Alright, so lemme tell you 'bout this DPF cleaner machine I got my hands on. Been meaning to tackle this for ages, and figured, why not document the whole shebang?

First off, the reason I even bothered was 'cause my trusty old diesel was starting to cough and wheeze like a chain smoker. Figured it was the DPF clogged up with soot and gunk. Now, you can pay someone a fortune to clean it, or try some of those snake oil additives, but I'm a hands-on kinda guy. So, I bit the bullet and got a DPF cleaning machine.

The machine itself is a pretty hefty piece of kit. Basically, it's a tank with hoses and fittings to hook up to the DPF. It pumps this special cleaning fluid through the filter in both directions to loosen all the crap that's built up inside.

Here’s how it went down:

• Disconnecting the DPF: This was the fiddliest part. Had to get under the car, wrestle with some rusty bolts, and carefully unclip all the sensors. Make sure you have a good set of wrenches and some penetrating oil handy. Trust me, you'll need it.
• Hooking it up to the Machine: Once the DPF was off the car, I hauled it over to the cleaning machine. Connecting the hoses was pretty straightforward, just gotta make sure everything’s nice and tight so you don’t have any leaks.
• Running the Cleaning Cycle: This is where the magic happens. The machine has a timer and different pressure settings. I ran it through a few cycles, alternating the direction of the flow each time. You can actually see all the black sludge getting flushed out in the clear tubes. It's kinda gross, but also satisfying.
• Drying it Out: After the cleaning cycles, I let the DPF drain for a good long while. Then, I used an air compressor to blow out any remaining fluid. You want to make sure it’s completely dry before you put it back on the car.
• Reinstalling the DPF: This was basically the reverse of taking it off. Again, make sure all the bolts are tight and all the sensors are properly connected.

Finally, I fired up the engine. Man, what a difference! The car ran smoother, quieter, and the exhaust was noticeably cleaner. Plus, no more warning lights on the dash. It was like a brand new car, almost.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely. The machine paid for itself after just a couple of uses compared to professional cleaning services. And, I learned a thing or two along the way. If you're handy with tools and not afraid to get your hands dirty, cleaning your DPF yourself is definitely the way to go.

There you have it. My DPF cleaning adventure. Hope this helps anyone thinking about tackling this themselves. Good luck, and don't forget the gloves!