FILTERS

M uch has been writtenabout Diesel ParticulateFilters (DPFs) and the

problems associated withkeeping them in good workingorder. The DPF is specificallydesigned to remove carbondeposits from diesel exhaustemissions which are harmful tothe environment and to health. Itis therefore important thatvehicle operators ensure that theDPF is doing its job properly.

That’s relatively easy to dowith vehicles that do plenty oflong journeys which allow theDPF to regenerate on a regularbasis. However, for vehicles used inurban or low mileage environments it isoften difficult to achieve the exhausttemperatures required to successfullyinitiate a regeneration cycle. Or,regeneration might start but is interrupteddue to frequently switching off the engine.

Limp modeThis is where the problems start.

The DPF starts to become cloggedwith soot particles, then thewarning light comes on, andfinally, if nothing is done, thevehicle goes into limp mode.Ideally, at the first sign of DPFproblems the vehicle should betaken for a long drive at higherrevs to allow the regenerationprocess to take place.

However, in the middle of townwith time deadlines to meet thisis simply not a practical option. Acommon solution in the past hasbeen to simply remove the

offending component, and there areunfortunately still workshops out therethat will do this. Not only will this nowresult in an MOT failure but it will alsoinvalidate the insurance as the vehicle haseffectively been modified. Forget the factthat the vehicle will also be pumping outall the toxic emissions that had until nowbeen trapped by the DPF.

Preventative maintenancePrevention is of course better than cure.Once you have identified the vehicles thatare prone to DPF issues then it isimportant to introduce a maintenanceprogramme that includes additives whichwill help maintain the DPF in goodfunctioning order and also eliminate thecauses of DPF failure. At the very leastadding a basic diesel fuel system cleanerwill benefit vehicle. Couple this with a DPF‘Regeneration’ additive that allows thesoot trapped in the DPF to burnt off at alower temperature.

JLM Diesel DPF ReGenPlus is specificallydesigned as apreventative treatmentto avoid DPF blockagesand problems. Theactive ingredients allowthe soot in the DPF toburn at a lowertemperature which isideal for vehicles usedon short journeys orurban cycles. Cleaningthe EGR valve andmaintaining the fuelsystem will also help toprevent DPF issues.

DPF Maintenance

JLM distributors Kalimexhave some informationregarding DPFregeneration in urbanenvironments, and theproblems created ifDPFs are not carefullyattended to.

MY REGENERATION

“For vehicles used in urbanor low mileage environmentsit is often difficult toachieve the exhausttemperatures required tosuccessfully initiate aregeneration cycle.”

For vehicles fitted with the onboard DPF fluid dosing systems,the reservoir needs to be toppedup at the correct intervals to helpmaintain the DPF. The JLM DPFRefill Fluid is suitable for use withall on board dosing systems fordiesel vehicles from 2000 onwards.

Powerful additivesIf the DPF is not maintained andallowed to regenerate correctlythen eventually the dashboardwarning light will indicate that thefilter is becoming overloaded.Now is the time to use a more powerfuladditive to deal with the additional sootcontamination. The JLM DPF Cleanercombines the benefits of a fuel systemtreatment and DPF regeneration additive inone treatment. It contains a high

concentration of a patented platinum-cerium compound which not onlypromotes regeneration but alsoconditions the DPF to allowimproved function and extendedcleaning intervals.

Ignore the warning light andthings will start getting expensive.The vehicle will eventually go intolimp mode, or breakdownaltogether. This will involveremoving the DPF unit for off-sitecleaning or potentially having toreplace the DPF altogether. This iscostly and time consuming and

takes the vehicle out of action.The JLM Professional DPF Cleaning

Toolkit allows a workshop to clear ablocked DPF without the need to remove itfrom the vehicle. The toolkit is used tospray powerful clean and flush fluids

directly intothe DPF unitto breakdown thecarbon particles sothat regeneration canonce again take place.The process takesaround an hour whichmeans that the vehiclecan be back on the roadwith minimal delay andcost to the operator.

A preventativemaintenanceprogramme andprofessional DPFcleaning solutions willnot only keep your vehicles on the roadbut will also save the operator money inthe long run.

“Ignore the warning light and things will start gettingexpensive. The vehicle will eventually go into limp mode,or breakdown altogether.”