Overview
A plugged DPF is usually a symptom. Too much idle time, a leaking injector, a stuck EGR valve or a failed sensor will load the filter faster than regens can burn it off. Clean the filter without fixing that, and you will be back.
So every aftertreatment job starts with the cause: soot and ash load, differential pressure readings, temperature sensors across the system, NOx sensor readings and DEF quality and dosing. Then we clean, repair or replace what the data points to and write down why.
We do not remove, disable or tune out emissions equipment, on any truck, for any price. It is illegal, it voids warranties and it ends with a fine for the owner. What we do is make the system work the way it should.
Call us about
- Dash lights for DPF, DEF or check engine, or a speed derate
- Parked regens that won't start or won't finish
- Regens happening more and more often
- DEF warnings, crystal build-up on the doser, or bad DEF quality codes
- NOx sensor or SCR efficiency codes
Every job includes
- Root-cause check before any cleaning or replacement
- Differential pressure and temperature readings recorded before and after
- Off-truck thermal cleaning with a written ash report
- Forced regen only when the data says the filter can take it
- A note on what to change in driving or idle habits, if that is the cause
How the exhaust gets cleaned
Exhaust leaves the engine and passes through four stages before the tailpipe. A problem upstream shows up downstream, which is why we test the whole line.
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DOC Stage 1 Diesel oxidation catalyst Burns off unburned fuel and helps heat the exhaust for regens.
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DPF Stage 2 Diesel particulate filter Traps soot. Regens burn it off; ash stays and needs a cleaning.
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DEF Stage 3 Exhaust fluid doser Sprays a measured mist of DEF into the hot exhaust.
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SCR Stage 4 Selective catalytic reduction Turns NOx into nitrogen and water vapor with the help of DEF.
What we won't do
Remove, block or tune out any of these stages. It is illegal, it voids warranties, and the fine lands on the owner, not the shop that did it.
Typical prices
- Forced or parked regen, with checks When the filter is loaded but not plugged $175 to $275
- DPF thermal clean, off-truck Bake and air pulse, per filter; removal and refit labour extra $425 to $650
- DOC clean Added to a DPF clean when the inlet face is fouled $150 to $250
- DEF doser replacement Installed, with a dosing test $650 to $1,400
- NOx sensor replacement Installed, per sensor, with a system check $450 to $900
Removal and refit labour for a DPF typically runs 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the truck. Exchange filters are quoted when we have one on the shelf for your engine. Example figures for this demo.
Typical turnaround
- Forced regen with checks 1 to 2 hours
- DPF clean, off-truck 1 to 2 business days
- DPF swap with an exchange filter Often same day when one is on the shelf
- DEF doser or NOx sensor Same day to 2 days, depending on parts
Ranges, not promises. You get an update at every checkpoint, and straight away if anything changes.
Questions we hear
Will you delete the DPF or EGR?
No. Removing or disabling emissions equipment is illegal under federal law, and we won't do it or sell parts for it. We'll make the system work properly instead.
How often should a DPF be cleaned?
It depends on the duty cycle. Highway trucks often go hundreds of thousands of miles; trucks that idle a lot or run short hops need it much sooner. We record ash load at each clean so you can see your own interval.