When To Clean

Did you know that up to 1 quart of unburned ash can lodge inside a dirty diesel particulate filter (DPF)? When your filter is full, it leads to increased downtime for regeneration (burning of ash in your DPF), loss of horsepower, reduced fuel economy, damage to your DPF, and eventually, damage to your engine. When your DPF is not cleaned regularly, not only can it lead to engine breakdown, but also, your DPF warranty can be voided. Expect to receive heavy fines for not complying with CARB and EPA rules (see our AECS Rules Section for more information).

Avoid these costly issues with regular DPF cleaning. How often do you need to clean your DPF filter for preventative maintenance?

DPF cleaning intervals differ according to engine condition, duty cycle, manufacturer specs, and even the specific lube oil used in your HDE (heavy duty engine). Most OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) recommend cleaning DPFs at 200,000 miles. However, we suggest the following rule of thumb:

AECS recommends scheduling DPF cleaning at 150,000-mile intervals, because extensive research and testing concludes that ash begins to harden in the filter cells at this point. Permanent damage and cracking occurs once ash begins to harden. Retrofit DPFs must also be cleaned—CARB and supplier regulations require cleaning retrofits at least once a year, or at about 1,000 hours of engine operation.

How do you know your DPF needs cleaning? Obvious telltale signs include poor engine performance and frequent regeneration cycles. Don’t wait until these problems are evident. If you aren’t sure if your DPF filter is due for a cleaning, schedule an inspection with our DPF cleaning professionals today. We’ll run preliminary tests with our state-of-the-art FSX equipment for a precise evaluation, and then fully document the state of your DPF before we start the cleaning process. For your records, we’ll continue documenting the state of your system throughout the entire cleaning process.

Go to our Advanced Cleaning System page to learn about how our FSX equipment cleans safely without damaging ceramic substrate and catalyzed wash-coats. There, you’ll also find out how we can remove an average of 95% of damaging soot and ash in only 22 minutes, on the average.

Or better yet, give our DPF filter cleaning experts a call today to schedule testing and evaluations for your fleet: (559) 472-7301.