In South Africa our fuel quality remains a concern and it often leads to more dirty particles in modern diesel engines’ emissions. This means that the DPF has to work much harder than in many other parts of the world and as a result it clogs up quicker.

To prevent the DPF from clogging up, modern exhaust systems will burn the particulates at regular intervals while you are driving at highway-speeds. You may have seen some modern cars blasting a short puff of white smoke on the highway; now that is the DPF cleaning itself. The white smoke is in actual fact a cloud of ash from the burnt particles.

Apart from the poor fuel quality mentioned above, the DPF can also become clogged from the burnt ash that is emitted when the DPF cleans itself, and while some very expensive cars have an additive that is added to the DPF to assist in its cleaning, this additive has to be topped up at specific intervals, which may also prove costly.

At the same time many city-dwellers spend countless hours in traffic, which does not allow the DPF to clean itself. Over time this will speed up the clogging of the DPF.

Unfortunately, one cannot just ignore the DPF when it becomes clogged up. A blockage will significantly increase the heat in the exhaust system and will ultimately damage the engine; it will also cause your warning lights to illuminate and the vehicle to go into the so-called limp mode.

When in limp mode you can barely drive your vehicle, as the engine tries to protect itself from the possibility of major damage. This can be very frustrating; especially when you are driving late at night or over a far distance and help are not readily available.

To best address this problem and save customers tens a lot of money in the process, SAC has developed a method of removing the DPF. This is not a simple task, as it requires a full diagnostic of the vehicle and an adjustment of its Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to prevent the engine from malfunctioning.

At Steves Auto Clinic our team of technicians are well trained to remove a DPF, reprogram the ECU and reset the system. This will not only save you the R20 000 to R40 000 to replace the exhaust DPF, but it will also allow the vehicle to breathe better and ultimately perform better.

Contact your nearest Steves Auto Clinic for more information on the operation of the DPF and ways in which we can help you save money and extend the productive life of your exhaust system.