Engine Diagnostics and Repair
Fault code diagnosis and in frame repair on Cummins, Detroit, Paccar, Caterpillar and other major diesel platforms.
Learn moreMobile and in shop
DPF Cleaning and Forced Regen
A plugged DPF will derate your truck and end your day. We run forced regens, clean filters properly rather than just baking them, and find the upstream fault that plugged it in the first place.
DPF and Regen in Baltimore, MD
Aftertreatment problems are the most common reason a modern truck stops earning. A DPF loads up, the truck goes into derate, and the driver is stuck. A forced regen will often get you moving, but a filter that plugs repeatedly is telling you something else is wrong: a leaking injector, a failed EGR cooler, a doser fault, or a duty cycle that never lets the truck get hot enough to regen on its own. We clear the immediate problem and then deal with the reason it happened.
Equipment and capability
We run manufacturer level software so a forced regen is done correctly and monitored, not started blind. Filter cleaning is measured with pressure and flow readings before and after, which is the only way to know whether the clean actually worked. Our mobile units can run forced regens at your yard or at the roadside, which frequently converts a tow into a two hour visit.
Mobile and in shop
Covering Baltimore City and 29 surrounding communities, out to roughly 30 miles from the shop on Ponca Street.
See the areas we coverWhat dpf and regen covers
The full scope of the work, so there is no ambiguity about what is and is not included when you approve a job.
- Forced or stationary regeneration on site or in the shop
- Aftertreatment fault code diagnosis on manufacturer software
- DPF removal, inspection and certified cleaning with pressure and flow testing before and after
- Ash load assessment so you know how much service life the filter has left
- DOC and SCR catalyst inspection and replacement
- DEF system diagnosis including pump, injector, doser, heater and quality sensor faults
- NOx sensor, temperature sensor and delta pressure sensor testing and replacement
- EGR valve and EGR cooler testing, which is a frequent upstream cause of DPF loading
- Injector diagnosis where fuel is reaching the filter and loading it with soot
- Exhaust leak and clamp repair around the aftertreatment can
- Post cleaning verification, regen completion and a road test to confirm the system stays clear
- Advice on duty cycle changes where the route is preventing passive regeneration
When you need this service
If you recognise any of these, it is worth a call before it becomes a roadside call.
DPF lamp illuminated, flashing, or a regen required message on the dash
Truck has gone into a speed or power derate
Regens are happening far more frequently than they used to
A regen starts and does not complete
High exhaust temperature warnings
Poor fuel economy alongside frequent regens
DEF quality or DEF level faults
Rough running or a fuel smell in the exhaust after a regen attempt
How we approach it
The sequence matters as much as the repair. Working through it in this order is what stops you paying for parts the fault never pointed at.
- 1
Scan the aftertreatment system
We read active and inactive codes, soot and ash load values, delta pressure and sensor readings so we know whether the filter is truly loaded or a sensor is lying.
- 2
Attempt a controlled regen
Where the system is capable of it we run a forced regen under supervision, monitoring temperatures. This clears many trucks the same day.
- 3
Clean properly if it will not clear
A filter that will not regen is removed and cleaned with flow and pressure testing before and after, so the result is measured rather than assumed.
- 4
Find the upstream cause
Repeat plugging is a symptom. We check injectors, EGR, doser function and turbo condition, because cleaning a filter without fixing the cause just resets a countdown.
- 5
Verify and road test
Codes cleared, regen completed, and the truck road tested so the system reaches temperature and stays clear under real conditions.
Related services
Faults rarely sit in one system. These are the ones that most often come up alongside this work.
Preventive Maintenance
Scheduled PM services, oil and filter changes, fluid checks and DOT pre-trip inspections, on your yard or ours.
Learn moreEmergency Roadside Assistance
Mobile assistance across the Baltimore metro area for tires, fuel, jump starts, air faults and breakdowns.
Learn moreFurther reading on dpf and regen
What a Forced DPF Regen Actually Does, and When You Need One
A forced regen is a temperature event, not a reset button. What happens inside the filter, why some trucks need it constantly, and what that tells you.
Read the articleEngine and Emissions
What a Forced DPF Regen Actually Does, and When You Need One
A forced regen is a temperature event, not a reset button. What happens inside the filter, why some trucks need it constantly, and what that tells you.
4 min read
Book dpf and regen
Send the unit details and the symptom and dispatch will come back to you. If the truck is off the road right now, call instead.
Faster by phone
A form is fine for scheduling. For a truck that is stopped, a call gets a unit moving while you are still describing the problem.
(443) 630-6669- Call out fee and labour rate quoted before we roll
- Work stops and you get a call if the job grows
- Itemised invoice with parts, labour and measurements
DPF and Regen questions
Drawn from the questions we get asked most about this specific service.
Yes, in most cases. Our mobile units carry the software to command a stationary regen. It needs a safe location with clearance around the exhaust because temperatures get very high, so we will not do it in a tight spot.
Ash cleaning is typically due somewhere between 200,000 and 400,000 miles depending on engine, oil consumption and duty cycle. If yours is loading up far sooner than that, the filter is not the real problem.
Frequent regens usually mean excess soot is being produced or the truck never gets hot enough to regen passively. Leaking injectors, a failed EGR cooler, turbo problems and short stop start routes are the usual culprits. We check all of them.
No. Tampering with an emissions system is a federal violation, it will fail an inspection, and it exposes you to significant fines. We repair the system so it works instead.
If it is a soft derate you can usually limp in at reduced power. A 5 mph derate means you are calling us out. Give dispatch the dash message and the code and we will tell you which one you are dealing with.
Cleaning is far cheaper and works well until the substrate is damaged or the ash load is beyond recovery. We flow test after cleaning, so if a filter is finished we can prove it rather than guessing.
A forced regen is usually under an hour. A removal, clean and refit is generally a same day job if you get to us early, and we will tell you at booking whether we can turn it around that day.