[abhishek46]

The DPF warnings on BS6 Diesel Vehicles can be cleared within 30minutes, by taking the vehicle out on an open road/highway and 'Stepping-On-It'.
There are loads of videos out there, where people have demonstrated the same, on multiple diesel cars.

Secondly, in several vehicles, like Creta, XUV300, Crysta etc. there are ways to initiate the DPF regeneration, at home, at the press of a few buttons.
These steps are documented in the user manual of these vehicles as well.

In summary, we should not worry too much about the DPF etc.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by VivekVenu94

Maybe high end cars might "silently" run this program during the course of normal city/highway runs

Irrespective of high end cars or mass market cars, every DPF is equipped to auto regenerate on its own during the normal course of driving. There are different levels when each action is triggered. The first level of DPF clogging triggers automatic regeneration, which needs the vehicle to run for a while where additional fuel is injected to raise exhaust temperature. However, if this is never given a chance, say the engine is always switched off before auto regen can happen(read using the cars for short commutes only) then the DPF light turns on indicating that the driver should manually perform regeneration without fail. This is the second level of escalation. If this is not done then there will be an engine check light triggered and car would go to limp mode.
Here is a reference from a Toyota brochure on DPF

• For a car which is regularly used on highway, the soot creation is on the lower side as well as higher exhaust temperatures which lead to less clogging of the DPF
• For cars which are of mixed use like mine, it does office commute three days a week and a 150km highway trip every fortnight, auto regeneration happens once every 200 kms or when I hit the highway. So far never had to manually perform regeneration
• For cars which are always used for short distances, these are more prone to manual regeneration since the exhaust temperatures are always on the cooler side and soot creation is also higher.

The other aspect is soot creation due to hard acceleration or lugging of the engine due to unburnt diesel. In this regard, Manual transmission cars are prone to this while ATs do not let you lug the engine and can ensure they run in a gear which wont put excess load on the engine and form more soot.

[Ragavsr]

Pardon my ignorance, I don't see how DPF (diesel particulate filter ) can cause problems in a vehicle with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction ), because DPF itself won't exist. All you need is to fill urea in the tank and carry reserve bottles of urea to top it up.

I am surprised not a single soul in so many comments before me has pointed this out. DPF clogging I thought only occurred in vehicles without urea based treatment systems.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Pardon my ignorance, I don't see how DPF (diesel particulate filter ) can cause problems in a vehicle with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction ), because DPF itself won't exist. All you need is to fill urea in the tank and carry reserve bottles of urea to top it up.

I am surprised not a single soul in so many comments before me has pointed this out. DPF blogging I thought only occurred in vehicles without urea based treatment systems.

The role of DPF is to arrest particulate matter and SCR is used for reducing Nox emissions.This post may be of help.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4851441 (FAQs about DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter))

Another thread on the same subject.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4890409 (BS6 Diesel Car owners - Your experience with DPF / SCR / AdBlue here)

[Nikhil Beke]

In this regard, Manual transmission cars are prone to this while ATs do not let you lug the engine and can ensure they run in a gear which wont put excess load on the engine and form more soot.

Out of curiosity, how does one perform an active DPF regeneration on AT? Would it not require driving at higher RPMs on lower gears for a long time?

[PrideRed]

While BS6 diesel may not be as peaceful as BS4, they will definitely avoid heartburn everytime you visit fuel station. In city like Bengaluru, diring in peak traffic, don't expect a Petrol Automatic Fortuner to deliver anything more than 5KM/L. Even on Highway if you maintain decent 3 digit speeds, don't expect anything more than 8-9KM/L. Last but not the least even brand Toyota cannot help a petrol body on frame SUV from depreciating especially down south. Buy a petrol Fortuner in South only if you want a garage queen.

Now coming back to diesel, its definitely not as friendly or peaceful as before. For one you need to refill ad blue every 5-7K and with more parts probability of issue is higher. But with time, DPF issues are lesser and diesel are proving to be reliable.

