DPF Cleaning

CARS, LIGHT COMMERCIAL, TRUCKS & HEAVY EQUIPMENT – DPF Cleaning Australia

Exhaust Aftertreatment Systems (EATS) most commonly referred to as DPF are installed in most modern diesel-powered passenger vehicles manufactured from 2002.

All 2007 and newer on-road vehicles are equipped with EATS to reduce particulate matter (soot) in accordance with Euro specs. Trucks newer than 2008 can also be equipped with additional systems such as SCR (Selective Catalyst Reduction)

A clean exhaust after treatment system ensures optimum engine power, performance and fuel economy, reducing the risk of unplanned maintenance expenses and down time.

EATS are also a widely used, proven, emissions control product in the mining industry on varying sizes of equipment from drill rigs to loaders, dump trucks, excavators, heavy transport and stationary diesel-powered equipment.

In all these sectors, an automatic regeneration mode is initiated by sensors that monitor the level of diesel particulate matter.

Excessive oil or fuel contamination, incorrect or bypassing of scheduled burns, short distance city driving, excessive engine hours and various other factors lead to over sooting and heavy ash loading where the vehicle or equipment experience frequent and ineffective regenerations, loss of power, decreased fuel efficiency and eventually cease to operate altogether.

Our experienced team can safely recover most types of EATS across all industry sectors at a fraction of the cost of replacement. We understand the importance of good customer service.

We aim to work closely with our customers to ensure diagnostics are performed correctly to eliminate further down time. We have highly trained experienced people we can refer our valued customers to if they are having trouble with difficult diagnostics.

DOC and DPF combinations do not have to be cut open for cleaning which means no interfering with the integrity of the original units.

Our Recovery process allows us to inspect the unit internally then asses what is required. We can thoroughly clean and recover all types of exhaust after treatment products, eliminating the need for cutting and re-welding of units.

Our Cleaning Process

1. Initial Inspection

A detailed internal inspection can tell us a lot about upstream diagnostics.

2. Simulated Regeneration

It is essential this part of the process for any cleaning method is not skipped

3. Pneumatic Reverse Pulse

Pneumatic cleaning gives us a good indication on what is internal of the substrate. ie heavy ash or soot accumulation.

4. Reverse Pulse Hydro Flush

During the reverse pulse hydro flush, flow and back pressure readings are recorded to ensure the unit reaches OEM specs.

5. Final Back Pressure Test

Once drying is complete a final back pressure test is conducted to verify readings are correct.

6. Packing and Dispatch

Specially designed boxes to protect the unit are used for ease of transport.

Our Cleaning Process

Before

During

After

Basic exhaust after treatment cleaning begins with a visual internal inspection for evidence of damage, such as cracking, melting or loose substrate and where possible internal pin depth testing to determine if the cleaning process is valid.

Collecting of client data for accurate record keeping is then recorded. If the unit is deemed un-serviceable, we can offer immediate advice and competitive pricing from our extensive range of aftermarket options. NOTE: Always check you are purchasing a quality product equivalent to the OEM unit and ensure it is fit for purpose.

Recovery Procedure

If required, a before Air Flow and Back Pressure bench test will determine the amount of restriction. This data is used in conjunction with OEM specifications and compared to a base line of our historical data.

A detailed report is then given to the customer before any further work is done.

If recovery is required, we follow a strict process of very slow simulated regeneration for 8hrs, turning the soot to ash. This is the most important part of the recovery and if not done, the unit being cleaned will only block again prematurely and not give a trouble-free extended life.

The unit is then placed in our pneumatic reverse pulse cleaning machine to remove the bulk of the ash.

The next procedure is our Hydro flush machine, where a reverse pulse flush with chemical injection is performed. At this point we monitor the back pressure and flow passing through the substrate. Once back pressure is between 1 – 2kPa and flow is at 460lpm we know the substrate is cleaned and has met OEM specification.

The unit is then placed on our pneumatic warm air-drying bench to dry completely and enable further accurate testing. Once dry, a final inspection of the substrate is conducted

Finally, the unit is flow and back pressure bench tested with a pressure gauge fitted inline, to determine exact back pressure. We guarantee every unit put through our process will have no more than 2kPa of back pressure and is flowing at full capacity. Flow bench simulation is equivalent to a 4litre diesel engine running @ 3000rpm.

All the data is collated for our records with additional relevant information for future reference.

Frequently asked questions

WHY HAS MY DPF BLOCKED / FAILED?

If you are cleaning or replacing your DPF it is easy to assume that it is at fault and have it replaced but in general, just replacing or cleaning the DPF will lead to the same issues again, if it is NOT DIAGNOSED CORRECTLY. It is extremely likely that a fault occurred elsewhere on the vehicle or possibly the driving style has caused the unit to either clog prematurely or fail.

A FULL FAULT DIAGNOSTIC must be carried out by a trained technician with adequate diagnostic equipment to establish exactly why the DPF has clogged or failed.

DPF PROBLEMS ARE A SYMPTOM OF UNDERLYING PROBLEMS UPSTREAM AND ALMOST ALWAYS NOT THE ACTUAL CAUSE.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A BLOCKED DPF?

Common Symptoms

Dashboard Warning Lights: The DPF or check engine light illuminates when soot builds up.
Loss of Power (Limp Mode): Restricted exhaust flow causes sluggish acceleration or forces the car into limp mode.
Poor Fuel Economy: The engine burns more fuel to make up for restricted exhaust flow.
Frequent Regeneration: The vehicle tries to clean itself more often, which leads to high idle speeds and over–fueling.
Unusual Smells or Smoke: You might notice black or white smoke from the tailpipe or a hot, acrid smell.
Starting Issues: Backpressure from the blocked filter can make the engine hard to start.

DO FORCED REGENERATIONS, ON-CAR CLEANING OR DPF CLEANING ADDITIVES WORK?

In short NO, the reality is, these expensive methods are all only a temporary fix. They may, at best get the warning light off the dash and at worst damage a perfectly serviceable DPF. Repeated force regens can overheat and melt the substrates and any cleaning chemicals that contact the precious metal coatings on either the catalysts or filters will cause catalytic poisoning rendering performance inadequate or useless.

It is also critical that the filter substrates are inspected and assessed for serviceability prior to performing any cleaning method or DPF replacement, or you are just flying in the dark and potentially throwing good money at bad.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE (DOC) DIESEL OXIDATION CATALYST and (SCR) SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION?

The primary and secondary DOC or the SCR is a critical part of the diesel exhaust aftertreatment system. Please be aware servicing these is the most important part of the recovery process or maintenance to the system. Not doing so, will almost always cause persisting problems.

The DOC and or SCR always go unchecked. DON’T make the common mistake of just looking and thinking all is okay when cleaning or replacing a DPF.

DPF Cleaning