Ex-UK/Europe Toyota Hilux with a 1KD_FTV engine often comes fitted with a Diesel Particle Filter (DPF). You are probably reading this article because you would like to have your Toyota Hilux DPF issues solved. Emission laws especially in developed countries have ensured that manufacturers implements these specialized exhaust filters so as to limit the amount of diesel soot that enters the atmosphere.
Sadly being an owner of such trucks you will be forced to put up with the heavy costs that come with the maintenance of the emission system as years go by. The situation is particularly worsened for third world countries especially here in Zimbabwe (and Africa as a whole) where our fuel is not of high quality. Toyota Hilux DPF failure may also result from factors such as driving habits of the vehicle owners and a situation of deteriorating air to fuel mixtures in the engine. You can watch our video that explains more here.
Symptoms of Failure
You will experience any combination of the following when your Hilux has a DPF malfunction;
DPF Light & Check Engine – These will show themselves accompanied by DPF related faults. You will see any combination of the following faults when you connect your diagnostic tool:
Power Loss – The vehicle will deliberately limit the power and for the driver, it will feel sluggish. The vehicle has entered into a safe mode to prevent further damage. Watch our video here that explains the dangers that follow should you continue driving a car in this condition
Occasional White Smoke – If the DPF has been breached i.e hollowed or cut out, white smoke will occasionally puff out. When this happens you will usually be in traffic or idling. This has nothing to do with an engine being worn out but is due to the computer excessively over-fueling as it is desperately trying to resolve the DPF issue by squirting diesel into the exhaust. It is its normal process of cleaning the DPF.
Increased Diesel consumption – Fuel consumption of a vehicle with DPF problem will generally be higher due to deliberate over-fueling as described above.
Available Solutions
Basically, there are three solutions available to fix Toyota Hilux DPF issues. I will go through each one;
Option 1: Regeneration – This is probably the cheapest solution. A mechanic with an advanced diagnostic tool can put the vehicle into a regeneration mode for the car to clear soot by itself. The problem with this solution is that it can be short term in 3rd world countries. The quality of fuel in their countries will keep causing DPF to clog due to contaminants in a short period. This solution can last weeks, days, or just hours and Sometimes it might not even work. As explained above there are factors causing DPF failure. These factors are to be addressed for DPF regeneration to work. For those in 1st world countries, you can go months or years after regeneration mainly because of the high-quality fuel.
Option 2: Buy New DPF. If Option 1 has failed the next option on the table would be to buy a new DPF. These systems are quite expensive. This will probably be a good option for those in 1st world countries. Here in Africa buying a new DPF is probably a waste of money unless you are certain that you have a high quality of fuel like the one used in Europe, America, or any 1st world countries. If not you are probably going to buy more than one DPF in a short period of time as they will continue to fail.
Generally, if your Toyota Hilux gives DPF problems once and you replace wit a brand new one, the likelihood of those problems to resurface is 90%. DPFs are meant to last the lifetime of the vehicle and if that is not happening it means there is an underlying issue (Problematic Air to fuel mixture, Bad driving habits or contaminated fuel)
Option 3: Convert to Non – DPF. First of all, lawmakers forced these DPFs as a way to limit soot. Obviously the engine doesn’t like this DPF system. This option is a more permanent solution that will come with profound benefits to your vehicle. The exhaust will be changed to free-flow; followed by conversion on the Computer system which operates the DPF system through a Software algorithm. Similar models manufactured in South Africa(SA) are believed to be more powerful as they do not have DPF on the exhaust and inside the engine computer. The conversion to Non-DPF makes your vehicle’s system perform like South African assembled vehicles that come without a DPF system. Engine Check & DPF light will disappear, power will increase and fuel consumption will improve.
If you want your DPF issues solved permanently then this conversion is the way to go. However, this option isn’t available for those in Europe, Japan, or America. It is illegal in such countries to circumvent laws that forced manufacturers to put these emission systems in such countries. This is the solution available here at The DPF Team.
Other Solutions you may hear of
Emulators – At our workshop, we have seen cars with emulators. These are very dangerous devices grafted onto your electrical system so as to mimic and falsify signals to the ECU to make it believe everything is fine (when it isn’t). Emulators are untested and not certified professionally thereby posing great danger to your vehicle. Here in Zimbabwe we have seen damaged ECUs and engines due to inconsistent signals fired by emulators. The result is usually a malfunctioning ECU that ends up destroying the engine or hindering its optimum performance. Based on what we have seen our professional advice is stay away from emulators
DPF Fluid Additive– There are companies that sell additive that you mix with your diesel. The job of these fluids is to cause your exhaust to get hotter than normal so as to cook the soot that blocks the DPF. These additives come with very negative consequences for the sensitive 1KD injectors and usually melt away the DPF itself instead of clearing its soot. When a DPF is melted it will block the exhaust which leads to back pressure that will destroy the turbo and/or EGR valves as well. Based on what we have seen our professional advice is stay away from these fluids as well.
We are able to assist you with your DPF problem in most parts of Africa. Visit our contact page for information on how to reach out to us.
