# Particulate filter clean



## rmass09 (Apr 17, 2011)

Aussie said:


> Not summer yet here so thought you might appreciate this picture of my dash?
> View attachment 9077


 Ey, just thought you might wanna know, they put your steering wheel on the wrong side


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## iCruze2 (Dec 16, 2011)

Aussie said:


> Just took my Cruze Diesel for it's first particulate filter clean. I was a bit unsure how it would go it just seemed to be too easy. The book said keep driving the car with the engine above 2,000rpm until the warning light goes out. So off I went to the nearest freeway and drove at 100kph in fourth gear at 3,000rpm for about 5k and the light went out. The book says the filter should last the life of the car if kept clean. Not summer yet here so thought you might appreciate this picture of my dash?
> View attachment 9077


You guys have regeneration systems on your diesel vehicles too? Weird...thought that was just a Unites States emission bs


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Hmm, interesting. My dad had this same type of junk on his truck (2010 F-450), and we took it off/did tuning. Power got significantly better and mileage increased from about 10ish to 14ish. Of course this comes at the risk of voiding the warranty, which Ford typically has no problem doing if they can prove it. In the stock form, the DPF (diesel particulate filter) would regenerate (what they call cleaning itself) every 100 miles or so, or depending on how full it thinks it gets. To do so, the truck automatically goes into regen mode, in which it injects a certain amount of fresh fuel on the exhaust stroke and sending it downstream to the DPF. Then some sort of electronic ignition thing ignites the continuous supply of fuel in the DPF to burn all of the particulate up, sending it out the tailpipe. When this engine first came out, there were customers complaining that they had flames coming out of the tailpipe during regen mode. They have since re-flashed the computers to prevent regen mode from starting while the truck is in park idling or below like 5 mph.

In addition to the huge waste of fuel, as I said Ford's system injected fuel into the engine on the exhaust stroke, which got some people concerned that it would cause excessive engine wear due to the fuel stripping the oil off the cylinder walls and then mixing into the oil over time. It was worth stripping this thing off, both in terms of fuel economy and weight reduction. The tailpipe section with the DPF is about 150# in this case, though I imagine it's lighter on the Cruze.

By the way, there's just something about that Holden logo that looks so much nicer than a bowtie. Makes it look like a really fancy car, IMO.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Sunline Fan said:


> Hmm, interesting. My dad had this same type of junk on his truck (2010 F-450), and we took it off/did tuning. Power got significantly better and mileage increased from about 10ish to 14ish. Of course this comes at the risk of voiding the warranty, which Ford typically has no problem doing if they can prove it. In the stock form, the DPF (diesel particulate filter) would regenerate (what they call cleaning itself) every 100 miles or so, or depending on how full it thinks it gets. To do so, the truck automatically goes into regen mode, in which it injects a certain amount of fresh fuel on the exhaust stroke and sending it downstream to the DPF. Then some sort of electronic ignition thing ignites the continuous supply of fuel in the DPF to burn all of the particulate up, sending it out the tailpipe. When this engine first came out, there were customers complaining that they had flames coming out of the tailpipe during regen mode. They have since re-flashed the computers to prevent regen mode from starting while the truck is in park idling or below like 5 mph.
> 
> In addition to the huge waste of fuel, as I said Ford's system injected fuel into the engine on the exhaust stroke, which got some people concerned that it would cause excessive engine wear due to the fuel stripping the oil off the cylinder walls and then mixing into the oil over time. It was worth stripping this thing off, both in terms of fuel economy and weight reduction. The tailpipe section with the DPF is about 150# in this case, though I imagine it's lighter on the Cruze.
> 
> By the way, there's just something about that Holden logo that looks so much nicer than a bowtie. Makes it look like a really fancy car, IMO.


