Diesel Particulate Filters - Regeneration Advice

Many modern Diesel engines have Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), within the exhaust system to collect Soot which is generated by the combustion process. 

When the engine senses that the DPF is restricting exhaust flow it initiates a Regeneration to clear the deposits. Some systems add a special fluid to the fuel and change the characteristics of the engine which increases Exhaust Gas Temperature and burns off the deposits thus Regenerating the DPF. 

To achieve Regeneration certain conditions must be met, these vary between manufacturer and engine type but may include, sufficient regeneration fluid in the tank, no engine/glow plug/egr faults, the vehicle must be moving continuously at 50mph+ for 20 minutes or more, fuel tank greater than 14 full for the regeneration period. 

More soot will most likely be produced during short runs in Urban or Rural driving conditions, therefore regeneration will need to happen more often. 

Our advice regardless of the mileage that you cover is to ensure you complete a journey which includes driving continuously at 50mph+ for 20 minutes or more at least once every 6 weeks. We advise this is carried out on a dual carriageway. Do not ignore warning messages as they will most likely prevent timely regeneration.