Cleaning a dpf

[F.J.]

Hi all,

I am having trouble with the dpf on my sprinter. First off the exhaust was stolen a few months back so I bought a second hand system from a van breakers only to find that the dpf was almost full, too full in fact to be able to regenerate!!! I have a few options apparently, buy a new one obviously but at £800 I'd rather find a different solution. Cut mine open and remove the insides, weld it back together and get the van remapped so the van knows that the dpf isn't there anymore. And thirdly, apparently I can remove mine, blank one end, stand it upright and fill with Ovan Pride! Leave overnight then swill out the rubbish and refit.

Has anyone had any issues and solved it without having to buy a new one?

Thanks

 

[dobbslc]

It's only oily carbon in the dpf, I've cleaned a few two stroke exhausts with caustic soda before with good results and they are full of oily muck.
I'm not sure what rare metals are in a dpf that might be damaged though.
If your van is early enough you probably could get the whole thing gutted and remapped, the later engines are harder to sort out.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I think it is an MOT fail now if the DPF has been removed or modified at all so that may limit your options a bit.

Can't help with any clean out suggestions, heard all sorts of tales but no idea which work or don't.

 

[F.J.]

Caustic soda / sodium hydroxide seemingly works if you fill it with that (similar to oven cleaner) and leave it overnight
My Saab was clogged...until I got my hands on a dealer tool to force a regen, I used some extreme italian tuning (try several 25 minutes sessions just below the rev limiter...) check flexi for leaks, ditto the egr (if its jammed open it won't permit a regen to protect the intake)

I of course would NEVER endorse cutting and gutting the DPF and welding a pipe inside it to smooth the airflow and remapping the ecu...never ;-)

This any use?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-BENZ-SPRINTER-CDI-DIESEL-PARTICULATE-FILTER-2006-2015-DPF-/111441679845?fits=Model:Sprinter&hash=item19f27115e5

I've seen the dpf you posted the link to but I know mercs don't like spurious parts so wouldn't really want to go down that route, although that's not to say the one I have on now isn't a spurious part!

I have also been driving around in third and fourth rather than fifth or sixth which has helped a bit but not completely

 

[johnik]

place i used to work reconed that a jet wash from the outlet side would clean them out...could be worth a try ?.

 

[F.J.]

It's only oily carbon in the dpf, I've cleaned a few two stroke exhausts with caustic soda before with good results and they are full of oily muck.
I'm not sure what rare metals are in a dpf that might be damaged though.
If your van is early enough you probably could get the whole thing gutted and remapped, the later engines are harder to sort out.

It's a 2008 so yeah quite early. I'm quite happy to gut the dpf but I've just spent £1500 on new brakes, hand brake shoes, having the gearbox reconditioned and new clutch and dual mass flywheel fitted. So the extra cost on the remap can wait as I also need a new rear diff!!!

Talk about things coming in three's

 

[dunk]

vehicles that should have a dpf, and the dpf has been removed will not pass an mot and is not road legal, also if your stopped by mr vosa thats as far as you go till piggy backed, removing the inners is a different thing, leave the dpf unit on what you do with insides is up to you, you need a remap then as well, as said above i dont endorse this method but needs must, there is a company north of you that is doing this to the crafters, and as a bonus the mpg is going up as well, company is pendle performance, those that have had it done report good results

 

[F.J.]

place i used to work reconed that a jet wash from the outlet side would clean them out...could be worth a try ?.

I watched a clip on YouTube where a guy did it and the amount of crap that came out was incredible although there wasn't a clip of how it ran once fitted. A truck mechanic pal of mine says I shouldn't do it though

 

[F.J.]

vehicles that should have a dpf, and the dpf has been removed will not pass an mot and is not road legal, also if your stopped by mr vosa thats as far as you go till piggy backed, removing the inners is a different thing, leave the dpf unit on what you do with insides is up to you, you need a remap then as well, as said above i dont endorse this method but needs must, there is a company north of you that is doing this to the crafters, and as a bonus the mpg is going up as well, company is pendle performance, those that have had it done report good results

A pal of mine has his sprinter done and gets great mpg, his van runs better and sounds better too. Mine has just got 12 months mot so if I did choose to cut it open then at least the weld I'd put on it would of rusted over a bit by the next mot

 

[F.J.]

@F.J. - What I mean is sitting the vehicle stationary and running it at high rpm for an extended time to get the exhaust gas temps right up to try and get a passive regen going and hopefully then an active regen going...though it should be possible for a merc indy / dealer to "force" an active regen...

If I could get hold of the computer I'd give it a go but the mechanic local to me is polish and the lingo is a. But of a challenge. He is a great mechanic though

 

[Pete.]

I wonder if you could try burning it out with a torch? Inject propane/acetylene and get it burning hot inside. Should break down the bond that holds the carbon to the filter.

 

[dunk]

mine was a 2008, reached 250,000 when i got rid of it still on same exhaust + dpf, if you put a new one on, use the right oil, and give if a good run now and then, these things passive regen quite often 300 - 400 miles, a forced regen is totally different to the passive, but you need merc system if you know some one, i did mine with a mech friend and run at over 2000rpm for about 20mins on the road with the system on the lap top plugged in, it clears the muck out

 

[F.J.]

https://web.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/preprint archive/Files/48_2_New York_10-03_0646.pdf

Have just done a Google search on deck and it has been used before which is reassuring that it won't wreck the dpf so think I'll order some

 

[dunk]

all you got to do after is to figure a way to stop it being nicked again

 

[roofman]

ive got 25 liters of ethenol here...soak it in that. Yours iff you want it mate,half an hour away too

 

[F.J.]

all you got to do after is to figure a way to stop it being nicked again

When I bought the second hand exhaust it cam with the engine cradle and someone has made a cat lock with sharp spikes on which covers the expensive bits of the exhaust

 

[F.J.]

If your not aware...don't use DCM in an enclosed / poorly ventilated space...its heavier than air, displaces the oxygen from your bloodstream when inhaled, making you lightheaded, then rapidly uncouncious and then dead....hence why it was taken out of nitromors etc (even pro deccies were getting in difficulties when stripping paint in bathrooms etc)

I read that before so would use my air fed mask when I do it

 

[F.J.]

ive got 25 liters of ethenol here...soak it in that. Yours iff you want it mate,half an hour away too

Thanks for the offer. Is ethanol as good as DCM?

 

[Pete.]

I read that before so would use my air fed mask when I do it

Would that help? Many have the air pump on the belt so you'd actually start pumping low-lying DCM gas sooner into the mask than if you breathed it direct.

 

[ukracer]

https://web.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/preprint archive/Files/48_2_New York_10-03_0646.pdf

Have just done a Google search on deck and it has been used before which is reassuring that it won't wreck the dpf so think I'll order some

Keep us informed my Navara is going into limp mode when I boot it to try and get it hot...to refer. ....chicken and egg situation...