If you own a diesel car, it’s highly likely that it’s fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). However, there’s a chance that you might not know exactly what a DPF is or where it is on your car. It’s an essential piece of kit for any diesel vehicle, and if they aren’t maintained, it could cause issues for your car.
With that in mind, here we take a closer look at whether your vehicle has a diesel particulate filter and why.
Why do cars have a diesel particulate filter?
DPFs are fitted to the exhaust system of diesel cars, designed to capture and store exhaust soot. This is to help reduce the number of harmful emissions from diesel cars. However, DPFs can become clogged over time and need clearing to continue to work properly. If this happens, your DPF warning light will come on.
If you drive short journeys, you might find that your DPF isn’t given the chance to burn off this soot, known as regeneration, so this is important to bear in mind if you drive a diesel car.
Legislation was introduced in 2009 to lower car CO2 emissions, which in effect made DPFs a mandatory addition to diesel vehicles.
Which cars have a diesel particulate filter?
If your car was built after 2009, it’s more than likely fitted with a DPF as part of the Euro 5 standard for diesel cars.
The only diesel cars that won’t have a DPF are older models that were manufactured before the regulations came into play.
You can check this for yourself by looking for manufacturer stickers either in the driver’s door or under the bonnet. These stickers will tell you things like fuel type, minimum tyre pressure and whether there is a DPF. You can also have a look in the car’s handbook.
Where to find the DPF on your car
You will usually find the DPF underneath your car, fitted to the exhaust system near the engine. However, you shouldn’t typically need to access it. If you’re having problems with your DPF, you can use a specialist product like our DPF Cleaner, which can help to clean blocked filters without the need for costly repairs.
The DPF Cleaner helps to lower the temperature that the excess soot burns at, so it can burn away during normal driving. You can use it every 2-3 tanks of fuel, or when you see the DPF warning light.
Removing the DPF
It’s important to note that it’s illegal to remove the DPF from your car. If you are found to have removed the diesel particulate filter from your car, you could face a fine of £1,000 for a car or £2,500 for a light goods vehicle.
Since 2014, having a DPF is part of the MOT test. If your modern diesel car doesn’t have one, you could fail your MOT. New DPFs can cost anywhere between £1,000-£3,500.
Looking after your DPF is a vital part of driving a diesel car. For more help and advice on maintaining your vehicle and getting the most out of it, check out our blogs.
