TDCI Focus particulate filter

[pugdriver]

Hi

Does anyone here know the intimate details of the particulate filter system on the Focus diesels?

As I understand it...The Focus diesel uses a Peugeot diesel engine. I own a Peugeot diesel car and I know about their system. All cars with a DPF (diesel particulate filter) trap soot from the cars exhaust in a fine ceramic filter, a modified catalytic converter. When the car is driven hard or high revs, the exhaust temperature rises and the DPF temperature gets extremely high, which burns off then accumulated soot. If the car is driven gently and for short trips, the DPF can tend to clog up with soot, which reduces exhaust flow and performance. The car needs a regime to get the DPF temperature up, and this differs greatly between manufacturers. The process of burning off the soot in the DPF is called a regeneration.

Peugeot uses a special liquid additive, called Eolys, which is injected into the fuel system when the car's computer determines it is needed. It is housed in a small tank or bladder attached under the floor of the car. It is ferociously expensive, but only needs to be replenished every 100,000 km or so.

VW and many others use a simpler system - it regularly runs a richer diesel fuel mixture to increase exhaust temperature when needed. This isn't necessarily as effective as the fluid that Pug uses. If the rich running mix doesn't do the trick, it puts a light on the dashboard to tell the driver to take the car out and give it a good drive at higher revs for a while (the handbook gives details) to heat up the DPF to make it regenerate. In severe cases it may have to go to a dealer and they do a regeneration. (not sure if it is stationary or if they just take it our for a blast.)

What I can't find out from Ford (I've asked their customer misinformation line, and several dealers service departments, none of them even understand what I'm talking about...) is what system Ford uses.

I have gone online and I can find several references to Focus diesels having their Eolys fluid replaced (at great expense, they complain), so it looks like the Peugeot system. (which I actually prefer.) However these are all in the UK, I can't find any reference to it here in Aus.

Does anyone actually know?

[marg99]

According to the Haynes Manual on Diesel Focus there is an additive automatically mixed with the diesel fuel and only refillable by a ford dealer as you must also reset the "additive System Module". Manual also says need to refill about every 3 years.

[Franco Cozzo]

Is there any way you can get rid of the particulate filter?

[marg99]

You cannot remove it legally. They have lots of trouble with Nissan diesels and their particulate filters so some one made a replacement section of exhaust that allows the two sensors to be fitted. They originally measured pressure before and after the filter to trigger the burning. The replacement has the sensors but no filter in there to clog up. Not sure this will help if the Focus has a computer module that injects the special fluid based on amount of diesel you put into the tank.

[pugdriver]

I think the particulate filter is a great idea and I want one - that works properly.

Is the Haynes manual based on UK spec cars? Could the Aussie cars be different?

UK models as I understand it, the 1.6 and 2.0 (peugeot design) engines have a DPF, the 1.8 (old Ford design) doesn't.

[burnz]

normally the fuel is injected late, to create an afterburn type setup.

other have real afterburn (cat/cummins) they inject fuel after the turbo and ignite it.