Don't Let your Diesel Let you Down

With diesels often in the news these days relating to pollution and scrappage schemes, it is unsettling for those of us with a diesel car to know exactly what to do.

What can you do if you are concerned about your diesel car in the meantime?

For peace of mind, ensure you service your car regularly. Contamination from fuel builds up in your engine even if you don't drive often or cover many miles. Good Garage Scheme member garages can offer help and advice to drivers with diesel engines and a Complete Cleaning Solution to keep them clean and running smoothly.

What about a blocked DPF?

Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs), which are fitted to diesel cars to meet European emission standards and reduce the emission of particulate matter (soot) produced by the engine, are designed to trap larger soot particles within the filter. As the soot particles build up, the filter requires emptying. The only way to empty the soot is to burn it off at high temperatures – most often when you are driving on a motorway.

If you use your diesel car mainly for short journeys, it may not reach the temperatures required to burn-off the soot, leading to a blocked DPF.

If you are concerned about your DPF or have had a light come up on your dashboard, don’t leave it. Visit your local Good Garage Scheme member garage for help and advice.

Here are some fuel-saving tips for all drivers:

• Check and adjust tyre pressures regularly – Under-inflated tyres make your car work harder and reduce fuel efficiency
• Watch your speed - Driving at 65mph as opposed to 55mph increases fuel consumption by up to 20%
• Switch off when idle - fuel is wasted while the car idles. If you're likely to be at a standstill for more than three minutes, switch off the engine.
• Lose the weight! Removing any junk from the boot will reduce the weight on your car and the workload of the engine.

For more useful advice and to find a garage you can trust, whether you’re at home or on the move, visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com  - It’s like having a friend in the know!

BBC Highlights Illegal DPF Removals

BBC’s Inside Out West Midlands programme that aired on 20th October went undercover and found diesel particulate filters (DPFs), are being illegally removed by garages in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) are fitted to meet European emission standards and are used to reduce the emission of particulate matter (soot) produced by diesel vehicles.

Cutaway image of diesel particulate filter

The DPF is designed to trap larger soot particles within the filter. As the soot particles build up, the filter requires emptying. The only way to empty the soot is to burn it off at high temperatures - most often when you are driving on a motorway.


If your car is used most often for short journeys, it may not reach the temperatures required to burn off the soot and can lead to a clogged filter.

Some garages have been found to offer a removal of the affected part rather than replacing it as a quick fix; however, a vehicle that is modified in this way no longer meets the emission standards. Not only that, the car owner has now modified the car and must notify the insurer. This modification makes the car illegal and in turn invalidates any insurance cover.

Diesel Particulate Filters and the MOT
Annual MOT tests require an inspection of the condition of the exhaust system and since February 2014, the MOT test includes a check for the presence of a Diesel Particulate Filter if fitted when manufactured. Vehicles will automatically fail the MOT test if a Diesel Particulate Filter which was fitted when manufactured has been removed.

Replacing the removed components and returning the vehicle back to original equipment will be a costly exercise for vehicle owners who took the decision to remove the diesel particulate filter.

It is the car owner's responsibility to ensure this part is in tact.

If you are concerned about your diesel particulate filter, please visit your local Good Garage Scheme member garage for advice.



The Driver and Vehcile Standards Agency (DVSA) say...

The DVSA is aware of an increasing number of businesses offering a service to remove or bypass the DPF. This practice compromises the MOT testing standards and therefore undermines the principle of inspecting their presence. 

Authorised Examiners are responsible to ensure that MOT Testing is carried out to the required standards. Where a Vehicle Testing Station is offering a service which could undermine this (such as removing or bypassing DPFs), DVSA will consider this as bringing the MOT Scheme into disrepute.

Where the scheme is brought into disrepute DVSA may consider taking action to remove the Authorisation if appropriate.

Advice for Drivers of Diesels

Your diesel car could save you money on fuel consumption, but did you know that nearly all new diesel cars are fitted with an eco-friendly component that is leaving some motorists with unnecessary replacement part costs?

The part in question is called a Diesel Particulate Filter or DPF. It’s fitted to the exhaust to trap soot and reduce emissions. The part was introduced to bring cars in line with the ‘Euro 5’ standard on emissions. But depending on how you drive your car, you may need further assistance.

The DPF usually cleans itself when the engine runs at high speeds - a process called ‘regeneration’ that takes place automatically on a longer journey when the exhaust temperature is high.

Because many cars don’t regularly get this sort of use, and the majority of journeys consist of a short commute to work, school runs, and a weekly shop, the regeneration process may not take place and an engine warning light indicating a blocked diesel particulate filter will appear.

Help is at hand
The Good Garage Scheme's member garages can help with a special treatment for a blocked Diesel Particulate Filter that aims to combat the adverse affects of stop/start driving on diesel vehicles.

Angelo Chillari, Administrator of the Good Garage Scheme, said: “Our member garages can offer a treatment that has been developed to economically benefit the consumer, as complete replacement of the filter is costly and can also prove to be a recurring problem.”

If you are concerned about your diesel particulate filter, contact your nearest Good Garage Scheme member for further advice.

BBC Watchdog Highlights Diesel Particulate Filter Issue

Last week, investigation series Watchdog picked up on a motor problem that city drivers with diesel vehicles are encountering as a result of stop/start driving.

Presenter, Chris Hollins, explained how city cars are the perfect solution for urban drivers, but how diesel engines can struggle with short distance driving as the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) can become blocked with soot. 

The DPF is a part in the exhaust which traps soot and reduces emissions. The part usually cleans itself when the engine runs at high speeds - a process called regeneration, but if the vehicle has not been run at a high speed for a while, a warning light may appear to indicate that the filter is becoming blocked. 

It must then be cleared by driving the car at high revs for a sustained period of time. Watchdog highlighted how this can easily be done on the open road but is much more difficult to do around town.

Watchdog reported that they had received over 200 complaints from consumers about problems with Diesel Particulate Filters from a range of manufacturers. The programme continued to outline that many of these drivers had to fork out hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of pounds for mechanics to rectify the problem. 

The Good Garage Scheme's member garages can help with a treatment for a blocked Diesel Particulate Filter that aims to combat the adverse affects of stop/start driving on diesel vehicles. 

Angelo Chillari, Administrator of the Good Garage Scheme, said: “The fact that Watchdog has outlined this problem shows how common it actually is. Our member garages can offer a treatment that has been developed to economically benefit the consumer, as complete replacement of the filter is costly and can also prove to be a recurring problem.”

If you are having any problems with your diesel particulate filter, contact your nearest Good Garage Scheme member for further advice http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/home