DPF Cleaning Cost [For All Truck Manufacturers]
A vehicle’s DPF, also known as a diesel particulate filter, is a filter that aims to reduce exhaust emissions from vehicles that run on diesel.
If you own a diesel vehicle, then part of your vehicle’s regular maintenance is to periodically clean your DPF by burning off the soot and particulates it catches.
While there are a few ways to burn off your DPF on your own, if you can’t fix the problem manually, you may need to pay for a professional DPF cleaning.
On average, the cost to clean your vehicle’s diesel particulate filter is around $975 depending on what type of diesel vehicle you’re working with.
In this article, we will compare the costs of DPF cleanings (also known as a DPF flush) for different vehicle makes and models.
We will also look at some of the ways that costs can vary depending on different factors. Read on to learn more about this type of diesel vehicle maintenance.
Cost Breakdown for DPF Cleaning
If you own a vehicle that uses diesel fuel, then you need to be using a diesel particulate filter. Not only is this part of your diesel vehicle essential; it is also meant to make diesel trucks more environmentally friendly.
After a certain amount of time, a diesel particulate filter needs to be cleaned, often by burning off the soot and particulate that has been trapped in it due to extended use.
Like any other type of automotive maintenance, a diesel particulate filter cleaning is going to warrant different costs depending on what type of vehicle you own.
Vehicles running on diesel fuel can vary widely, from semi trucks to pickup trucks and even certain sedan models.
In order to give a more comprehensive guide to the cost of DPF cleaning, we’ll compare the average cost for different types of diesel vehicles below.
Pickup Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($750)
Some examples of light and heavy-duty pickup trucks include the Ford F150, Chevrolet 1500, and Ford Ranger models, as well as the Ford F250, RAM 2500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 models.
These diesel trucks generally have an average DPF cleaning cost of around $500-$1,000, with lightweight pickup trucks on the lower end of costs.
Hino Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($950)
Hino is a Japanese truck brand that is in the medium-duty class of vehicles. These trucks, which are a subsidiary of the Toyota Corporation, are commercial vehicles with diesel engines that will need DPF cleanings as a part of their regular maintenance.
The average cost of a DPF cleaning for a Hino truck is around $950 (between $900-$1,000).
Freightliner Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($1,025)
Freightliner is an American brand of trucks that includes heavy-duty trucks, medium-duty trucks, as well as some vans.
However, when it comes to diesel vehicles, we’ll really be looking at the medium- and heavy-duty trucks by Freightliner, including models such as the DD series (13-16), M2 Business line, and Cummins semi models (VNX, VNL, etc.).
A diesel particulate filter cleaning for Freightliner trucks will cost, on average, between $850-$1,200.
Kenworth Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($1,200)
When it comes to Kenworth diesel vehicles, we’re looking specifically at the medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles by this brand.
These American-made trucks run on diesel and will have an average DPF cleaning cost of around $1,100-$1,200. Given their size and weight class, it’s more likely for the DPF cleaning cost to be higher and closer to $1,200.
Isuzu Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($975)
Isuzu’s line of commercial trucks and buses that use diesel fuel will also need diesel particulate filter cleanings. On average, Isuzu truck owners will pay between $850-$1,100 to get their DPF cleaned.
Peterbilt Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($1,000)
Peterbilt is yet another brand of American trucks sold for commercial use. These include medium-duty as well as heavy-duty trucks, like the 220, 325, 330, 520, 567, and 579 Peterbilt models.
Since these trucks run on diesel, you’ll have to get the diesel particulate filter cleaned as a part of their regular maintenance. On average, Peterbilt truck owners will pay about $1,000 for a DPF cleaning.
Volvo Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($950)
Volvo is a global truck manufacturer that sells many semi models (mainly heavy-duty trucks).
Since these trucks are more heavy-duty, you’ll spend a bit more for a DPF cleaning than you would for smaller-grade diesel vehicles. On average, the cost of diesel particulate filter cleaning for Volvo trucks is about $900-$1,000.
International Truck DPF Cleaning Cost ($950)
While many of the other commercial brands of trucks in this guide are domestically made, there are several other companies that sell commercial trucks internationally.
The cost to get a DPF cleaning for international trucks often ends up being between $900-$1,000, on average.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning
While we know that costs for DPF cleanings can vary depending on the type of diesel vehicle you own, there are also other factors contributing to differences in price.
One main way that you can cut costs is to clean the DPF on your own (DIY cleaning). But there are a few other factors, such as your location and how much you use your vehicle that will affect the overall cost as well.
DIY Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning
One nice thing about a DPF cleaning is that you don’t necessarily need to pay for professional auto labor to get this job done. You can clean your filter yourself by using one of a few methods:
Active regeneration
Drive your vehicle at a speed over 40 miles per hour and keep it at a consistent speed for a period of time (somewhere between 10-20 minutes).
This may vary depending on your vehicle, but this process burns off the particulate as you drive by using heat.
Cleaning additives
The other way to clean your filter on your own is to use a cleaning additive like this one, which is usually pretty cheap (around $25).
It takes about 20-25 minutes of driving your vehicle with the additive to burn off the DPF. You’ll want to do this every several months.
You can save a great deal of money cleaning your DPF on your own (up to around $1,000 in savings). However, in some cases, the DPF is beyond DIY repair and needs a mechanic to get it back into shape.
Your Location
Depending on where you live, you will pay different costs for auto labor. A DPF cleaning has a pretty standard price, but if you don’t live close to a place that cleans it for you, you may have to pay to mail in the part for cleaning and get it returned. Taxes also vary by location, as well as auto labor rates.
Vehicle Usage
Another factor that affects the cost of DPF cleaning quite a bit is how often you use your vehicle and how strenuously you use it.
In other words, are you consistently taking long drives or just short ones on a regular basis? Are you using your diesel vehicle for heavy loads or high performance?
The more you use your vehicle, and the harder your vehicle has to work, the more often you’ll need to clean the DPF.
Long-Term Costs of DPF Cleaning
As mentioned above, more frequent usage of your vehicle leads to more frequent DPF cleanings. When it comes to the long-term costs of this vehicle maintenance job, you should, on average, get the DPF cleaned every 150,000-200,000 miles.
This means that you probably won’t have to get a professional DPF cleaning more than once or twice in your vehicle’s lifespan since most vehicles don’t last longer than 300,000 at most. So, you’ll likely spend between $975-$1,950 on DPF cleanings long-term.
The Alternative – Replacing Your DPF Filter
Although DPF cleaning and regular maintenance are helpful, they are just preventative measures and may or may not be enough to make your filter last.
This is why you should stay on top of cleanings when they are due. If you do end up needing to clean your DPF as a last resort measure, you’ll pay an average of about $2,500 for replacement.
Costs can fall either above or below this price, depending on the type of diesel vehicle you own. Note that you may also have to pay extra fees for installation. Again, you can save money by taking the DIY route and installing the filter yourself.
Conclusion
Cleaning your diesel vehicle’s diesel particulate filter is an essential part of vehicle maintenance and an important part of being an eco-friendly diesel driver.
On average, it costs about $975 to get your DPF professionally cleaned, although costs could be a few hundred dollars more or less than that.
You’ll likely need to get a professional cleaning once or twice in your car’s lifetime, meaning long-term costs are closer to $2,000. Before you pay for service, consider ways to save money on this vehicle maintenance job by cleaning the DPF yourself.
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