmful particles not at the vehicle's intake but at the exhaust. And secondly, and most importantly, it is the only one designed with a built-in self-cleaning capability. It's unfortunate that special conditions are required for this. More often than not, a stand for cleaning DPFs is necessary.
The Impact of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Cleaning on Engine Performance
The diesel particulate filter, commonly known as DPF, which began to be actively installed in 2011 with the introduction of Euro-5 standards, is not only the youngest among all automotive barrier devices. It also has a number of differences: firstly, it captures harmful particles not at the vehicle's intake but at the exhaust. And secondly, and most importantly, it is the only one designed with a built-in self-cleaning capability. It's unfortunate that special conditions are required for this. More often than not, a stand for cleaning DPFs is necessary.
Why is a diesel particulate filter needed?
The English name of this component, Diesel Particulate Filter, already clearly defines its area of application: diesel vehicles. In their engines, fuel burns differently than in gasoline engines, and the exhaust gases also have a different composition. Since diesel fuel, unlike gasoline, is not mixed with air at the intake into the combustion chamber, but is injected in its pure form at the moment of maximum compression, diesel engines have the ability to operate on a leaner mixture.
Hence the fuel efficiency of diesel engines and the formation of soot. More active carbon burns faster, and the freed carbon atoms under certain conditions, the main one of which is a lack of oxygen, crystallize into graphite molecules. This is what we see when the exhaust system emits "terrible" black smoke, although only a small part, about 1%, is soot - the rest is burned inside the combustion chamber.
Yes, soot burns, and this principle is used by the standard diesel particulate filter system in modern diesel cars. However, temperatures in the combustion chamber are often insufficient for this purpose, so manufacturers use two artificial methods:1. Heating the exhaust gases to the temperature of soot combustion, 600-800°C.2. Burning at standard temperature using a special fluid (this system is usually called FAP).
To heat the exhaust system to the required temperature, the engine, by command of the electronic control unit, increases the RPMs - this is the so-called passive regeneration. In addition, the driver can initiate the process manually with the step-by-step instructions provided in the vehicle's user manual. More often than not, this involves prolonged driving on the highway in lower gear with steady but high engine RPMs.
Both methods of diesel particulate filter cleaning are associated with increased fuel consumption. Even with moderate DPF contamination, when the ECU receives the first messages from the oxygen sensors, the increase is about 1-1.5 liters per 100 km for the average diesel engine of a passenger car. After several unsuccessful attempts to initiate regeneration, or its forced termination (the driver is not always able to understand that the cleaning process is ongoing), fuel consumption can increase at idle RPMs by 3-4 times.
And this is not all the trouble with the diesel particulate filter. Besides increased fuel consumption, there is also an increase in motor oil consumption at the initial stages. But a situation where the level on the dipstick begins to rise is even more alarming. This means that unburned fuel residues have begun to enter the oil sump, which not only leads to a decrease in lubrication characteristics but can also cause the diesel engine to go into an uncontrolled high RPM mode, resulting in subsequent damage.
DPF Removal or Cleaning - Which is Better?
Even for those drivers who are not concerned about diesel consumption, driving with a clogged DPF is a real nuisance. The engine does not develop the specified power, and the car cannot be accelerated beyond 90-100 km/h. Owners rarely opt for DPF replacement: a new original filter is very expensive, and relatively inexpensive Chinese analogs either quickly clog up or do not meet emission standards.
Removing the diesel particulate filter also makes the car less environmentally friendly, but it is considered that the problem is solved once and for all. Few people know that a firmware upgrade to Euro-2 standards, which is necessary afterward, increases fuel consumption by approximately one liter.For those looking for not just immediate benefits but real savings with a view to the future, there is only one option - to clean the filter.
Equipment for Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning - What to Choose?
The most common method of cleaning DPFs today is chemical. It involves pouring a special composition into the DPF, but not during engine operation, as in FAP filters, but after dismantling the unit or through the oxygen sensor hole. The active compound dissolves the soot, after which it can be removed. This method is quite toxic and unsafe for both the environment and those who handle it.
A safe alternative is our equipment for cleaning diesel particulate filters, the MS900 stand. It uses only clean water for filter washing, and chemicals are only applied if oil has entered the interior. The cost of one cleaning on it is approximately equivalent to the price of a full tank of fuel: 60-100 liters of diesel fuel.
Our DPF cleaning equipment will help restore the original fuel efficiency, dynamics, and driving pleasure of a properly functioning vehicle with a safe and transparent exhaust.
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