The particle filter is very important to help reduce harmful particles into the atmosphere. Especially at a time in world history when the number of vehicles grows every year.
It is common for your car's particle filter to sometimes present some problems and failures.
At these times, some drivers prefer to stop using particle filters instead of replacing them.
But this practice is not ideal, and is highly harmful to the environment.
Therefore, in today's text, we want to teach you a little more about what a particle filter is and how you can solve the main problems that often arise. Continue reading to check out all the details!
What is a particle filter?
A car's particle filter is nothing more than a type of ceramic filter. It can be made with silicon carbide or porous cordierite ceramic.
The physical structure of a particle filter is very similar to a honeycomb, as it has several small square cells.
This filter is located in the exhaust line of turbodiesel engines and gasoline engines, which have recently started to receive this part in their structure as well.
In general, the main objective of the particle filter is to reduce and prevent harmful particles produced by the car from reaching the atmosphere and harming the environment.
Anyway, let's understand better about the purpose of particle filters.
What is the function of the particle filter and how does it work?
O particle filter It works by eliminating all the soot produced by cars. This soot, which is produced during the combustion of fuel in the car engine, is stored by this filter. This prevents them from being released into the environment.
These particles will then be eliminated and converted into harmless gases during the car's regeneration process.
As a result, each car is able to eliminate fewer polluting gases during its useful life, helping to maintain global sustainability.
Particle filter problems
When we talk about a particle filter, one of the most common problems that can appear is the filter clogging, which ends up directly affecting the functioning of the vehicle's engine.
This happens because the burning of fuel by the engine generates several different particles. Over time, some of them, such as metal residues and sulfur, end up clogging the filter as they are not eliminated during the regeneration process.
Another very common situation that helps to clog the particle filter is interrupting the regeneration cycles. This happens when the engine travels too short. As a result, there is not enough time to carry out active regeneration.
When the engine makes many short trips, several times in a row, the chances of the particle filter starting to present problems are even greater.
But then, what can you do to deal with this problem correctly?
As we mentioned at the beginning of the post, many workshops and mechanics recommend removing the particle filter.
This procedure will basically dismantle your vehicle's filter to remove the internal filter and reassemble the housing. But this procedure is not ideal.
To solve the problem of particle filters, the best solution is to filter replacement. Or, choose to clean the filter, in order to unclog its walls, and allow it to be used for a long time.
The choice between filter replacement or cleaning will depend much more on the problem and the situation your filter is in. And the values depend on the model and size of your car's filter.
In addition to clogging the particle filter, which tends to be one of the most common problems, there are some other factors that can directly affect the particle filter. So, check out some:
Problem with your exhaust and injection system
If your car starts to have a problem with the exhaust system, the particle filter ends up being polluted more quickly due to the high production of soot.
The same happens if the vehicle has problems with the injection system.
Excessive fuel consumption
Another very common problem caused by particle filters that are already very polluted is the high fuel consumption by car.
This pattern usually happens in cars with a fuel filter problem. After all, when the filter becomes clogged or becomes very polluted, the vehicle ends up carrying out many more regeneration processes. Without a doubt, this increases total fuel consumption.
How to preserve your car's particle filter?
One of the best ways to avoid maintenance on the particle filter, which tends to be expensive, is by taking some precautions to keep the filter in good condition.
To this end, the ideal is for the filter to undergo periodic evaluation, in order to identify, before the problem appears, possible cracks, damage or breakage of these filters, which can happen during very strong impacts, for example.
Furthermore, another measure you can take is to clean the sensors to ensure a better electrical connection to the car, and constantly check the car's oil and coolant levels. Both can also impact the performance of particle filters.
Generally, preventive vehicle maintenance services already include the evaluation of this part and other parts of the car that, if they have a problem, could end up damaging the filter, such as the injection and exhaust system.
Therefore, to keep your particle filter up to date, it is necessary to carry out annual maintenance to assess the condition of the filter and ensure that it is still at adequate efficiency!
Do you want even better results, fewer filter changes and better performance for your vehicle? Then, Check out our line of STK automotive filters! For more information, contact our sales consultants via WhatsApp.
