Alright, so I finally got around to actually using that DPF cleaning machine I picked up a while back. Been meaning to document this.

My old truck started feeling real sluggish, you know? Throwing codes, the DPF light flashing like a Christmas tree. Took it to a guy, he quoted me an arm and a leg just to look at it, probably wanted to replace the whole thing. No way I was paying that.

Getting Started

So, I decided to tackle it myself. Found this cleaning machine used, got a decent deal on it. Looked complicated at first, lots of hoses and dials. Spent an evening just reading the manual, which was barely translated English, but had some helpful pictures.

First step was getting the darn DPF off the truck. Man, that was a fight. Everything was rusted solid. Spent hours under there with penetrating oil and breaker bars. Got it off eventually, but my knuckles were pretty banged up. That thing is heavier than it looks, too.

The Cleaning Process

Once I wrestled the DPF over to the machine, I had to figure out which adapters fit. Took a bit of trial and error. Clamped it down real tight, didn't want water and soot spraying everywhere.

• Hooked up the shop air supply.
• Connected the water hose.
• Found the right setting on the machine – it has different cycles, pressures, stuff like that. I just went with the standard heavy-duty cycle.
• Put a big bucket underneath the drain outlet.

Then I hit the start button and stood back. The machine kicked on, started pulsing water and air through the filter. It was pretty loud. After a few minutes, you wouldn't believe the gunk that started pouring out into the bucket. Pitch black water, full of soot and ash. Kind of satisfying to see, honestly. Showed it was actually doing something.

It ran its cycle for maybe an hour or so. Then it switched to a drying cycle, using just air to blow all the moisture out. The manual stressed making sure it was totally dry before putting it back on, so I let that run for a good long while.

Results and Reinstallation

After it finished, I took the DPF off the machine. Peeking inside with a flashlight, it looked way cleaner. Still heavy, though.

Putting it back on the truck was another struggle, lining everything up just right. More scraped knuckles. But I got it bolted back in place, reconnected the sensors.

Fired up the truck. Let it idle for a bit. Used my cheapo code reader to clear the DPF codes. Took it for a drive. Big difference. The sluggish feeling was gone, acceleration felt much better, and most importantly, no warning lights came back on.

Was it easy? Not exactly. Wrestling that filter off and on was the worst part. The machine itself was pretty straightforward once I figured it out. Messy job, too. But, considering the money I saved compared to the shop's quote? Totally worth it. Plus, now I know how to do it for next time, or maybe help out a buddy. Feel pretty good about learning the process myself instead of just paying someone else.