The odometer reading you see is where the first cleaning happened and the manual says it happens most often while the engine is still running in. I did notice that the engine seemed to run smoother and have a bit more power after the cleaning. The diesel is a 16 valve twin cam unit made in Korea but the rest of the car is made in Adelaide South Australia. I believe about 40% of parts are sourced locally.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Aussie said:


> The odometer reading you see is where the first cleaning happened and the manual says it happens most often while the engine is still running in. I did notice that the engine seemed to run smoother and have a bit more power after the cleaning. The diesel is a 16 valve twin cam unit made in Korea but the rest of the car is made in Adelaide South Australia. I believe about 40% of parts are sourced locally.


So it starts automatically when it thinks it needs it and then a message displays on the screen there saying it's doing the cleaning?


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Sunline Fan said:


> So it starts automatically when it thinks it needs it and then a message displays on the screen there saying it's doing the cleaning?


Actually a symbol comes up in the rev counter and cleaning starts when you keep the engine above 2,000rpm until the light goes out. The manual says that if this isn't done within a reasonable time damage may result to the engine. If you did a lot of high speed driving you may never need to do anything at all.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

doesn't the US diesel(when it comes out) plan on not using the particulate filter, but uses a urea additive instead? seems thats what I read.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I'll take a urea injection system over a DPF system. DPF's are super-expensive to replace, while urea injection isn't as expensive when a failure occurs. Although it is one more thing to forget to check, then have the car shut down on you for lack of urea. 

That gauge cluster is the exact same as a US Cruze, except on the right side of the car. Radio is laid out the same, too. And you folks get the fuel filler on the driver's side, instead of the passenger side!


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

sciphi said:


> I'll take a urea injection system over a DPF system. DPF's are super-expensive to replace, while urea injection isn't as expensive when a failure occurs. Although it is one more thing to forget to check, then have the car shut down on you for lack of urea.
> 
> That gauge cluster is the exact same as a US Cruze, except on the right side of the car. Radio is laid out the same, too. And you folks get the fuel filler on the driver's side, instead of the passenger side!


The cost between the 2 systems is debatable as the DPF if trouble free costs nothing where as urea is a constant expense and can over the life of an engine work out more expensive. Where I work the trucks use urea and the drivers complain about the extra cost involved.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

I think you missed why I put my dash picture on? If you look at the outside temp it says 39C which is just over 102F and the engine was running at 86C or 187F which is the same as it runs in winter. We haven't reached summer yet. New years day about 5 years ago it was 45C, 113F in the shade on my back patio.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...I was gonna comment on that (86ºC) reading, but wasn't sure if that was "outside" air or an engine value!

...in my mind, anything over 40ºC is TOO HOT for me...and I live in the USA's desert area!


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I "think" the cars will have both urea injection and a dpf. They perform different functions. The urea injection would be a plus if the alternative is super agressive EGR, the way my former Cummins was built. The Cummins was a total PIA because the turbo system would jam up from the excessive soot created by the EGR. I never had any trouble with the dpf but I had 14 CELs related to emission issues before Chrysler bought it back.

What worries me about the new Cruze diesel is the amount of bad press the VW TDI has gotten over problems with the high pressure fuel pump. I hope the Cruze has a different system, and some way to prevent misfueling with gasoline.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Dale_K said:


> I "think" the cars will have both urea injection and a dpf. They perform different functions. The urea injection would be a plus if the alternative is super agressive EGR, the way my former Cummins was built. The Cummins was a total PIA because the turbo system would jam up from the excessive soot created by the EGR. I never had any trouble with the dpf but I had 14 CELs related to emission issues before Chrysler bought it back.
> 
> What worries me about the new Cruze diesel is the amount of bad press the VW TDI has gotten over problems with the high pressure fuel pump. I hope the Cruze has a different system, and some way to prevent misfueling with gasoline.


The mechanic which I have used for many years (he is Greek) told me never to buy a European car in Australia as they are inclined to give trouble in Australian conditions. Maybe the same applies in hotter parts of USA. Here is a Pic of my engine note it has Hydraulic power steering as opposed to electric on petrol models.
View attachment 9126


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

So that's why there's so much room in the engine bay of the 1.4 Cruze! Man, that thing's a tight fit.

Still, it means that a 2.0 gasser turbo would definitely fit


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