Volkswagen Polo Quiz
Vehicle care and maintenance

Diesel particulate filter

In this manual: Vehicle care and maintenance
Vehicle exterior — 4Vehicle interior — 8Instrument cluster — 14Before setting off — 14Opening and closing — 35Sitting correctly and safely — 46Lights and vision — 26Transporting items — 29Practical equipment — 20Starting the engine, changing gear and parking — 34Driver assist systems — 18Air conditioning system — 8At the filling station — 14In the engine compartment — 24Vehicle care and maintenance — 66Practical tips — 2In an emergency — 5Manual opening and closing — 6Vehicle toolkit — 4Hubcaps — 4Changing a wheel — 9Breakdown set — 7Fuses — 4Changing a bulb — 13Starting the engine with jump leads — 4Tow-starting and towing — 7
~1min read
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings

The diesel particulate filter filters out soot particles in the exhaust gas. The soot particles gather in the filter and are burnt under high temperatures periodically (regeneration). Heat produced can warm the engine.

Regeneration can cause noises, light smells and delay in radiator fan irrespective of the outside temperature, even after the engine is switched off.

To assist the regeneration of diesel particle filter, Volkswagen recommends that you avoid making only short journeys. In vehicles with automatic gearboxes the engine speed can increase while the vehicle is being driven. However, the indicator lamp will not light up.

Observe the following points to ensure that the exhaust system and the diesel particulate filter will work properly for a long time:

  • Only use diesel with low sulphur levels .
  • Never use biodiesel, petrol or heating oil.
  • Do not allow the fuel tank to run empty.
  • Do not overfill engine oil .
  • Do not tow-start the vehicle. Use jump leads .

Even when the exhaust purification system is working perfectly, there may be a smell of sulphur from the exhaust in some conditions. This depends on the sulphur content of the fuel being used.

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