HOW TO CLEAN A DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER (DPF)

Who Cleans DPF Filters Near Me?

Municipal fleets, owner-operators, city service trucks, county service trucks, Oregon State maintenance fleets, Washington State maintenance fleets, and construction companies that want to have their DPF cleaned in Oregon or Washington should contact the Cummins Automotive & Diesel Service for diesel emissions service diesel particulate filter cleaning.

We use thermal cleaning equipment to get your diesel particulate filter, DPF, clean. Regularly cleaning your DPF is a small part, but an important part of maintaining your aftertreatment system in your maintenance protocol and it will position your business to save money on your over all cost of operation.

Call us at (971) 832-0739 to schedule your DPF cleaning.

DPF Cleaning Service
DOC Cleaning Service
SCR Cleaning Service
DPF, DOC & SCR Reinstallation
Detroit One Box Cleaning Service
Gaskets & Clamps Replacement
DCarbon Engine Carbon Cleaning
Force Regeneration
Soot Level Reset
Computer Diagnostic

We service and repair DPF, DOC, and SCR filters and catalysts for all diesel engine models in delivery trucks, municipal fleets, medium and heavy duty commercial trucks, heavy duty pickup trucks, and RV motorhome coaches.

We clean Diesel Particulate filters thoroughly with thermal cleaning.

  • We service Freightliner diesel engine models, DD13, DD15, DD16, Cummins, and M2, with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.
  • We service International Navistar with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.
  • We service Isuzu with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.
  • We service Kenworth with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.
  • We service Peterbilt with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.
  • We service Volvo with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.
  • We service heavy duty Ford, GM (Chevrolet & GMC), and Dodge RAM pickup trucks with DPF cleaning, DOC cleaning, gasket & clamp replacement, diagnostic, and soot level reset.

The diesel particulate filter is a collection filter that collects the soot and ash by products of your truck’s aftertreatment diesel emissions system. Regular cleaning of your DPF is a vital maintenance procedure, because it can cost thousands of dollars for repairs and the inconvenient downtime that can result from aftertreatment problems that arise from an ignored DPF filter.

Backyard Mechanic DPF Cleaning & How To Clean A DPF At Home For D.I.Y.ers

The bottom line is, don’t do it. First, it is not recommended to try to clean your DPF at home. Second, non certified mechanics have not been certifiably trained in verifiable, industry recognized DPF cleaning procedures and they likely will not have the proper equipment required for thorough DPF cleaning.

Some try to clean diesel particulate filters with a pressure washer, but pressure washer cleaning does not clean the filter properly and it is likely to damage the DPF, requiring expensive replacement of the diesel particulate filter.

Why Do Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) Need To Be Cleaned?

The DPF is specifically designed to collect soot. This soot, referred to as Particulate Matter (PM) and it can be seen in the exhaust from trucks without or with poor functioning emissions aftertreatment systems. Soot is made up of unburned fuel, carbon, and other solid material. The DPF filter oxidizes the soot, converting it into an ash. This ash is pushed to the back of the DPF filter and stored.

The DPF is a ceramic honeycomb structured filter that has thousands of small channels. As the exhaust passes through these channels, soot is trapped along the channel walls to prevent it from exiting in the truck’s exhaust. This honeycomb structure is covered with a layer of chemical catalyst that contains precious metals such as platinum or palladium. The precious metals interact with and oxidize pollutants in the exhaust stream to reduce poisonous emissions.

With miles on the truck and time on the clock, this ash builds up and requires removal. A proper thermal cleaning removes the ash from the DPF and thoroughly cleans it for future, efficient operation. Proactive, regular maintenanc and cleaning of the DPF will help to minimize DPF related downtime, service expense and the possibility of the DPF replacement cost that can run north of $6,000. Proper, timely and regular DPF cleaning will keep you clear of these costs and that translates into fuel savings, engine protection, and increased running time; all of which increases profits.

OEM Regeneration

Ideally, regeneration cycles efficiently reduce soot into ash in the diesel particulate filter. Driving conditions, traffic patterns, and driver habits can contribute to excessive idling, cold duty cycles, and severe duty cycles which result in less than optimal regeneration. To improve regeneration for efficient conversion of soot to ash in the DPF under less than optimal driving conditions, truck manufacturers (OEMs) have installed on-board systems designed for diesel repair shop support.

Passive regeneration occurs when the truck’s normal operating temperatures reach between 527⁰ and 680⁰ Fahrenheit. As the DOC oxidizes the unburned diesel fuel in the exhaust it provides the means of increasing the DPF temperature to heat enough to incinerate the soot buildup within the DPF and reduce it to ash. Active regeneration is executed when sensors detect an excessive build-up of particulates within the DPF, at which point, raw fuel is injected into the exhaust stream. The excess fuel triggers engine operating temperatures in excess of 1,112⁰ Fahrenheit. Passive and active regeneration, in and of themselves, will not deliver consistent regeneration results, so regular, manufacturer recommended DPF cleaning is required.

