I'm championing the Alpina D3 S (in green, obviously) and the utterly stupid but interesting Audi Q7 V12 TDI. Use of incorrect engine oil – always ensure you use the correct low SAPS oil specified for the engine at oil change and when topping up If the DPF filter reaches a certain percentage full level, your car will give you a warning light which will look something similar to the image below (The image will vary between car manufacturer but will generally look very similar)

A close runner up, Cataclean 6160 DPF cleaner offers exceptional performance at a really impressive price point. Cataclean claim it’ll reduce emissions but as much as 60%, a really impressive bit of kit. As well as protecting and cleaning the DPF, it’ll also protect and maintain catalytic converter systems. The key features of Cataclean 6160 DPF cleaner are; Put the numbers to one side and notice that hundreds of car repair garages continue to offer the removal of DPF filters. MP’s are labelling this practice as ‘detrimental to people’s health’ and ‘unacceptable’. The DPF catches soot (carbon) and about every 2000-5000 miles the engine management system will try to remove this by burning it. This can only happen if the car is driven (different manufacturers have slightly different strategies) on a fastish road above about 40-50mph for about 20 mins. If you don’t do this then at some point the car becomes desperate for a regen and may try and get some carbon burnt at less than ideal conditions. If this does not happen then at some point there is too much carbon and it could damage the substrate if a regen was started. Update – October 2023– We have updated our product recommendations in line with some excellent new products that have been released in the UK market. If you have an automatic select the auto second gear position and drive the engine around 5,000 rpm.DPF cleaning additives are a chemical solution added to the fuel tank which claims to aid the cleaning of a DPF filter. In vehicles only used for local urban cycle driving, regeneration does not have time to take place, leading to filter clogging. When the soot load in a DPF increases, a warning light appears on the dashboard. The vehicle can be driven at speeds above 70 km/h for at least 10 minutes, allowing regeneration to take place and the warning light to go out. If soot particles remain or regeneration does not occur correctly, the particles will accumulate and when the soot load reaches 75%, the filter must be cleaned manually. DPF filters are fitted to all modern diesel vehicles and were introduced around 2009 to comply with Euro 5 exhaust emissions rules, some vehicles were fitted with them slightly prior to this. Only Got 5 Minutes? It’s mostly a cost saving exercise as filters easily become clogged up, especially with city driving where vehicles are driven at slow speeds in residential areas.

Prior to the conception of DPF filters, those harmful exhaust gasses were being pumped straight out into the atmosphere. If your car is low on fuel, it may refuse to begin a DPF regeneration. It’s always good practice to ensure that the fuel tank in your car is sufficiently full. Aside from causing problems with the DPF regeneration process, running a car on low fuel can cause a whole host of other issues. What Happens During A DPF Regeneration? Modern diesel vehicles require regular journeys and not just that, they require journeys which allow the engine to get up to optimum temperature which then allows all of the emissions systems to work at their best. Unfortunately, short, infrequent journeys are a huge problem for modern diesels which are equipped with DPF filters as they don’t allow the DPF and other emissions systems to work properly. The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in most people working from home which has then culminated in their vehicles not being used anywhere near as much. When drivers are using their cars, they are generally being used for a weekly trip to the shops, school run etc. There are various ways of maintaining the particulate filter’s efficiency and the system’s smooth operation. Preventive maintenance is always the best.Like any other filter, its mechanism requires draining. This is called regeneration, and there are three types: passive, active and forced. Passive regeneration I will try and run more frequently in recommended driving mode with the addition of some Wynnes dpf cleaner which I can get at 50% discount. To see the lowest possible price and the biggest possible current savings, "The whole country" must be selected in the offer overview when a job is created.

For active regeneration, the vehicle must have more than a quarter of a fuel tank; otherwise, the mechanism will not be activated. Forced regenerationIn 2016 I bought a Vauxhall Zafira diesel automatic, with a DPF filter fitted as standard. As I was driving the car from Southampton to Bristol the engine glow plug light began flashing. Different cars will illuminate different warning lights as you can see in the image below. Here, I provide a two-step guide to regenerating a DPF filer for pennies, without the need for a mechanic