2009-2015 Toyota Hilux DPF Issues
Ex-UK/Europe Toyota Hilux with a 1KD_FTV engine often comes fitted with a Diesel Particle Filter (DPF). You are probably reading this article because you would like to have your Toyota Hilux DPF issues solved. Emission laws especially in developed countries have ensured that manufacturers implements these specialized exhaust filters so as to limit the amount of diesel soot that enters the atmosphere.
Sadly being an owner of such trucks you will be forced to put up with the heavy costs that come with the maintenance of the emission system as years go by. The situation is particularly worsened for third world countries especially here in Zimbabwe (and Africa as a whole) where our fuel is not of high quality. Toyota Hilux DPF failure may also result from factors such as driving habits of the vehicle owners and a situation of deteriorating air to fuel mixtures in the engine. You can watch our video that explains more here.
Symptoms of Failure
You will experience any combination of the following when your Hilux has a DPF malfunction;
DPF Light & Check Engine – These will show themselves accompanied by DPF related faults. You will see any combination of the following faults when you connect your diagnostic tool:
Power Loss – The vehicle will deliberately limit the power and for the driver, it will feel sluggish. The vehicle has entered into a safe mode to prevent further damage. Watch our video here that explains the dangers that follow should you continue driving a car in this condition
Occasional White Smoke – If the DPF has been breached i.e hollowed or cut out, white smoke will occasionally puff out. When this happens you will usually be in traffic or idling. This has nothing to do with an engine being worn out but is due to the computer excessively over-fueling as it is desperately trying to resolve the DPF issue by squirting diesel into the exhaust. It is its normal process of cleaning the DPF.
Increased Diesel consumption – Fuel consumption of a vehicle with DPF problem will generally be higher due to deliberate over-fueling as described above.
Available Solutions
Basically, there are three solutions available to fix Toyota Hilux DPF issues. I will go through each one;
Option 1: Regeneration – This is probably the cheapest solution. A mechanic with an advanced diagnostic tool can put the vehicle into a regeneration mode for the car to clear soot by itself. The problem with this solution is that it can be short term in 3rd world countries. The quality of fuel in their countries will keep causing DPF to clog due to contaminants in a short period. This solution can last weeks, days, or just hours and Sometimes it might not even work. As explained above there are factors causing DPF failure. These factors are to be addressed for DPF regeneration to work. For those in 1st world countries, you can go months or years after regeneration mainly because of the high-quality fuel.
Option 2: Buy New DPF. If Option 1 has failed the next option on the table would be to buy a new DPF. These systems are quite expensive. This will probably be a good option for those in 1st world countries. Here in Africa buying a new DPF is probably a waste of money unless you are certain that you have a high quality of fuel like the one used in Europe, America, or any 1st world countries. If not you are probably going to buy more than one DPF in a short period of time as they will continue to fail.
Generally, if your Toyota Hilux gives DPF problems once and you replace wit a brand new one, the likelihood of those problems to resurface is 90%. DPFs are meant to last the lifetime of the vehicle and if that is not happening it means there is an underlying issue (Problematic Air to fuel mixture, Bad driving habits or contaminated fuel)
Option 3: Convert to Non – DPF. First of all, lawmakers forced these DPFs as a way to limit soot. Obviously the engine doesn’t like this DPF system. This option is a more permanent solution that will come with profound benefits to your vehicle. The exhaust will be changed to free-flow; followed by conversion on the Computer system which operates the DPF system through a Software algorithm. Similar models manufactured in South Africa(SA) are believed to be more powerful as they do not have DPF on the exhaust and inside the engine computer. The conversion to Non-DPF makes your vehicle’s system perform like South African assembled vehicles that come without a DPF system. Engine Check & DPF light will disappear, power will increase and fuel consumption will improve.
If you want your DPF issues solved permanently then this conversion is the way to go. However, this option isn’t available for those in Europe, Japan, or America. It is illegal in such countries to circumvent laws that forced manufacturers to put these emission systems in such countries. This is the solution available here at The DPF Team.
Other Solutions you may hear of
Emulators – At our workshop, we have seen cars with emulators. These are very dangerous devices grafted onto your electrical system so as to mimic and falsify signals to the ECU to make it believe everything is fine (when it isn’t). Emulators are untested and not certified professionally thereby posing great danger to your vehicle. Here in Zimbabwe we have seen damaged ECUs and engines due to inconsistent signals fired by emulators. The result is usually a malfunctioning ECU that ends up destroying the engine or hindering its optimum performance. Based on what we have seen our professional advice is stay away from emulators
DPF Fluid Additive– There are companies that sell additive that you mix with your diesel. The job of these fluids is to cause your exhaust to get hotter than normal so as to cook the soot that blocks the DPF. These additives come with very negative consequences for the sensitive 1KD injectors and usually melt away the DPF itself instead of clearing its soot. When a DPF is melted it will block the exhaust which leads to back pressure that will destroy the turbo and/or EGR valves as well. Based on what we have seen our professional advice is stay away from these fluids as well.
We are able to assist you with your DPF problem in most parts of Africa. Visit our contact page for information on how to reach out to us.
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