Unit 2 Princes St, Bexleyheath, Greater London, DA7 4BJ | Mon - Fri: 0900 - 1700 Sat: 0900 - 1230

020 8054 8841

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A technician inspecting the exhaust system under a vehicle at BS Services Garage in Bexleyheath.
Repairs & Replacements

DPF Cleaning

A DPF, or diesel particulate filter, catches the soot from your exhaust and burns it off automatically while you drive. When that process stops working the filter blocks, the warning light comes on and the car starts protecting itself by cutting power, which is the limp mode most people notice first.

Here is the part most drivers are never told: a blocked filter and a failed regeneration are two different faults, and they need two different fixes. We find out which one you have before anybody talks about replacing anything.

What's Involved

What's included in your DPF service

A blocked DPF is usually a symptom rather than the fault itself, so we start by finding out what caused it.
  • Full diagnostic scan and live data check
  • Soot load and differential pressure readings
  • Regeneration history, to see what the car has already tried
  • Forced regeneration where that is what is needed
  • Filter clean where the soot load is too high to burn off
  • Check of the sensors, EGR and injectors that commonly cause it
  • Honest recommendation before any replacement is quoted

Why DPFs block in the first place

The filter needs a sustained run at temperature to burn off what it has collected. Short journeys never get it hot enough, so the soot builds up faster than it clears. If most of your driving is a few miles at a time, around Bexleyheath and the surrounding roads, that is the usual culprit.

It is not always the driving though. A faulty sensor, a sticking EGR valve or a worn injector will stop a regeneration happening even on a car that does plenty of motorway miles. That is why we check the cause rather than just clearing the symptom. Clean the filter and leave the fault, and you will be back in a few months.

Common Questions

DPF Cleaning FAQ

What does the DPF warning light actually mean?
Usually that the filter has collected more soot than it can burn off on its own. It is a warning, not a breakdown, and catching it early is far cheaper. If you carry on and it goes into limp mode, the options narrow and the bill goes up.
Can I fix it myself by going for a long drive?
Sometimes, if you catch it early. A sustained run at motorway speed can be enough to trigger a regeneration and clear it. If the light has been on a while, or the car is already in limp mode, driving it will not fix it and may make it worse. Worth a call before you try.
Can you remove or delete my DPF?
No, and we would steer you away from anyone who offers it. Using a vehicle on the road without a DPF that was fitted as standard is an offence, it is an automatic MOT failure, and it invalidates most insurance policies. It also tends to come up when the car is sold. We will clean it, we will not take it out.
Will I need a new filter?
Often not. Most of what comes in needs a forced regeneration or a clean rather than a replacement, and we will tell you which before anything is quoted. A new DPF is one of the more expensive jobs on a diesel, so it is worth finding out properly.
How long does it take?
A diagnostic and forced regeneration is usually the same day. A clean takes longer depending on the vehicle and how blocked it is. We will give you a realistic answer once we have read the car rather than guessing on the phone.
Do you work on vans as well as cars?
Yes. Vans do a lot of short-journey, stop-start work, which is exactly the use pattern that blocks filters, so this is a common job on commercial vehicles. We handle fleet maintenance too.
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    020 8054 8841

    Mon - Fri: 0900 - 1700 | Sat: 0900 - 1230

    A technician inspecting the exhaust system under a vehicle at BS Services Garage in Bexleyheath.
    Repairs & Replacements

    DPF Cleaning

    A DPF, or diesel particulate filter, catches the soot from your exhaust and burns it off automatically while you drive. When that process stops working the filter blocks, the warning light comes on and the car starts protecting itself by cutting power, which is the limp mode most people notice first.

    Here is the part most drivers are never told: a blocked filter and a failed regeneration are two different faults, and they need two different fixes. We find out which one you have before anybody talks about replacing anything.

    What we check

    What's included in your DPF service

    A blocked DPF is usually a symptom rather than the fault itself, so we start by finding out what caused it.
    • Full diagnostic scan and live data check
    • Soot load and differential pressure readings
    • Regeneration history, to see what the car has already tried
    • Forced regeneration where that is what is needed
    • Filter clean where the soot load is too high to burn off
    • Check of the sensors, EGR and injectors that commonly cause it
    • Honest recommendation before any replacement is quoted

    Why DPFs block in the first place

    The filter needs a sustained run at temperature to burn off what it has collected. Short journeys never get it hot enough, so the soot builds up faster than it clears. If most of your driving is a few miles at a time, around Bexleyheath and the surrounding roads, that is the usual culprit.

    It is not always the driving though. A faulty sensor, a sticking EGR valve or a worn injector will stop a regeneration happening even on a car that does plenty of motorway miles. That is why we check the cause rather than just clearing the symptom. Clean the filter and leave the fault, and you will be back in a few months.

    Common Questions

    DPF Cleaning FAQ

    What does the DPF warning light actually mean?
    Usually that the filter has collected more soot than it can burn off on its own. It is a warning, not a breakdown, and catching it early is far cheaper. If you carry on and it goes into limp mode, the options narrow and the bill goes up.
    Can I fix it myself by going for a long drive?
    Sometimes, if you catch it early. A sustained run at motorway speed can be enough to trigger a regeneration and clear it. If the light has been on a while, or the car is already in limp mode, driving it will not fix it and may make it worse. Worth a call before you try.
    Can you remove or delete my DPF?
    No, and we would steer you away from anyone who offers it. Using a vehicle on the road without a DPF that was fitted as standard is an offence, it is an automatic MOT failure, and it invalidates most insurance policies. It also tends to come up when the car is sold. We will clean it, we will not take it out.
    Will I need a new filter?
    Often not. Most of what comes in needs a forced regeneration or a clean rather than a replacement, and we will tell you which before anything is quoted. A new DPF is one of the more expensive jobs on a diesel, so it is worth finding out properly.
    How long does it take?
    A diagnostic and forced regeneration is usually the same day. A clean takes longer depending on the vehicle and how blocked it is. We will give you a realistic answer once we have read the car rather than guessing on the phone.
    Do you work on vans as well as cars?
    Yes. Vans do a lot of short-journey, stop-start work, which is exactly the use pattern that blocks filters, so this is a common job on commercial vehicles. We handle fleet maintenance too.
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      Drop the vehicle with us at Unit 2, Princes Street, Bexleyheath and we will diagnose it properly before anything gets quoted. Call us or use the form above.

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