Tuesday 24 January 2012

Do I have a Diesel Particle Filter on my car?

I have recently been researching Diesel Particle Filters - which are fitted to some Diesel cars.  The reason being that I have a Ford Focus, which is reaching its 75,000 mile service.  If it does have a DPF then this is the time it needs replacing, and this could be up to £1000. 

during the year my car was made, it seems the DPF's were optional - so I'm hoping that i do not have one!

What is it?
It is basically a filter that sits around the Catalytic Converter in the exhaust system- that collects diesel particles, and produces cleaner air from the end of the exhaust.  These are now standard of diesel cars to produce less emissions.  There is a system within the DPF that burns off the particles.

How do i know if i have one?
There are various ways of finding out. 

1. Take note of the VIN, and phone the dealer to ask them
2. Take a look underneath the car, and the exhaust system - approximately underneath where the handbrake is there should be a small box with two tubes running to it as part of the exhaust system. If you have this, you have a DPF.
3. Do you notice white smoke coming of your exhaust sometimes for a few seconds? If yes, you have a DPF - that's the particles getting burnt off.

This is what a DPF might look like - depends completely though on car manufacturer:



Are there problems with having one?
Yes, there can be. Below are a few to be aware of

1. If you have a DPF, and just do short town journeys the filter can get blocked up and cause engine management problems. You need to take the car on a 30 minute motorway journey once a month to clear out the system. Ensure you are doing over 2,500 revs for at least 15mins.

2. Whilst your road tax may be cheaper because of the lower emissions - the servicing could be costly. The DPF's use a fluid to help burn off the particles, this needs renewing over time and is expensive. the DPF also needs replacing at some point, and this is very expensive!

3. You need to ensure your servicing is kept up to date, otherwise you may end up with some very costly bills!


Hope this helps.  I for one, am hoping i do not have a DPF!

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Smart battery charger will save you money!

Thanks to the icy mornings this week my 6 year old car battery decided it had finally had enough,and failed to start the car this morning. (cold weather wreaks havoc with older batteries)

My car flicked the headlights on and off in protest, which is a fabulous way of conserving energy for starting the engine. What did Ford think when they designed the car that way? "i know, when the battery is low, lets make the car turn the headlights on and off, wasting valuable volts that could be used to turn the engine over!"  Thanks Ford!!



A new battery from Halfords is £120, but it might be able to get it cheaper "somewhere else"

A few years ago i bought a RING - Portable power Powerring Smart Battery Charger.  This can not only rapidly charge a battery, but reconditions the battery to provide it longer life,even for deeply discharged batteries! This process can take about 20hrs to complete but it works.  I used it on a car battery a few years ago, and that battery lasted a further 6 months before having to be replaced.

So if you want to save some money and get your car working for a bit longer - check it out.  I bought mine for about £30 a few years ago: http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/product_list.asp?cat1=7&cat2=31&cat3=167



Monday 16 January 2012

White van man - lost identity

This morning I was following a white man on a 60mph road.  Now you would have thought that i would have to be really hard pushed to keep up with him, as if stereotypes are true he would have been doing about 150mph, sideways, talking on his mobile and smoking a sausage roll!

Quite the opposite - he was barely doing 30mph!  It seems he had lost his identity, and was not actually a "white van man"  - maybe he was used to riding the Teacup ride at Thorpe Park all day, and got lost on the M25, and accidentally found himself in a white van!?