Here's how to clean the particulate filter.

All modern diesel, and now gasoline cars have a diesel particulate filter (in gasoline it is called a catalyst). Depending on the car model and driving style, modern filters serve from 100 to 180 thousand kilometers, and even less when driving frequently in urban mode.

In the process, they are covered with soot. When diesel fuel is burned, residues of unburned hydrocarbons enter the exhaust pipe, sometimes heavy metals and other toxins may be contained in this exhaust.

Filter device

The filters consist of a ceramic structure in the shape of a honeycomb, which is coated with precious metals such as platinum (very fine spraying). The cells overlap with the accumulation of particles, and even automatic cleaning when driving on the highway at high speed (the temperature in the catalyst rises, and unburned soot burns out of the temperature) may not help.

Such deposits can lead to a loss of power (due to an increase in resistance), or even do not allow the engine to start up at all.

Change or clean?

Most manufacturers and suppliers are advised to completely change the particulate filter. Depending on the service and model of the car, the amount can reach up to 4500 euros. Example - only a filter for the Mercedes C-Class costs 600 euros.

However, replacement is not always required. Often old filters can be cleaned and reused. This service costs about 400 euros. However, not every cleaning method is recommended.

Cleaning methods

One approach to cleaning filters is to burn particles when the part is heated in a furnace. The catalyst is placed in a furnace, which is gradually heated to 600 degrees Celsius, and then slowly cooled. Dust and soot are cleaned with compressed air and dry snow (solid carbon dioxide, CO2)

After cleaning, the filter acquires almost the same properties as the new one. However, this process takes up to five days, as it must be repeated many times. The price reaches half the price of a new filter.

An alternative to this method is dry cleaning. In it, the cells are sprayed with a special liquid. It corrodes mainly soot, but is not very effective against other deposits. For this reason, blowing with compressed air is still required, which can damage the honeycomb structure.

When cleaning, the filter can be sent to a specialized company, and cleaning takes several days. Thus, 95 to 98 percent of the filters can be reused. From 300 to 400 euros can be spent on this procedure.

Questions and answers:

How do you know if a particulate filter is clogged? To do this, there is an icon on the tidy (engine), fuel consumption will be increased, traction will disappear (the dynamics of the car will decrease), abundant smoke will come from the exhaust pipe, and the engine will hiss during operation.

How is the particulate filter cleaned? In some car models, automatic regeneration of the particulate filter is used. When it becomes clogged, fuel or urea is sprayed onto the matrix, which ignites inside the filter, removing soot.

How long does it take to regenerate the particulate filter? It depends on the features of car operation. For example, in conditions that do not allow the filter to warm up to the desired degree, the controller turns on the spraying of additional fuel into the filter and closes the EGR valve.