Warning light on the dash?Engine stuck in limp mode?DPF MASTERS can help.

A Diesel Particulate Filter is a honeycomb ceramic substrate fitted in the exhaust system that traps soot particles before they leave the tailpipe. It is mandatory on BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles in India. The filter is designed to periodically burn off trapped soot in a process called regeneration, but it cannot burn off ash, which accumulates permanently over the filter's life and eventually requires physical cleaning.

Two different things accumulate. Soot is combustible and is removed by regeneration. Ash, from engine oil additives and normal wear, is not combustible and builds up permanently. A filter blocks when either regeneration stops working (so soot accumulates faster than it clears) or when ash has simply filled the substrate over years of service. Short urban trips, excessive idling, faulty injectors, a failing turbocharger, EGR problems and low-quality fuel all accelerate the process.

Passenger cars and SUVs typically start from ₹8,500, light commercial vehicles from ₹12,000, and heavy commercial or off-highway equipment from ₹18,000 depending on filter size and condition. The exact figure depends on the vehicle, the degree of ash loading and whether any upstream faults need correcting. For context, a replacement DPF commonly costs between ₹80,000 and ₹4,00,000: cleaning is usually a small fraction of that. Use our quote calculator for an instant estimate, or send vehicle details for a firm quotation.

Most passenger car and light commercial filters are completed within a single working day, typically four to eight hours from the filter reaching us to it being ready for collection. Heavy commercial and off-highway filters may take longer depending on size. Note that we clean the filter itself: it comes to us already removed, and goes back to your own workshop to be refitted. Fleet customers on contract can use our loan filter pool, so a cleaned filter is available to go on as yours comes off, which keeps the vehicle earning while its own filter is here.

Yes, where the performance loss was caused by exhaust restriction, which it usually is. A blocked filter raises back pressure, which directly reduces power and increases fuel consumption. Our flow bench testing regularly shows restoration to within 95–99% of original flow, and the corresponding recovery in power, throttle response and fuel economy is immediate and measurable. What cleaning cannot fix is a performance problem with a different root cause, which is precisely why we diagnose before we clean.

As a general guide: passenger vehicles every 1,20,000 to 1,50,000 km, commercial vehicles every 1,50,000 to 2,00,000 km, and off-highway equipment every 3,000 to 5,000 engine hours. Duty cycle matters more than the number itself: heavy idling, urban stop-start running, dusty environments and high-load operation all shorten the interval considerably. Fleet customers on contract get intervals calculated from their actual operating data rather than a generic figure.