2011 Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI DV6C Engine Particle Filter Cleaning

[Altunsoy]

I drive a Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI with a DV6C engine. I'm tired of cleaning my car's particulate filter. I live in a city with heavy traffic, and driving at high speeds isn't feasible. When I'm on the intercity, even if I'm constantly cruising at high speed, it doesn't seem to work. I remove the particulate filter and wash it with pressure wash and various chemicals. Do you have any suggestions for cleaning the filter without removing it from the car or by removing it? If so, what can I use? I don't like doing a generation with Diagbox; it takes too long, and I'm not sure it really cleans it. Thanks.

[PaulC5]

You might check if it has run out of eolys fluid which is supposed to help to keep the dpf regenerate.

[Altunsoy]

I filled this liquid myself. It is not missing

[Paul-R]

The problem with on car cleaning as I see it is that the chemical involved will only work on deposits which dissolve in the liquid. To my mind this will be the iron (and probably cerine) products there. What it won't do is remove the carbon (soot) particulates as these don't dissolve. What you need is the very thing you can't do and that's run the car at speed for about twenty minutes or so to burn the carbon particulates off. The other option is what you're already doing which is to take the car's DPF (particulate filter) off and clean with a flow of water. I hope you have been washing with a flow going backwards as the particulates won't go through the DPF going forwards.

I also hope that the pressure washer is too strong. I have heard of people cleaning their DPF and the excessive pressure breaks the filter matrix inside the the DPF. The only remedy then is replacement of the DPF.

[Altunsoy]

Hello, I washed it against the direction of the gas outlet, I got tired of this situation at one point and said no matter what, I took all the detergents and chemicals and mixed them, then I washed it 3/4 times with pressurized water against the direction of the air outlet and installed it on the car, it did not give any malfunction warning for 2 years After that, I did the same cleaning again with less washing, now I get a warning once a year in additional series Let's see if it goes well, thanks for your answers.

[myglaren]

The Cerine builds up and is not removed with the soot and eventually renders the filter unusable.

Pressure washing is inadvisable as it is likely to damage the fine ceramic matrix inside the filter.

There have been people using Mr Muscle oven cleaner and 'brick acid' - dilute hydrochloric acid used to clean brickwork.

I wonder if brake cleaner might work too. Or even just filling with isopropanol and soaking for a while.

[mickthemaverick]

I have used the 'brick acid (diluted Hydrochloric Acid) soak' method now on three different cars and all three have gone on to run reliably for as long as they remained within my sphere of maintenance. Cheap and effective but as Steve says do not use a pressure washer, soak the DPF for a couple of hours in the acid (I used a baby bath), empty and rinse with a normal hose on low, forwards and backwards, until the water comes out clean. Then allow to dry fully before refitting to the car.

[Altunsoy]

How do I use diluted Hydrochloric Acid? I don't know what proportions I need to use. Can you send me the exact product? I'd appreciate it if you could tell me how to use it. I need to clean two DPFs right now Should I remove the filter and pour it in on the DV6C engine, or should I remove the oxygen sensor and pour it in from the top?

[mickthemaverick]

You need to remove the DPF from the car, remove any sensors attached to the dpf then with a suitable container that will hold your DPF with enough depth to submerge it fill the container with the diluted acid until it covers the whole thing. Leave it to soak and then flush thoroughly with a low pressure hose until the waste water is clean. Ensure it is fully dry, use a hairdryer if necessary and then refit to the car.

Something like this

In the UK you can buy 'brick acid' in 5litre cans from a builder's merchant. I used one can on each DPF minimising the free space around the filter to reduce the amount needed. I used bricks!! This is a link to the product in the UK: https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/cleanin ... 5/p/333531

[Altunsoy]

I don't quite understand this part. I bought 5 liters of acid. Let's say I poured it into a 10-liter container and put the DPF in it. How much water should I add? Or will I add water? Or do we just put the pure acid in it?

[mickthemaverick]

The product I refer to as 'brick acid' is already diluted in the can. i cannot remember the actual strength but I think it's pretty low, it should be in the ad I linked. You just use it straight from that can. Actual 'pure' HCl is pretty nasty stuff and you don't really want it around!! So your use of the word 'pure' may not be what you meant. You use the product as it is, being already a diluted form.

It appears that the spec for that product is between 5 and 10% HCL as you can see here:

The contents table from the technical spec of the product I linked to.

[Paul-R]

Have a look at these two videos. They've been posted quite a few times here and I can't fault any of his methodology except, perhaps, flushing though with water at the end of the process in the direction of exhaust flow equally with reverse flush. To my mind it's much more important to reverse flush as there shouldn't be anything on the rear of the filter. maybe a few flushes but not equal.

[Altunsoy]

I couldn't find a canister like the one you have in Turkey. Here, I found some with a 35/40% effectiveness in 30-liter canisters. I think it's stronger than the one you used. I don't know if anything would happen if I put it in there.

[PaulC5]

When messing about with acids it is important to wear protective clothing, rubber gloves, goggles, etc since if you get it on skin it can cause burns. Any splashes you do get on skin must be washed off immediately and if in eyes medical attention might be needed. If you need to dilute an acid with water, always add the acid slowly to a larger volume of water whilst mixing and not the other way round - this way the heat it generates is absorbed by the water. If water is instead added to the acid the water can boil/spit out uncontrolled.

You also need to consider how you will dispose of the acid after use.

[Altunsoy]

“I am grateful for this vital information. Thank you very much. May God bless you. I will take your warnings into consideration.”