Trucks can emit harmful emissions via their diesel engine. Luckily, there is a tool in place to prevent those emissions from doing extensive harm—a diesel particulate filter (DPF). A DPF catches the harmful soot coming from the engine. Keeping the DPF working requires routine cleaning. Furthermore, determining how often you should clean your diesel particulate filter ultimately differs between models.
Some manufacturers recommend cleaning out the soot in the DPF every six months. However, some models can go longer without cleaning quite so frequently. Some suppliers will recommend cleaning in terms of miles, typically claiming you should do it every 200,000 miles.
Even the quality of your engine plays a role in how frequently you should clean the DPF. Not cleaning the DPF will eventually cause damage to it over time. Over an even longer period of neglect, that damage can extend to the engine, making matters worse.
Routine cleaning isn’t just necessary to keep the truck and its components intact but also to keep you operating within the proper regulations. Neglecting to clean the DPF at least once every year can result in substantial fines.
Discover how often you should clean your diesel particulate filter by talking with your manufacturer about their recommendations. It’s also helpful to understand the signs that it’s time to clean the filter. Signs such as too much exhaust smoke emitting from the truck, a pungent fuel aroma accumulating, and a diminishing fuel economy are frequent signs of DPF issues.
Additionally, there is a light on your dashboard that indicates when you should clean the DPF. This light will typically emit an orange glow when it’s time for maintenance, so take the time to learn where the indicator is.
Making an effort to understand your specific DPF and engine needs in terms of routine maintenance will help you keep each system operational during every trip. If you need a new DPF, there are many semi-truck parts and accessories available on the market, including filters for trucks from Volvo, Mack, and more.