DPF cleaners

[Rp0thejester]

So let's face it, if you have a DPF fitted your gunna have a problem with it at some point. My question is... Mobile Mechanics seem to have a fluid that they pump in and it helps to clear the DPF. Does anyone know where to get this stuff or is it still hush hush in the mobile mechanic industry?

[H4wkeye]

I used one in spray myself. I think it was Wurth or something. But there are several brands. Sprayed it directly into the DPF itself, from below. Let it sit and dry out for a while then take it for a spin. Seems to have cleaned it decently enough. Unless it's very very clogged then probably taking it off is the only way.

[GiveMeABreak]

That won't cut it for long and will be a temporary fix at the most. The filter is classified as a service item and has a long life, but after about 120k miles (it can vary up or down) it will need a deep clean or replacement as no amount of 'spray' is going to be able to get into the filter and remove all the deposits that can't be burnt off during regeneration.

There are places with specialist cleaning chambers that will remove the filter and carefully and properly deep clean it with chemicals that won't destroy the ceramic cement holding everything in place.

At most you'd normally only need to replace the filter once in a vehicle's lifetime.

[Rp0thejester]

So if buying an older car you need to factor in the cost of a new DPF? Surely cleaners have got better so no new DPF is needed?

[H4wkeye]

Not necessarily. You can take it to a deep cleaning service in those special machines as Marc said.

[GiveMeABreak]

So if buying an older car you need to factor in the cost of a new DPF? Surely cleaners have got better so no new DPF is needed?

No.

A DPF has a particular function - as in burning off the soot and converting it to ash, over and over again hundreds of times. A cleaner does not do this - it may just help with some of the deposits that can't be burned off, but other than that it does not and cannot perform the action of the DPF system.

[wheeler]

I recommend Tunap products (and so do PSA) for proper DPF cleaning. It can be sprayed in through the temp sensor holes to do it in situ but works way better if done off the car. Especially the DV6 engine where you can split it open. Brings the DPF core up like new & if you clean it over a bucket you can see exactly what comes out of it. You can see afterwards the pressure difference on live data is pretty much like a new DPF.