The Diesel Particulate Filter on large diesel vehicles serve and important role for both the vehicle’s functionality and, more importantly for our clients, compliance with emission laws concerning fleet vehicles for business.  Because many businesses with large fleets of vehicles own multiple diesel driven rigs and vehicles, and because these businesses rely on being compliant with state emissions regulations in order to continue in their business practices, this relatively small component in a diesel engine becomes an instant priority in maintenance and compliance for fleet based businesses.

A Diesel Particulate Filter, or DPF, basically works, as one might suspect given the name, as a filter to clear waste from the diesel engine exhaust of the vehicle.  Smoke and the larger debris particles that are often included in the swirling smoke of a diesel, need to be filtered from the exhaust of the diesel engine and this task falls to the  DPF.

All of the exhaust from a diesel engine will run through the DPF so that the heavier and larger particles of the exhaust can be filtered from the smoke that is emitted.  The filter works by sucking in all of the exhaust through cells that trap the large particles while allowing the filtered exhaust to escape.

The narrowing and/or plugged cells act like a sifter that traps the larger particle matter while allowing the gaseous exhaust to exit the filter having been stripped and cleaned of the heavier particles of engine exhaust.  By having the Diesel Particulate Filters cleaned regularly, diesel engines can last longer as well as be in compliance with emissions laws.