DPF and increased oil consumption, will cleaning the DPF fix the problem?

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DPF and increased oil consumption, will cleaning the DPF fix the problem?

I have a BMW X18D. The vehicle is consuming oil. There are no leaks so the oil is being burned into the engine. The DPF light has now come on. My mechanic informs me that the DPF is getting so hot that it is increasing the rate at which oil is burned and thus why oil consumption is so high. The car is used for short journeys. Will cleaning out the DPF solve the problem or is the DPF failure a symptom of another type of failure?

Asked on 11 August 2022 by andrew sheward

Answered by Dan Powell

I suspect the DPF failure is a symptom of the short journeys. A modern diesel needs at least 15 miles per trip to reach optimum operating temperature and successfully cycle the DPF regen cycle.

Failure to do so will result in the DPF attempting an 'active' regen. This works by injecting extra fuel in order to increase the temperature of the exhaust gases and burn off the soot in the DPF. It still requires a journey of a reasonable length though.

It reads like the active regen is putting a lot of stress on the engine due to the DPF being blocked with unburnt soot. Cleaning the DPF may provide a temporary fix, but in the long run you will need to increase your daily mileage or swap the car for a petrol or electric vehicle.

Tags: diesel particulate filter dpf dpf cleaning oil consumption

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