DPF cleaner fuel additive

deanos

trouble is sensors tell the car when to clean the dpf , just red lining it wont activate the regen , drivers have no control over it whatsoever

rexmedorum

deanos wrote: »

trouble is sensors tell the car when to clean the dpf , just red lining it wont activate the regen , drivers have no control over it whatsoever

This can be an issue. On my 35 mile commute it often waits till I've nearly reached to start. I end up thinking 'couldn't you do that 10 min ago'.

It would be useful if the driver had some form of control or it could be linked to sat-nav...

deanos

yep, i did a 100 mile trip the other month without stopping , pulled on the drive and had a warning not to turn off engine as it was cleaning the dpf , had to take it down the road 3rd gear at 60mph and it cleared after 6 mile

if we could have some sort of switch would be ideal

AdrianC

Trouble with a switch is that the exhaust has to be up to temp properly, in order for the regen to work.

So - we're all agreed with the additives being snake oil, right? Thought so.

roonaldo

Diesels are motorway/commuter cars. Its worrying that half the cars being sold now are diesels yet the average milleage per person is around 8000.
Solution is to get a petrol.

gilbert_and_sullivan

AdrianC wrote: »

So - we're all agreed with the additives being snake oil, right? Thought so.

No not all, some yes.

GolfBravo

Don't bother. Snake oil. All these DPF fuel additives only (slightly) lower the diesel combustion temperature/increase exhaust gas temperature.

You'll find that marketing data for such products will include the following magic ingredient (over 90% of volume): hydrocarbons, C11-C14, n-alkanes, isoalkanes, cyclics, aromatics (2-25%).

AKA white spirit.

They also contain petroleum, naphtha and kerosine.

And the strong smell? Naphthalene. This is what they put in mothballs. Cancerous.

Peugeot/Citroen cars use EOLYS fuel additive (Cerium(III) oxide)- the car automatically injects the required dose of EOLYS into the fuel tank following refuelling. This particular additive lowers the particle combustion temperature from 550°C to 450°C.

The car will regenerate the DPF just fine, all it needs is a 20 minute drive to reach good temperature, and a little bit of speed (say around 50mph to provide good exhaust flow and to increase engine load by increased aerodynamic drag). Lower speeds will also suffice, you just need to load the engine a little. And don't redline the engine - redlining causes increases oil consumption, and the burnt oil eventually ends up in the DPF making things worse.

patman99

I wouldn't dismiss using fuel based cleaner at least once every 3 tankfulls as it will help keep the EGR clean.

Also, avoiding supermarket diesel helps.

bigjl

These dpf additives simply allow the dpf to regen at a slightly lower temp.

They work in a similar way to Eloys fluid as fitted to some PSA group vehicle, some Volvos and some Fords.

One thing to consider with dpfs is that they measure back pressure and this creates a reading for the ecu to interpret, a voltage i think, the problem is a product of combustion is soot, a regen gets rid of the soot but leaves Ash.

The ash produces the same reading as soot, engine tries to regen with extra diesel, eventually the dpf is knackered.

Then the solution is to replace or have the dpf cleaned like they have done with lgvs and buses for years.

Two companies that clean dpfs are Ceramex and dpfgenie, they do it in different ways and Ceramex has been doing for a much longer period of time. Nearly a decade i think.

The first dpf equipped vehicle i knew off were the Citroen C8 amd C5 with the 2.2hdi engine, it was common to find them at auction with an emissions system fault which was simply an empty Eloys tank.

JLM DPF cleaner was the first to market and i have used it to good effect.

They also market a version of Eloys fluid which is apparently more efficient but i have never used it, though i was told it os cheaper than official Citreon product.

bigjl

AdrianC wrote: »

Trouble with a switch is that the exhaust has to be up to temp properly, in order for the regen to work.

So - we're all agreed with the additives being snake oil, right? Thought so.

They are no more snake oils than Eloys fluid itself. They seem to work in similar ways. Eloys is injected into your tank in a specific quantity when you fill up, which is why you should avoid chucking in a tenner in a car with an Eloys tank it will need filled up quicker.

But i would stick to a known brand. As i said already iuse the first one to market by JLM.

Though Cataclean has a new product specifically for diesels with a cat and dpf.

The science that says they reduce the temp soot incinerates into ash i solid.

But getting your dpf cleaned properly is a must every few years.

Avoid the idiots that use a standard power washer though it can crack the dpf when you start engine if not completely dry, thermal shock apparently.