DPF - Diesel Particulate Filter

Trebor16

Unlike a catalytic converter a DPF is not a compulosory device and my understanding is that removing the DPF will not cause problems come MOT time under the new rules which came into force last month.

Mobeer

Still need to pass MOT emissions tests, and it might be classed as a modification that must be declared on your insurance.

razorfox

Right last question before you all get completely bored and what a daft question to some it maybe.

Can anyone confirm if my titanium x smax actually has a DPF warning light? Just that I've been reading conflicting things on the net and don't know what to believe even tho the manual shows that it does. But I can't see it on the dash anywhere!

Cheers people!

Trebor16

Mobeer wrote: »

Still need to pass MOT emissions tests, and it might be classed as a modification that must be declared on your insurance.

On diesels it is just a smoke test, not an emissions test as per petrol engine cars.

GolfBravo

razorfox wrote: »

Right last question before you all get completely bored and what a daft question to some it maybe.

Can anyone confirm if my titanium x smax actually has a DPF warning light? Just that I've been reading conflicting things on the net and don't know what to believe even tho the manual shows that it does. But I can't see it on the dash anywhere!

Cheers people!

Is that the PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) DW10 2 litre engine? If it is, there wouldn't be a separate DPF warning light on the dash, as there are two different warning messages possible:
Risk of saturation of particle filter (FAP)
and
Particle filter (FAP) additive level too low

On all Peugeot/Citroen cars the messages appear on the onboard computer screen, plus the service light comes up. My guess is that your S-Max would be the same.

The owners handbook should cover DPF (also called FAP) anyway.

Don't worry about the DPF too much, the current generation is quite reliable with a lifespan of well over 100K miles (the pre-2005 filters were really bad, lasting less than 70K miles). It is very unlikely to fail, and before anything happens a warning message would come up anyway (the system compares exhaust gas pressures before and after the filter to work regeneration intervals). The regeneration happens even at 40mph, lasts up to a couple of minutes (even 20 seconds can suffice), and you may sometimes notice slight hesitation/misfiring when that happens - but it really helps to drive the car occasionally on a motorway for a few minutes, just make sure the engine is at a normal operating temperature (not cold).

Problems can occur when you drive only short distances (so the engine doesn't fully warm up) and at low speed - but then you shouldn't be driving a diesel anyway. Also you need to regularly change engine oil (the manufacturer recommended oil change intervals are the maximum) - when engine oil contaminates all sorts of nasty stuff ends up in the exhaust fumes damaging DPF.