Does DPF Regeneration Cause Smoke? (All You Need to Know)

DPF is an important part of any diesel car. This component helps to separate and store the exhaust soot. This process reduces emissions from diesel cars. If you want to clean this, the technique used is called dpf regeneration.

You may ask if dpf regeneration can cause smoke. Let us help you find the answer to your question and provide you with some necessary information regarding this matter.

Does dpf regeneration cause smoke?

Dpf regeneration does sometimes cause smoke. The smoke is created due to various faults in the engine or component of the vehicle that the dpf unit is installed. Based on the issue, the color of the smoke varies. Each color of smoke indicates a particular issue that needs to be addressed soon.

Dpf is an essential component in any diesel vehicle. It helps to remove the carbon particles from the fuel exhaust and release the purified exhaust in the air. But as the component collects carbon from the exhaust, it can get clogged over time.

If you want to clear a blocked dpf, you would have to perform a dpf regeneration. This process helps to clear the blockage that is created and remove any carbon deposit that is stored in the dpf unit. But sometimes after performing this process, smoke can emit from the dpf.

Various colors of smoke can emit due to dpf regeneration. The color of the smoke will vary based on the cause of the issue. If you want to know what color of smoke is related to which issue, here are some known smoke colors that might emit while dpf regeneration.

White smoke:

Dpf regeneration does cause white smoke. White smoke from dpf after the regeneration process means that there is a problem in the fuel injection pump of the vehicle. 

But if the weather is cold and you see white smoke coming out, it is normal and does not indicate anything harmful.

Blue smoke:

Blue smoke does emit due to dpf regeneration. Blue smoke due to dpf regeneration means that oil is getting in the engine. This is usually caused if the piston rings are worn out. It may also occur if you have poured more than the required amount of engine oil.

Black smoke:

Black smoke might be emitted for dpf regeneration. Black smoke means that the dpf is blocked and is not cleaned correctly. This is an easy indicator if you correctly performed the dpf regeneration process or not.

Gray smoke:

Dpf regeneration can cause grey smoke. This smoke may indicate that the dpf has a blockage. It may also suggest a problem in the fuel injection pump or indicate extensive fuel burning.

Is it normal for a truck to smoke during dpf regen?

It is normal for a truck to smoke during dpf regen. Dpf regen can cause smoke. It can happen in any vehicle. This even happens in a truck as well. This is a common incident in any vehicle and can occur for various reasons.

Trucks use engines as well. Most trucks use diesel engines. Therefore, almost all trucks have dpf. This component has to be cleaned after driving a certain mileage. During the cleaning process, your truck may smoke.

Although smokes indicate various issues like dpf blockage, fuel injection pump problems, cylinder ring burnt and many more. These issues need to be resolved according to the indication. The color of the smoke from the dpf regen is the easiest way to identify that.

If the issue is not resolved, it may cause more problems in the future. It might damage your truck and cost you a lot of money afterwards. It might even cause issues while driving.

Does a blocked DPF cause smoke?

A blocked DPF causes smoke. A blocked DPF is a common scenario in diesel engine vehicles. DPF is usually used to collect carbon particles from the exhaust of the engine. These carbon particles can block the DPF.

If the DPF is blocked, it has to be cleaned. The engine starts to exhaust black smoke in order to indicate that the DPF is blocked. Black smoke can also indicate a fuel injection system issue or even a burnt fuel issue. 

But the DPF blockage issue is the most common, which causes the blocked DPF to smoke.

3 reasons why dpf regeneration cause smoke

There are multiple reasons why dpf regeneration causes smoke. Among all of those reasons, 3 reasons are the most common. If you want to know, let us describe to you the 3 most common reasons why dpf regeneration causes smoke.

Clogged dpf:

Dpf can get clogged easily. It is normal in any diesel fuel engine vehicle. It causes the dpf to smoke black or gray colour smoke. This issue can be resolved by removing the blockage by clearing the carbon collected in the dpf.

Worn out piston or valve rings of engine:

Engine piston or valve rings can quickly wear out over time. It depends on the mileage of the vehicle. But this causes smoke during dpf regeneration. The color of the smoke in this issue is usually blue smoke. 

This indicates that the engine burns fuel and exhausts fuel through its exhaust line through dpf.

Bad fuel injection system:

A bad fuel injection pump is another common reason why dpf regeneration causes smoke. This causes the engine not to receive adequate fuel to operate. Therefore, it might cause white smoke during dpf regeneration. 

This might also occur during regular driving as well.

What is the DPF smoke color?

DPF smoke colors can be blue, white, black and gray. The smoke color of the DPF varies based on the issue of your vehicle. Each color indicates a specific issue of the vehicle.

DPF smoke color may indicate that the DPF is bad or blocked. It is a common issue in any diesel engine vehicle. In this case, the DPF may exhaust smoke which is Black or Gray coloured. But Black color smoke is the most common in this case.

If the DPF smoke color is white, it indicates an issue in the fuel injection system. Due to this, the engine of the vehicle might overheat. But if the weather is cold, then white smoke from DPF is nothing to worry about. It is normal to see white smoke from DPF during winter.

Blue smoke is another common DPF smoke color. This means that the engine is burning oil and it is released through the exhaust. This is caused due to worn out valves or piston rings in the engine.

How often does dpf regeneration cause smoke?

It is not often dpf regeneration causes smoke. Dpf regeneration usually does not cause smoke on a regular basis. Sometimes it might smoke a bit during or after the dpf regeneration is performed.

It might be common to see black or gray color smoke during dpf regeneration. This indicates that the dpf has a blockage and needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. This smoke can occur while cleaning and might indicate the condition of dpf.

But dpf cannot cause smoke regularly. It cannot regularly cause blue, white or any other color smoke due to dpf regeneration. These indicate an issue in the vehicle and have to be resolved as soon as possible or it might cause irreversible damage to the vehicle.

How to fix smoke issues while dpf regeneration?

There are many ways to fix smoke issues while dpf regeneration. If you want to know the simple ways to fix it, here are the steps that you should follow to fix smoke issues while dpf regeneration.

Test using the diagnostic tool:

It is mandatory to identify the issue that is causing the smoke issue during dpf regeneration. Each vehicle manufacturer has a diagnostic tool to check the condition of the car with the help of a computer. 

Connect your vehicle with the computer and use the software to pinpoint the reason behind the smoke issues while dpf regeneration.

Clean the dpf:

Cleaning the dpf is the common fix among all. You need to use the dpf regeneration method to clean the dpf of your diesel engine vehicle. It removes all the exhaust soot from the soot trap.

Check the fuel injection pump:

Checking the fuel injection pump is another step of the solution. If the engine is not receiving the required fuel, change or repair the fuel injection pump immediately. It can resolve the smoke issue.

Observe the piston or valve rings:

Open the engine hood and check the rings of the piston and valves. If they are worn, consider changing them. It can resolve your issue as well.

Final Thoughts 

Dpf regeneration does cause smoke. It causes white, black, blue or gray color smoke. All smokes point to an issue with your vehicle. It might indicate an engine issue to a blocked dpf. These issues might properly surface during dpf regeneration and need to be resolved as soon as possible.