Tuesday 19 November 2013

Engine Repair: DPF (aka Diesel Particulate Filter) Part I: A Ticking Time Bomb!

Many vehicle owners don't give much thought about engine repair until they start to notice problems in their vehicle's performance on the road. These problems include the issue of emissions control. No one has ever said, "I wish this air was a little less clean." But some diesel vehicle owners are known to remove or tamper with their diesel vehicle's exhaust particulate filters. Because of this, vehicle emissions regulations have become stricter as time goes by. That means all newer diesels (2007 and newer) sold for on-highway use are required to have functioning emissions equipment. However, auto shops are reporting that they are seeing more and more owners of diesel vehicles coming in for engine repair because they have either removed, or tampered with the exhaust particulate filter.

If you are looking for Automotive Air Conditioning Milton-Freewater OR your search can be over with our Wentland Diesel Auto Repair Milton-Freewater OR shop .Meet us for Engine Repair Milton-Freewater OR to have safe driving.  

History Is Repeating Itself

In the 1960s, automotive emissions were nearly unregulated. In order to reduce air pollution, America decided to mandate vehicle tailpipe standards that were radically cleaner than before. The new laws didn't specifically require manufacturers to add catalytic converters and air injection systems—but that's the technology automakers chose to meet the new standards. Back then, vehicle enthusiasts felt wronged by the new hardware that showed up under their cars. They complained about reduced fuel economy, overheating, too much complexity, and poor vehicle performance. The catalytic converters, EGR components, and air pumps made working under the hood much more difficult—so hard-core enthusiasts ended up removing them.

But then what happened? Those same diesel vehicle owners were scheduling an engine repair or a more major engine rebuild, including the diesel particulate filter (DPF), to take care of engine performance problems. A wise vehicle owner will find out what the DPF does, and what it costs to replace before tampering with it.

What is the role of the DPF?

All engines emit pollutants (i.e., chemicals and compounds created by our vehicles that end up in our air that shouldn't otherwise be there) into the air we breathe. To reduce the amount of these pollutants, newer diesel engines have been fitted with a filter in the exhaust pipe to capture soot particles. This matrix of materials (a composite of cordierite, silicon carbide, or metal fibers), called a diesel particulate filter (DPF), traps the particulates (soot) flowing out the exhaust pipe. DPFs capture soot until they fill up and create too much backpressure. At that point, DPFs can regenerate (clean) themselves in one of two ways: active or passive.

Watch for Part II coming soon in which we will describe Active and Passive Regeneration in more detail.

Is your diesel particulate filter leading you to a premature engine repair or major engine rebuild? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Wentland Diesel Service, a full-service auto repair shop, by calling 541-938-3875 or go on-line at http://www.wentlanddiesel.com/ for more information. Our auto repair shop provides diesel fuel injection service, as well as automobile and truck repair, to the vehicle owners in  Milton-Freewater, OR, Walla Walla, WA, Pendleton, OR and surrounding areas.

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