DPF Cleaning Methods

[OJLane]

Hi all, the DPF is now clogged on my 2009 E350 CDI, the car now has 341,000 miles on it so can‘t spend fortunes on it as it will need to be replaced in a few months. It did a re-gen during a long day’s driving on Friday and was a few miles and a couple of hours after this that it went into limp mode on the M3.

My options are as far as I can see:
1. Taking it off and washing it using specific chemicals,
2. Spraying cleaner into the top of the DPF,

Does anyone have experience in either of these methods? I would rather not take it off if I don’t have to as it is a real pain to get out and more to get back in again!

 

[jasonh]

The DPF first clogs with soot. The regen burns the soot but leaves a very small amount of ash. The ash builds up and no amount of additive will remove the ash. When the DPF is full of ash it will clog with the smallest amount of soot.

To fix it you do need to remove it and physically wash it out from the exhaust end towards then engine. A pressure washer and some detergent will do it. Any detergent, I've used washing up liquid and general purpose pressure washer fluid successfully.

I don't know about the specifics of your exhaust system but expect to need to grind the nuts off (!!) and fit new nuts and bolts.

 

[OJLane]

The DPF first clogs with soot. The regen burns the soot but leaves a very small amount of ash. The ash builds up and no amount of additive will remove the ash. When the DPF is full of ash it will clog with the smallest amount of soot.

To fix it you do need to remove it and physically wash it out from the exhaust end towards then engine. A pressure washer and some detergent will do it. Any detergent, I've used washing up liquid and general purpose pressure washer fluid successfully.

I don't know about the specifics of your exhaust system but expect to need to grind the nuts off (!!) and fit new nuts and bolts.

Thank you very much for your reply, I did the spray thing into the top of the DPF yesterday with absolutely no luck at all. (unfortunately I didn’t see your reply until just now)
I’ve just finished getting it off now (absolutely soaked to the skin!). I did have it off end of last year to do the engine mounts so all the bolts and nuts were fairly easy, still an absolute pain to get to though.
I really wish I had thought to give it a clean when it was off then but like an idiot didn’t! I’m planning on getting some stuff and giving it a soak overnight and then a good spray out in the morning, wish me luck!
I saw somewhere that the ECU would need to be told that it had a new DPF to bring it out of limp mode, is that correct?

 

[W1ghty]

Thank you very much for your reply, I did the spray thing into the top of the DPF yesterday with absolutely no luck at all. (unfortunately I didn’t see your reply until just now)
I’ve just finished getting it off now (absolutely soaked to the skin!). I did have it off end of last year to do the engine mounts so all the bolts and nuts were fairly easy, still an absolute pain to get to though.
I really wish I had thought to give it a clean when it was off then but like an idiot didn’t! I’m planning on getting some stuff and giving it a soak overnight and then a good spray out in the morning, wish me luck!
I saw somewhere that the ECU would need to be told that it had a new DPF to bring it out of limp mode, is that correct?

Nice one buddy , I think we are going to need pics of all this

 

[BigJase88]

Slitting disc cut top of dpf off. Gut it. Weld it back up

Get EML mapped out

Voila no DPF problems

 

[jasonh]

My experience with DPFs is limited to BMWs. After cleaning yes you need to delete the fault codes. On a BMW it's also worth using diagnostics to tell the car a new DPF has been fitted. The ash load is often predicted based on soot build up and number of regens so the only way that gets zeroed is to tell the car a new DPF has been fitted.

 

[OJLane]

Thank you, I’m taking it in to a local friendly garage tomorrow as it is still in limp mode. I will ask them to do this for me

My experience with DPFs is limited to BMWs. After cleaning yes you need to delete the fault codes. On a BMW it's also worth using diagnostics to tell the car a new DPF has been fitted. The ash load is often predicted based on soot build up and number of regens so the only way that gets zeroed is to tell the car a new DPF has been fitted.

 

[OJLane]

Turns out the intake flap motor is dodgy, currently in MBS in Southampton having it sorted.

 

[Basa96]

Hi all, the DPF is now clogged on my 2009 E350 CDI, the car now has 341,000 miles on it so can‘t spend fortunes on it as it will need to be replaced in a few months. It did a re-gen during a long day’s driving on Friday and was a few miles and a couple of hours after this that it went into limp mode on the M3.

My options are as far as I can see:
1. Taking it off and washing it using specific chemicals,
2. Spraying cleaner into the top of the DPF,

Does anyone have experience in either of these methods? I would rather not take it off if I don’t have to as it is a real pain to get out and more to get back in again!

