DPF Removal and Remapping and stainless steel exhausts ?

DPF Removal Why do we have DPF’s? With the introduction of Euro 5 emission standards that were brought into force in 2009 new cars were fitted with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) with the aim to deliver an 80% reduction in diesel particulates (soot). In fact, many vehicles registered before 2009 will have one fitted too in anticipation of the change of standards, unfortunately though the technology is not free from problems. How They Work The Diesel Particulate Filter(DPF) or ‘traps’ catch bits of soot in the exhaust, these need to be emptied regularly to maintain performance. For a DPF this process is called ‘regeneration’, which is where the collected soot is burnt off at high temperature to leave only a tiny ash residue. Passive Regeneration Passive regeneration takes place automatically on motorway type driving when the exhaust temperature is high. Because many cars don’t get enough of this sort of use, manufacturers have built in the function ‘active’ regeneration where the engine control unit (ECU) takes control of the process. Active Regeneration When the soot loading in the filter reaches a set limit (about 45%) the ECU can make adjustments to the fuel injection timing to increase the exhaust temperature and initiate regeneration. If the journey is stop/start, regeneration may be incomplete and the warning light illuminate showing that the filter is partially blocked. In theory, it should be possible to start a complete regeneration and clear the warning light by driving for 10 minutes or so at speeds greater than 40mph. If you ignore the warning light and keep driving in slow, stop/start pattern soot loading will continue to build up until around 75% when you can expect to see other dashboard warning lights come on. At this point it is not possible to regenerate the DPF at speed alone and you will have to take the car to a garage that has the knowledge to rectify it. Cautionary Note The DPF repair market is still a new market and as with all new things it is easy to jump to conclusions when problem solving. We have seen a number of problems diagnosed as a DPF problem but have turned out to be a much simpler and cheaper repair. For this reason we insist on an hour’s diagnosis on each vehicle before carrying out a DPF repair. This is free of charge if we go on to carry out one of our 3 DPF options. To date, this has already revealed an incorrectly diagnosed DPF problem on a number of occasions which has saved the customer from unnecessary costs and repairs. The DPF Options There are various solutions on the market which includes cleaning, removal and of course replacement. Your decision may be driven by cost or the future use of the vehicle. Cleaning Depending on the percentage of load the DPF is at, an induction cleaner can be used via the throttle body or initially applied directly to the DPF which is removed from the car. The cleaning solution is made by BG Products (www.bgprod.co.uk) and is achieve fantastic results by liquefying the deposits and allowing them to be burned in normal combustion. As part of the cleaning process we will carry out oil and filter change and add BG’s renowned diesel fuel system cleaner. Cost for cleaning starts from 300 inc vat and will be offered with a 6 months guarantee.* Removal We can offer a solution to remove the DPF all together on most makes of cars. The process will vary between vehicles depending on complexity and location of the DPF and its sensors. Removal of the DPF is only part of the process, all DPF temperature and pressure differential sensors need to be fitted back into the exhaust and the ECU programming will also need to be changed to remove the DPF function and stop the regenerati