What is a DPF?
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) traps soot in your exhaust. If it cannot clear that soot through its normal regeneration cycle, it can become blocked.
How we clean your DPF
The treatment depends on the fault and the filter’s condition. For a suitable DPF, the process is:
- Carry out diagnostic checks and assess whether cleaning is appropriate.
- Apply UKDPF professional cleaning fluid using a specialist cleaning gun with an attached fluid tank.
- Where the vehicle permits it, use diagnostic equipment to start a controlled regeneration to burn off soot.
- Check the relevant readings afterwards.
Find out why it blocked
Repeated short journeys or a sensor or engine fault can stop normal regeneration. We investigate the cause and explain any other work needed to help prevent the problem returning.
Ask about DPF assessment and cleaning
Quote after assessment
Call with your registration and symptoms. We check whether cleaning is suitable and agree the cost before treatment.
Ask for a quote →Soot and ash need different decisions
Regeneration burns soot at a high temperature, but it does not burn away the ash that accumulates over time. An on-car fluid treatment is therefore not a promise to remove every type of blockage.
Heavy ash loading, physical damage or a filter contaminated by another engine fault may require removal for specialist assessment or replacement. We explain what the diagnostic findings mean before recommending a treatment.
What we check before and after treatment
Depending on the vehicle, useful information can include stored faults, differential-pressure readings, temperature information and the control unit’s calculated filter loading. Sensor or pressure-hose problems can distort those readings, so they need to be considered alongside the symptoms. We assess whether the vehicle permits a controlled regeneration and check the relevant results afterwards; clearing the warning light alone is not proof that the cause has been resolved.
A warning light is a reason to get advice
Tell us the exact message, whether the car has lost power and what type of journeys you usually make. Follow the handbook’s vehicle-specific instructions.
A persistent warning, limp mode or an engine fault needs assessment rather than repeated attempts at a fast drive. Short journeys can interrupt regeneration, but cleaning will not provide a lasting solution if a fault continues to prevent normal operation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the DPF need to come off the car?
The gun treatment can clean suitable filters while fitted to the car. We check access, the fault and the filter’s condition first.
Are cleaning and regeneration the same?
Cleaning fluid helps loosen soot deposits. Regeneration uses heat to burn soot off. We assess which steps your vehicle needs and whether a controlled regeneration can be carried out safely.
Will cleaning fix every DPF problem?
No. A damaged filter or a blockage unsuitable for this treatment may need a different repair. We explain the options after assessment.
Related services
Your local Hertford workshop
Visit D & B Autocare at 12 Mimram Road, Hertford, SG14 1NN. We welcome drivers from Hertford and the surrounding towns.
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