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How long does it take to clear a DPF?
Judging by the times Diesel Particulate Filters are mentioned in your columns, your mailbox must clog up with them. My question involves the distance one needs to travel before the DPF sorts itself out. You say that short journeys are generally harmful, but how would you define a 'short journey'? I am thinking of buying either a BMW X3 or possibly a Mini Countryman but have mixed feelings regarding petrol or diesel. For journeys of say 10 miles or less, petrol is probably preferable but how much further need I travel to be fairly sure of the longer term health of a DPF?
Asked on 6 April 2013 by JB, Salisbury
Answered by
Honest John
If you start an engine from cold, a lot of unburned hydrocarbons are created and these are collected in the DPF. From reader evidence, with the average diesel it seems you can start a diesel from cold and drive it short distances three or four times before the amount of unburned hydrocarbons in the DPF start to choke it. Some DPFs self-clear in under ten miles, others need 20 miles or more.
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