So says Cameron Bryce, director of DPF Clean Team, pointing to a recent study by GSF Car Parts, which suggests that the majority of UK workshops are dealing with blocked DPFs every week, yet only rarely turn to specialists for cleaning services.
The report also reveals that some garages are still offering to remove or modify DPFs instead of cleaning them – a practice that Bryce says is not only a disservice to customers, but also illegal.
"With the amount of DPF-related work at garages increasing, we are keen to work with the sector to help educate them on how to deal with a blocked DPF," he comments.
"Charging customers for replacement DPFs, or pouring numerous treatments into the filter in an attempt to clear a blockage, is not necessarily the best way to solve a DPF issue," he continues.
"Many treatments and machine-based systems are unable to produce the same results as specialist cleaning equipment, and it can be far more expensive to remove and remap the DPF than clean the filter, which can be done for just a few hundred pounds."
To illustrate the cost savings that garages can make for their customers when cleaning a DPF instead of replacing it, DPF Clean Team has released a money saving infographic.
Some workshop owners may surprised to learn that a replacement DPF for a Hyundai Santa Fe costs £2,500 on average, but a professional clean can be performed for as little as £250.