DPF warning light is not always a DPF issue, says expert

A flashing DPF warning light does not always mean there is a problem with the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF); it could be triggered by a number of different vehicle issues. That’s the message from national automotive parts reconditioning parts specialist DPF Clean Team, which has just expanded its team to be able treat a wider range of DPF-related faults.

The company has recently taken on a specialist repairer to fix broken ceramic on damaged DPFs, a problem often caused by mechanical failure, or by a driver knocking a DPF on a difficult journey. The ceramic monolith, or filter element of a DPF, cannot be cleaned when broken and must maintain its integrity in order for the diesel exhaust to pass only through the fine-filtering walls of the ceramic material. The move is a direct response from DPF Clean Team to a rise in the number of enquiries about DPF failures that are not a result of a blocked filter. And the company is aiming to educate fleet managers and garages by revealing some of the common reasons for a DPF warning light to illuminate.

DPF Clean Team’s Managing Director, Cameron Bryce, explained: “We receive many calls a day from people whose DPF warning light has come on and many automatically think that it’s because of a blocked filter, but it can be triggered by a number of things. We do our best to solve most DPF issues and welcome all enquiries, but there are many faults that we will refer to a garage to rectify, and many that can be solved by the vehicle owner themselves.”

The most common reason for a DPF warning light to appear is because of a blocked DPF; something that DPF Clean Team can solve if a passive regeneration of the filter is not possible. However, the company is also reporting that often, the DPF warning light can be illuminated as a result of a faulty temperature or pressure sensor, which is a job that must be resolved by a garage or automotive technician. A failed exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, problems with exhaust and injection systems and faulty glow plugs can all, in turn, affect the DPF and cause the DPF warning light to illuminate. In fact, even using the wrong type of oil in a car can trigger the DPF warning light to come on.

As more and more garages report that they are continuing to come across vehicles with DPF-related issues, DPF Clean team is expanding its own team and partnering with garages across the country in order to offer its customers a complete solution for all DPF-related problems.

Cameron Bryce continued: “The DPF is such an important part of a diesel vehicle that a failure can be triggered by a number of different things. A professional clean is not only considerably cheaper and faster than a replacement, but it can solve the majority of DPF-related issues. However, there are a handful of failures that it can’t resolve, which is why we are continually adding to our team and resources, and working closely with garages and fleet operators to educate them on DPF maintenance and best practice, to ensure that we can become a complete solutions provider for all DPF failures. In most cases, if a clean can’t solve a DPF issue, our experienced technicians have enough knowledge and expertise to advise the motorist or even the garage on what can.”