Diesel-powered truck owners usually ask if it is possible to clean the diesel particulate filter on their own. Diesel particulate filters get clogged. When it happens, you should not worry because there is a way of cleaning it. All you will have to do is to dive the DPF clean. Your truck will do this automatically on a long drive, but most trucks will need a little help. This guide will inform you how to clean the diesel particulate filter if it gets clogged.
How Diesel Particulate Filter Works in a Truck
To understand the diesel particulate filter, we first have to look at the functions of the DPF. The diesel particulate is in the exhaust o your truck, and it does the role of collecting soot particles from the exhaust fume so that they do not pollute the environment.
The filter collects fine soot temporarily. When driving after covering 1000 km, the filter becomes filled up with foot, which you must remove. To remove them, you have to regenerate your particulate filter.
How to Know When Your Diesel Particulate Filter is Clogged
Several factors will let you know that your diesel particulate filter is clogged. The most common scenario is when you see the filter malfunction light showing on your dashboard. The appearance of this light is a warning that your DPF is clogged. If your truck has no particulate filter light, the engine management light will show you that the DPF is clogged.
You will feel your truck is driving differently when the DPF is clogged. For example, your truck might shutter, or the rate at which it consumes fuel will go up.
Cleaning a Diesel Particulate Filter
Prevention will supersede cure, but sometimes it might be too late for prevention. If this happens, you must look for ways of cleaning your DPF. Cleaning will always be cheaper than replacement. There are two methods of cleaning your DPF. You can do it yourself, or you can seek the services of a professional, which might be costly.
Lindemann’s total care diesel cleans the DPF by lowering the combustion temperature of soot which makes it easy to burn, and this product contains a lot of cleaning agents.
Apart from the diesel particulate filter, it will also clean your truck’s turbo, EGR valve, and intake system.
Avoid using additives when your DPF is filled with soot. The additive will compile and add on the soot and will not solve electronic or mechanical problems.
Conclusion
Diesel-powered trucks have been unfriendly to the environment. To regulate the level of toxins in their emissions, DPF was invented. Diesel trucks have been popular for producing too much smoke even if the entire engine is healthy. The DPF regulates this by temporarily holding the soot. As the soot accumulates, the DPF will be clogged with time. This guide has enlightened you on two popular ways of cleaning your PDF. If you cannot get the right cleaning agent, consider taking your truck to the nearest mechanic will help you remove the soot.