Rinsing the DPF particulate filter

Diesel Particulate Filter

In modern vehicles, great attention is paid not only to power and efficiency but also to environmental protection. To ensure that the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines meet the standards, aggregates that were not previously present are now installed. One such unit is the soot filter, which helps to trap harmful carcinogenic substances. Although it is designed to regenerate automatically, the appropriate conditions for this do not always arise. And then car owners need the service of cleaning the diesel particulate filter in Warsaw.

What is a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF / FAP)

The exhaust gases coming from a car engine contain many different substances. Some of them are practically harmless - these are nitrogen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, while others are toxic (nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, aldehydes), but they are dealt with by catalytic converters that have long been installed on cars to neutralize exhaust. And there are also carcinogens, the release of which into the atmosphere is extremely undesirable. Soot belongs to these.

Soot is a special form of carbon that has a low degree of crystallinity. It is formed from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, which are all petroleum and gas fuels. The more active hydrogen from these substances burns first, and the released carbon atoms combine with each other, forming soot crystals. This situation mainly occurs in diesel engines, as their working chambers have a lower temperature. The fuel in them ignites not from ignition, as in gasoline engines, but from compression.

Although soot in the exhaust is usually no more than 1%, it brings many problems - from the black color of gases to oncological diseases. Therefore, all diesel cars that meet Euro-4 and above standards must use a soot filter - a unique unit that not only captures but also neutralizes harmful substances by oxidizing them. Depending on the type of installation, they are called DPF (from English Diesel Particulate Filter) or FAP (from French Filtre a Particules). In addition, they differ in the type of action:

• DPF is installed closer to the engine; it burns soot by increasing the temperature of gases.
• FAP stands in the middle of the exhaust tract; combustion occurs with the help of special catalyst substances.

Sensors signal the need to burn accumulated soot: temperature and differential pressure sensors. Regular regeneration of the diesel particulate filter in Warsaw ensures a long service life - up to 150-180 thousand km of mileage.

Why the Soot Filter Gets Clogged

The self-cleaning process of the filter is triggered exclusively by the engine control unit under appropriate conditions. Even if soot has accumulated in the DPF/FAP, the electronics will not turn on regeneration if:

• There is little fuel in the tank;
• The sensors are faulty;
• The EGR valve is clogged;
• The exhaust gas temperature is low.

The driver can force regeneration, but not by pressing a button, but by moving uniformly and for a long time at equally high engine speeds. Since this is also not always possible, the soot filter often gets clogged - it stops cleaning, and over time, stops letting exhaust gases pass through.

What to Do if the DPF is Clogged

In case of failure of the diesel particulate filter, there are three options for solving the problem:

1. Installing a new filter. Not suitable for everyone, as the cost of an original filter can be compared to half the residual value of the car.
2. Removing the DPF. Illegal, as the car no longer meets environmental standards.
3. Washing the diesel particulate filter in Warsaw at a service station. The most appropriate and practical method.

Quality cleaning restores the performance of the exhaust system without changing the factory parameters of the engine. However, to achieve maximum effect, washing should be carried out professionally, with the dismantling of the unit and the use of professional equipment.

How DPF Cleaning in Warsaw is Performed

Today, there are several ways to clean DPF from soot in car workshops. One of the most popular is washing filters using chemicals. The unit is soaked in a special solution that dissolves soot. There are even methods that allow not to dismantle the soot filter from the exhaust system. The liquid is poured into the sensor hole and then flows out of the exhaust pipe by gravity.

Its advantages are in the simplicity of use and short-term problem solving. The disadvantages are significant: the substances are toxic and can harm both the environment and the person performing the procedure. At the same time, there is no method that would allow checking how well the filter has been cleaned.

Another service gaining popularity is the repair of diesel particulate filters in Warsaw using hydrogen. While it can still be conditionally considered effective for deposits in the engine and car systems (such as carbon deposits, varnish, sludge), it is pointless to use hydrogen to remove soot. It will not be able to enter into a chemical reaction with carbon crystals.

STS company uses special equipment developed by its own brand - the MS900 stand - to wash soot filters of all types (DPF, FAP, GPF). In it, cleaning is carried out using water and compressed air. This does not harm the environment and also guarantees the effectiveness of the process.

Advantages of DPF Cleaning at STS Company

The equipment we use cleans soot filters using the pneumohydraulic method: water flows move in different directions under the action of air pulses. This allows for quality washing of filter honeycombs, which consist of dead ends where soot accumulates. Other advantages of our stand:

• Speed of work execution. Unlike soaking in chemicals, which requires 8-12 hours, we wash filters in 2-3 hours.
• Full cycle. The stand consists of 3 modules that allow diagnosing, washing, and drying the DPF without removing it.
• Versatility. We clean any filters, both for passenger cars and trucks.
• Informativeness. Our equipment allows assessing the degree of filter contamination before and after the procedure, with information output to the screen and in printed or electronic form.

The condition of the filters restored by us is no different from new ones - neither in terms of throughput nor in terms of residual resource. At the same time, the price of cleaning a diesel particulate filter in Warsaw is much lower than the cost of a new filter.