| Heavy Duty The good and bad of diesel particulate filter regenerations Passive, active and manual regenerations play a significant role in helping address trapped soot and lubrication oil ash caught in a vehicle’s diesel particulate filter (DPF), but more is often required to help avoid unplanned breakdowns, lost productivity and costly repairs, and to get the most from their vehicles when they are on the road. Taking proactive measures toward DPF maintenance is vital. A number of unwanted problems can result from neglecting DPF maintenance, including low vehicle power and engine damage. By Mike Schmidt, Managing Editor Regenerations help combat trapped contaminants, but can be a symptom of a significant maintenance issue “The DPF will continue to trap soot and lubrication oil ash until it is passively, actively or manually regenerated,” says Brian Lewallen, director service operations, and Dale Allemang, director field service, Daimler Trucks North America, a manufacturer of medium and heavy duty vehicles (www.daimler-trucksnorthamerica. com). “But it is like any filter on the engine and, just like an oil, fuel or air filter, it must be replaced or, in the case of the DPF, cleaned. The cleaning process is critical to the life of the DPF and of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst located downstream.” MAINTENANCE MEANS EVERYTHING A DPF collects diesel particulates in a diesel engine’s exhaust through a complex filtering process, and regular, proper maintenance is 16 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ APRIL 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com
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