Cummins Automotive & Diesel Service delivers consistent DPF cleaning and maintenance to give your truck’s aftertreatment system its best bet in efficiently converting soot to ash.

The Details In Thermal DPF Cleaning

Cummins Automotive & Diesel Service thermal DPF cleaning is done with a Filtertherm® thermal oven. Thermal cleaning of the diesel particulate filter, DPF, is a kiln heating process often referred to as the bake and blow process. Thermal cleaning involves baking the DPF filter in a kiln oven. The heat generated in the kiln oxidizes the soot and streams of air force the ash out of the filter.

How Often Should I Have My DPF Filter Cleaned?

The driving patterns a truck is subjected to, including traffic flows, and truck driver habits will be the two factors that determine a decision on when, or how often, the DPF filter will need to be cleaned. If a truck’s use is primarily highway routes with full loads, it will go much longer between required cleanings than those trucks used in situations that subject the truck to a lot of stop and go, start and stop, driving patterns such as city routes or off road, yard operation.

With stop and go driving patterns the engine often times does not operate at the higher temperatures required for optimal regeneration cycles for full soot to ash oxidation in the diesel particulate filter. Higher engine operating temperatures are often reached with those trucks which cruise at highway speeds with full loads, conditions under which the regeneration cycles are more optimal for more efficient soot to ash oxidation in the DPF.

It is always recommended to check your truck’s User’s Manual for maintenance schedules, and it is usually recommend that trucks with diesel emissions systems get DPF cleaning every 75,000 to 100,000 miles, or once each year, whichever comes first. Regular, routine, maintenance recommended DPF cleaning can prevents the ash from becoming so hardened that it is difficult to remove. Often times, when DPF cleaning is put off for an extended period, or not cleaned as per recommended maintenance schedules, the diesel particulate filter replacement will be needed. If you keep your DPF in top condition with routine, scheduled cleaning, you will avoid the $6,000+, high cost of replacing the DPF.

DPF, Diesel Particulate Filter In The Aftertreatment System

The two main components of a truck’s aftertreatment system are the Diesel Particulate Filter system (DPF), which reduces diesel particulates, and the Selective Catalyst Reduction system (SCR), which reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx).

The DPF System – Two Main Components

  • Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) – The DOC reduces particulate matter and oxidizes carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.
  • DPF – The DPF filter removes diesel soot particulates from the exhaust, storing them for oxidation during regeneration cycles.

The SCR System – Five Main Components

  • Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) – A solution made of urea and deionized water. DEF is dosed into the exhaust stream to reduce NOx emissions.
  • DEF Pump – The DEF pump filters, primes and maintains system pressure while drawing DEF from the DEF tank.
  • DEF Doser – The doser injects DEF into the exhaust system.
  • Decomposition Chamber – This chamber allows DEF to be mixed into the exhaust stream before delivery into the SCR.
  • SCR – A catalyst which chemically reacts with the DEF exhaust mixture in the process of converting, or breaking down, the NOx in the exhaust for clean emissions.

The DOC and DPF work in tandem to reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons while collecting soot in the exhaust for conversion to ash for reduced diesel particulate release into the environment.

Then the exhaust moves through the decomposition mixing chamber where DEF is dosed in for the chemical reaction which is needed to reduce NOx in the SCR. The exhaust coming out of the tail pipes or from the truck stacks is then comprised of harmless nitrogen gas and water vapor.

In addition to the primary components of the aftertreatment system, discussed above, there is an array of sensors which monitor and coordinate component functions. The differential pressure sensor estimates captured particles in the DPF. The exhaust gas temperature sensors monitor the system temperatures. NOx sensors measure the NOx reduction. Particulate matter sensors (soot sensors) measure soot particulates in the exhaust. Working together to establish data for the current status of the aftertreatment system, these sensors can also indicate when the aftertreatment system is in need of repair, service or maintenance.

Cummins Automotive & Diesel Service can thoroughly service and maintain truck aftertreatment systems. We can remove and clean the DOC and DPF filter. We can replace the DEF dosing screen filter and the in-line filter. With trucks which have logged higher miles we can inspect the DEF tank for debris build-up and clean the tank if necessary. We can also clean hydrocarbon fuel dosers.

To schedule your truck’s DPF cleaning, aftertreatment maintenance, and repair service, or for a DPF cleaning or aftertreatment system maintenance quote, call Cummins Automotive & Diesel Service at (971) 832-0739.