Important bit: Fortuner is not the car for pure city drive. Its bulky and can be cumbersome for city. Unless you want a big Body on Frame and high seating, I would say get some crossover.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Nikhil Beke

Out of curiosity, how does one perform an active DPF regeneration on AT? Would it not require driving at higher RPMs on lower gears for a long time?

Its not required in case of the Toyota. The only difference is that the idle speed is increased to 900 RPM in D and 1200 RPM in Neutral, and diesel is injected into the exhaust manifold. Higher RPM isnt a mandatory need when you have a fifth fuel injector in the exhaust manifold. It is only needed if the car doesnt have a fifth injector which will then result in the engine running richer to increase exhaust temperature. Hence, active regen on an AT is not a problem. Even if otherwise, most ATs come with manual mode in case higher RPM is necessary. But as far as I know, it is more to do with Exhaust gas temperature and as long as that is achieved, it doesnt matter how it is achieved.

[clevermax]

An Italian Tuneup has become all the more relevant because we have DPF equipped cars now. Even though my car doesn't have a DPF, I give it a dose of Italian Tune up every now and then.



The average mileage conscious Indian driver never revs the car hard and I don't think it is a good idea to drive a BS6 Diesel car always like that.

[ron82x3]

My Ford EcoSport is 1 year old, with 65% city use in bumper traffic and even highway runs for max 20 mins (in expressway stretch of 10 km); never faced any DPF lights or clogging issues.
However, have heard people getting them in 1.5k km of ownership.
I don't take any extra steps to maintain my car as far as DPF is concerned, however since it is my first diesel car, I tend to take the longer roads, if it is an empty stretch (read highway).
Even if I get a DPF light, I would not get super scared, because we can always get a buffer time to clean it and ~ 20 mins of highway run can clean it and you are set for the next ~800 km.

[LeoRBK]

Originally Posted by Murugan

Have any of your diesel BS6 engine cars given you any inconvenience due to DPF (diesel particulate filter) clogging, and if yes, how did you solve it? Could you mention the name(s) of the diesel BS-6 car(s)? Could you also mention the distance and duration of your usual short and long drives inside town/ city, and how often and for what distance and duration you drive on the highways regularly as part of your travel?

Do you recommend a petrol or electric car to avoid this potential nuisance in diesel BS-VI cars – if yes, for which category of users and for which type of vehicles (viz. hatchback, sedan, crossover, MUV, SUV etc.)? Kindly provide any other information that could help in a trouble-free drive of diesel BS VI cars to help me and other buyers.

My personal dilemma is whether I should buy a diesel BS6 Toyota Fortuner 4X2 AT or a hardly ever purchased, at least in Chennai and Bengaluru, petrol 4X2 automatic version (I am told that in some years they have not sold even one petrol Fortuner at dealerships in Chennai and Bengaluru!), considering that my primary use is inside Chennai with travel up to 10 kms at a time, and highway travel limited to only 3 to 4 times a year, totaling about 5000 to 10,000 kilometers in a year.

We are currently using a petrol Hyundai Creta automatic (torque converter) and a petrol Toyota Corolla Altis manual transmission which is more than 11 years old, and hence considering a replacement for the latter. Looking at the Fortuner from the 5-star crash test rating safety aspect, reliability (of the Toyota brand and the torque converter AT), SUV feel etc. We got to drive only the diesel 4X4 automatic and manual versions in 4X2 mode and enjoyed driving both, but do not know how the petrol AT drives since no dealer in Chennai or Bengaluru had a petrol Fortuner AT for test drive. Also, since hardly any petrol Fortuner is sold, we are concerned about the availability of spares, expertise in carrying out repairs, resale value etc. of a petrol Fortuner. What percentage of Toyota Fortuners sold in India are diesel and what percentage are petrol?

Hello Murugan

Modern car ECU use clever trickery to clear DPFs(artificially raising temperature by injecting more fuel etc..). Older DPF needs you to drive on highway at high RPMs to raise temperatures enough to do the same.

