DPF SOLUTIONS
Forced Regeneration or Soak and Flash
DPF SOLUTIONS
What is DPF?
Diesel engines produce a variety of particles during combustion of the fuel/air mix due to incomplete combustion. The composition of the particles varies widely dependent upon engine type, age, and the emissions specification that the engine was designed to meet.
A DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) also known as FAP on some French vehicles, is a device fitted to the exhaust system of modern diesel vehicles to reduce emissions and meet European emission standards. It does this by trapping Soot (Particulate Matter - PM) 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 system and burning the soot to gas at a very high temperature leaving behind an Ash residue within the DPF. Regeneration should be 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.
DPFs have been in common use in passenger cars and light commercials from around 2003 in preparation for Euro 4 regs (2005), with Peugeot, Renault and BMW being early takers. Euro 5 (2009) made it compulsory for diesel cars and light commercials to have a DPF fitted and Euro 6 2014 will tighten this up further.
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Problems encountered with the DPF
Under certain conditions, a DPF can become blocked, causing an engine fault code to display. The Diesel Particulate Filter will block up if the engine is constantly doing short journeys and poor diesel is used. In order to operate fully, the DPF needs to regenerate. Regeneration is a process to clear the soot that has been collected inside the DPF. If regeneration doesn’t function properly it leads to a build-up of soot affecting performance and fuel economy, left unattended this will result in a Blocked DPF which can ultimately cause very expensive damage to other engine components. A blocked DPF is also potentially dangerous as it can cause overheating in the exhaust system and cause a fire risk. To prevent this damage most new vehicles will go into “Limp Home” safety mode at this stage, meaning the vehicle will have minimum power barely sufficient to crawl home.
Ignoring a DPF warning light can result in loss of power, reduced fuel economy, poor throttle response and difficulty starting & from 25th May 2018 is an MOT failure.
Blocked DPF and the effect on the Turbocharger
A blocked DPF prevents exhaust gas passing through the exhaust system at the required rate. As a result back pressure and exhaust gas temperatures increase within the turbine housing.
Increased exhaust gas temperature and back pressure can affect the turbocharger in a number of ways, including problems with efficiencies, oil leaks, carbonisation of oil within the turbo and exhaust gas leaks from the turbo.
Solutions we can offer?
The vehicles engine management light will usually notify the driver that there is a problem.
Regeneration is the process of burning off (oxidising) the accumulated soot from the filter.
There are two different regeneration modes used to clear the soot stored in the DPF. One is a Passive regeneration. This happens naturally when the car gets hot enough, during long drives at a high speed.
If the coil and engine management light is on with a loss of power, ‘limp home mode’ will engage with a maximum of 3000 RPM and the fault code will read ‘DPF soot loading too high’–a forced/emergency regeneration is required.
Forced Regeneration
This is usually done once the filter becomes very blocked and the car goes into limp mode. This process of regeneration is initiated by using a diagnostic scan tool. The technician plugs in the diagnostic tool and instructs the ECU to start the regeneration. If the DPF is heavily blocked then these two regeneration modes may not clear the issue.
In order for regeneration system to work successfully all exhaust and engine management system components need to be in full working order. Otherwise the engine management control module software will disable manual generation, failing to regenerate the DPF. If the DPF is not regenerated and left unattended for a certain period of time, a new part will be required costing a considerable amount of money.
Forced Regeneration is a good solution but it is best performed and more successful if done after the Soak and Flush procedure. This is due to the used liquids which allow the regeneration temperature to be lower than recommended for starting the process.
DPF Soak and Flash
Once a diesel particulate filter is totally clogged with deposits it often has to be completely replaced. Depending on the car make and model, a new diesel particulate filter, including dismantling and fitting, can easily cost 1000 pounds and in some cases up to 4000 pounds.
At Saccarius Autoperformance we provide a bespoke, post combustion cleaning chemical treatment for totally blocked DPF’s and EGR valves. Cleaning and restoring those parts with our special Cleaning & Flush fluid is more economical than replacing them and saves time as well as money. The products are simply injected into the exhaust system at a suitable location prior to the DPF, (typically this is done via the oxygen sensor plug) with the engine running at approximately 2000rpm. A technician can completely clean the diesel particulate filter in a maximum of one hour, without the filter having to be dismantled.These products will dissolve soot, carbon and ash from the DPF allowing it to be safely discharged through the exhaust outlet.
Gallery
Terms and conditions DPF solutions
No parts will be changed or replaced. The Machine will be plugged into the air intake pipe or Oxigen Sensor Plug.
NO warranty/refund is given as no parts are sold or supplied to the customer. This is a maintenance service.
A preliminary check of the vehicles engine will be carried out by the technician and the customer will be asked to sign a disclaimer. This is required to establish the state of the engine prior to the service, the procedures that will take place and the understanding of the Terms & Conditions.
We strongly recommend if the DPF or EGR valve are not completely blocked but in need of cleaning, the client should try the HHO Carbon cleaning first. This is before choosing the option of Forced Regeneration. Especially if the client is NOT the first owner and is not sure if Forced regeneration had been done before.
We cannot take responsibility if the DPF is damaged during Forced Regeneration procedure because we only start the process. The parameters are determined by the vehicle's ECU and the end result depends on how the vehicle has been maintained during its lifetime.
Once the DPF light has come on there is a very small window in which this service would reverse the damage. (Maximum 2 weeks).
These products will dissolve soot, carbon and ash from the DPF allowing it to be safely discharged through the exhaust outlet.
If the technician come to the conclusion that the Vehicle is NOT fit for the carbon clean due to evident mechanical faults the customer will still be liable for the call out fee (£20).
All results between vehicles will vary by the age and the maintenance they have had during their lifetime.
