DPF Question

[Auto Addict]

Being concious of doing a lot of tatting about, which is bad for the DPF, once a month I take the Insignia for a 30 minute motorway run, keeping the revs. @ 2500.

Is this sufficient to keep the DPF clear?

Shouldn't be a problem over the summer months towing the 'van, as it will take a bit of a belting

[omega3000]

Being concious of doing a lot of tatting about, which is bad for the DPF, once a month I take the Insignia for a 30 minute motorway run, keeping the revs. @ 2500.

Is this sufficient to keep the DPF clear?

Shouldn't be a problem over the summer months towing the 'van, as it will take a bit of a belting

Whats that stand for then 

[Auto Addict]

Being concious of doing a lot of tatting about, which is bad for the DPF, once a month I take the Insignia for a 30 minute motorway run, keeping the revs. @ 2500.

Is this sufficient to keep the DPF clear?

Shouldn't be a problem over the summer months towing the 'van, as it will take a bit of a belting

Whats that stand for then 

Diesel particle filter.

[doz]

My little Ibiza is used to for nothing more than the work run. 16 miles each way on a mix of 40,50 and 70 MPH roads. I have been aware of the car doing a regen only a few times in the year I've owned it. Never had the warning light come on. The one thing I was told if the DPF is regening then don't switch it off. Let it finish it's cycle. You can always tell when they are doing the regen. The idle speed picks up slightly and is rougher than normal.

[Auto Addict]

My little Ibiza is used to for nothing more than the work run. 16 miles each way on a mix of 40,50 and 70 MPH roads. I have been aware of the car doing a regen only a few times in the year I've owned it. Never had the warning light come on. The one thing I was told if the DPF is regening then don't switch it off. Let it finish it's cycle. You can always tell when they are doing the regen. The idle speed picks up slightly and is rougher than normal.

I'm trying to avoid it having to do a regen.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Lets get some facts.

A DPF MUST regen.

The setup is a filter which over time (e.g. 1000 miles - dependent) clogs up.

This is detected via a few means but mainly a differential pressure sensor which detects rising back pressure in the system.

Once this happens, the DPF has to regen, there is no avoiding it.

To do this the injection timing of the fuel is changed and the inlet is also modified via swirl flaps and/or the throttle butterfly to increase teh exhaust gas temperture significantly.

This in turn raises the temperature of the DPF and the soot in the filter is burnt producing ash which is expelled from the exhaust.

Regens take about 10 minutes (depends on the engine output and size of the filter).

All you can do is try to listen out for the regen (or monitor the mpg as it will drop significantly) as the exhaust tends to get a distinct bass note and drone. When this happens drive with the revs above 2000rpm until the regen is completed.

If you terminate the regen three plus times then it can go into limp mode and potentialy block up totaly.

[Auto Addict]

Thanks for the explanation

So I'm wasting my time taking it for a run then?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Its only worthwhile if it does a regen during the run and it may not as it might not need to ....