A garage mechanic would not recommend diesel car for short city runs for these reasons. A modern car manufacturer will differ and claim DPF has auto regeneration to take care . Both are true in my opinion, manufacturer has put in technology to reduce the risk of DPF clog but it does not rule it out completely. Hence you see a good number of people reporting DPF problems.
If taken care in time a clogged DPF will not cause catestrophic failures. The problem is well understood and easily fixed. Hope that clarifies DPF ambiguity.

Regarding replacement for your car, based on your usage pattern a petrol/electric sounds better choice than diesel. You have not mentioned what are your expectations of the new car? How long do you plan to keep it?

Assuming you use this as first car and expect it to be low maintenance, I would advice you to test drive an electric if at all possible. As you have a second ICE car at hand for long journeys you probably should not be anxious about range, you will realize the price difference in a few years time with worry free motoring.

PS:I drove a diesel with DPF with no problems whatsoever in this department. Drove around 80kms every day on commute. I did have challenges with failed glow plugs. They tend to fail due to carbon accumulation in engine and need replacement. Was on a 2.0ltr turbocharged engine developing 163hp in a hatchback. I switched to electric after failures became more recurring.

[Murugan]

Originally Posted by anb

I don’t recommend buying a Petrol Fortuner. The fuel efficiency will be low in the range of 6-8 kmpl and fuel cost per km will be more than Rs.17. Resale value will be very low compared to diesel & parts availability related to engine will be less.

How low will the resale value of a petrol Fortuner be compared to a diesel Fortuner (if very low, it would be a cause for concern)? Considering my low annual usage, isn't it likely that the lower fuel efficiency of the petrol will be offset by the almost 4 lakh Indian rupees lower cost compared to the diesel?

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by clevermax

The average mileage conscious Indian driver never revs the car hard and I don't think it is a good idea to drive a BS6 Diesel car always like that.

Italian tuneup or high revving would be futile in a BS6 diesel. The DPF stores the soot when the car is running. And then burns them off with fuel when it is 'full'. To achieve burning conditions, the engine is required to be run just above 2k RPM continuously which is but a moderate RPM only.

[Nikhil Beke]

Even if otherwise, most ATs come with manual mode in case higher RPM is necessary.

That might be the case with Toyota, but with other brands, auto-regeneration option isn't always available( as quite a few disgruntled Ford owners would testify). Wonder if this is the reason why they're not launching their much acclaimed diesel models with AT.

[shashwat7548]

The problem you have mentioned here is unfortunately a common one with BS6 diesels, it happens more when the car is used for short distances within the city, so its best to use a petrol car for short city runs. And as other esteemed members of the forum have pointed out, the best way to clear the DPF would be to drive the car at 5th gear at 60kmph for atleast half hour which should do the job, if this doesn't work replacement of the filter is the only option.

Moreover, a petrol Fortuner is not a good choice since the average can go down to even 5kmpl, and the resale and part availability will be a major problem. If the size of the car is not a parameter you could consider getting a petrol sedan or a hatchback for city commute and these days most of them are available with automatic gearboxes too.

[Fastdriver]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Pardon my ignorance, I don't see how DPF (diesel particulate filter ) can cause problems in a vehicle with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction ), because DPF itself won't exist. All you need is to fill urea in the tank and carry reserve bottles of urea to top it up.

I am surprised not a single soul in so many comments before me has pointed this out. DPF clogging I thought only occurred in vehicles without urea based treatment systems.

As far as I know, DPF prevents to release soot or carbon in the atmosphere, the black smoke visible in some diesel vehicles. In the DPF carbon burns to form carbon dioxide. DPF regeneration frees the DPF of soot clogging the DPF by working at elevated temperature for some time.
SCR works by converting NOx to Nitrogen and water when diesel exhaust gas reacts with urea based fluid called Ad blue or Diesel Exhaust Fluid as found in Bolero BS6.
Fellow BHPians, please correct me if I am wrong.