Why DPFs clog, and a comparison of on-vehicle chemical cleaning with flushing a removed filter on a dedicated station.
Deleting the particulate filter is not an option for health reasons; a clogged filter should be cleaned or replaced. The real cause of clogging is not soot itself but ash and oil residues from low-quality fuel and engine oil entering the cylinders, a mixture the self-cleaning system cannot remove.
- On-vehicle cleaning: cleaner and neutraliser are injected through the pressure or temperature sensor port, then the engine is run at medium to high revs to trigger regeneration. It is a preventive method for city driving and falls short with heavy clogging.
- Station flushing: the removed filter is cleaned professionally in several stages for a more thorough result.