Had mine removed 35,000 ago remapped stage 1 rolling road 0-60 5secs road rocket w212 ,2010 ,3.5 sport no problems good on deisal as well

 

[OJLane]

Nice one buddy , I think we are going to need pics of all this

Some pics…

Pipe layout for the DPF Pressure Sensor


The exhaust end before cleaning, the engine end pipe was too long to see the filter but the pipe was really sooty!


Blocked off the end with gloves as suggested (and the pressure sensor hole) but these were a complete waste of time!

then Soaked in Wynns DPF Cleaner for 5 hours, the gloves leaked like a sieve so had to put in a bin bag and back fill with water as I didn’t have enough Wynns to fill the bucket.

 

[OJLane]

Nice one buddy , I think we are going to need pics of all this

After the soak, sprayed out as much as I could with the pressure washer (until I was told off by the wife, it was 9pm) then sloshed in warm water in the bath a few times


After this I poured a kettle of boiling water through each way (back to front first, make sure it’s held with an oven glove or something as it holds the heat like nothing else!) then left it over night in the airing cupboard to dry out.

The next morning I got in there with an air line, probably did nothing though.

 

[jasonh]

I find the compressed air shifts some stuff the pressure washer doesn't. You need to get the tip of the nozzle right on the ceramic and get in all the corners. Watch any padding right on the edges though. However if your compressed air is blowing straight through it's looking good.

 

[OJLane]

Nice one buddy , I think we are going to need pics of all this

Then was the re-fit!. I fitted the bottom mounts loosely to begin with to allow some movement


The very worst bit as I expected was next, that was getting the collar on between the CAT and the DPF, this alone took about an hour! Luck I have thin arms as I had to reach up and locate it from the bottom (2nd pic)






Then it was just a case of re attaching all the sensor, exhaust etc


Make sure the DPF pressure pipes are positioned properly and secured from the top first otherwise you will have to undo the bottom again, I made this mistake after refitting the under trays!

Exhaust clamp (recently replaced on prior removal when I did engine mounts so thankfully easy)


The bottom pressure sensor connector


Then refit everything top end!

 

[OJLane]

I find the compressed air shifts some stuff the pressure washer doesn't. You need to get the tip of the nozzle right on the ceramic and get in all the corners. Watch any padding right on the edges though. However if your compressed air is blowing straight through it's looking good.

Unfortunately as the pipe is so long I couldn’t see and had no control of the air line so I had to be careful and hold back a little so just a couple of careful squirts.

 

[DSM10000]

Slitting disc cut top of dpf off. Gut it. Weld it back up

Get EML mapped out

Voila no DPF problems

So you are happy to add additional pollutants to the atmosphere? Especially diesel particulates which are known to be particularly dangerous to the respiratory system.

Plus it is an MOT fail if noticed

Repair it properly.

 

[W1ghty]

Unfortunately as the pipe is so long I couldn’t see and had no control of the air line so I had to be careful and hold back a little so just a couple of careful squirts.

Fantastic pics buddy and great work !
Not sure how you still have a wife when you had that lot in the bath though

 

[BigJase88]

So you are happy to add additional pollutants to the atmosphere? Especially diesel particulates which are known to be particularly dangerous to the respiratory system.

Plus it is an MOT fail if noticed

Repair it properly.

Yes I am happy with that

 

[DSM10000]

Yes I am happy with that

How do you justify that attitude?

So you do not feel any social responsibility at all?

Or are you special and the laws do not apply to you?

I imagine if someone started regular bonfires etc near to you or the council approved an incinerator on your doorstep you would be out complaining.

I can only assume from your attitude that you are a low achiever who has an overblown sense of entitlement and thinks that social norms do not apply to you.

I doubt you have any understanding of the damage that particulates from vehicles can do, until of course when they may directly affect you or family.

Life is too short to try to explain things to the ignorant and the arrogant so I will glady put another one on the ignore list.

 

[BigJase88]

How do you justify that attitude?

So you do not feel any social responsibility at all?

Or are you special and the laws do not apply to you?

I imagine if someone started regular bonfires etc near to you or the council approved an incinerator on your doorstep you would be out complaining.

I can only assume from your attitude that you are a low achiever who has an overblown sense of entitlement and thinks that social norms do not apply to you.

I doubt you have any understanding of the damage that particulates from vehicles can do, until of course when they may directly affect you or family.

Life is too short to try to explain things to the ignorant and the arrogant so I will glady put another one on the ignore list.

A low achiever

 

[OJLane]

Fantastic pics buddy and great work !
Not sure how you still have a wife when you had that lot in the bath though

She was in bed asleep at that point so had absolutely no idea