Postal DPF Cleaning: How to Remove, Pack and Send a Filter

Postal DPF cleaning works like this: take the filter off once the exhaust is cold, pack it so it cannot move, book online on our postal DPF cleaning page to get a job reference, put that reference inside the box and book the courier to us through Parcel2Go. We inspect, machine clean and flow test the filter, then send it back to you by tracked next-day delivery. It costs £230, or £299 for HGV and plant filters, confirmed when you contact us with your vehicle details.

The cleaning is our job. Getting the filter off safely, packing it so it survives the journey and refitting it properly when it comes back are yours, or your garage's, and this guide takes you through them in the order you will do them.

Only the filter travels - the vehicle stays with you, off the road until the filter is back on.

Who postal DPF cleaning suits

It suits garages and fleet workshops that remove filters as part of a repair, competent DIYers with the right tools and workshop information, and anyone outside our local area, with filters from cars, vans, HGVs and plant. Within 10 miles of Totnes we collect and return filters for £210, and further afield in Devon collection and return is £230. Anywhere else in the UK, post is the simplest route.

Before you send it: find out why it blocked

A clean filter fitted to a vehicle with an unresolved fault is likely to block again. Before the filter comes off, read the fault codes and live data, check the pressure pipes and sensors, and establish whether something upstream - EGR, injection, a sensor or the journey pattern - caused the loading. Our guide to the five checks before condemning a DPF sets out the sequence.

How to remove a DPF safely

Removal varies enormously between vehicles, so treat this as general guidance and follow the workshop manual for yours. On some vehicles it is a straightforward job from underneath. On others the filter sits close to the turbocharger, or other components have to come off first, and removal is a big job best left to a garage.

1. Let the exhaust cool fully. A DPF runs very hot, especially during and after a regeneration, and takes time to cool once the engine stops. Do not start until it is cold to the touch.
2. Support the vehicle properly. Work on hard, level ground, chock the wheels that stay on the ground and use axle stands under the strong points the manufacturer specifies. Never work beneath a vehicle held up only by a jack, and keep the key with you while you are underneath.
3. Photograph and label everything. Before anything is disconnected, photograph and label each sensor, connector and pressure pipe so it all goes back in the same position. Note the direction of exhaust flow through the filter too.
4. Soak the exhaust fixings. Apply penetrating oil to the nuts, studs and clamps and give it time to work. Heat-cycled fixings seize, and a snapped stud makes a long job longer.
5. Follow the workshop manual. It gives the removal sequence, any components that must come off first, and the torque figures you will need on refit.
6. Handle the filter with care. Inside the steel canister there is usually a ceramic filter element, which can crack if it is dropped or knocked. Do not stand it on an open face either. Wear gloves and eye protection, and keep the soot away from your face.

How to pack a DPF for posting

We ask for two things: the filter packaged securely, and any excess fluids drained before it goes in the box. Beyond that, this is general good practice for posting a heavy, fragile part:

• Protect the inlet and outlet faces. Cover each end with stiff card or foam, taped to the canister rather than the ceramic face, so nothing can be pushed into the filter.
• Seal the openings. Bag the filter, or cover the ends and any open sensor ports, so soot cannot escape and dirt cannot get in.
• Use a sturdy box. A strong double-walled carton copes with the weight far better than a thin single-wall box.
• Pack it so it cannot move. Fill the gaps with padding on every side. If the filter shifts when you tilt the box, add more.
• Keep it upright where marked. If you mark the box "this way up", pack the filter to match and make sure the arrows are clear.
• Weigh and measure the packed box, so the courier booking matches the parcel. Leave the top unsealed until the job reference is inside.

How to send a DPF for cleaning, step by step

1. Fill in the online form on our postal DPF cleaning page. It gives you a job reference in the format AC-P-xxxxx.
2. Put the job reference inside the parcel and seal the box, so we can match the filter to your booking.
3. Book the courier yourself through Parcel2Go, using the link the same page shows once your form is sent. The courier price depends on the packed weight, the box size and the service you choose. Send it to: Auto-Cleanse, The Old Barn Industrial Estate, Webbers Yard, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6JY.
4. We notify you when it arrives.
5. We inspect, clean and flow test the filter. Inspection comes first: a cracked, melted or collapsed substrate may not be recoverable, and if that is what we find, we say so. Our guide to what happens during an off-vehicle DPF clean shows each stage.
6. We send the invoice once cleaning is complete.
7. We return it by tracked next-day delivery in secure packaging.

When the filter comes back: refitting

Refitting is where a good clean is either kept or undone, so take as much care as you did on removal.

• Check it arrived undamaged. Look over the canister and both faces before anything goes back on.
• Fit it the right way round. A DPF must go back in the correct flow direction, which is where your notes and photos earn their keep.
• Seal, reset and verify. Fit new gaskets and fixings to the manual's torques, refit each pressure pipe to its correct port, leak check, then reset the soot and ash values where the procedure requires it and road test. We cover each step in resets and checks after a DPF clean.
• Leak check safely. Run the engine only in a well-ventilated area or with exhaust extraction, and chock the wheels so the vehicle cannot move. HSE guidance warns against leaving engines running over a pit without effective extraction.

How Auto-Cleanse can help

Our postal service gives you the same off-vehicle DPF clean as our local customers: a machine clean using high-pressure water, controlled hot-air drying, before-and-after flow and back-pressure testing and an honest report on the filter's condition. Our DPF cleaning prices are listed on the DPF cleaning prices page. If you have a question before you book, call 07823 649190.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive the vehicle while the DPF is away?

You should not use it on public roads. GOV.UK's guidance note on diesel particulate filters says removing a DPF will almost invariably make a vehicle illegal for road use, so plan for it to stay parked until the cleaned filter is refitted. Our guide to DPF removal and the law explains why.

How long does postal DPF cleaning take?

Allow for three stages: the courier journey to us, the inspection, clean and flow test, and the tracked next-day return. The total depends on the courier service you book and collection times in your area. If the vehicle has to be back on the road by a set day, tell us when you book.

Do I need to remove the sensors before sending a DPF?

Ask us when you book. As general good practice, sensors and pipe stubs stick out and are easily bent in transit, so if they stay fitted, pad round them; if they come off, label them and cover the ports. Either way, photograph everything on removal so it goes back exactly as it came off.

What if I cannot remove the DPF myself?

A local garage can remove it and send it to us. If you need help with removal and refit, call us to discuss current availability.

The takeaway

Postal DPF cleaning is straightforward: remove the filter safely, pack it so it cannot move, book online, put your reference inside and book the courier. Get the cause checked before it comes off, and do the resets properly when it goes back on, so the clean lasts.

Sources

• Health and Safety Executive - Working safely under motor vehicles being repaired (INDG434)
• GOV.UK - diesel particulate filters guidance note
• US EPA - diesel particulate filter operation and maintenance technical bulletin
• HELLA TechWorld - diesel particulate filter system technical information
• Manufacturer workshop information - DPF removal, refitting and reset procedures

General technical guidance only. Manufacturer-specific workshop procedures, torque figures and specifications always take precedence. Prices are confirmed when you contact us with your vehicle details.