The DPF warning light can come on for many reasons.

In many cases, the DPF light does not actually mean that you have a fault, it can be an indication that you simply need to take the car for a journey of around 20 minutes at around 60mph to allow the vehicle to do an active regeneration. If the light go’s out after an extended drive then the DPF has successfully regenerated. However, sometimes the filter is blocked which can be caused by mostly driving slow and short journeys and a DPF clean may be necessary in this case.

If the DPF warning light stays on, or if you find that you are having to drive the car on extended journeys more often to allow regeneration there is most likely an underlying fault elsewhere.

Our staff are trained in DPF fault finding and has the knowledge to get to the root cause of the fault.
Once it is diagnosed we can resolve the issue and perform a DPF clean.

We won’t ever perform a DPF clean without diagnosing the any underlying faults that have caused the DPF light to come on. The advantage of this is that you are getting a first time fix without any guesswork.

On a regular basis we see misdiagnosed faults, customers quoted thousands of pounds for repairs or replacements and expensive, time consuming DPF removals to be sent away to be cleaned. To accurately diagnose a problem, you must fully understand how the system and any associated components work including ECU software strategies and logic.

We will clean your DPF on your vehicle and the whole process usually takes 2 to 3 hours. The time can vary and is dependant on diagnosing the problem too and any associated repairs needed. We will then reassess the car to verify a successful repair.

Once we have completed our work on your vehicle we will offer advice on future care and preventative measures.

Yes, additives can really help to prevent DPF problems that are caused by short journeys. We recommend JLM DPF Regen Plus as a preventive additive.

For partially blocked DPF’s caused by short journeys (with no system failures) then we recommend using JLM DPF Cleaner.

You may need a new DPF but it is unlikely. Everyday we see instances where we can diagnose the cause of the DPF blockage, provide a clean and have you back on the road in 2 or 3 hours. Saving our customers hundreds or even thousands of pounds from what they’ve been quoted.

There are many reasons why a DPF warning light can come on. It may be because your vehicle has only been driving at a low revs for short distances. For a successful DPF regeneration, the vehicle needs to be driven on a journey for about 20 to 30 mins with the revs above 2,000 rpm or around 60mph. If this does not go out then please contact your us as soon as possible.

Prices do vary depending on the cause of the fault. All of our staff are trained, experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to diagnosing a fault efficiently and accurately, thus saving you money.

 No, we do not offer a DPF removal or DPF delete service.

As above, the cost of a DPF clean varies depending on the vehicle and the cause of the fault(s). A DPF clean without fixing the cause(s) of the DPF warning light or blocked DPF would only be temporary and a waste of money. (It’s like keep buying new mops to clean the water leak from hole in the roof, instead of just spending the money and repairing the roof in the first place.
A DPF Clean on it’s own costs from £250(+vat).

Yes, in most cases we can successfully clean your DPF to a near new condition.

Yes, contact us to see how they can help.

A diesel particulate filter (or DPF) is a device designed to remove diesel particulate matter or soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. This reduces the particulate emissions going into our atmosphere and meet the standards required to improve our air quality.

There are 3 types of regeneration.

Active DPF Regeneration
The active regeneration is initiated and controlled by the ECU and works off a filter load limit or sensors reading exhaust back-pressure or the ‘soot load’ of the filter, activating timing adjustments to the fuel injection which in turn increases the exhaust temperature, initiating the burning of the soot and regenerating or clearing the filter. Depending on the vehicle brand, this type of DPF regeneration can also be initiated by the vehicle ECU every 250-400 miles or so depending on vehicle use and takes around 20 minutes to complete.

Passive DPF Regeneration
Passive regeneration generally takes place on the motorway where exhaust temperatures are high enough to automatically burn off soot (5-600 degrees c) without any intervention from the ECU. Passive regeneration can also take place on shorter journeys if the car is driven at higher RPM, creating high exhaust gas temperatures. In city driving conditions a passive regeneration is unlikely to take place.

Forced DPF Regeneration
When your vehicle displays second stage DPF warning lights it will go in to ‘limp mode’ and should be seen by us as soon as possible to ascertain the extent of the problem.

A forced regeneration involves us using a computer program to run the car, initiating a regeneration of the DPF. This will often require changing the engine oil & oil filter.

It is very unusual for a DPF to fail on its own if the recommended driving conditions have been met. This is usually caused by something upstream, a mechanical defect, sensor failure or with the system software. If driving for 20 to 30 minutes at a speed of around 60mph does not clear the DPF warning light then you should get it looked at by a professional.