Diesel Particulate Filter problems are common. Here are some ways to avoid them.

First and foremost, top up your AdBlue®.

AdBlue® is a colourless, non-toxic liquid containing water and urea. It works by converting nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in diesel engine exhaust gas into nitrogen and water. A diesel particulate filter (DPF) further reduces solid particulates from the vehicle’s exhaust emissions.

AdBlue® tanks should be refilled when the first ‘Low AdBlue®’ alert appears on the dashboard*. We recommend you call your nearest main dealer, and they will do it for you (if AdBlue® is needed urgently, it is also available in all branches of Best Drive and Circle K Petrol stations).

DPF— Diesel particulate filter. What does it do?

The diesel particulate filter system filters soot particles out of the exhaust gases. The system includes a self-cleaning function that runs automatically during driving without any notification.

The filter is cleaned by periodically burning off the soot particles at high temperatures. This process takes place automatically under set driving conditions. Auto-stop is not available, and fuel consumption may be higher during this period.

The emission of smells and smoke during this process is normal. The system cannot clean itself automatically under certain driving conditions, e.g., short distances. If filter cleaning is required and previous driving conditions did not enable automatic cleaning, it will be indicated by the illumination of the control indicator Light/Message on the dashboard.

Cleaning takes place quickest at high engine speeds and loads.

Here are some helpful tips from our Driver Support Team that will help reduce DPF problems.

• It is recommended that your diesel tank doesn’t go below 1/4 empty. This helps prevent fuel contaminants from entering the engine system.
• To facilitate the Diesel Particulate Filter self-cleaning process, Mahony Fleet recommends not using 6th gear unless necessary (e.g., only use 6th gear on long Motorway journeys where no stops are envisaged).
• If your vehicle dashboard includes a “Gear Shift indicator,” we recommend you ignore this feature and choose the most appropriate gear for the given driving conditions.
• If you drive an automatic transmission, we recommend you switch the vehicle from Economy Mode to Sport Mode. Driving in Sport mode ensures the engine revs are higher and gear changes are more frequent, which facilitates the self-cleaning process.
• Keep short-distance driving to a minimum in diesel cars. Driving multiple short-distance journeys in a diesel contributes to the accumulation of soot particles in the DPF and prevents the automatic DPF cleaning process from beginning.

*Note: Notifications may differ depending on the vehicle’s Make/Model. Please refer to the owner’s handbook for more information.

Want to get in touch with our Driver Support Team? Fill out the form below.