In this day and age, everyone seems to be talking about the various ways we can reduce our expenses. Why not look for ways to cut down on costs with something we do every day: drive. Gas prices have continued to increase over the past few years, making it difficult on pocketbooks everywhere.
You want to drive your preferred vehicle, but sometimes that price of gas can preclude you from doing this. Here are a few tips you can consider to help improve your gas mileage and reduce your expenses. Slow down
Myth: You need to idle a diesel engine for 5 minutes or more in the morning
This triggers a process called regeneration. In regeneration, the DPF heats up to temperatures as hot as 1200-1500 degrees Fahrenheit to incinerate the particles that are blocking the DPF. After being incinerated, the particles are released in the form of a harmless gas and the filter is, once again, clean.
How Do You Keep Your DPF Clean?
Assuming your car or truck is otherwise problem-free, cleaning your DPF is as simple as maintaining driving patterns conductive to regeneration being performed. As long as you drive at freeway speeds on a regular basis, you shouldn't have any trouble. Problems come into play if you do a lot of city driving or allow your vehicle to idle for extremely long periods of time.
To help increase your miles per gallon in your diesel, the goal is to create as much cylinder pressure as possible while using as little fuel as you can. Something to try is slightly increasing timing or rail pressure and seeing if that helps with your fuel economy. Aerodynamics.
One thing that people don't often pay enough attention to when trying to improve fuel economy is the aerodynamics of your vehicle. Some modifications to your diesel truck can help in this regard, whether it is a grille block or other things.
Myth: Diesel is dirtier than gasoline
If you ignore the 80% warning and keep driving at low speeds or idling your vehicle, your DPF will eventually become completely blocked. This situation requires professional attention. If you ignore the problem, you can cause permanent damage to your DPF and experience reduced performance of your car or truck. Some DIYers will try removing their own DPF and clean it with a pressure washer or air compressor.
However, this is highly discouraged for two reasons: it can cause further damage to the delicate parts of your DPF, and it does not provide the same comprehensive cleaning and inspection that a dealership or repair shop can achieve with specialized tools and skills. The inspection component is important because you may not be able to detect damage or inefficiency in your DPF.
So don't ignore warnings. If your DPF gets close to being full, push the engine so it gets enough power for regeneration. If it gets completely full, take it to a shop. Taking care of your DPF will protect the environment and keep your vehicle running at peak performance.
You want to drive your preferred vehicle, but sometimes that price of gas can preclude you from doing this. Here are a few tips you can consider to help improve your gas mileage and reduce your expenses. Slow down
Myth: You need to idle a diesel engine for 5 minutes or more in the morning
This triggers a process called regeneration. In regeneration, the DPF heats up to temperatures as hot as 1200-1500 degrees Fahrenheit to incinerate the particles that are blocking the DPF. After being incinerated, the particles are released in the form of a harmless gas and the filter is, once again, clean.
How Do You Keep Your DPF Clean?
Assuming your car or truck is otherwise problem-free, cleaning your DPF is as simple as maintaining driving patterns conductive to regeneration being performed. As long as you drive at freeway speeds on a regular basis, you shouldn't have any trouble. Problems come into play if you do a lot of city driving or allow your vehicle to idle for extremely long periods of time.
To help increase your miles per gallon in your diesel, the goal is to create as much cylinder pressure as possible while using as little fuel as you can. Something to try is slightly increasing timing or rail pressure and seeing if that helps with your fuel economy. Aerodynamics.
One thing that people don't often pay enough attention to when trying to improve fuel economy is the aerodynamics of your vehicle. Some modifications to your diesel truck can help in this regard, whether it is a grille block or other things.
Myth: Diesel is dirtier than gasoline
If you ignore the 80% warning and keep driving at low speeds or idling your vehicle, your DPF will eventually become completely blocked. This situation requires professional attention. If you ignore the problem, you can cause permanent damage to your DPF and experience reduced performance of your car or truck. Some DIYers will try removing their own DPF and clean it with a pressure washer or air compressor.
However, this is highly discouraged for two reasons: it can cause further damage to the delicate parts of your DPF, and it does not provide the same comprehensive cleaning and inspection that a dealership or repair shop can achieve with specialized tools and skills. The inspection component is important because you may not be able to detect damage or inefficiency in your DPF.
So don't ignore warnings. If your DPF gets close to being full, push the engine so it gets enough power for regeneration. If it gets completely full, take it to a shop. Taking care of your DPF will protect the environment and keep your vehicle running at peak performance.
About the Author:
When the California Air Resource Board's diesel emissions regulations first came out, Michael Schwartz, current President of FleetServ, started getting calls from panicked Fleet Managers looking for straight-forward information and compliance assistance. While FleetServ (formerly known as ACT Compliance) was originally formed to meet this need, over time it has evolved into much more.
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